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Matthew 28:16-20 - Trinity Sunday

A preacher proudly boasted that he does not preach doctrinal sermons. They are boring he asserts and people do not understand or relate to them. Further, he claimed, I am a preacher and not a theologian. I get down do the practical issues and simply preach Christ crucified.

His thinking is faulty at several points. First, he is wrong when he says that he is not a theologian. The fact is that everyone to a certain extent is a theologian. Theology is nothing more than what you think about God. Well, shouts one person, I don’t believe In God. That then is your theology. I would also take issue with him when he claims that he does not preach theology but gets down to practical issues. In my thinking there is no difference in good theology and good practice. Good, solid theology gets down to the very core of our existence.

Finally, I would disagree with him when he says that we should only preach Christ crucified. I know that is what the Apostle Paul said but this preacher doesn’t mean what Paul meant. He is saying that he only preaches about the cross and saving the sinner. I submit to you that the cross is not central in Paul's theology; rather, it is Christ. It has always puzzled me why some ministers preach the message of salvation to people who have been sitting in the pews all their life when they need so much more of Christ's teaching on life's other issues. There are many strings on a guitar. To make beautiful music all of them must be played and not just one. That is why in the United Methodist Church we honor the lectionary and the seasons of the church year. That insures a witness to the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ. How can one go through the season of Advent and not touch upon the doctrine of the incarnation. How can one go through Lent without touching upon the doctrine of the resurrection? Likewise, how can we embark upon the season of Pentecost, as we did last week, without mentioning the doctrine of the Trinity?

Today is Trinity Sunday. This is a day that has been celebrated in the Christian church since the 10th century. It is on this occasion that ministers around the world address themselves to the subject of the triune God.

Let me begin by saying that the doctrine of the Trinity does not attempt to explain God. It only explains to us in a very elemental way what God has revealed to us about himself so far. To describe the tip of the iceberg above the water is not to describe the entire iceberg. So we Christians affirm the Trinity, not as an explanation of God, but simply as a way of describing what we know about Him.

The idea of the Trinity is not emphatically stated as a doctrine in the scriptures. Yet, by implication, it is stated many times. The early Christians soon discovered that they simply could not speak of God without speaking of the three ways in which he had revealed himself to them. This does not mean that there are three separate Gods. It means that there is one God who has shown himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let’s look at these this morning:

1. First, we affirm God the Father.
2. Secondly, we affirm belief in the Son, Jesus Christ.
3. Finally, we affirm belief in the Holy Spirit.

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Acts 2:1-21 - Pentecost

In 1977 teenagers all over America walked into movie theatres to watch a movie that was virtually unknown. The director was unknown, the characters were unknown, the soundtrack was unknown, the robots were unknown. The name of the movie was Star Wars. It was not expected to be the biggest grossing movie of all times.

It’s hard to believe that was 28 years ago. But even then some of us could read the handwriting on the wall. It was more grand than anything else we’d had ever see. For the next two months in that year of ’77, the word spread and we couldn’t get enough.

From the very beginning of the movie it had a mysterious lure to it. Some of you may remember that as the story begins these huge words scroll up the screen. The first piece of information you are confronted with is that the STAR WARS story you about to see is Episode 4. George Lucas, the creator, said that it is far more interesting to start a story in the middle than at the beginning.

So now, some 28 years later we are watching the beginning of the story: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I had to wonder if George Lucas purposely planned the premiere of Episode I and II around the church calendar. Five years ago Episode I was released on Pentecost weekend. Episode II was released on Pentecost weekend. For some reason III is next week. He missed it by a week. Lucas is perhaps not even aware of this, it takes a preacher to recognize things like that but I think he is trying to use the themes of this season to underscore the meaning of his movies. This is the time of year that we celebrate new beginnings, how the church began. Pentecost is the story of the Holy Spirit breathing a movement into the life of the disciples. Pentecost is in effect the church’s Prequel , how it all began.

Here’s what happened in the church’s Prequel: The disciples had gathered in Jerusalem. Jesus had instructed them not to leave Jerusalem…to wait for the gift that the Father had promised. So the disciples waited. It was now 50 days since Passover and it was the custom of the Jews to celebrate two things at this time: the first fruits of the Harvest and the giving of the Law. They called it the Harvest of Weeks. So the disciples find them selves surrounded by travelers from all over the world. The Jews had come back home to participate in this agricultural and religious Festival. Some had come form Europe, some from Asia, and some from Africa. Many different nationalities and languages could be seen in the market places. And then it happened.

The Gift that the Father had promised came. Like a mighty rushing wind and flames of fire the disciples were filled with and engulfed by the Holy Spirit. They began to speak to everyone about what Jesus had done. Peter stood up amidst throngs of people in the street and said, "Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs but you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to a cross. But God raised him from the dead, and we all are witnesses of this fact. Exalted to the right hand of God he has poured out Holy Spirit upon us. Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, tells us how the people responded to Peter’s message. "When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brother’s what shall we do?"

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

They did repent and Luke tells us that 3000 were added to the church on that day. Now that’s the church’s Episode II. It is the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Today, we cannot duplicate the exact events of Acts. That was a one time event in the life of the church. We may not be able to duplicate the exact event but we can duplicate that same power today.

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Luke 24:44-53 - Ascension of our Lord

What meaning does the Ascension of Jesus hold for us today? It seems to me that we can learn to depend upon God without being dependent upon Him. Many people in our society, especially women, are raised to be dependent upon others. First they are dependent upon parents and then they are dependent upon husbands. Likewise, some men never leave the nest. The fact is that struggling and wrestling with many of the gray issues of life and learning to think for yourself is just as vital to the spiritual process as it is to the maturation process.

Perhaps you have read or scene a production of Camelot. At the beginning of the play we see that the magician Merlin is constantly attempting to get the rather slow King Arthur to think for himself. Every time a difficult decision arises Arthur simply turns to his confidant Merlin for answers. The reader quickly understands who the real power behind the throne is. In the last scene a crisis occurs. The Knights of the Round Table, once comrades and unified, are now warring against one another. The wicked Modred has started a rebellion and Arthur has just found out about the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere. All seems loss and Arthur needs Merlin now more than ever. He needs his confidant. But Merlin is now dead. Now Arthur will be tested. Not by battle but by the ability to make decisions on his own. His answer man is no longer there. Now we find out what he is really made of. In desperation Arthur cries out: "O Merlin, where are you now when I need you the most? Having to think is such a blight." It’s so much easier to lean on someone else for all of the decisions and the answers.

What was the situation as regards the disciples? For three years now their every move had centered on Jesus. Around his leadership these 12 common mean have become the toast of Israel. They are famous but famous only by association. If they are to grow Jesus must leave. If Jesus had not departed they would have grown to be dependent upon his physical presence. Instead of struggling with great moral issues in the light of what Jesus had said and done, they would simply run to him for all of the answers. In every perplexing situation in life they would have counted on hearing his familiar voice and seeing his reassuring smile. There is security in that but not growth. What was needed to launch them out into the world was not a kind of unhealthy dependence upon him, but a deep abiding faith. As our Lord told Thomas “You have believed because you have seen. Blessed are those who have not seen yet still believe.”

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John 14:15-21 - Easter 6

Many of you probably have stashed away in a drawer somewhere around your home the old 45 rpm records. If you have some from the 50s and early 60s you will have Elvis' grinding out "Hound Dog," Buddy Holly and the Crickets' hiccupping "Peggy Sue," Chuck Berry's joyful hot licks in "Maybellene," the Coasters' slapstick tour de force "Charlie Brown," the mournful "Tears On My Pillow" by Little Anthony and the Imperials, the impenetrable and probably scandalous "Louie, Louie" by the Kingsmen, and the teenaged gropings of the Paris Sisters' "I Love How You Love Me."

Here and there in these dusty stacks, one can find an occasional recording by the great blues master Jimmy Reed. A share-cropper's son, Reed brought the throbbing harmonica-and-guitar-driven black rhythm-and-blues of the Mississippi Delta into the popular rock-and-roll mainstream. Many of us, when we were in high school, fancied ourselves a budding rock band. My friends and I did. We would play and replay our 45s attempting in vain to capture the sound. But how do you imitate someone like Reed. The pain-soaked cries of his mahogany voice could not be imitated by our too-tight, too-white, suburban throats.

There's an interesting story behind the Jimmy Reed records. In placing the phonograph needle again and again in the grooves of Jimmy Reed's records, you began to notice something curious. If one listened very carefully, there could sometimes be heard, ever so faintly in the background, a soft woman's voice murmuring in advance the next verse of the song. The story that grew up around this -- and perhaps it is true -- was that Jimmy Reed was so absorbed in the bluesy beat and the throbbing guitar riffs of his music that he simply could not remember the words of his own songs. He needed help with the lyrics, and the woman's voice was none other than that of his wife, devotedly coaching her husband through the recording session by whispering the upcoming stanzas into his ear as he sang.

Whether or not this story is accurate, Christians will surely recognize a parallel experience. Jesus tells his followers that the role of the Holy Spirit is, in effect, to whisper the lyrics of the gospel song in the ears of the faithful. When Jesus was present, he was the one who instilled in them the right words, coached them through the proper verses, taught them the joyful commandments. But now that Jesus approaches his death, now that he draws near to his time of departure, now that the disciples will be on their own without him, that task is to be handed over to the Holy Spirit: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth ..." (John 14:15-17).

The primary task, then, of the Holy Spirit is reminding the faithful of the truth, jogging the memories of the followers of Jesus about all of his commandments so that they can keep them in love, whispering the lyrics of the never-ending hymn of faithful obedience in their ears. It may surprise us to think of the Holy Spirit in this way, as a quiet, whispering teacher of the commandments of Jesus. Often the Spirit is advertised in flashier terms: The Spirit gives ecstasy; the Spirit evokes speaking in unknown tongues; the Spirit prompts dramatic and miraculous healings. Indeed, the Holy Spirit of God does perform such deeds, but these are all derivative of the one, primary activity of the Spirit -- reminding the children of God about everything that Jesus taught and commanded (John 14:26), whispering the gospel lyrics into the ears of the forgetful faithful (This story is from Rev. Thomas G Long)

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John 14:1-14 - Easter 5

Eric Clapton, arguably the greatest living rock guitarist, wrote a heart wrenching song about the death of his four-year-old son (March 20, 1991). He fell from a 53rd-story window. Clapton took nine months off and when he returned his music had changed. The hardship had made his music softer, more powerful, and more reflective. You have perhaps heard the song he wrote about his son's death. It is a poignant song of hope:

Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same if I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on,
'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven.

Would you hold my hand if I saw you in heaven?
Would you help me stand if I saw you in heaven?
I'll find my way through night and day,
'Cause I know I just can't stay here in heaven.

Time can bring you down; time can bend your knees.
Time can break your heart, have you begging please, begging please.

Beyond the door there's peace I'm sure,
And I know there'll be no more tears in heaven.

Jesus has just had the Passover meal with his disciples. He has washed their feet in an act of servanthood. He has foretold his betrayal which Judas will soon perform. He has predicted Peter's denial. He has told them he is leaving. But he adds this word of hope: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many rooms. I go to prepare a place for you and will come again and take you to myself. So that where I am, you may be also.

Hardship has a way of getting our attention. Pain slows us down. It can even soften us. Very few of us, after facing a trial, come out the same way we entered in. Jesus understood this and attempted to prepare his disciples for the road ahead. He wanted them to know first of all:

If you have faith in me you will overcome your worry. It seems almost impossible doesn’t it? Getting rid of worry. But let me tell you it is absolutely essential that we be free of worry. Worry distorts reality. And, worry often times leads us to false conclusions.

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John 10:1-10 - Easter 4

The first question is: What are the needs of a sheep? The first and obvious answer to that question is: protection. Jesus says that there are predators always trying to get into the sheep pen, trying to devour the sheep: coyotes, bears, wolves, or cougars. They will try every trick in the book climbing over the walls. Their intent is to steal and rob. The sheep don’t help the situation much, either. I have heard that if two sheep are grazing together and a wolf comes up beside them and kills the one eating it right there, the other sheep will continue grazing, lean over and say “Pretty good grazing ‘round here.”

Not only do they need protection from predators, they need protection from themselves. You have no doubt heard that sheep are some of the dumbest animals in all the animal kingdom. They are creatures of habit: They will graze the same hills until they become desert wastes. To there own destruction they will not move on. They are creatures of bad hygiene: They will pollute their own ground until it is run over with disease and parasite. To their own ill health they will live in their own filth. They are creatures with heavy coats: Their fleece can grow very long and become weighed down with mud, manure, burrs and debris. And when they lie down they can roll over. Once on their backs they cannot right themselves unless a shepherd comes and puts them back on their feet. To their own destruction they become burdened with things.

Protection is the first task of the shepherd because sheep by nature are followers. That’s the second thing I want us to see in our text. A story is told of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower” (Adapted from S. I. McMillen, None of These Diseases).

Most of us do not like to think of ourselves as followers. We style ourselves as leaders but truth be told the vast majority of us are not. Outside of parenthood we rarely are placed into positions of ultimate care over others. But Jesus recognizes that we are by nature followers, that we need those over us to care for us. Sheep are followers. The voice of the one they know, of the one they recognize, they will follow. But the voice of a stranger they will not follow.

What are the needs of sheep? They need to follow someone and they need protection.

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Luke 24:13-35 - Easter 3

Look closely at what happens to these two brothers as they journey from Jerusalem to their home in the city of Emmaus seven miles away. A stranger, whom we know is Jesus, joins them. He asks them what they are talking about and they stop dead in their tracks. They can hardly bring themselves to discuss it they are so saddened by the events of the last three days. Their friend, their master, their rabbi, the one they describe as a mighty prophet, has been unjustly condemned to death and violently killed on a cross. They say to their companion, “Are you the only person in all of Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place?”

This would be enough to unsettle anyone but new and disturbing information is being told. Reports about his tomb being empty and the crazy notions of some who say he is alive. Listen to what happens next on that dusty road at the end of the day. This is the part that intrigues me. Jesus begins to interpret the Old Testament and explains to them how all these things were spoken of by Moses and the Prophets. He opens the Scriptures to them. He transforms their thinking. They had no idea these things were supposed to take place. They had concluded that Jesus’ mission had failed. They now understand that the last three days was the plan all along.

Finally the two brothers invite Jesus into their home. He has dinner with them. Again Jesus transformed the event. There at that ordinary dinner at the end of the day this stranger takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, gives it to them…and their eyes are opened. In that moment they were transformed.

There’s a story about a young boy named Walter Elias. Born in the city, his parents one day moved out to the country to become farmers. Walter had a vivid imagination and the farm was the perfect place for a young boy and a wondering mind. One day in the apple orchard he was amazed when he saw sitting on a branch of one of the apple trees an owl. He just stood there and stared at the owl. He thought about what his father had told him about owls: owls always rested during the day because they hunted throughout the night. This owl was asleep. He also thought that this owl might make a great pet.

Being careful not to make any noises he stepped over sticks and leaves. The owl was in a deep sleep because it never heard Walter Elias walking toward it. Finally, standing under the owl, he reached up and grabbed the owl by the legs. Now, the events that followed are difficult to explain. Suddenly everything was utter chaos. The owl came to life. Walter’s thoughts about keeping the bird as a pet were quickly forgotten. The air filled with wings, and feathers, and screaming. In the excitement Walter held the legs tighter. And in his panic, Walter Elias, still holding on to the owl, threw it to the ground and stomped it to death. After things calmed down, Walter looked at the now dead and bloody bird and began to cry. He ran back to the farm, obtained a shovel, and buried the owl in the orchard.

At night he would dream of that owl. As the years passed he never got over what had happened that summer day. Deep down it affected him for the rest of his life. As an older man he said he never, ever killed anything again. Do you see it? Something significant happened after that event. Something that Walter didn’t miss. Something which transformed Walter Elias, something that redeemed him from the pit of despair, something that resurrected him, something that made Walter Elias Disney give life to thousands of animals on the big screen.

The resurrection changes everything.

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John 20:19-31 - Easter 2

If I were to mention the names of certain disciples to you and ask you to write down the first word that comes into your mind, it is unlikely you would come up with the same words. If I were to mention the name of Judas many of you would write down the word betray but not all of you. If I were to mention Simon Peter, some of you would write down the word faith, but not all of you. If I were to mention the names of James and John, some of you would write down the phrase Sons of Thunder, but not all of you. But when I mention the word Thomas, there is little question about the word most everyone would write down. It would be the word doubt. Indeed, so closely have we associated Thomas with this word, that we have coined a phrase to describe him: “Doubting Thomas.”

You may be interested to know that in the first three gospels we are told absolutely nothing at all about Thomas. It is in John’s Gospel that he emerges as a distinct personality, but even then there are only 155 words about him. There is not a lot about this disciple in the Bible but there is more than one description.

When Jesus turned his face toward Jerusalem the disciples thought that it would be certain death for all of them. Surprisingly, it was Thomas who said: Then let us go so that we may die with him. It was a courageous statement, yet we don’t remember him for that. We also fail to point out that in this story of Thomas’ doubt we have the one place in the all the Gospels where the Divinity of Christ is bluntly and unequivocally stated. It is interesting, is it not, that the story that gives Thomas his infamous nickname, is the same story that has Thomas making an earth shattering confession of faith? Look at his confession, “My Lord, and my God.” Not teacher. Not Lord. Not Messiah. But God! It is the only place where Jesus is called God without qualification of any kind. It is uttered with conviction as if Thomas was simply recognizing a fact, just as 2 + 2 = 4, and the sun is in the sky. You are my Lord and my God! These are certainly not the words of a doubter.

Unfortunately history has remembered him for this scene where the resurrected Christ made an appearance to the disciples in a home in Jerusalem. Thomas was not present and when he heard about the event he refused to believe it. Maybe he was the forerunner of modern day cynicism. Maybe the news simply sounded too good to be true. Thomas said: Unless I feel the nail prints in his hands I will not believe.

Now I cannot help but notice that Thomas has separated himself from the disciples and therefore, in his solitude, missed the resurrection appearance. I think that john is suggesting to us that Christ appears most often within the community of believers that we call the church, and when we separate ourselves from the church we take a chance on missing his unique presence.

But the story doesn’t end here. The second time Jesus made his appearance Thomas was present with the disciples and this time he too witnessed the event. This time he believed. What can we learn from the life of Thomas?

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John 20:1-18 - Easter

First I would say that I believe in resurrection because somebody told me about it. Well, some would immediately reply, that certainly isn’t very reliable. Well, it may not be but the truth of the matter is that most of what we know is simply because somebody told us about it. How do you know that Columbus discovered America in 1492. Were you there? No, you were not there, but there were people there who witnessed and wrote about it and that is how we know about that. How do you personally know that a man has walked on the moon? Were you standing there to meet him when he stepped off? Well, you say, I know it because I saw it on TV. There are people to this day who insist that it was all done in a fake TV studio down in Hollywood. Many of them would insist that the International Space Station is all a hoax. That may sound absurd, but the truth of the matter is I cannot prove it or disprove it either way and neither can you. In the end, I guess I would have to say: I do believe that a man has walked on the moon, simply because a lot of people have told me about it.

We have far more historical proof of the resurrection than we do thousands of pieces of information which we routinely accept as fact every single day. If we are going to take a stand on something, then why not the historic testimony of countless persons throughout the ages who have declared the validity of the resurrection.

When Mary went to the tomb on that first Easter morning she did so with a heavy heart. Her Master, her teacher, her friend had passed away. All of life was now in doubt. She stood at the entrance to that tomb weeping. And then she meets the gardener and then the gardener calls her by name. “Mary,” he says. Can you imagine the look in her eyes and she turns and looks into his. Do you remember what she said? The joy of that first Easter can be found in her one word response, “Rabboni!” She yells. “Teacher!” And from what John tells us she must have leaped into his arms. Jesus tells her not to hold onto him just yet.

Now I want you to listen to this next thing Jesus tells Mary. It is the job description for the church. He tells her: Go to my brothers and tell them. My friends I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ because someone told me about it.

Undoubtedly, there are people who are bothered by the fact they cannot prove that when Mary told the Disciples “I have seen the Lord” she spoke the truth. I will grant you. It cannot be proven. But the truth is that you will never have more proof than the testimony of those first century witnesses. There are no photographs. Resurrection cannot be proven, nor can it be disproved. And that is why there are many brilliant people who believe and many brilliant people who do not believe. Because it can't be proven either way. What we know of it is simply what people have told us about it.

What would you say are reasons why you believe? Please leave your comments here by clicking on the "Comments" link below and adding to this discussion.

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Matthew 21:1-11 - Triumphal Entry

Palm Sunday

Some years ago a book was written by a noted American historian entitled “When The Cheering Stopped.” It was the story of President Woodrow Wilson and the events leading up to and following WWI. When that war was over Wilson was an international hero, There was a great spirit of optimism abroad, and people actually believed that the last war had been fought and the world had been made safe for democracy.

On his first visit to Paris after the war Wilson was greeted by cheering mobs. He was actually more popular than their own heroes. The same thing was true in England and Italy. In a Vienna hospital a Red Cross worker had to tell the children that there would be no Christmas presents because of the war and the hard times. The children didn’t believe her. They said that President Wilson was coming and they knew that everything would be alright.

The cheering lasted about a year. Then it gradually began to stop. It turned out that after the war the political leaders in Europe were more concerned with their own agendas than they were a lasting peace. At home Woodrow Wilson ran into opposition in the United States Senate and his League of Nations was not ratified. Under the strain of it all the President’s health began to break. He suffered a stroke and in the next election his party was defeated. So it was that Woodrow Wilson, a man who barely a year earlier had been heralded as the new world Messiah, came to the end of his days a broken and defeated man.

It’s a sad story, but one that is not altogether unfamiliar. The ultimate reward for someone who tries to translate ideals into reality is apt to be frustration and defeat. There are some exceptions, of course, but not too many.

It happened that way to Jesus. When he emerged on the public scene he was an overnight sensation. He would try to go off to be alone and the people would still follow him. The masses lined the streets as he came into town. On Palm Sunday leafy palm branches were spread before him and there were shouts of Hosanna. In shouting Hosanna they were in effect saying “Save us now” Jesus. Great crowds came to hear him preach. A wave of religious expectation swept the country.

But the cheering did not last for long. There came a point when the tide began to turn against him. Oh, you didn’t notice it so much at first. People still came to see him, but the old excitement was missing, and the crowds were not as large as they had been. His critics now began to publicly attack him. That was something new. Earlier they had been afraid to speak out for fear of the masses, but they began to perceive that the fickle public was turning on him. Soon the opposition began to snowball. When they discovered that they could not discredit his moral character, they began to take more desperate measures. Before it was all over a tidal wave welled up that brought Jesus to his knees under the weight of a cross.

Why did the masses so radically turn against him? How did the shouts of Hosanna on Sunday transform into the shouts of crucify him on Friday? I am not just talking about the immediate events that may have brought it about, but the deeper root causes. What were the underlying issues? In five days it all fell apart. Why? That is the compelling part of this text. Why did the cheering stop?

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