I am writing this on February 29th, an unexpected day that catches me by surprise roughly once every four years. What isn’t a surprise is that I am also writing this at the last minute. (S. M.), the church secretary, is patiently waiting for me to finish so you can get the newsletter and be surprised by all the events we have planned for the upcoming month.
 
Surprisingly, I am not fond of surprises. Yet that didn’t stop (S.M.), who also patiently waited for me to leave the church every night last week, so she could surprise me with many creative ways commemorate my 50th birthday. This included, 50 candy fish floating on sticks in an empty fish tank. A roll of 50 pennies that was hidden among the clutter of my desk. Then stuck to virtually everything in my office I found 50 posted notes with quotes that were suppose to make me feel better about making to the half century mark in life. To top it off, two not so surprisingly delicious sugar cookies in the shape of the number 50! 
 
My wife and children also had a few surprises up their sleeves, including fifty individually wrapped gifts, with the last being a surprise visitor from L.A.  This surprise almost killed me (and at my new age, we should not be surprised by that possibility). While I loved showing off Greenville to my friends and family, having snowball fights in the front yard, sledding down Tower Mountain, and even the snow that makes it all possible, I still don’t like surprises.
 
We know that the month of March is full of surprises too. Not only does it start a day late, but Easter comes early. And as the snow falls outside my window I realize the weather can change at any given moment (this is Michigan after all). Thus we always need to be prepared for all sorts of surprises, whether it is with a snow shovel in one hand and a garden spade in the other hand.
 
Jesus reminds us of the importance of being prepared; especially for the surprise that still await us. He tells his disciples, “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come” (Mark 13:33). The Greek words used in this passage mean things like ‘Beware! Be alert! Be awake! Keep watch! And for goodness sake, don’t be surprised!’
 
The Lenten and Easter season is a time to be awoken and reflect on the power of God’s surprising love for us. But it is also a time to be alert for the return of the Lord by keeping watch over the condition of our own lives. Peter says it like this, “Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish" (2 Peter 3:14).
 
God wants us to act like Christ every day, for he is the one who turns us in a different direction; commanding us to be peacemakers, caretakers, and servants to one another. Hopefully this will not come as a surprise to any of you, but if it does do not be alarmed or shocked. Lent is just one season in our life, but it allows us to hone some of these skills and begin applying them to change our everyday life so we, unlike the disciples, are not taken by surprise in a snow covered garden or by an empty grave. 

A man goes to his doctor because he’s been feeling very ill for the last couple of days. The doctor gives him several sets of pills, and lengthy instructions on how to take them.
 
The doctor says; “Take the green pill with two big glasses of water when you get up. An hour later, take the white pill with another glass of water. Then take the blue pill with a big glass of water after lunch. Mid afternoon, make sure you drink the entire glass of water when take the orange pill, and repeat that again at dinner. Then, just before going to bed, do the same but with the red pill.”
 
The man is alarmed at huge volume of medicine he has been given to take, and nervously asks, “What’s the diagnosis? What’s wrong with me?” The doctor replies, “You’re dehydrated.” 
 
Which takes us to the question for this morning: Who here is thirsty? Or better yet, what is it that you are actually thirsty for?  
 
In Flint they are thirsty for clean drinking water. In California, they are thirsty for any water. And yet here in Greenville, we get to drink and use as much water as we want. The Prophet Isaiah says, “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters.”
 
He instructs us to: “Come” and “see” and “listen” so that we can “be filled and live.”  Anyone who knows me, knows that I am thirsty all the time. After thirty-three rounds of radiation to my neck and jaw, my saliva glands are pretty well cooked. And so I carry around a bottle of water with me everywhere I go. 
 
Last Thursday, after shoveling the snow off the driveway, my body was both tired and drenched with sweat. What a strange sensation it is to stand in the snowy cold, perspiring and dying of thirst. While my kids rushed inside for hot chocolate, I reached for long swig of water.  I was thirsty.
 
In contrast, there along the dry trails in the Grand Canyon are signs strategically placed that read: “Stop! Drink water. You are thirsty, whether you realize it or not.”
 
I believe Isaiah’s words call out to us all like a billboard along a hot, dusty highway. It reads, “Hey, stop and drink up what God has to give you.” He reminds us that we all thirst for something more than we can give ourselves.
 
This morning, As we move forward with our Lenten series, Standing firm on the promises of God, we are going to look at God's grace.
The Prophet describes it... like a divine grocery store, where you fill up your shopping cart with all the stuff you need to sustain your life...and then you can leave without paying for any of it. It seems almost too good to be true. Like you're gonna get outside and the police pounce on you for shoplifting. 
 
St Augustine teaches us that such a priceless gift would be meaningless if we entered the store with a full shopping cart. In other words if we are going to receive God’s grace, then we must first repent, and empty ourselves before the Lord. So to Augustine's point, we must come with empty hands in order to take what God has to offer.
 
In Luke's gospel Jesus gives us the choice, “Repent or perish!” He is the living example of God's steadfast love and grace. Through Jesus Christ, God comes to do what the world cannot. Wherever we are, God is ready to meet us in our sin, and brokenness, and failures. God wants to fill us with abundance of grace, to replenish our supply and renew our soul.
 
Today's readings remind us that God has come with a sense of great purpose and urgency. Standing among our mess...Jesus warns us that there is not a lot of time to waste; either get rid of your old ways and begin to produce the fruit of the kingdom, or else perish like a dead tree taking up valuable space.  
 
Isaiah is a little softer with his words. But he too tells us that time is important when he poetically implores us to, "seek the Lord while he can be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their ways, and the unrighteous their thoughts; return to the Lord, so that he will show them mercy, and abundantly pardon them.” 
 
Lent is a time to call upon God. It’s a time to rely upon God’s grace. It’s a time for each of us to fast from the things that pull us away from God, and feast on a life changing relationship with God. It is in this relationship, in our sitting and eating and drinking with God that we are transformed, renewed and refreshed.
 
 “So what then,” Isaiah asks, “are we wasting our money on?” Why do we continue to rush past God to buy something that is not bread? Or labor for something that does not satisfy? Without being in a real covenant relationship with God, our best-laid plans miss the mark and our true thirst will never be quenched. I believe we all have deeper longings; a thirsty soul that needs to be attended.
 
But the world is loud with signs that distract us, filling our carts with useless junk. Everyday we are offered the promises of a better life if we only had a newer car, a smarter phone, a faster computer, less wrinkles or a better body. Such things only offer us bigger fears, better shame and uglier guilt.
 
I know, just as you do, that physical beauty, like material wealth or goods, has a shelf life. It’s temporary, unsustainable, and eventually runs out.  We can chase after things to replenish the supply, but any like alcoholic will tell you, there is never enough. So why do we continue give the best of ourselves to the things that can never love us back?
 
How many times do we have to be reminded that addressing earthly longings with human ideals will not solve the deeper thirst of the soul? Our spiritual thirst can only be truly quenched in a spiritual relationship with God through Jesus Christ who asks, "Do you want to live a life of abundant new fruit?" The choice is ours, he says, "Repent or perish." 
 
Jesus speaks with urgency because he knows how quickly most of us are destroying ourselves. Life is too short to waste another minute on what can never love us back. The human spirit has failed to bear good fruit for far too long, choosing instead to focus on those things that will not bring us true joy. God wants better for us. Don't you?
 
God calls us into a new life, and this life will begin only when we put our spiritual houses—and our priorities—back in order. Through Christ, God makes a covenant promise with us...A promise of grace and mercy to all who call out to the Lord. It's a promise that says come to the table, see the bounty, and receive your fill. Only when we embrace God’s call on our lives...will we be replenished and find that we can once again bear spiritual fruit.
 
Who’s thirsty? As we let go of our indulgences to become closer to God, we begin to spend better time with God; drinking his wine and eating his bread; quenching our thirst and satisfying our needs with something greater than we can give ourselves. The time is now.
 
Come, see, listen, and stand firm on the promise of God’s grace. Call upon God and confess your faith. And your sins will be forgiven. Come and empty yourself before the Lord Jesus Christ...and be filled with God's abundant grace. Come, and your spiritual thirst will be quenched. For God turns no thirsty soul away.
 
To that bit of good news...we all get our fill...and are able let out a very satisfying...Amen.
 
 
 
 
Works Cited Bible, NRSV. Isaiah 55:1-7; Luke 13:1-9.
Bartlett, David L, Barbara Brown Taylor. ed. Feasting on the Word: Year C, Vol. 2. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009. Special thanks to Daniel M. Debevoise for his contribution to the idea of this sermon.
Heath, Emily C. "Living by the Word." christiancentury.org. February 9, 2016.  
Jokes (whether you found them funny or not) were culled from the internet.

Have you ever uttered this phrase: “Lord, how much can a person bear?”

If so, did you scream it out loud? Or did you stew on it silently within yourself, too afraid of sounding unfaithful? Either way, you are not alone. In fact, this is the number one question I am most frequently asked. "How much can a person bear?"
 
This is a good question to ask, especially as we continue our walk in Lent. And it's a good question in light of the story of Abram, who didn’t just ask, “how" but also "when?”  More specifically, “Hey God, how will you do this...” and more poignantly, “when exactly will you do it.”
 
If you were like me, you were brought up believing that...it's wrong to ask God such demanding questions. I mean, isn't this what good Christians are supposed to tell their children not to do. But as we look at Abram's story in Genesis 15, perhaps we could put an end to this theological myth.
 
Many scholars believe this chapter is the key text for the entire Bible. It exposes God, and even ourselves, in a different light. There's a sense that God is boasting. He says something to the extent of, “Hey Abram, did I mention to you lately that your people are going to be great? You know like 'Creation-size' great!"
 
And Abram is all like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever, G.”
 
Now I'm not saying he's dismissing God's promise...But let's face it, he's has heard this speech before. He has had enough and now wants to see more than just a promise.  This is his Jerry McGuire "show me the money" moment.
 
Now up until this point, the biblical picture of God and Abram’s relationship is fairly straightforward. God speaks, Abram listens. God promises, Abram believes. God commands, Abram obeys. But then there comes this point when Abram finally says, “Wait just a cotton-pickin’ minute. I want to know just how you're planning to fulfill this promise you keep talking about?”
 
Here is God’s chosen model of faithfulness, speaking the words so many of us have stuffed down inside.
 
Why are we so afraid to ask God to show us the money...so to speak...to ask God give us a little bit more information? Abram’s done stuffing his emotions.He wants to know exactly what God is going to do to fulfill this big promise he keeps preening about. At his age, it isn’t so unreasonable.
 
I can picture God giving him that look...it's a look I've gotten so many times from my wife. I'm sure (J. H.) knows what I'm talking about...It's the one that says pull your foot out of your mouth and keep it shut. I'm not sure even my wife's stern look would have stopped Abram from moving forward in his inquiry. His story reminds us all to stand firm in the promise of God’s faithfulness if we are going to move forward at all.
 
But hear me when I say: standing firm doesn’t mean standing still or silent.

During our Lenten journey, we are not called to be complacent. We are called to look deeper at our relationship with God. If we are in a relationship with God then it's supposed to be a dialog, not a monologue. God gives and we take just as much as we give and God takes.
 
Abram will not sit back in silent obedience.  And neither should we, because God doesn't. In fact, God tries to smooth things over...by giving his faithful one another divine promise: “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield;...trust me when I say...your reward shall be very great,” Abram wasn't afraid. Just very impatient and frustrated.

How much more can a person bear?
 
Now there are two ways of looking at this story. We could focus on the idea that Abram lacks faith, and wonder why on earth God singled him out as righteous, knowing he had such a bad character flaw. Or we could look at the relationship Abram had with God that allowed him to act so boldly? Let's put ourselves in these shoes.
 
When we face our own perplexing questions,  feel the anxiety of doubt and uncertainty,  whenever we struggle with frustration and disappointment,…people like to tell us it’s "just a crisis of faith." Or “Buck up,” they say, “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle!”

When I hear that, I get angry. And my anger turns to feelings of guilt and shame, because everyone knows good Christians aren't supposed to feel that way. And this only makes me feel more angry, and of course more guilty, anxious and frustrated. Where's the good news in that scenario?
 
For too long the church has taught us to think of faith as an "unquestioning acceptance" or "silent submission." This troubles me on so many levels. The most obvious is... it causes an unhealthy relationship between us and our creator. The more shame and guilt we take on, the more apt we are either to crumble under the sheer weight of it, or runaway from the relationship all together. If we follow in the footsteps of Abram’s faith journey, we clearly see that questioning God can be a healthy way to grow our relationship.
 
God doesn’t smite Abram with fire and brimstone for asking so many questions. Instead God takes him outside and gives him an astrology lesson. As they gaze at the stars God puts his arm around him and says, “Look up there and count all those stars, if you are able, and you will see how many children you will have.” 

I doubt Abram knew that our galaxy is just one of dozens out there. But under this canopy of glowing glory, I know he faithfully, if only briefly, believes. And “the Lord reckoned him as righteous.” His belief is not in question...neither is his faith. His patients however is wearing thin.
 
Abram points out the obvious again, “Okay God, you’ve been saying this for a long time, but how am I to know that I shall possess it?...Show me the money!" Abram wants to know more. Apparently the field trip to the planetarium wasn’t enough.
 
In looking back a bit, we know Abram left his family to follow God, and even though God had blessed him abundantly for doing so, Abram still wanted to know more. Isn’t it funny how God showers us with blessings upon blessings, and yet we still grumble for more. Then we ask, “How much more must a person bear?”
 
Traditionally the season of Lent is a time for sacrifice. So for 40 days we endure some great struggles with the hopes of coming into some kind of spiritual or divine reward. But in reality, Lent is about our journey with God, and the relationship that grows along the way. Abram doesn’t ask questions to be a pain in the butt. Instead he asks because he has made a commitment to keep the covenant with God.
 
He doesn’t whine, “When am I going to get what I want to be happy and successful?”  He doesn’t demand to be satisfied or made to feel content. Instead he simply walks with God, talks with God, and builds a relationship with God. Together they create a healthy, trusting, and honest relationship with one another...one that allows him to ask any question he wants. In other words, Abram takes God’s active presence in his life very seriously.
 
Their story is the key text for the entire Bible, because it tells us that God comes to all of us, seeking to be in a personal relationship with each one of us. God is always ready to bless us...to protect and provide for us.

Our impatience, or questioning does not change God. Instead it is our own faithful relationship with God that changes us. Our failure to believe or comprehend what we believe does not negate God’s covenant or God’s steadfast faithfulness towards us. Even in our lack of faith God remains GOD.
 
Abram believes God will answer him, because he stands firm on the promise God made with him. He believes God’s promise is real because he knows God intimately! It is in his relationship that he has discovered how only God could do something so amazing as giving him an heir. 
 
Through this promise comes our greatest reward…Jesus Christ, son of David, Son of Abraham. He is the new covenant, the heir to our promise of eternal salvation. Jesus, God incarnate, came to be with us...to walk, and talk, and teach, and love and to give his life...for you...and me! Through our faith in Jesus we are counted among the stars of the universe, we become “citizens in heaven” as Paul writes.
 
By the sacrifice Jesus made for all, we are washed clean of our sin, and redeemed by God's loving grace. But we are also invited into a personal relationship with God, who is responsive to our believing faith. Our patience and faith, therefore, is our reward that pays out in everlasting abundance.
 
And exactly how much of God's grace and love can a person bear?

That’s a very good question.
 
 
​
Works Cited
The Bible, NRSV. Gen. 15:1-15; Philippians 3:17-4:1.
Bartlett, David L, Barbara Brown Taylor. ed. Feasting on the Word: Year C, Vol. 2. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009.
Byassee, Jason. "Temptation to Cheat." Sojourners, Feb 2016: 48.

"I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.     Jeremiah 17:10 NASB

Does God test our minds? Does God test our faith? The prophet Jeremiah says yes, God does.  The story of Job might also confirm this assumption. The author of James states, "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;" (James 1:13). But that's temptation, not testing. I can handle temptations. I can handle failing with succumbing or overcoming them.  Testing, however, fills me with fear, anxiety, and all sorts of bad stuff I've tried to shake. So why God do you test me?

There is something serendipitous about Valentine’s Day and the first Sunday in Lent occurring on the same day. It’s kind of like God is giving us a free pass to nosh on the chocolate without the guilt. Let us remember that every Sunday is a mini Easter, a time fit for feasting. 
 
Traditionally, Lent is about sacrifice and giving something up.  But the way I see it, as many of you know, Lent is about the feast, not the fast. The gospel this morning reminds us that Jesus is famished, having spent 40 days out in the wilderness fasting and praying. He’s hungry because he’s human. And like us, he too is tempted to nourish himself with things that seem harmless and good: bread, power, and protection from death.  Jesus fights off such temptation by feasting on something different: the very words of God. 
 
For some of us words come easily. For others, not so much. We all have struggled once in our life to find the right words to say especially when we love someone or have hurt them. 
 
I just found out that the greeting card industry sells over 1 billion cards a year because of our inability to articulate, “I love you,” or “I’m sorry.” 150 million of those cards are bought right before Valentine's Day. Our Puritan forefathers wrote their own Valentines Day messages. Here are just a few examples.
 
“Roses are Red, Violets are blue. And neither are useful or necessary at all.” Another one reads, “You almost make my heart dance. And dancing is forbidden.” Some of you couples here might enjoy this one, “Being with you fills me with impure thoughts, and I am ashamed.” And my favorite, “I need you to help me raise livestock and crops or surely we will starve to death come winter.”
 
The Puritans had a unique way of reading the Word of God and interpreting the Bible that is very different than how we might read it today. But they, like Jesus and Paul, understood the importance of the Scriptures and applying as a guide for living life in faithfulness to God.  
 
While it's typical of the church to kick off Lent with the story Jesus in the wilderness, I'd rather look at the words of Paul’s letter to the churches in Rome, which has much to teach us too about living in God’s word. Hidden inside this theologically dense letter, we discover how Paul’s mind and faith are profoundly shaped and strengthened by his deep understanding with the Old Testament, and the grand narrative of the people of Israel. Much like Jesus in the wilderness, Paul uses his knowledge of the scriptures to defend his position against the Jews who have yet to believe Jesus is the promised Messiah.
 
Let me illustrate what I mean. Let’s go back to Romans 10:8.  Paul writes, “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart.” Here he is reworking a passage from Deuteronomy 30, where Moses speaks to the people about the accessibility of the law, he says it is not out of reach in heaven and beyond. Instead it’s here,...in our  faith...which is in heart and on our lips.  
 
Our salvation is still accessible, Paul states, through the proclamation of Christ, and believing that God raised him from the dead.  Paul then goes on to quote from Isaiah 28, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” To reinforce this proclamation, Paul recalls the words of the prophet Joel, who had already written, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 
 
In reading the words of Paul we discover a deeper sense of the Word of God. We begin to see how the promise God made to Israel is the same promise God keeps with us. Moreover, Paul’s great understanding teaches us that God’s word is God’s word, no matter what. It remains true and faithful, even if we are not.
 
On this first Sunday in Lent, we are called to feast on the spiritual practice of reading and meditating the holy scriptures. Like going to the gym to work out our muscles, or signing up for Luminosity to improve the function of our brain, if we don’t use it, we might lose it. 
 
If we are going to call ourselves Christians, don't you think we ought to know, and understand, what that word means? God has given us his word to save us, but it is up to us to write them on our hearts and minds. Jesus and Paul both teach us that we must be intimate with these words and make them a part of our everyday life if we are going to use them to stay faithful to God.
 
While reading and meditating on scripture is a wonderful spiritual practice, Jesus warns us that to memorize Bible verses, without allowing the love of God to be written on our hearts, is work even the devil can do. It’s imperative that we allow the message, and its meaning, to sink deeply into us. We need to soak in it, like a good dry rub or a sweet marinade. 
 
Jesus called us to become that message, and become that meaning, by becoming the living breath of God’s word. Too often churches succumb to the temptation to use the Scriptures as proof text, to justify their opinion or to exclude people they deem unworthy. This does very little in fulfilling the Good News. And more likely, it pushes people away from embracing it.
​
I believe the Bible is God’s sacred and holy words, but certainly not God’s last word. I believe that if we are to use the scriptures properly, we must understand this one very important point: the Bible is not God’s final word. God didn’t speak them into creation and simply walk away. God’s word is alive and living. It moves in us, around us, and through us. 
 
When it’s written on our hearts, it pumps through our entire being. When it is written on our lips it moves in and out of every conversation. God’s Word is active, not passive. It’s holistic and life giving. It shifts and changes and grows with us and beyond us. Therefore, we must not use God’s words to close off conversations,  but instead proclaim it to keep the conversation going. This is hard to do if we do not know what those words are, much less understand what they mean?
 
Many here have confessed to me that you don't read the bible for one reason or another, “I don't have time,” “All those people are confusing,” “It's too hard to follow.” I get it. I've been there and made those excuses too. Like you I struggle with it. But I also struggle with life. Yet knowing how to navigate through the difficult situations of life, has helped me become better at controlling my actions in me and around me. Reading and meditating on God's word does just the same thing for us. 
 
So let me reiterate once again the importance of this daily spiritual practice: When we read the word of God we know how to live as Jesus taught us to live. When we stand firm on the promises of these words we don't succumb to the temptations that pull us away from being in a faithful relationship with God.
 
When we are intimate in God’s word, we begin to understand where God has called us to be, where God wants us to go, and how to get there. Most importantly it teach us how to express ourselves in a manner that shows our love for God and neighbor. 
 
This is the Good News which Jesus brought to us. News that is worthy of our time to read.  And so I invite you, this Lenten season, to marinate and meditate in the truth by which we stand. 
 
With God’s word implanted in our hearts and minds, we have a better understanding of our faith, and the important role Jesus plays in our lives, both for today and towards a greater tomorrow. 
 
With God’s word in our mind...we begin to speak effortlessly of God’s love for all. 
Which means we are able to practice freely the promise of God’s grace and salvation given to us through Jesus Christ, the living, breathing Word incarnate, who reminds us that “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
 
 
 
 
 
Works Cited
Bible, NRSV. Luke 4:1-13; Romans 10:8-13.
Bartlett, David L, Barbara Brown Taylor. ed. Feasting on the Word: Year C, Vol. 2. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009.
Byassee, Jason. "Temptation to Cheat." Sojourners, Feb 2016: 48.

Today on the liturgical calendar the church celebrates Transfiguration Sunday. But today is also Boy Scout Sunday, Communion Sunday, and Super Bowl Sunday. While each one of these traditions is a sermon all on its own, I feel compelled to squeeze them together into one.

I will attempt to do this by beginning with the popular Congregational tradition that every good American church loves to celebrate with us. That tradition, as you may have probably already guessed, is Thanksgiving.

Now, I cannot speak of this tummy stuffing holiday without thinking about my wife’s insanely large, Irish-Catholic family. Gathering together for a regular meal consists of taking shifts at the dinner table. And when we decide to eat out, our choices are limited to restaurants that have banquet rooms.

​Every Thanksgiving my mother-in-law rents out the large hall at the church, 1) because it’s the only place big enough to accommodate a large gathering. And 2) because they have just enough tables and chairs to seat us all.

From end-to-end, the main table measures somewhere between 70-80 feet. Then there are the children’s tables which are divided by the varying age groups. In all my years of celebrating this tradition with them, I have yet to see a child move up from one table to the next. Much to the protest of the older kids, whenever one adult passes on...another adult is invited from outside the family to fill in the space.

If this intimate and rather loud gathering has taught me anything it is this: some traditions remain the same, year after year. And that’s ok.

Next, we see in Luke’s gospel how Peter, James and John instinctively gravitate towards the old and comfortable traditions of Israel. Luke says when they follow Jesus up the mountain to pray, something very strange happens. Jesus begins to change. His face begins to glow. His clothes become a blinding and dazzling white. Appearing right before their very eyes are Moses and Elijah. And if that's not amazing enough, God speaks to them.

Standing there in the great cloud of God’s glory, this lucky trio gets to witness the divine and human natures of Christ collide and transform. It is here, on the rocky slopes of some mountain top, the torch is passed so to speak, from the old covenant of the Laws and Prophets (represented by Moses and Elijah) to the new covenant, which is Jesus Christ our Lord. This is a momentous occasion for anyone. And how does Peter respond?

Like any devout Jew, he feels the need to erect an alter to God. In fact, he wants to build three! This is an ancient practice that goes back to Noah and Abraham. It's a way to mark a place sacred where God had made his presence known. And in such important company, Peter wasn't about to break from tradition.

There is nothing wrong with honoring God’s glory with sacred rituals. But for the disciples, it causes them to miss the bigger picture; God is giving them a foretaste of the reality and the glory that is to come.

What we learn here is that some traditions not only bind us but they can also blind us and keep us from seeing and living out the glory of God in the world.
​
Traditions are good, but do they need to be so rigid?

As we celebrate the Boy Scouts, we are reminded of how much this great tradition has helped our community. But like so many other organizations, they have to keep up with the changing times if they wish to survive. By their ability to adapt, the scouts have become a much more diversified organization. As tough as it can be to make certain changes, I’d argue that by being more inclusive only makes God’s glory shine brighter.

What organizations like the Scouts teach us is: that it's natural, and even healthy, for a tradition to evolve.

In the case of the Super Bowl, change is exactly what makes the tradition thrive. I mean, let's really think about it. How successful would the game be if it were the same old show year after year? Would viewership continue to amass record-breaking numbers? Would advertisers continue to pay outrageous fees to air their spots? The NFL has worked hard to come up with new ways to keep the Super Bowl fresh and entertaining. This year they're using new camera technology to creates a 360 degree perspective so viewers at home can feel like we are there.

The lesson here is this: even though they are constantly changing, some celebrations never lose sight of what made it a tradition in the first place.
​
So what does this say about the church, and the traditions that we uphold? What does the sacred ritual of Communion, for example, have in common with the secularism of say...the Super Bowl? I believe the answer is right here…in the bread and cup which we share as a gathered community.

In houses and public venues across the country, a smorgasbord of people gather to celebrate one glorious event. Around tables of food and drink, men and women from every demographic meet up to laugh together, sing together, shout together, and even pray together. Even though we may stand on different sides the joyfulness of this tradition finds its way to unite us.

Jesus tells his host at the dinner table, “When you throw a party, invite the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed” (Luke 14:13-14). Jesus then begins to tell the parable of a guy who throws a great big party. When those on the guest list refused his gracious invitation, the man instructs his servants to go out on the streets and alleyways, and bring the tired, hungry, poor, and lonely. Go out to the margins of society and compel them to come. Let them know there’s enough to go around (Luke 14:15-24).

"This is what God’s kingdom will look like," says Rachel Held Evens; “a bunch of outcasts and oddballs gathered at the table, not because they are rich or popular or worthy or good, but because they are hungry” (Evans, 2015).
Who here is hungry? Hungry for something more than what you can give yourself. Come and get your fill. Feast on the glory of God.

Come to this table and feast on a meal, that Richard Beck calls, “an inherently moral act.” For some reason we who would never associated with each other in the larger society are willing to sit as equals around the Table of our Lord to feast on grace, justice, love and peace. Beck describes this sacrament as a moment…which “brings real people into a sweaty, intimate, flesh-and blood embrace where there shall be no difference between them and the rest.”

Long enshrined traditions aside, there are those who see themselves as bouncers at the entrance of the heavenly banquet hall. They slam the door of the kingdom on people's faces and tell them to come back when they are sober, doubtless, sinless, submissive and straight. This isn't a kingdom for the worthy; it's a kingdom for the hungry" (Evans, 2015). 

This is not our table. This is God’s table. This is not our meal. It is God’s feast, given in abundance for all whose bellies are in need of being filled.

This church invites you, sinners and saints alike, to get your fill of God’s full glory. Come and sit and be with Jesus, who gave us this promise, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am also here with you.” By this sacred promise, Jesus' covenant is memorialized in our communion with each other. It is here, in this monumental tradition, dividing lines are erased and opposing sides are transformed.

This bread and cup are the great equalizers; it calls all who are hungry to become brothers and sisters in God’s family.

Through Christ we no longer sit at separate tables. Instead a bunch of mismatched, messed up hungry people…adults and children alike, squeezed together, elbow-to-elbow, knees-to-knees…to feast upon the celebration of God’s salvation.

As we pass the bread and share the cup, let us rip off the veil that hides God’s divine glory and let's shine throughout the world. 

Together we will be one Church of the one true God who opens his doors to us and says, “Welcome. Here, have some wine!”

(Move towards communion)


Works Cited
Bible, NRSV. Exodus 34:29-35; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:6; Luke 9:28-36.
I am so grateful to Rachel Held Evans and her book for inspiring many of the words and all the wonderful quotes used in this sermon. Evans, Rachel Held. Searching for Sunday. Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church. Nashville: Nelson Publishing, 2015. pp. 146-153.

Kindness is a beautiful human attribute. When we say, "She is a kind person" or "He surely was kind to me," we express a very warm feeling. In our competitive and often violent world, kindness is not the most frequent response. But when we encounter it we know that we are blessed. Is it possible to grow in kindness, to become a kind person? Yes, but it requires discipline. To be kind means to treat another person as your "kin," your intimate relative. We say, "We are kin" or "He is next of kin." To be kind is to reach out to someone as being of "kindred" spirit.

Here is the great challenge: All people, whatever their color, religion, or sex, belong to humankind and are called to be kind to one another, treating one another as brothers and sisters. There is hardly a day in our lives in which we are not called to this.

I had this thought when I was looking at James 5:1-6, a harsh condemnation of the rich. It made me feel uncomfortable reading it. I need money to survive. So do you. So does the church. And so does everyone. 

Years ago my children and I were talking about the cost of something they wanted (I can't remember what it was, but I didn't have the money at the time to pay for it.). My oldest daughter made a wonderful observation. She said, wouldn't the world be better off without needing money. Naive, sure. Utopian, no doubt. But spot on, I thought. 

Such a question opened the door for me to not only talk about our global economy, but also how to live in a way that doesn't rely on greed, hoarding, or hurting others because of needs for wanting more.  James' text teaches us that money was being used to harm others.  

James condemns the rich for 4 very specific things:
• Hoarding things that others need
• Benefiting from treating others unjustly
• Wasting resources on themselves
• Destroying the righteous 

How are we guilty? I hate to condemn or judge anyone, because I too am guilty of this.  Can we still have money and serve God or the needs of others? Perhaps. But does our money get in the way of truly seeing Christ in others? Perhaps. Thoughts?

Psalm 16:5
"LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure."  What a great thing to remember and a perfect way to begin a prayer.

What it tells us is that God gives us just enough to make a difference in the world, which is just enough to make a great life in this world.

Luke: 6:24
"What sorrow awaits you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now."

This begs the question: Are you satisfied with your portion? At what cost are you willing to sacrifice to receive more? Will someone have to give up something for your gain?  

This is not socialist politics, but a reflection on genuine kindness. Socialism might dictate a sense of fairness among all people by taking from those who have and distribute to those who do not have. It seeks to make the playground level, and put everyone on the same page. Kindness simply puts other people's needs above our own. It's not about equality, but about helping those who might need a helping hand up. 

Every person needs something, but we all don't need everything. If we are to be the hands and heart of God, then we must never lose sight of seeing the face of Christ in the needs of others. And never forget it was Jesus Christ taught us not to worry about who gets more now...but instead to make sure we all get some bread today.

Proverbs 19:17
"Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and will be repaid in full."