Littleton

Rev. Cody Sandahl

"Lord, Teach Us How to Pray: Our Father" by Rev Cody Sandahl - February 14, 2016

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Introduction

We kicked off Lent this past Wednesday, and from now until Easter we are going to be diving deeply into the Lord’s Prayer as a way to prepare our hearts for Holy Week and Easter. To frame this sermon series, pick someone close to you. Maybe it’s your spouse. Maybe it’s a parent or another family member. Maybe it’s a close friend or mentor. Got it?

OK, for me I’m picking my wife, Becca. So how do you think it would affect our relationship if I got home after the worship services today and said this to her, “Greetings and salutations! I must say that the aromas wafting off the midday supper are truly congenial.” Do you think speaking that way would affect our relationship? What about for you and the person you just picked in your mind? Would such formal and stilted language affect that relationship in some way?

How we talk affects our relationships with each other. So this series is about peeling back the cover on our conversations with God. Are there areas where we could use some new vocabulary? Are there areas where we could use some new tone? Are there areas where we need to put the emphAsis on the right syllAble?

These are all questions that Jesus’ disciples wanted to know. After all, Jesus spoke to and about God in ways that were completely foreign at the time. They wanted to know how much of that just applied to Jesus and how much applied to them.

Matthew 6:5-14

⁵“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.⁶But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ⁷ “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

⁹“Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.¹¹Give us this day our daily bread.  ¹²And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. ¹⁴For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;

Hallowed?

I may be from Texas, but I did grow up skiing in New Mexico and Colorado. And I believe we were skiing Breckinridge one particular year when I was little. My mom and I were riding the chair lift together up the mountain. We slid up to the line, crouched down, and rode the lift halfway up the mountain. Now I emphasize the word “halfway” here because that’s where we stopped – at one of those spots where you’re really high above the ground.

And, well, “stopped” is really the wrong word, because it implies a lack of motion. We were surely not moving forward anymore, but there was a LOT of movement side to side in the wind-whipped snow storm that abruptly arrived, pinning us to the lift until conditions were safe to resume.

Now my mom is a bit of a worrier, and that gets kicked into overdrive when it has to do with the weather. If there’s even a remote chance of danger to her children, well, you can just forget it. So here we are, spraying about in the wind with nothing but a bar of steel between us and the now invisible mountain below. And being the young, impressionable boy that I was, I listened intently to my mom’s repeated and rapid recitation of the Lord’s Prayer. But I had a deep theological question suspended as we were above the mountain. “Mom,” I asked, “why is God named Howard?”

Our Father, who art in heaven, Howard be thy name?

And thus began my fascination with the word, “hallowed.” It’s not exactly a common word anymore, except in the month of October when we celebrate “Halloween.” That’s a shortening of all-hallow-even. Now a hallow is a saint, someone set apart and holy, so all-hallow-even means All Saints Eve. So to hallow something is to make it holy, special, set apart, like a saint. If you’re wondering where dressing up in ghostly costumes fits in to “hallowing,” you’re going to have to go elsewhere – I’m baffled on that one, too. I think it’s a conspiracy by the costume stores.

So how exactly do we “hallow” something or someone?

Samuel and Hannah

One of the most direct examples of this hallowing, this setting apart, comes from 1 Samuel 1. Hannah was barren for many years – so long, in fact, that she was routinely taunted by the other women around her.

One day she went to the Tabernacle, despondent, and “she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”

Give me a son, and “he will be yours for his entire lifetime.” Her very son will be dedicated to God. His life will hallow God’s name. And she even makes it public – people will KNOW he’s dedicated to God by his hair.

So hallowing God’s name involves dedicating some part of our lives to him AND making it visible somehow. That visible component is key. A secret dedication to God is good, but it’s not hallowing unless there’s some way for other people to notice. Now of course Jesus cautions against being an attention-seeking hypocrite in prayer, and he cautions against lots of public flowery language, so it’s obviously possible to move from hallowing to self-aggrandizing. There’s a difference between hallow and spectacle.

Jesus Hallowed God’s Name (John 17)

Since Jesus is the one telling us to hallow God’s name, let’s see how he hallowed God’s name. How did Jesus strike that balance between public witness to God and public attention-seeking? The first text we read from John 17 is a prayer Jesus says, and in it he lists what he’s done.

V1 – “glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you.” Just like Hannah and Samuel, if you have been blessed by God with a gift, how can you use it to point to God? Does your job provide a platform? Do you have financial blessings? Have you experienced miraculous healing physically, emotionally, mentally? Jesus gets at this one again in v7: “Now they know that everything you have given me is from you.” Do people know that about you?

Jesus continues in v3: “this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Part of hallowing God’s name involves getting to know God better. Is there some way God wants you to invest in knowing him better? Maybe one of our Bible studies, or the Lenten devotional we have at the entrances, or emulating Christ through service?

Finally v4 – “I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.” We talked a few weeks ago about having a mission from God, and it doesn’t have to be some huge earth-shattering thing. Does God want to use you in some way to support another, to bless another, to help transform another? Does God want to send you somewhere OR use you where you are?

Jesus shows us three ways that he hallowed God’s name – #1 by redirecting our blessings to the source. Let people know you’re blessed by God, not yourself or chance. #2 by knowing who God is. And #3 by doing the work God commanded.

Are there any blessings you can use to point to God as the source? Are there any ways you can know God better? Is there any work God is sending you to do? Those are ways of hallowing God’s name.

Earthly vs Heavenly Father

All right, that’s hallowing, but I kind of skipped the first part – “Our Father.” Let’s back up to that.

This one is tough for some people. I know people who have been abused by their earthly fathers. I know people who have been abandoned by their earthly fathers. I know people who have been taken advantage of in every way imaginable by either their fathers or other men. Talking about God as Father is less than helpful for them. In fact, it can bring back many of those raw, painful, atrocious memories.

In light of that, for a while I started very intentionally trying to talk about God as God instead of God as He or Father. I’m following where God leads, not where He leads. It gets a little funky with English, though, given how many pronouns we use. Going back to that language question I asked at the start, what if I talked about Becca by saying things like, “When I was getting ready to propose to Becca I was worried that Becca would say no. Becca would probably say yes, of course, given my relationship with Becca up to that point. And being in Becca’s hometown in one of Becca’s favorite state parks would certainly appeal to Becca.” That just sounds weird, doesn’t it? But that’s what you have to do in English to avoid gender-specific pronouns like “he” or “she,” and “it” just doesn’t work at all.

I found that my change in language was affecting my relationship with God. Instead of being close with my heavenly Father, I felt distant from God. It didn’t work for me. So I still try to use God whenever possible – I changed from starting my prayers, “Heavenly Father” to using “Holy God.” But you’ll also hear “he’s” and “him’s” and “his’s” from me as well. That language helps me remain connected to God as a person, not just an idea.

And so to my friends who have such a negative association with the word Father, or with men, my response now is to encourage them not to let their earthly father ruin their relationship with their Heavenly Father. There are other ways of referring to God, of course, but be cautious about that impersonal language. Don’t let it turn God into an idea instead of a person.

Ideally some day there’s enough healing and transformation within their souls that they can let God define what it means to be Father instead of letting a terrible earthly father set that definition, but I won’t pretend that I know what it takes to make that switch. I just pray for that on their behalf.

In the meantime, for all of us, how we think about God and how we talk to God affects our relationship with God. You don’t have to use the word “father” for God, and you don’t have to use gender-specific pronouns for God. But check your spirit – is God a person to you or an idea? When Jesus says, “Our Father,” he’s praying to a person.

Summary

Sisters and brothers, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray because how we converse WITH and ABOUT God affects our relationship with God. “Our Father” is a person, not an idea. And we can “hallow God’s name” by pointing our blessings to the source, by increasing in our knowledge of God, and by doing what God commands.

Does anything in your conversations with God need to shift as a result? Amen.

Rev. Cody Sandahl

"Hard Sayings of Jesus: Infinite Forgiveness" by Rev Cody Sandahl - February 7, 2016

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Introduction

We are still in our series looking at some of the hard sayings of Jesus. Last week we looked at our need to both empty and fill. Empty out whatever separates us from God and then fill that replace it with the Spirit of Christ.

This week our text is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s provision. I plan out our sermon series and Scriptures a few months in advance, and I had scheduled this week to talk about Jesus saying, “let the dead bury their own dead.” But I was thinking about changing this week’s text because several people in our church had asked me to talk about praying for our enemies. Then I looked at the schedule I created and actually I had put in the wrong text. Instead of “let the dead bury their own dead,” I accidentally put in this text about forgiveness and our first reading today – praying for your enemies. I guess the Holy Spirit knows more than I do.

So hear what the Spirit wanted preached today, not what I had planned.

Matthew 18:18-22

¹⁸Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. ²⁰For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

²¹Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” ²²Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

Infinite Forgiveness

Two brothers were about to go to bed when something happened. Somehow Harry hit James with a stick, which resulted in tears, bitter words, and charges and accusations. As their mother got them ready for bed, she told James, “Before you go to bed tonight you’re going to have to forgive your brother.” James contemplated this and replied, “Well OK, I’ll forgive him tonight, but if I don’t die in the night, he’d better look out in the morning!”

Another set of brothers got into a fight – I don’t know why it’s always brothers in these stories, but I can certainly attest to the frequency of brotherly brouhahas. Their dad was debriefing the chain of events that resulted – nay COMPELLED them to hit each other. The older one said, “Well he hit me first.” “And what did you do?” “I did what Jesus said and turned the other cheek.” Surprised, the father said, “OK – that’s great – but how did you wind up in the fight later?” “Oh that’s easy. He hit me again and I didn’t have any more cheeks to turn.”

These might sound silly, but they’re basically the same questions that Peter has for Jesus. He’s asking what we should do when we have a fight. But before we laugh at Peter for his question, consider this. The standard teaching in Judaism at the time was that forgiving three times constituted a generous heart. Peter, after hanging out with Jesus, is willing to grant more than DOUBLE the culture’s answer to the question. That’s pretty good!

Have you ever asked, “how many times do I have to keep forgiving?” Have you ever asked, “how can I ever forgive this person?” Have you ever asked, “how can I ever forgive myself?” [LONG PAUSE]

I bet Peter was expecting a pat on the back for his show of generosity. But instead Jesus replies, “Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” So going back to the second set of brothers, does that mean we have to keep one of those clickers they have at concerts to count how many people come through the door, and once the clicker hits seventy-eight we can stop turning our cheeks? That’s our signal to let the fists fly?

Now that sounds like a big number, right? Some translations have Jesus saying, seventy times seven – that’s 490. That’s an even bigger number. But I guarantee you my brother and I fought more than 490 times. I guarantee you that most of the married couples in this room have had more than 490 times they needed to grant or receive forgiveness. It’s a big number, but it’s a number we can reach with the people who are closest with us. So is Jesus saying, “forgive strangers all the time, but you don’t have to forgive your family and friends after a few years?”

Have you ever thought, “I used to be able to forgive them, but now there’s too much water under the bridge?” Have you ever reached your limit? Even if it’s a big number, have you ever reached it?

The great scholar and theologian Bruce Metzger said of numbers like this in the Bible that, “they don’t mean what they say, they mean what they mean.” In other words, the point isn’t literally forgiving someone 77 times, or even 490 times. The point is that Jesus is commanding infinite forgiveness. The Jewish culture said you were off the hook after three times. Jesus says you’re never off the hook. Never. Never. That’s a hard saying of Jesus.

Is It Possible?

But it’s also a hopeful saying of Jesus. Because Jesus wouldn’t command infinite forgiveness if he didn’t also make each and every one of us with the ability to forgive. Think about that – Jesus made you, made me, made all of us with the capacity for infinite forgiveness. He doesn’t say forgiveness has to happen immediately, just that it has to happen.

But why is Jesus commanding infinite forgiveness? There is a story about Leonardo da Vinci that when he was in the midst of painting The Last Supper, he was about to paint the face of Jesus. But earlier that day he had a confrontation with another man and he was so furious he physically threatened the other guy. Still fuming, he returned to his studio and resumed painting. But every time he tried to paint the Savior’s face, the brush strokes wouldn’t come. Finally da Vinci realized the problem. He put down his brush, sought out the man he had threatened, and asked for forgiveness. Then the brush strokes came freely. His anger prevented him from knowing the face of Christ. His lack of forgiveness prevented him from painting the face of Christ. His need to receive forgiveness separated him from the face of Christ.

That’s our problem, too. That’s why Jesus commands infinite forgiveness. Because a lack of forgiveness within our hearts separates us from the face of Christ. Our unforgiving hearts can’t stand to be in the presence of the One who forgave us all our sins.

Is there anything in your life you’re still holding on to – anything that prevents you from knowing the face of Christ – anything that causes your blood to boil so you can’t sit down with the Prince of Peace? [LONG PAUSE]

Horace Bushnell once said, “Forgiveness is man’s deepest need and God’s highest achievement.” You and I NEED to grant and receive forgiveness. And it’s possible. It’s within us. We can choose forgiveness.

Enemies

I said earlier that several congregants had asked me to address our first text today – praying for our enemies. Specifically, the question arose around groups like ISIS. How do we forgive someone who wants to behead us for our faith? How do we pray for someone who has literally killed Christians simply for being Christian? That’s an excellent question.

First off, let me tell you a Colorado story. On February 9, 1960 – that’s 56 years ago this Tuesday – Adolph Coors III was murdered by Joseph Corbett. Adolph’s body was found near Pike’s Peak and an international manhunt finally apprehended Corbett. Adolph’s son, Ad Coors, had his world turned upside down and found his heart fueled with rage and hatred for Corbett. Later in life, Ad became a Christian and one day he was challenged that, “Someday you’re going to have to forgive Joseph Corbett.”

Over time through prayer, Ad was eventually compelled by the Holy Spirit to visit Corbett at the prison. Corbett refused to see him, so Ad left him a Bible with this message written in it: “I’m here to see you today and I’m sorry that we could not meet. As a Christian I am summoned by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to forgive. I do forgive you, and I ask you to forgive me for the hatred I’ve held in my heart for you.” To put an even finer point on it, Ad later said, “I have a love for that man that only Jesus Christ could have put in my heart.”

So, is Jesus telling us to forgive even someone who wants to kill us and our families? Yes. Is Jesus telling us to pray for – to LOVE, to want the BEST for – even someone who wants to kill us and our families? Yes. Talk about a hard saying.

Now maybe you’re thinking, “But that was just a murder. ISIS wants to kill anyone who simply believes in Jesus. That’s different.” But Jesus says in Matthew 5, “¹¹ “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Jesus doesn’t make an exception for people who hate him. Even then we’re supposed to offer forgiveness and even pray for and even want the BEST for them. A very hard saying.

So here’s the very hard challenge. Pray for the people who are deceived by the message of ISIS. If you’ve been struck by tragedy as the Coors family was, pray for the ones who perpetrated it. As we continue in this political season, if you feel threatened by some or all of the candidates, pray for them. If your boss at work is a vampire upon your soul, pray for them. If you and your spouse are furious with each other, pray for them. Who do you NEED to pray for, now that you’ve heard this hard saying of Jesus? Your forgiveness and your prayer are the price of admission for coming nearer to the face of Christ. [LONG PAUSE]

Progression

That’s a lot to chew all at once, so let’s rewind a bit and see how we can saddle up to this monster of a horse.

The first step is forgiveness, right? If you can’t yet forgive someone, pray for Christ to give you the ability to forgive them. That’s pretty much what Ad Coors had to do before he could even think about forgiving Corbett. Pray, “Jesus, I know I’m supposed to forgive this person, but I can’t right now. Help me forgive them eventually.”

The next step is to choose forgiveness. It’s just an internal switch. It’s a hard one to flip, but all that stands between you and forgiveness is your heart. Maybe as part of this, you realize like da Vinci that you need to also ask for forgiveness. Maybe.

The next step is to pray for and want the BEST for this current or former enemy. Now the cynical might point out that Jesus was nonspecific as to how we should pray for an enemy. You’ll probably want to pray something like Psalm 137, “Happy shall they be who pay you back for what you have done to us! Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock!” Hey Jesus, I’m just praying Scripture over my enemies! I get credit, right?

Instead of praying for your enemies’ destruction, I would suggest doing what we did for forgiveness. First pray for the ability to pray for your enemies. “Jesus, I know I’m supposed to pray for and want the BEST for my enemies, but I can’t right now. Give me the ability to pray for those deceived by ISIS…give me the ability to pray for the one who destroyed my life…give me the ability to pray for these candidates…give me the ability to pray for my friend or my spouse or my family member.”

And finally, pray for your enemies. Pray for the best for them. You know what the best thing is for someone deceived by ISIS? To change their worldview and renounce violence. The best would be for them to come to know Christ. Can you pray for that?

Summary

Sisters and brothers, Jesus commands infinite forgiveness. But that also means he built us with the capacity to forgive regardless of the circumstances.

Jesus even went so far as to command us to pray for and want the best for our enemies.

These are some of the hardest sayings of Jesus. But he knows that. Ask for his help. Ask him to help you forgive. Ask him to help you pray for and want the best for your enemies. It’s your ticket to a closer look at Christ’s face. Amen.

Rev. Cody Sandahl

"Hard Sayings of Jesus: Tear Out Your Own Eye" by Rev Cody Sandahl - January 31, 2016

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Introduction

We are still in our series looking at the hard sayings of Jesus. Last week we talked about extending a helping hand, not a wagging finger of judgment when we see that someone is headed for disaster. This week we’re looking at a text that many people who don’t believe in God like to poke fun of. You’ve probably heard the quip that an “eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.” Well this text goes even further than that.

Matthew 5:27-29

²⁷“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  ²⁸But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

You Don’t Need Eyes to Lust

Reading this text vividly reminded me of a short scene from the movie “Ray” where Jamie Foxx plays Ray Charles. Ray Charles went blind at the age of 6 – which is important given our text today. And in this scene, which takes place during Ray Charles’ meteoric rise in record sales and fame, he’s greeting women after the show. And as he shakes their hands, he feels their wrists above the hands as well. The first woman is young, slender, and beautiful. He invites her back with him. The next woman is also young but is overweight. Ray frowns and walks away. You see, he could tell by the wrists.

Now I tell you this because I believe it captures beyond a shadow of a doubt that a lack of working eyes won’t prevent you from lusting. In fact, take any body part you want, and getting rid of it won’t prevent you from sinning. I’m pretty sure you have to be brain-dead to not be able to sin, and even then I’m only about 50% sure.

So I’m pretty sure Jesus isn’t telling us to literally tear out our eyes. Of course, Jesus does have a pretty good “out” here. It’s only if your eye causes you to sin that you have to tear it out. I once tried to see what a neighbor had written on his test, and I don’t think the “my right eye caused me to look” trick would’ve worked with my teacher.

Will Over Act => Where’s Your “But?”

So what is Jesus getting at? What’s his angle? Well I believe he’s getting at two things.

First off, he’s showing us that God sees not only our actions but also the will, the intent, the desire behind our actions.

Now I am descended from some accomplished talkers. If I were making a list of all the people I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of a verbal sparring match, most of that list would be on my mom’s side of the family. My grandfather was a boxer in his youth, but we used to joke that we’d rather get in a fight with him because you’d heal but Grandma could say something that would hurt you for the rest of your life.

Given my genetic heritage, I pride myself on bottling up my inner Grandma. It has taken many years of effort and discipline, but I intentionally choose diplomacy over verbal daggers most of the time. But here’s the rub. Jesus is telling me I don’t get any credit with God for stopping my inner Grandma before it gets out of my mouth. Because it happens in my mind, God sees it for the sin that it is.

Another way to think about this is to ask, “Where’s your but?” Verbal daggers come to my mind BUT at least I don’t let them out very often. I looked at the other kid’s answer BUT I was just double checking my work. Where’s your but?

Do you have a but with money? Do you have a but with websites? Do you have a but, like me, with words? Do you have a but with attitude? Do you have a but with food? Do you have a but with relationships? Do you have a but with intimacy? Where’s your but?

In our text today, the phrase “causes you to sin” has the image of a mouse trap. What cheese lures you when no one’s looking? What net are you carefully stepping around so you can get the meat without springing the trap? Where are you using fancy footwork to avoid falling into “REAL” sin? Where’s your but?

God sees not only our actions, but also the will, the intent, the desire behind our actions. First point.

Our Great Need

As a result, the second point is that we are in dire need. We can, with great effort, change our behaviors and our actions. But I’ve never found a way to fully change my will, my intent, my desire, my impulse.

So when we, as part of our Reformed theological tradition, say that everything we do, everything we think, everything we feel, and even what we do from our best intentions is somehow tainted by our separation from God? This is what we mean. There’s always some part of us, even if no one else sees it, that shows we aren’t coming from a totally Godly place.

You can run, but you can’t hide from God. Well, actually, it’s not that easy to run from God either. So you can’t run, nor can you hide.

So when we think, “I can handle this on my own.” When we think, “This is so small God won’t care.” When we think, “I do so many good things, this won’t get in my way.” That’s when Jesus reminds us that regardless of what other people say, HE says that our innermost thoughts and attitudes matter to God just as much as the actions. Our external goodness won’t paper over our internal issues. No amount of discipline will change our impulses.

I often wonder how the original hearers responded to this. I mean, we know the rest of the story. We know that Jesus died and rose again because, as Jesus says here, we are incapable of wiping out our internal sin. We know that we are forgiven. We know that we are adopted in God’s family. But when the Sermon on the Mount first went live, they didn’t know that. They thought they were saved by being descended from Abraham. They thought they were saved by obeying the outward requirements of the Law. But here goes Jesus blowing that out of the water.

For us, this is a message of hope. We’ll never fix everything in our lives and in our minds and in our hearts, but we’re saved by grace thru faith in Jesus Christ. The pressure’s off if we turn it over to Jesus. But I doubt they heard this as a message of hope at the time. But let me ask you – does this sound like a message of hope to you? You KNOW in your mind that the pressure’s off, but is that REAL for you? Or are you still trying to earn your own salvation? [LONG PAUSE]

Emptying vs Filling

I think there’s one other important point to add to what Jesus is saying here. Because this particular text makes it sound like following Jesus is about getting rid of stuff in your life. Get rid of anything that causes you to sin – which is, you know, just about everything. Get rid of any internal attitudes that can lead you away from God – which is, you know, just about all of them. So is Jesus just telling us to be Zen Buddhist here and have no attachments, no feelings, no desires, no nothing?

I don’t think so.

In fact, in my conversations with Buddhists I would say this is our biggest place of divergence. Because, as we see in our text, Jesus tells us to get rid of a lot – lay down our pride, lay down our earthly attachments where moth and rust destroy. But he also says to TAKE UP. Take up our cross and follow him. Take up the mind of Christ. We empty out, just like many Buddhists. But then we fill up with the Spirit of Christ – that filling is where we’re very different.

Later on in the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 12 Jesus says that when a demon leaves a person it wanders around for a while before returning to the person it left. And then it finds the house unoccupied, picked up, and cleaned, so it finds seven other spirits to move in with it. The point is that you can’t just empty out. Some new sin will always fill the void.

So don’t leave the house unoccupied. Don’t leave your heart with a void. Fill it with the spirit of Christ. You can only STOP doing something for so long. REPLACE it with something better.

Summary

Sisters and brothers, we all have our “buts.” Maybe you have a “but” with money, or websites, or relationships, or food. We all have ways that we justify and minimize our separation from God. But Jesus says God cares about our “buts.”

Luckily for us, the pressure is off because Jesus accepts us despite our “buts.” But the way forward isn’t to ignore those parts of our lives or try to fix it with sheer willpower. It’s to fill that part of our lives with something better – with the Spirit of Christ.

Empty out…but then fill up with Christ.

To close today, I’m going to give us one minute – one FULL minute – of silence for us to give over our “buts” to Christ. And then I’m going to prompt us for another minute – another FULL minute – of silence as we ask Christ to fill those parts of our lives with his spirit instead. Will you bow with me?

Rev. Cody Sandahl

"Hard Sayings of Jesus: Dogs and Swine" by Rev. Cody Sandahl - January 24, 2016

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Introduction

We are continuing our series looking at some of the hard sayings of Jesus. This week we’re looking at a very strange saying. And what makes it stranger is that it comes in one of Jesus’ greatest sermons: the Sermon on the Mount. This wasn’t a random aside, it was intentional. Hear the confusing words of Jesus.

Matthew 7:1-6

¹“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.  ²For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. ³Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? ⁴Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. ⁶“Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.

Headed for Disaster

You know the Sermon on the Mount deals with some of the most basic impulses of the human experience. Being angry with another – done that. Insulted another – done that. Thought another person was a fool – done that. Lied – done that. Sought revenge – done that. Been a show-off – done that.

Jesus was spot on time and time and time again in this sermon. He was on a roll. But not only have I never wanted to, but I’d put $100 to bet that no one in the history of humankind has ever wanted to feed their valuable treasure to pigs. Not gonna happen. I could see a pig accidentally eating something you dropped. My dog is quite skilled at this – especially if it’s Charlie’s crayons. But intentionally tossing pearls to a pig to eat? Nu-uh. No sir.

And then he adds that, if you for some unknown reason did this, the pigs would turn on you, trample you, and maul you. Pretty sure that’s not giving me any extra motivation, Jesus. What on earth does this mean?

Well let’s roll it back to the start of our text and see if we can figure it out together.

The first two verses say that however we judge other people, that’s how we’ll be judged. Now the word for “judge” here means “to call into question.” So that’s the context for our pearl-munching pigs. When we are calling another into question. When we are doubting another person’s wisdom. When we believe another person is heading for disaster.

And these first two verses are saying that the way you approach someone else when you think they’re headed for disaster is the way you’ll be approached when you are headed toward disaster.

At the house where I spent the first ten years of my life we had a pack of neighborhood boys who played together. And we were playing some form of tag, and it stretched inside and out. I was the second-youngest boy in the pack, so I had to pump my legs pretty hard to avoid getting tagged. And I had built up a full head of steam trying to reach home base. I rounded the corner at top speed and leapt through the door to try to get to the couch. And *BAM*. The screen door was closed. And I must say, it was quite sturdily built. The worst part of all? I got tagged.

Now wouldn’t it have been nice if someone had noticed that I was careening head first into a closed door? Wouldn’t it have been nice if someone had tried to stop me? Wouldn’t it have been nice if they had compassion on me after it happened instead of laughing like hyenas for the next week?

I think this text is making two interesting points when you notice that someone’s headed toward disaster much worse than a screen door. What’s the easiest way to handle it? “It’s their life. They can just deal with it.” But that’s not what the text says. In fact, v5 says, “then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” Jesus assumes we WILL help, we WILL speak up when someone is headed for disaster. Not an option to ignore it.

And the second interesting point is that HOW we approach someone in that situation is supremely important and can determine the result.

Owning Our Role

For instance, v3-5 encourage us to approach with humility. Jesus says to, “notice the log in your own eye.” Now I’m pretty sure this is rabbi overstatement here, because my neck can’t support a log strapped to my face. The image here is that when you approach someone you believe is headed toward disaster, all of YOUR flaws will be magnified, obvious, visible from a mile away. And they’ll probably be thrown in your face.

I know someone who is in decent shape for his age, but his doctor told him to lose five pounds. So he told the doctor, “I’ll do that right after you lose the extra twenty you’re carrying around.”

So one of the most important things we can do if we see someone careening toward the proverbial screen door is to have an attitude of humility.

When I counsel couples before their marriage, one of the exercises I have them do is a comprehensive approach to conflict management. And one of the steps in that handout says, “List all the ways you have contributed to the problem.” Not all the ways your partner has contributed to the problem. All the ways YOU have contributed to the problem. That’s an attitude of humility. That’s owning up to your own logs.

But logs aren’t limited to our own role. Sometimes it’s just recognizing when we’ve done something similar. Or maybe just been on a path to disaster ourselves.

My mom got some paint matched at a store but when she put it on the wall it was clearly, obviously wrong. So she took it back to the store and they said, “Oh, Johnny did the color match? I’m sure it’s right. He’s never wrong.” After a few minutes where they wouldn’t even consider that Johnny might have made a mistake, my mom replied, “Well shoot, if Johnny never makes a mistake maybe he should run for president! We could use a man like that leading our country.” Grasping her point they finally relented, opened the paint can, and exclaimed, “You’re right! That’s the wrong color. Let me try to match that for you.”

Have you ever made a mistake? Have you ever been unwise? Have you ever been on the wrong path? Have you ever been headed for disaster? Have you ever careened headlong into the screen door? If not, Iowa hasn’t voted yet. There’s still time to enter the race. We could use you leading this country! I recommend Johnny for your vice president.

When we see someone headed toward disaster, Jesus says speak up! Don’t just let them fall into ruin! But remember when you’ve been there, too. Extend your hand in help, don’t extend your wagging finger in judgment.

Digestible Wisdom

And that’s where our little piggies come back into focus. Once we’ve noticed that someone is headed for disaster, careening toward the screen door. Once we’ve decided to speak up. Once we’ve decided to approach it with an attitude of humility, owning our role and our past. Then we get to the pearls and the pigs.

Pigs at that time would primarily have been fed peas or corn or some other small bits of plant-based food. You know, stuff that’s about the size of a small pearl.

So here’s the image I think Jesus is getting at. Suppose you have a Godly insight to help someone avoid the disaster they seem intent on bringing upon themselves. That nugget of wisdom that you have needs to be shared with the other person. But if you just toss in your pearly white zinger of truth, the other person won’t be able to digest it. It won’t nourish them. They’ll reject it and maybe even attack you for it!

Instead of just laying it all out there I believe Jesus is saying, in humility, present your words of help and encouragement in a way that the other person can digest. It might take longer. It’ll certainly be more difficult for you. But he’s saying we can’t just toss our word-bomb on someone, drop the mike, and walk off the stage. We have a responsibility to consider how the other person will be able to see it, desire it, eat it, and digest it so they can avoid the disaster.

Throw In the Towel

Now what if the other person doesn’t want anything to do with you? What if your pearl has been carefully massaged into edible pig food, but you’re still trampled and mauled anyway?

I know someone who saw a family member at a 4^th of July party. This family member was still recovering from a traumatic and very painful injury, so she said to him, “I’m praying for you and your injury.” He wheeled around on her and shouted, “I don’t want your prayers! You can keep your prayers for someone else!” Since it was the 4^th of July, she replied, “Well it’s America and I can pray for whomever I want!”

Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever gone the extra mile to say something difficult in a way that can be heard, but you still get trounced?

What then? Well, Jesus says, “do not give what is holy to dogs.” This is talking about meat sacrificed at the temple – that’s what is holy. And the dogs here are wild dogs roaming the streets, not your favorite house pet. So Jesus is saying that sometimes your words of humble help simply won’t be heard. You’re wasting your time. There are times when it’s OK to throw in the towel.

In the first text we read today Jesus sends his disciples out in pairs, and he tells them to extend their peace in whatever towns they come upon. But if that town won’t receive them, “shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town.” Be done with them!

There are times when it’s OK to throw in the towel. But it’s not OK to make that your default every time. You need a track record, not just a hunch. Jesus’ disciples had to give it a go, preach the good news, meet the people, and only if AFTER ALL THAT they weren’t received, it was OK to dust off and move on.

Summary

Sisters and brothers, Jesus assumes that we WILL help when we notice that someone is headed for a disaster far worse than careening into a screen door. But he tells us first to extend a hand of help, not a wagging finger of judgment. Then he tells us to own our role, to remember our past, to have an attitude of humility because our own flaws will be magnified. In humility, Jesus tells us to massage our words so that the pearl of wisdom is digestible to the person hearing it – otherwise they’ll attack us. And finally, if we follow his recipe but we’re still attacked, there are times when we can dust off and not worry about feeding the dogs.

Where can you extend a helping hand to someone, not a wagging finger of judgment? And how can you deliver a digestible word of help and encouragement? Or maybe someone is trying to give you a pearl of wisdom – are you willing to digest it or are you trampling and mauling them like those ornery pigs?

Jesus assumes we WILL speak up…we WILL help. Is there anyone in your path, anyone in your life, who could use your helping hand? Amen.

Rev. Cody Sandahl

"Epiphany" by Rev. Cody Sandahl - January 3, 2016

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Introduction

This week we are finishing the Christmas story with the arrival of the three wise men from the East. Next week we are going to start a new sermon series that looks at the Hard Sayings of Jesus.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the three wise men. Probably the song “We Three Kings of Orient Are” has a problem in the title – they were probably not kings, but respected sages. Another misconception is that they arrived shortly after the shepherds found Mary and Joseph. Probably they were there about two years after Jesus was born. We know that because Herod in fear tried to kill all the boys two and under, and the text actually refers to Jesus as an infant or child, not a baby.

But misconceptions aside, this is a familiar and powerful story, because I believe it touches on some of our own deepest longings.

Matthew 2:1-12

¹In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ²asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” ³ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ⁶‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” ⁷Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. ⁸Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”

⁹When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹²And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Following Yonder Star

In the ancient world, including Israel, it was generally accepted that the stars contained guidance for the present and the future. For instance, during the reign of Nero a comet appeared in the sky over Rome – that was usually interpreted as the impending death of a ruler. Now Nero, who was, to use a technical term, loco en la cabeza, took matters into his own hands and summarily executed a bunch of the nobles in Rome hoping to fulfill the comet’s prediction with their deaths rather than his own.

Now the greatest interpreters of dreams and visions and astrology were the Magi of Persia. And three of them noticed something new. They scoured their charts and discovered this meant a king was born in Judea. Fascinating. But a few days later, this new object wasn’t in the same place, it was moving west.

But being the space nerd that I am, this raises a big question for me: why did they care? The stars almost always move west. In any given night they move east to west, and over the course of the year, they move about one degree west each day as the earth rotates around the sun. It’s the eastward motion that stands out. Whenever earth overtakes one of the outer planets in its orbit (because we orbit faster than they do), those planets appear to move backwards – it’s called retrograde motion. Eastward motion is weird. Westward motion is normal. And yet something about this westward motion was noteworthy.

OK, so there’s a new object in the sky. It’s moving west, just like everything else. It means there’s a new king in Judea. Here’s where I’m struggling though. What about this analysis leads them to load up a caravan so large that in v3 it says all of Jerusalem (a major trade city) noticed their caravan? What about this analysis leads them to stack up some gold bullion, to bottle up some expensive perfume, and pack up some rare incense so they can give it away to this king? A foreign king, no less. Born in Roman territory, a dangerous potential enemy of their hometown Persian Empire. And these are the WISE men supposedly.

I have only one explanation: they were on a mission from God. There are only three things that generally cause men to do crazy things: love, money, and religion. Well, and the general presence of a Y chromosome. But these men weren’t in love. These men were giving away their money. That leaves religion. And their religion had no real reason for them to do this. They must’ve been sent on a mission from God.

Our Mission from God

At our December meeting of Session, the elected spiritual leaders of the church, I asked everyone what were their favorite and least favorite Christmas songs. My least favorite is Silent Night, because I can believe in the virgin birth, but a baby who’s quiet all night? Please!

My favorite Christmas song, though, is “We Three Kings.” And I love it because of this sense of purpose. This mission they’ve been given. This quest they’re going on. And then the tune kind of reminds me of Lord of the Rings, it reinforces that quest mentality.

And I love that, because it means we have a role to play. Sure, the main story is God coming to us in the flesh through Jesus, but people had a role to play. We aren’t just taking up space. We’re here for a reason.

Everyone here in this room can be used by God for some purpose, some mission. You, like the wise men, have a mission from God.

But do you know what it is? [LONG PAUSE]

I find it fascinating that the wise men didn’t even know their true mission. They felt an urge to go west. They felt an urge to bring lavish gifts that happen to be highly transportable. They were told in a dream to go back home the much, much longer way to avoid Jerusalem. They kept getting the next step in their journey. But in the big picture, God had something else in mind.

In the verses immediately following our text today, Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt just before Herod swoops in and kills all the children Jesus’ age. 2015 was the year of the refugee, so we’ve seen some of the horrible images that go with fleeing destruction. And you know what’s interesting? Those are the middle class people a lot of the time. It takes money to be a refugee, so the poorest people are just trapped in the war.

Joseph and Mary are poor. They can’t afford to flee to Egypt, let alone live there for a few years. But you know what would be really useful? Some very valuable, highly transportable wealth. Like gold. Like frankincense. Like myrrh. These gifts, unbeknownst to the wise men, were how Mary and Joseph and Jesus could afford to escape Herod. The wise men had a mission from God to bring particular gifts to a particular king. But God used that mission in a totally unexpected way.

On May 7, 2011, a South African carpenter by the name of Richard Van As had an unfortunate work accident that claimed four fingers on his right hand. Rather than losing hope, however, he decided to use his skills to try to make his own prosthetic that would help him keep working. He saw a video of a 3d printed mechanical hand for a Halloween costume posted by a quirky professor in the US named Ivan Owen, and they started working together to make something for Richard. Back in South Africa, a boy named Liam was born with no fingers, and his mom heard about this super cheap, customizable mechanical hand. Ten months later, Richard and Ivan got to see Liam light up with joy as he picked up a cup for the first time with his mechanical hand. One man had a mission to be creative and share his Halloween creation with the world. Another man had a mission to restore his ability to work. Together they created hope for children around the world who can’t afford prosthetics. That story is what got me into 3D printing.

What I take away from this is that your mission from God doesn’t have to be this super religious thing. It doesn’t have to be a two month pilgrimage. It doesn’t have to be a mission trip to foreign lands. It doesn’t have to be earth-shattering or epic in scope.

Your mission from God might spring out of who you are, as it did for Ivan and his Halloween costume. Your mission from God might spring out of something that you experience – good or bad – as it did for Richard and his need for a prosthetic. Your mission from God might be something internal – growing into a man or woman after God’s own heart. Your mission from God might be very nearby – raising your children in a Christian home. Making quilts for babies on Monday morning.

Everyone here in this room can be used by God for some purpose, some mission. You, like the wise men, have a mission from God.

But do you know what it is? [LONG PAUSE]

FPCL’s Mission

A couple of months ago I shared some possibilities as we consider, as a whole church, what is our mission from God in 2016. And after some deliberation, we started circling around many of the same things. Our energy level started rising. So here it is, what your elected spiritual leaders believe is our mission from God in 2016.

Three things. First off, our mission from God is for everyone in this church to grow closer to Christ spiritually. My second Sunday here I preached about the spiritual growth tree as a way to think about your spiritual growth. The soil is worship. The seed is commitment to Jesus Christ. The roots are deep relationships. The trunk of the tree is spiritual practices like reflecting on Scripture and praying for guidance. From there we branch out into service in the church and in our community. And finally we bear fruit by sharing Christ with others.

Our first mission from God is for everyone, EVERYONE to grow in at least one part of your spiritual tree in 2016. We’re going to offer ways to do that for each part of the tree. The first one you’ll hear about is doing a prayer walk around our church one Sunday in Lent, and we’re going to have another local church join us in that, too.

Our second mission from God is to have a greater positive impact on our community in Christ’s name. This church has supported many worthwhile ministries in our community with our financial resources. We are feeling an urge to roll up our sleeves and do more hands-on. So over the course of the year, you’ll hear about new ways, not just to give, but to volunteer and get involved personally.

Our third mission from God in 2016 is to share the story. To let people know that God is at work in our midst. To let people know that God has a vision for our city, and we’re along for the ride. We’ll be sharing stories online, in print, and encouraging you to share how you made a difference in your community when you’re chatting with your neighbors. When I told some of my neighbors that Charlie and I helped deliver a Thanksgiving meal from our church to the community, they said, “We might want to help out next year!” Let’s share the story.

Summary

Sisters and brothers, God sent the wise men on a mission. It didn’t really make sense. But they went west, carrying a bunch of transportable wealth, to give to a foreign king, who they found in a poor village, and then they went the really, really, long way home to avoid a vindictive ruler. But that wasn’t even how God used them! He used them to enable Joseph and Mary and Jesus to flee to Egypt with the resources they would need.

Everyone here in this room can be used by God for some purpose, some mission. You, like the wise men, have a mission from God.

But do you know what it is? [LONG PAUSE] Amen.