Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song and Praise

I graduated from seminary on May 21, 2011.  During our last weeks of school leading to graduation day, my entire class was experiencing the typical anxieties and emotions that accompany the end of one’s senior year.  We were facing final exams, we were completing final projects and papers, some of my colleagues were waiting for assignments to synods, some were already interviewing for future calls, and we were anticipating the many ways in which life would be different after May 21 when seminary would finally come to an end.  And, throughout those last weeks of school, we continually saw these big billboards throughout the Columbus area, one of which was located near the seminary.  On each of these billboards, one would find some version of the following message:  The world is going to end on May 21, 2011.  This message was being publicized throughout the area by a fundamentalist “false prophet” who, apparently having reflected upon the state of the world, including multiple wars, natural disasters and political chaos, found plenty of fodder for his apocalyptic prediction.  Anyway, this false prophet was sure Jesus was going to be returning on May 21, 2011 and the world was going to end.  He wanted everyone to be ready.  So, this became the running joke throughout the entire seminary community – the world was going to end on graduation day! 

Now, quite honestly, there are people in every generation who, when they look the state of the world, think they are reading certain signs and then proclaim the end of time is coming if not upon us.  Yet, it is not clear that various forms of natural disaster and political chaos are in any way apocalyptic because only God knows the end of time.  We do not!  So, in today’s apocalyptic gospel reading, Jesus’ directions to the disciples concerning what they ought to do in times of chaos and destruction were quite challenging then and they are equally challenging for us today.

Biblical apocalyptic writings were not given to predict the end of time.  They were given to help people stay faithful and live with a sense of courage, hope and comfort when times are extremely difficult.  And, our gospel reading today suggests Jesus is preparing his disciples for a future that will likely become more difficult.  The gospel of Luke was written decades after Jesus’ death.  By that time, the Temple had already been destroyed. But the Word and witness of Jesus remained in the midst of chaotic and dangerous times. Luke reminds early Christians of the need to be ready, to remain faithful and to endure in the face of uncertainty, great risk and societal violence.   As Luke’s Jesus speaks to them about the future and events to come, he describes three things saying, “Imposters will come and try to trick the faithful; war and conflict will rage on; and natural disasters will be prevalent.”  Assuring the disciples that the end times are in the future and these things will not all happen at once, he then gives them this odd and perplexing advice which basically means, “This will give you an opportunity to testify, and your testimony must not be rehearsed or canned.  Rely on the incontestable wisdom that will be given you in the moment. And the reward for your testimony and your endurance of these catastrophic events will be the gaining of your very souls.” 

Now, I must say these words are daunting as Jesus seems to be communicating a message that says suffering becomes an opportunity for testimony.  After all, when we testify to what God has done in our lives, we are usually giving praise to God for times that are good, thanking God when people are healed, thanking God for the things we consider blessings.  And, in the Bible, we find people giving testimony describing how God has led them from slavery to freedom, how God has made a way when there was no way in sight, or how God has acted to save people in distress.  Quite honestly, as we think about times of challenge, we do not often find ourselves giving testimony to God in the face of betrayal, great suffering, great hatred or even something as horrid as the execution of loved ones.  Really, what kind of testimony does one give in such times?

Author, Shawn Copeland, writes, “Suffering always means pain, disruption, separation, and incompleteness.  It can render us powerless and mute, push us to the borders of hopelessness and despair.”  (Wading through Many Sorrows: Toward a Theology of Suffering in Womanist Perspective, p. 109)

Yes, suffering can push us to the boundaries of hopelessness and despair.  Jesus knows this.  You see, suffering does change people – some become defeated while others somehow muster the courage to face fear.  And, suffering provides an opportunity for those who have been changed to really tell of their hope in the depth of the struggle they have endured.  Such hope bears witness to the God who is deeply present in the depth of the struggle and suffering.

          One example of such reliance on hope and God’s presence in the midst of great suffering and adversity is the testimony of Thomas Dorsey. Dorsey was the composer of the well-loved hymn, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” and his remarkable testimony was born out of loss, grief and chaos.  Born in Georgia in 1899, Dorsey was the son of a Baptist minister and he became a prolific African American songwriter and gospel and blues musician.  As an adult, he moved to Chicago where he found work as a piano player in the churches, theaters and clubs.   He struggled to support his family by somehow balancing his work between playing in clubs and churches.  But, he ultimately devoted his work exclusively to the church.

          In August of 1932, Dorsey left his pregnant wife in Chicago and traveled to be the featured soloist at a large revival meeting in St. Louis.  After the first night of the revival, Dorsey received a telegram that simply said, “Your wife just died.”  Dorsey raced home and learned that his wife had given birth to their son before dying in childbirth.  The next day his son died as well.  Dorsey buried his wife and son in the same casket and withdrew in sorrow and agony from his family and friends.  He refused to compose or play any music for quite some time.

          While still in the depth of despair, Dorsey said that one day as he sat in front of a piano, a feeling of peace washed through him.  The following words just came to Dorsey as he sat there:

Precious Lord, take my hand,

Lead me on, let me stand;

I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;

Through the storm, through the night,

Lead me on to the light;

Take my hand, precious Lord,

Lead me home.

          In the depth of his suffering, Dorsey’s words were honest testimony about his experience, yet words that communicated a trust and hope in the One who walks with us, even through the most difficult and chaotic times of life.  These words came to him as gift and they became a testimony and gift to the world. 

          As we face various forms of natural disaster, political chaos, a deeply troubled world, and personal challenge, we can remember and trust that, no, this does not necessarily mean the world is coming to an end anytime soon.  What we can trust is this:  Jesus tells us God is always with us and gives us the strength to endure and remain faithful.  We can remember that the words we speak in times of trial and challenge will come to us as gift.  Christ possesses a wisdom our troubled world and his troubling opponents cannot calculate or even begin to comprehend.  Christ will speak the Word of the kingdom through Christ’s church, of which we are a part.  And, that Word is the creative and redeeming Word that created all things in the beginning and continues to create in its speaking as we allow God to work through us, the Body of Christ in this place.

This is a special musical performance of Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven by the Faith Bells at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Today's sermon is based on Luke 20: 27-38 where Jesus is being tested and questioned by the Sadduccees. We explore how Jesus' trial is also our own as we grapple with the fact that we may not know all of the answers to the questions that we or others have.

This is a special musical presentation of My Lord What a Morning by soloist Bob Nelson at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

This is a special musical performance of Shall we Gather at the River by soloist Victoria Walker.

This is a special musical performance of City Called Heaven by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan with soloist Victoria Walker.

I have some mind-blowing, earth-shaking, breaking news for you today!  On this day, cutting into the mix of all the drama that we are witnessing in our daily lives, Jesus has something to tell us as he lays before us THE major policy statement of his reign in the form of a powerful, prophetic, proclamatory address to his followers.  And, his proclamation to us is rather bewildering as he again turns things upside down and drives home the topsy-turvy news regarding the order of things in God’s kingdom and rule. 

On this All Saints Sunday, Jesus is speaking directly to us as he invites us into his holy venture to live out our faith. Jesus is not describing an ideological agenda or a political platform.  He does not provide us with an abstract or empty definition of discipleship or sainthood.  He is not listing for us qualifications describing some “how to” method to get into heaven.   Jesus is describing a vision of God’s reign which he totally and completely embodies.  What he is doing is calling all of us to become faithful and effective agents of God’s reign right here and right now.  And, quite frankly, for those of us who live in middle class to upper class America, his words to us are so very, very challenging.  The “rules of engagement” of Jesus’ reign stand in sharp contrast to the presumed rights of the prosperous as he talks about wealth, abundant food, the good stuff of life and all that we consider blessings.  Jesus’ words and vision are simply at odds with the way things are in our lives and in the world.  Jesus knows that we are possessed by our possessions and the so called “blessings” we feel we have and enjoy.  He knows that our understanding of blessings goes something like this:

• Blessed are you who are winners, you who are successful, you who achieve greatness and make a lot of money, for you have worked hard to get all that you have and money will give you power.
• Blessed are you who have plenty to eat, you who have full stomachs, for you deserve what you have and can enjoy the finer pleasures of life as you get the nicest seats in exclusive restaurants.
• Blessed are you who are enjoying the good times, laughing and living the good life, getting away for a vacation break weekend after weekend, after all you have earned what you have.
• Blessed are you when others think very highly of you, for you have worked hard to earn that level of greatness, that pedigree and status.

Yes, these aspects of life are what we tend to name as “blessings.”   But, Jesus sees these as characteristics of the lost and proclaims woe to any of us who find ourselves looking at life in this way.  By proclaiming woe to this way of life, Jesus announces the evil and injustice in our way of living and thinking.  Jesus says the poor and the hungry are the ones who are blessed, for their fortunes are going to be reversed.  He says, “Are you weeping?  You are blessed because you will laugh.  Do people hate, exclude, and revile you on account of the Son of Man?  Jump for joy, for your reward is great in heaven; their grandparents hated and excluded the prophets too.”  Jesus is saying God is not impressed with what we consider blessings.  In fact, all that we consider “blessings” misrepresents his message.  Oh, yes, Jesus is again turning this world, our thinking and even our conventional assumptions about religion upside down.  Jesus blesses those who suffer, and he curses those whose wealth, comfort, and prestige are built upon this same suffering. 

Now, quite honestly, as we live in the cushioned environment and comfortable bubble of our so called “blessings,” many of us would probably say, “I am not poor, but I identify with the poor,” or “I work with the poor,” or maybe even “I send money to the poor, I care about the poor.  After all, I go and work at the soup kitchen every week.”  We might even want to quibble about the definition of “poor,” or “hungry” or “weeping.”  Surely, we the faithful, are among the blessed.   So, if we are honest with ourselves, we need to ask, “If we are not the poor, the hungry, the weeping, or the excluded, what are we to hear from this so-called “good news” Jesus gives us today?  Pastor Laura Sugg, when asking this question, suggests:

Luke’s Jesus is fulfilling God’s compassion for the oppressed.  Jesus’ first words to people in Luke’s Gospel repeat the words from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” (4:18a) Throughout Luke’s Gospel, Jesus lives this out by talking with those on the margins, challenging the status quo, and convicting those who feel certain they are righteous.  (Feasting on the Word, p. 240.)

The kingdom of God that Jesus embodies is not some abstract theological term about a time and place the world has never known.  Jesus is calling each one of us to be faithful agents of God’s reign right here and right now.  God’s kingdom, God’s reign, breaks through when we love our enemies.  It takes hold when we do good to those who hate us.  It comes alive when we bless those who curse us.  It shines brightly when we pray for those who abuse or mistreat us.  It shows up when we honor the request of the beggars.  And when we live our lives by the principle of “do unto others as you would have them do to you,” loving as God calls us to love, we truly live out our citizenship in God’s kingdom and bear witness to God’s reign. 

I must say, living this kind of life is not easy.  In fact, it is very difficult.  It means we must become vulnerable and that is a condition most of us would rather avoid.  But, Jesus is always unsettling us and, as he tells us that the order of things in God’s rule is reversed, we discover that life with God means knowing what poverty and hunger and sorrow and being cursed look like.  It means knowing how it feels to be overlooked and discounted.  It means knowing what it is like to be hated.  And, it means allowing ourselves to become vulnerable, living in solidarity with all others, and admitting our total dependence upon God.

As we hear Jesus’ words to us on this All Saints Sunday, perhaps the best good news we are given is the fact that what Jesus is describing is all about God, and not us.  That is what truly gives us hope.  Jesus’ words are ultimately descriptive of God’s kingdom and not prescriptive of what we need to try to do and be more of because the fact of the matter is that no matter how hard we try, we simply cannot become more saintly.  No matter what we do, we simply cannot become more deserving of God’s grace.  The reality is that we are all losers, and God passionately loves losers.  We all are dust and to dust we shall return.  And, thanks be to God that our God is one who is always present in the places where we don’t think God hangs out – with the wretched, the despairing, the wanting, the wasted and, yes, the losers.   There is nothing that any one of us can do on our own accord that makes us holy.  It is only through Jesus that we are made holy. 

On this All Saints Sunday the good news is that we are all both saint and sinner.  We are not called saints because we are without sin or have become saintly through works.  No, with all our works and by ourselves, we are nothing but condemned sinners.  But, we have been made holy through a foreign holiness, namely, through that of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has made us holy by faith, a faith that even in itself is all gift. 

On this All Saints Sunday, amid all the drama that is taking place within the world, within our culture and within our country, the good news is found in Jesus’ powerful, prophetic, and proclamatory words to us today.  God is the one who is ultimately in charge.  Jesus is describing the order of things in God’s kingdom and rule, and describing God’s love affair for humanity, for this whole broken, messed up world full of messed up people – a world that includes a messed up you and a messed up me.  Jesus is giving a word that tells us, “You are loved, you are accepted as you are, I am with you in the mess, and I have made you my own.”  So, as we sing the songs of the saints of God, we sing knowing that by the Spirit of the living Christ, we get to be saints too!

This is a special musical performance of Find us Faithful by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan

It seems that we are daily bombarded with news about issues that pertain to truth and freedom.  In fact, questions regarding truth-telling and freedom are at the center of debates surrounding voting rights, freedom of speech, gun laws, racism, immigration and a whole plethora of other issues.  Well, today, Jesus is speaking to us about truth and freedom.  However, Jesus’ words regarding truth and freedom could not be more different from the way these concepts are discussed in our present culture.

Today’s passage from John takes place within the context of a dialogue between Jesus and his opponents.  Jesus’ opponents are trapped in their sin, trapped in a dead-end life, and they do not believe in him.  They do not believe Jesus is the new revelation of God, the truth.  The focus of the dialogue is all about Jesus’ identity, it is all about who Jesus is.  And, it is a dialogue of faith that centers around two words – truth and freedom.  Jesus says, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”  The truth Jesus is talking about is himself.  This truth is not just some concept; it is not an abstract idea and it is not the opposite of falsehood.  This truth is a real, living person – the person of Jesus, himself, the person who reveals to us the deepest truth of what God is like, the truth that God is a God of love.  And, to connect to Jesus and live in his truth is to be set free from unfaith and set free to love others as God loves us.

Today, we are celebrating the Reformation, a change that took place within the church when Martin Luther discovered something about the truth of Jesus over 500 years ago.  Throughout his life, Martin Luther struggled and participated in this dialogue of faith.  Luther was a man who knew intense inner struggle.  He was tormented because of his own sinfulness.  He was a man who knew the depths of depression.  Then, one day as he was studying today’s reading from Romans, he made a discovery that changed not only his life, but also the life of the church and, ultimately, our understanding of the gospel.  Luther heard the following words as if for the first time and they transformed his entire being.  Listen again to these words.   ““For there is NO distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift!”  Did you hear those words?  Justified by his grace AS GIFT!   And, who receives that gift?  The writer of Romans says, “There is NO distinction – ALL have sinned, and ALL ARE JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE AS GIFT!”  The Gospel is quite clear.  ALL receive the gift!  When Martin Luther read those words and truly heard what they were saying, he became a new person.

It was when Luther made this great discovery about justification by God’s grace as gift that he finally began to understand the truth of Jesus’ identity.  He understood that Jesus is the truth, and Jesus reveals to us the truth about God.  Luther knew his own captivity to sin, and he was very aware of the church’s captivity to sin.  Luther also knew he was not able to free himself from bondage to sin.  His freedom could only come through Christ.  I have shared this with you before, but I will share it with you again.  This understanding changed him so deeply that he changed his very name from Ludher to Luther, giving himself a name that meant “the free one.”

        Martin Luther found himself so deeply altered by this new understanding of truth and freedom that he wanted the church to grasp the reality of the message.  So, he nailed 95 theses to the Wittenberg church door describing changes he hoped to see within the Catholic Church.  His action then spurred a greater dialogue of faith that exploded in the Reformation – an explosion born out of struggle, a deep struggle that transformed and continues to transform and reform the church, even to this day.  In fact, as ELCA Lutherans, we claim an identity in which we are always being transformed, changed and made new.

Becoming truly free is never easy.   Luther found out that grace and truth are not cheap.  Knowing the truth of Jesus and living in that truth always means facing the cross.   And, the cross always means death, death to self, death to systems, death to ideologies, and even death to religious practices when they are not faithful to the Word.

When we face the truth, we ultimately must look at ourselves.  We cannot become free from the chains that bind us unless we can honestly face all that holds us in bondage and unless we die to self.

There are all sorts of ways we live in bondage.  Not one of us is totally free.  We live in bondage to addictions, to competition, to work, to consumerism, to ideologies, to fear, to anxiety, to any number of things in life.  And, quite often the things that hold us captive become a way of running from our fears and running from the pain of life.  I know.  I have spent most of my life living in captivity to work.  I also know my workaholic nature has been a way of running from my own pain.  

Friends, the One truth that will set us free from all our fears of living and of dying has eluded most people. The One truth, which liberated Luther, and which liberates all who believe it, is the truth of Jesus as he tells us God loves us and bathes us in grace and mercy.  And, quite frankly, this ultimate and awesome reality doesn't keep us from the fires and trials of our life journey; rather, it strengthens and carries us safely through and beyond them.  That is what Luther experienced and that is what we experience.  The good news for you and for me is that when we consciously realize that we stand in the presence of God and are embraced by the gracious loving arms of Jesus, we become able to face the cross.  And, when we continue in the Word and become faithful disciples, only then are we able to live into the freedom of the Son.

The Reformation that began with Martin Luther is a Reformation that is ongoing.  Yes, we claim that we are a reforming church.  We are continually reforming.  God continually calls each of us to change, to be transformed and become new beings.  God continually calls the church to participate in a dialogue of faith, a dialogue that is often struggle.  God is continually calling the church to engage in the process of reformation as we live into the in-breaking, coming reign of God. 

Yes, we are daily bombarded with words about truth and freedom.  However, on this Reformation Sunday, the good news that is before us is about a truth and freedom that are of ultimate concern, a truth and freedom that will change your life. Jesus is saying to each of us, “[Come, let go of your issues and get to know me.  Live in my love and live in my Word.] If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure.  Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you….[because] if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through.”  (The Message)

This is a special musical presentation of I Lift Up Mine Eyes by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.