Sermon - June 29th - Bad Influences

Sermon – Acts 12:1-11, 2 Timothy

Bad Influences

Pr. Paul Cannon

Grace and peace Bethany Lutheran Church, from God our creator and our Lord Jesus Christ,

Today, I want to talk to you all about bad influences.  And so naturally, the first thing that that came to mind when I was thinking about the subject this week is Pastors.  Of course, the line between being a good and a bad influence can be a fine one at times.

But before we get into that, I need to back up a little and tell you all about my week.

As many of you know, I was up at Lutherdale Bible Camp in Elkhorn, WI with 14 kids from Confirmation, and it went about how you might expect it to go. 

Kids swam in the lake, they climbed on the high ropes course, they worshipped, had bible studies, sang songs and played games – about what you’d expect from a week of camp.

But what you might not know, is that a week at Lutherdale isn’t just a week of camp for the kids, it’s also a week of camp for the pastors.  You see, we get to do all the fun stuff at camp as well, but we don’t actually have to stay in the same cabin with the kids.  It’s the best of both worlds!

That’s not to say it isn’t exhausting though.  We run around with our students, do Bible Studies, lead worships and still have to get our work for the week done. 

It’s a tiring week. One day in particular, I was exhausted after chasing kids around the camp, when one of the pastors, who I’ll call Pr. Bob, approached me and a few others and asked us if we wanted to go lay out in the field to do some stargazing.

I looked at him and I looked at my watch, thinking about how early I needed to wake up in the morning, and how much work I had to do the next day, and it just seemed like a bad idea.  I really needed my rest.

And I said to him, “You know Bob, you’re a really bad influence on me.”  And then I grabbed a blanket and a pillow and headed out to the ball field to join the other pastors. 

The group of us who went out counted four or five shooting stars that night.  It really was a tremendous night to stargaze.

The next morning, I dragged myself out of bed, crawled towards the dining hall and sat down for breakfast with some of the other pastors.  Pr. Bob looked at me and said, “You know Paul, I think you had it wrong last night.  We’re not bad influences, we’re the good ones.”

Thinking back on the shooting stars in the calm nighttime sky, I just responded, “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

The line between being a bad influence and a good one can be fine at times.  The most responsible choice was probably to get to bed to rest up for another long day at camp.  And yet, I can’t help but think it was the right choice to make.

I bring this up, because I think it’s a similar line that the first Christians all had to walk.  At some point, they all had to make the choice between the reasonable/responsible option, and the life-giving option.

Imagine yourself in first century Rome for a moment. People from all over the world were traveling to Rome and living there.   There are plenty of religions to choose from.  There are plenty of gods that you could freely to worship.

Except for one.  And that of course was Christianity.  Scholars think that Jesus probably died about the year 33 AD and for the first few decades, Christianity was able to spread in relative peace without facing widespread persecution. 

Things began to change for the worse in the year 54 AD when a new emperor, named Nero succeeded the throne.  It was during that time that Christianity began to be persecuted on a much wider scale.

While it really wouldn’t be appropriate to talk about it in detail, suffice it to say that many Christians were being executed in very public and gruesome ways.

So I ask you again to imagine yourself living in that time.  Maybe you had a neighbor who told you that you just had to go listen to this guy named Paul speak.  And maybe you admire the way the Christians lived their lives – sharing with one another, taking care of their neighbors, treating their servants and slaves with dignity – as equals.

Not to mention that there’s something enticing about the man they called Jesus who was executed by the Roman government in Jerusalem.  His message of love and forgiveness and grace, seems exotically counter-cultural to the way the world works.

But you’ve also heard of these executions.  Our reading from Acts today said this,

“About that time, King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church.  He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword.  After he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

Anybody here want to sign up? 

As Christianity spread across the empire, I’m sure many Roman citizens whispered among themselves that it was better to stay far away from the Christians.  They were a bad influence. They could get you in trouble.

The Christians were proclaiming a Savior other than the emperor.  They were saying that the true Prince of Peace – a title that was often proclaimed for Ceasar – was really a man named Jesus.  They were rabble rousers, and trouble makers. 

It was an easy choice if you think about it: keep worshipping your old gods and live in peace, or follow Jesus and face persecution and possibly death.  The persecutions under Emperor Nero and many successive emperors should have effectively killed the Christian movement.

Except it didn’t.  People continued to be drawn into this movement of Christ followers by their message of love, grace and forgiveness.  People continued to be drawn towards this Jewish rabbi named Jesus.

To the world, the growth of Christianity must have seemed perplexing, but as followers of Christ it makes a certain sense.

You see, faith in Christ proved to be far more reliable than faith in the emperor, or the government any human institution. The hope of the resurrection proved to be more powerful the fear of death. The love of Christ proved to be stronger than the strength of the Roman Empire – stronger than the sword.

Christians were a bad influence on decent law-abiding citizens of Rome in the sense that the discipleship of Christ came with a high price tag.  Many Christians paid for it with their lives in the first few centuries of our history and some are still doing so today.  And yet, in the end, faith, hope and love have always proved to be far more influential than fear, violence and death.  (let me say that again…)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, some of you might have heard it said that faith in God is for the weak minded, but our history tells us, that it is the source of our strength. 

I want to leave you today, with the words we heard from Paul in 2 Timothy, and I want you to listen for the faith, hope and love that spring out of these words.  Paul, who writes from prison before he is executed for his belief in Christ says this,

As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.  But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.  So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.  The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom.  To him be the glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Holy Trinity Sunday/Pastor Carrie's Farewell Sermon

Holy Trinity Sunday

June 15, 2014

Preacher: Pastor Carrie Smith

Matthew 28:16-20 

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

The other day, I packed two of the most important boxes for our upcoming move to Jerusalem—not the books, or the photos, or the artwork, but the Christmas decorations.

I’m pretty sure that when Robert and I got married, our Christmas decorations could have fit into a shoebox! Actually, our entire worldly belongings might have fit into two or three shoeboxes. But in 19 years, we’ve managed to accumulate enough glass ornaments, silvery garlands, twinkling lights, and festive knick-knacks to fill FOUR Rubbermaid tubs.

And that’s not to mention those three Christmas tree stands I found in the crawlspace.

So it was quite an accomplishment to pare all that glittery mess down to two small boxes, tape them up, and then mark them “Christmas” and “Jerusalem, box 10 and box 11.”

It felt good to do it. I relaxed a little bit when it was done.

It felt good to wrap up a little Christmas for our journey, because as I say farewell to this community I love and am sent to do ministry halfway around the globe, it’s good to be reminded that the God who calls and equips us for such exciting and difficult things is the same God whose angel announced to Mary she would conceive and bear a son. It’s good to be reminded that the Jesus who gives us the Great Commission is the same child who was born on that silent and holy night. It’s good to remember that the crucified and risen Christ on the mountaintop, who sends us out to all nations, is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. When Jesus says “Go”, and the going gets tough, it is a great comfort to remember that he is Emmanuel, God-With-Us, yesterday, today, and forever!

Sometimes, we all need a little Christmas joy! It seems the disciples needed a little Christmas on the mountaintop that day, too. They had obediently schlepped up there to wait for further instructions from Jesus, but they were understandably confused and afraid. They were still trying to comprehend this resurrection business, after all! So Matthew tells us that even when Jesus appeared before them on the mountain, as he said he would, some of the disciples doubted.   

The disciples worshiped Jesus, but some of them doubted. So before he launched into what we know as the Great Commission, Jesus took the opportunity to remind the eleven of his credentials. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” he said. In other words: Remember who you’re talking to here! Remember who sent me!

Having established that he was speaking with divine authority, Jesus then gave them these instructions:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”

Then, with the weight of those words and the importance of that mission hanging in the air, Jesus gave the doubting disciples a little Christmas joy! He said, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Remember, I am with you always! In that moment, the disciples were reminded that this Jesus, crucified and risen, is Emmanuel, the babe born in Bethlehem, God incarnate, God-With-Us. Therefore, wherever his disciples go, they never go it alone. Thanks be to God! 

With those few comforting words, Jesus brought a little Christmas joy into that mountaintop conversation.  Then again, he also brought a little Pentecost. And a little Genesis! And this is perhaps why Matthew 28 is the text we hear on Holy Trinity Sunday. It’s not just that we get the Trinitarian formula in the Great Commission (“go and baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”)—it’s also that in these final words of the Gospel according to Matthew, we encounter the Trinity not as doctrine, but as Good News.

On Holy Trinity Sunday, we confess that God is three-in-one and one-in-three. We affirm that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We proclaim that the Divine One is Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.

But all of these Trinitarian formulas are nothing compared to the Good News of God’s presence with us and among us.

The Good News of the Trinity is that wherever we go, we never go it alone, because God the Creator of all things is the ground of our being and the foundation of our very lives.

The Good News of the Trinity is that wherever we go, we never go it alone, because Jesus is Emmanuel, God-made-flesh, our brother who has walked in our shoes and has felt our pain.

The Good News of the Trinity is that wherever we go, we never go it alone, because the Holy Spirit is the breath of God, both blowing where she will and bearing us up as on eagles’ wings.

On days like today, poised as we all are on the mountain, about to embark on a new adventure—me in a new place, and you with a new pastor—it is the Good News of God’s never-failing, three-fold, divine presence with us that gives us the strength to get up and go.  

And yes, we do need to get up and go! The Great Commission is for each of us, not just for the eleven on the mountaintop, and not just for those who are called to Global Mission.

We are all sent, each according to our own ability, to continue Jesus’ mission. We are sent, not just to our neighbors and our friends, but to all nations. We are sent, not just to bring in new members for this congregation, but to create disciples—people who will walk in the Way of Jesus Christ and trust in him as Lord and Savior.

It’s a big mission, and one which Bethany Lutheran Church does very well. Jesus sends us out to baptize all nations—and it seems we’re doing our part around here, baptizing eight children in the last two weeks! Amen! Today we welcome Evan R. and Evan S. and Avery G. as new brothers and sister in Christ, and we rejoice that they will be joining us on the journey of faith. I was humbled to hear at my farewell reception last week that I baptized 69 people into the faith in this place.  I give thanks to God and to you for calling me to have that great honor!

With the Great Commission, Jesus sends us to baptize, and he also sends us to teach. Here at Bethany, Christian Education for the young has long been a priority. Deaconess Cheryl helped to nurture a wonderful Christian Ed program here for many years. Two years ago, you made a bold step when you called Pastor Paul to be a full-time pastor devoted to the faith formation of youth and families. You’ve shown a commitment to young people that extends beyond the font and the nursery, and acknowledges that youth are not the future of the church, they ARE the church. Amen!

In the last few years, we’ve seen a renewed interest in faith education for adults, too! I’m so proud to see how groups like Theology on Tap, the Monday Night Bible Study, Sunday afternoon Lenten education, and now Sunday morning adult ed opportunities have flourished. I pray that your appetite for learning and your passion for teaching the faith to all ages will continue in the years to come.

Bethany Lutheran takes the Great Commission to baptize and teach very seriously, and I have been blessed to be a part of these ministries here. It’s been a privilege to serve with you and among you as pastor. For me, this has been a mountaintop experience.

So it’s very hard to get up and go off this mountain.

And yet, go we must—for all of us are sent! Some of us are sent to welcome the new neighbors down the street; to make friends with the new kid at school; to teach and inspire young people; to care for the homeless; or to share the Good News through music.

And some of us are sent halfway around the world.

So yes, we must get up and go off the mountain. But we never go it alone!

We never go it alone, because Jesus promises his divine presence will be with us as we carry out the Great Commission.

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is with us in the beginning, and in the manger, and in the breath that gives us life.

God, our rock and our redeemer, is with us to the ends of the earth—in Crystal Lake, and in Jerusalem, and wherever life takes Evan, Evan, and Avery.  

God the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, is with us at every hello and every goodbye.  

And so we go, trusting in the One who watches over our going out and our coming in, from this time forth and forevermore. Amen. 

Pentecost Sermon: June 8, 2014

Pentecost Sermon

June 8, 2014 

Preacher: Pastor Carrie Smith

John 20:19-23

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

Less than a month ago, it was snowing in Crystal Lake. Can you believe it? But summer is finally here. School is out (or almost out, depending on your district!). And the arrival of summer means one very important thing for kids of all ages: Summer Superhero Movies.

In case you hadn’t noticed, superhero movies are kind of a “thing” right now. Just in 2014, movies have been released featuring Robocop, Captain America, the Amazing Spiderman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men, Transformers, and the upcoming flick that’s getting a lot of buzz around my house: Guardians of the Galaxy. Moviemakers (and the bankers who fund them) have figured out that we Americans love our superhero movies. It can be the umpteenth reincarnation of Batman, or a complete retelling of Spiderman, or just a really bad comic book script about a minor character, and we will not only shell out the money, but will stand in line for hours (in costume!) to see it the first night.

I’m not an expert on movie culture and history, so I’m not sure if this is truly a new phenomenon. But I suspect there is something about the times we live in that makes these movies so attractive right now. I wonder if it has to do with the fear we’ve been conditioned to have about the state of the economy and the threat of terrorism.  Or maybe it’s a result of the instant information about world tragedies that comes to us, day and night, on our smartphones. It could be that we flock to see characters with super-human powers because we regular mortals often feel quite power-less. After all, if we don’t have the power to rid the universe of evil, it does feel good to sit in a dark, air-conditioned room and watch the Man of Steel or Catwoman do it without breaking sweat.  

If you’ve ever felt powerless or lost, confused or afraid in the face of the world’s problems, then you have good company in the ones Jesus called his friends and disciples. In today’s Gospel reading you heard how, on Easter evening, after hearing the news of Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were all gathered in the house behind locked doors. These were men who had left everything and everyone they knew to follow an itinerant preacher and prophet. They had spoken truth against power. They had fed the poor. They had touched lepers and eaten with sinners. They had taken nothing with them, but relied only on the kindness of strangers for food and shelter. They didn’t always get it right, but they had walked boldly with Jesus, doing brave and risky things they never imagined they would do.

And now, here we see them, hiding behind locked doors. And why?                                                                                                                                        

Because they felt powerless.

They felt powerless to stop the so-called trial that convicted Jesus.

They felt powerless at the foot of the cross.

They felt powerless when he was laid in the tomb.

They felt powerless to fight the grave-robbers they imagined when they heard the tomb was empty.

They felt powerless (and skeptical) when the women told unbelievable stories of resurrection.

And now, hiding in this locked room as darkness fell, they felt powerless to face the future without Jesus. Gone was all the bravado and passion and activism that had inspired them on the journey. Now, they were just regular mortals, with regular powers, and no superhero to lead them in the fight against evil. They were afraid.

Then, suddenly, he was there, standing in front of them!  

Although the doors to the room were locked, the risen Christ came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” He proved who he was by showing them his hands and side. Once they were convinced, Scripture tells us “the disciples rejoiced.” Picture that room for a moment: Can’t you just hear the whooping and hollering? Can’t you see them crying and embracing, breathing sighs of relief? Can’t you see them releasing all that fear and tension, their shoulders resting a bit lower, their faces relaxing into smiles?

The disciples were ready to party, because their hero was once again with them, but Jesus had more important things to talk about. One more time, he said to them firmly, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

And then, knowing how they had locked the doors, knowing they were afraid, and understanding how powerless they felt, Jesus gave them a gift.

With all of the disciples gathered around him, Jesus breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  

And bam! Those who were once Fearful Followers of a Failed Prophet are now Mighty Members of a Movement. Each and every one of the disciples received the Holy Spirit and became powerful beyond their wildest imaginations. The presence of the Holy Spirit, a gift from God, empowered the disciples to continue Jesus’ mission.

And what was that superpower? What was it that the Spirit empowered them to do?

It was the power…(Drumroll…) to forgive sins!

Wow. Picture that room again. Can you hear the dead silence? Can you see the perplexed faces of the disciples?

I don’t know about you, but I might have liked to receive a different superpower in that moment. I mean, there are so many choices, Jesus!

I don’t need to fly or climb walls or turn things into perpetual winter.

But I might like the power to cure cancer!

Or I might be interested in the power to take away a family member’s addiction;

The power to predict the future;

The power to grow money trees;

The power to make someone love me;

Or the power to make everything the way it used to be!

Really, any of those would be just fine, Jesus.

But Jesus said: “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.”

The disciples, once aimless, powerless, and afraid, had received both a purpose and power through the gift of the Holy Spirit. They were empowered to go…and forgive.

My sisters and brothers in Christ, on this Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate how we, too, through the presence of the Holy Spirit, have received purpose and power beyond our imagination. On the day of our baptism we were brought to the waters of salvation, just like Alyssa, Eli, Peyton, Mason and Kaylee, who are baptized today. And there, at the waters, we were marked with the cross of Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit.

We've been sealed by the Holy Spirit, and that means that we, who often feel powerless and afraid, have nothing to fear. Just as the tongues of fire fell upon each and every head on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 1, each of you has received power through the Holy Spirit! You did nothing to earn it. You didn’t even have to prove you could use it. The Spirit of God is a gift, bestowed upon you at baptism, empowering you to continue God’s mission in the world. 

And we begin that mission, says Jesus, by practicing forgiveness.

Now, the power to forgive might seem a small thing in the face of the world’s great problems.

Forgiveness might seem an insignificant weapon in the war on poverty, for example, or in the struggle against oppression and injustice.

But then, consider: How many people are walking around needing peace and forgiveness?

How many are burdened with guilt over past wrongs?

How many walls have been erected out of fear, resentment, and misunderstanding?

How many poisons infect the lives of those who harbor anger?

How much war has been committed because world leaders could not (or would not) forgive centuries’ old grievances?

How much pain, how much sorrow, how much evil in the world do you suppose is a direct result of the human need to forgive, and to be forgiven?

Jesus said “As the Father sent me, so I send you.” Jesus was sent to walk among us because God, the creator, loves the world more than we can imagine. God loves us so much that through the cross, the sin of the world is already forgiven. All of it! Every one! Yours, and mine. The mistakes we’ve already made and the ones we haven’t thought of yet. Finally, and forever. Once and for all.

So if the cross already took care of it, and all is forgiven, why do we need to practice forgiveness? 

Because even if we’ve heard the good news, we don’t always remember it—or believe it applies to us. Even if we believe we are forgiven, we may not extend the same gift to others.

And it’s all that guilt, fear, anxiety, judgment, and secrets that become the cosmic poison that creates war, conflict, resentment, distrust, and evil.

But you are not powerless, sisters and brothers. You, who are sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism, have superpowers! You, who have been forgiven, are sent by Jesus to continue the powerful divine work of forgiveness.

 Through the Holy Spirit, you have the power to release hearts from prisons of guilt and shame.

Through the Holy Spirit, you have the power to put to rest age-old family conflicts.

Through the Holy Spirit, you have the power to tear down walls.

Through the Holy Spirit, you have the power to make peace. 

Sisters and brothers, united by the Holy Spirit, you are Mighty Members of a Movement. And this powerful movement starts with forgiveness.

 Repeat after me, saying: “In Christ, I am forgiven.”   

And the next step goes something like this: Turn to your neighbor and let them know: “Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I forgive you.” 

The peace of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit be with you all! 

Sermon for Sunday, June 1st 2014

Sermon – Luke 24:44-53

June 1^st, 2014

The Destination and the Journey

  

Grace and Peace Bethany Lutheran Church, from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,

Today is Ascension Sunday in the church calendar – the day we remember Jesus being taken up into heaven 40 days after the resurrection.

Though, technically, last Thursday was actually Ascension Day because that marked 40 days after Easter, but we were pretty sure nobody wanted to come to church on a Thursday evening, so we celebrate it today!

We learned from our reading in Acts, that after Jesus was resurrected on Easter, he stayed around for another 40 days with his disciples.  When those days were up, Jesus was lifted up into a cloud (hence, ascension) and just like that (snap) he was gone.

I’m sure it was a little hard for the disciples to see Jesus depart from them. He had just died and been resurrected. And here he was being taken up into heaven, leaving them to build his church without him.

You can imagine how nervous they were to strike out into the real world without their teacher at their side.

And I wonder if the disciples suddenly felt like graduates out in the real world. They had the whole world in front of them, which was probably liberating and terrifying at the same time.

That’s why, in a lot of ways, the ascension strikes me as being very appropriate for a Sunday when we celebrate the graduates in our community. These students are also in a place where they have the world at their fingertips.

But when they finally graduate from college, get a job and start their own families, they are going to look back and realize something. All the classes they took, Calculus, physics, Spanish, etc. and they are going to realize … that they don’t remember any of it.

When that happens, they will ask themselves “What was the point?” All that studying … all those nights cramming for a math final … all the time that looking through endless rows of flash cards … will seem, like a colossal waste of time.

Trust me. I am an expert both in forgetting things AND wasting time. I took physics in college, but today I could barely tell you any of Newton’s laws. I took Calc I and Calc II, but I had to look up what a derivative was on google as a refresher.

I took Norwegian in college.  Can jeg snakke Norsk? Can I speak Norwegian? No.  No I can no longer speak any Norwegian besides that phrase and a few choice swear words my Grandma taught me as a kid.

Believe me when I say, 99% of the things learned are going to be gone. It’s a depressing thought.  I know. 

The disciples must have felt that way too.  None of them were scholars.  They were fishermen and tax people and common laborers. 

Our reading said that Jesus opened up the scriptures to them, but I’m sure like many of you, the disciples then promptly forgot it all.

Their job was to go out into the world and tell people about Jesus – not translate the Hebrew scriptures into Greek. 

They were building churches and spreading the good news of a resurrected Jesus.  They didn’t need to memorize all 613 laws that are in the Old Testament, and I’m guessing they didn’t.

So then…What was the point?  Why stuff so much information into your head if it’s going to slip out again? Why not just skip to the end?

They could have saved 3 years and lot of heartache if Jesus just taught them to build churches.  Just like our graduates could have saved four years and a lot of #2 pencils if they had just trained for jobs. 

Of course, if that’s all there was to school, it would be a colossal waste of time ... but we all know there’s more to it than that. 

Hopefully most of us realize that school is about more than getting a good job. It’s about more than cramming information down our heads. It’s about more than getting A’s on essays and homework assignments.  

School is about shaping minds so that you can unleash your potential on the world.  Or, to use an appropriate cliché here, it’s not so much about the destination, but about the journey, and how that journey shapes who you are.

The math classes these graduates took trained them to think logically.  The books they read for English classes inspire them to unleash their creativity on the world.  And the foreign language classes? I’m assuming most of them picked up a few choice words that will help them on their way.

And I think the same thing is true for church and religion, except instead of shaping minds, I think God is far more interested in shaping hearts. 

Often, people assume that church is about being really good so that when we die, God will lift us up into heaven like he did for Jesus in our scripture today.  

But our Lutheran tradition in particular says that, in fact, we already have eternal life in Jesus Christ.  We are connected to Christ through our baptisms.

And if we already have hope of the resurrection, then it’s not about how much religious stuff we know. 

Like the disciples, technically we don’t need to memorize all 613 laws in the Old Testament.  We don’t even need to memorize the 10 commandments.  We don’t need to go to church at all!  How often do you hear your pastor say that?

But just as school is about more than getting a job, following Jesus is about so much more than getting into heaven. Even the disciples fell into the trap of thinking it’s about their destination rather than the journey.

In the book of Acts, Jesus sets them straight.  His last action before being lifted up was to send them out to make sure they had a purpose.  And so he sends them to “all the ends of the earth.” 

It was his commencement speech.  Now, go and do some good.  Don’t just wait around until you die and float up to heaven, go out and do some good.

Then, if that weren’t enough, as the disciples were looking up into the clouds where Jesus had gone, two men in white robes appeared by them.

The men asked the disciples a funny question.  “Why are you looking up towards heaven?”  Why are you looking up? It was as if to say, you aren’t going to find Jesus up in the clouds.  Look forward, or better yet, look around you.  

As Christians, we don’t find Jesus in the clouds, we find him in the faces of the people in need – of those all around us.

It’s not about the destination.  It’s not about getting up there (point) with Jesus.  It’s about the journey. It’s about the people we travel with.  It’s about loving the people around us.

That’s God’s word of grace to us all. The end game has been taken care of.  All that’s left for us is to love the people God puts in front of us. 

It’s a lot harder than it sounds, but this is where you start practicing.  I said earlier that you don’t need to go to church to be a Christian, and that’s true!  But church is where we come to have our eyes opened and our hearts shaped by God. 

Just like we need school to train our minds to think logically, we need church to train our hearts to love properly – to love as Jesus loved the world. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, Church is merely a beginning – a starting point.  Like our graduates, we have a long road ahead of us, so let us not look up towards heaven, but around towards our neighbors.

We start here by learning to love one another, then we can go out into the world and learn to love asGod first loved us.

Amen