First Lutheran Church

October 23, 2022

2 Timothy 4:6-8   As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Hebrews 12:1-2  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

John 15:4-5  [Jesus said,] Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 

Sermon

The Great Relay Race

Pastor Greg Ronning

In today’s readings, St Paul encourages us “to finish the race,” “run with perseverance,” “the race that is set before us.”  It used to be that every time I heard these words, I would automatically picture the Olympic Marathon race.  I would imagine this runner, perhaps 20 miles into the race, in that moment when the body is starting to break down and give up.  And then, somehow, despite the pain, they are able to summon some kind of great strength, an inner passion, drawing upon a tremendous will to overcome, enabling them to push past total exhaustion, discovering that “second wind” that would suddenly propel them back into the race, past their opponents, and on to victory!  I’ve always imagined that this was the race, “the race set before us,” the race of faith that St. Paul was exhorting us to run, the lonely iconic struggle of the Marathon runner.

However, that all changed about ten years ago when I heard a sermon in which the “the race set before us” was described as a “relay” race!  Up to that point I had never thought of that option.  And if you think about it, it makes total sense. Of course it’s a relay race, we don’t run the race alone, we run with “a great cloud of witnesses,” we run with Jesus, “the pioneer and perfector of our faith,” and we run with each other, the Holy Community, “abiding” in the Church, the Body of Christ fleshed out in this world.  Faith is not a race we run on our own, it’s a community race.  We are not called to be Marathon Runners, but members of the Relay Team!

So, what’s the difference between a Marathon and a Relay Race?

First of all, and most obviously, as I have already alluded to, the relay race is a team sport.  That’s very different than the lonely marathon.  You can’t win a relay race on your own!   It takes every member of the team, doing their job, playing their part, to complete the race.  In team sports you learn to rely on your teammates.  In the relay race you place your hand back to receive the baton and you trust it will be there.  In the relay race you take the baton, run your lap as fast as you can, and then pass the baton forward to your teammate, who is trusting that you will be there with the baton.
The relay race image reminds us that we are not called to run the race of life alone, it reminds us that faith is not an individual event, it reminds us that we need each other, it reminds us that I need you and you need me.  Faith is lived out in Christ, in community, in relationship with the whole body of Christ.  Faith is not about simply accepting Jesus as your “personal” savior, it’s not solely about you and Jesus, it’s about you and me, the people who have gone before us, and Jesus!  In today’s Gospel Jesus reminds us, “I am the vine; you (the plural you, you all) are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.”  Faith is not a solo marathon race, it’s a community relay race!  Faith is lived out in the plural, you simply cannot do faith alone.

Which brings us to the second big difference between a marathon, (or any solo race,) and the relay race, - “The Baton!” This is the part always makes me nervous when I watch a relay race. You win the race by carrying the baton forward, one racer at a time, till you cross the finish line.  If you drop the baton, miss the exchange, don’t do the exchange in the right time and space; you can’t move forward, you can’t finish the race, you can’t win the race.  The baton must be carried forward.

If you’re an Olympics fan you probably know that “passing the baton” is something that American teams have struggled with over the last few decades.  Despite having some of the fastest runners in the world, despite our depth at sprinting we have not won a gold medal in the 4x100 relay race in ages.  And we’ve had our chances, chances that were ruined when the baton was dropped or mishandled, or the baton exchange was done too early or too late.  Passing the baton is not easy, there is little to no room for error, it’s a blind exchange, communication is crucial, - and you must do it while sprinting as fast as you can.  It takes a lot of practice and discipline, without those two things, it’s a problem.  And that seems to be the American problem, we can run fast on our own, but we don’t run well as a team.

Which brings us to the race that you are now running, “the race set before us,” the race this is our faith, our life.  This morning, once again, we are reminded that we run this race, “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses,” the saints who have gone before us, the ones who ran the “relay leg” before us.  They passed “the baton” on to us, they passed on to us gifts, talents, wisdom, tradition, resources, the things that make up good and faithful life. 

Who are the saints, who makes up that “great cloud of witnesses,” in this portion of the race that is your life? My parents and grandparents handed me a baton of “faith,” a football coach handed me a baton of “discipline and dedication,” and a professor in college passed on a “passion” for life.  

Now I want you to stop and think for a minute about the saints who passed something on to you, and what it was that they passed on to you, and how it has made a difference in the race of your life.  Remember their name, sum up what they gave you in a word or two. (Time for Reflection)

Now I would like to invite you to partake in a little relay race.  I want us to take a few minutes passing this baton back and forth to each other, and as you receive it, I invite you to name aloud one person and in one word the gift they passed along to you.  (Time for passing the baton)

Thank you for sharing

Last Sunday Pastor Jennifer preached about “legacy,” the things that we hope to pass on or pass down; the things that are important to us, our values, our passions, the fruit of our talents, our time, and our resources.  So now I invite you to prayerfully consider your legacy, the baton that you hold, the baton you will pass on to somebody else, as they continue to “run the race set before us.”  As you think about these things, we will once again pass the baton around the sanctuary, from one to another, reminding us that faith is about giving and receiving, making a good exchange, running the race set before us.  When it comes time for you to hold the baton, I invite you to silently pray and consider your legacy, what it is you are being called to pass down.

Thank you again for participating. 

And we didn’t drop the baton.  Once again, we are so thankful to have with us today, Lisa Higginbotham, our relay coach, who is here to help us learn the art of passing the baton.  We are reminded that the key to running the great relay race is the baton exchange.  (And perhaps we’re not so good at doing that?) So, we need a coach!  Just as important as the legacies you received in your life, is the one that you will pass on to others.  May your legacy be a blessing!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,…”

Amen

Sermon on Genesis 32:22-31

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

Focus:Just as Jacob would not let go until he was blessed, we can learn to cling to God, even as our physicality and identities change.

Function:This sermon will help hearers examine their legacy by clinging to God first.

God is described many times throughout the Bible as “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” The whole nation of Israel was named after Jacob once God changed his name in this story.

Jacob, also called Israel, has one of the biggest legacies in the Bible.

But his story didn’t start off in such a distinguished way.

When he was born, he was grasping his twin brother Esau’s heel, which got him the name Jacob, which means “takes by the heel” or “supplanter.” From the moment of his birth, he was known for clinging tightly to things, including somethings that weren’t his to grasp.

He grew up to be a bit of a trickster.

He conned his brother out of his birthright by getting him to trade it for a bowl of stew when Esau was so hungry he couldn’t see straight.

And with the help of his mother, he tricked his father into giving him the blessing that was rightfully Esau’s.

The tables turned when Jacob got older and started working for a relative named Laban. Jacob fell in love with Laban’s daughter Rachel and agreed to work for 7 years so he could marry her. But Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his daughter Leah instead and made Jacob work for another 7 years before he finally let him marry Rachel
Years later, Jacob was ready to stop working for Laban (can’t imagine why), and he tricked his way into becoming the owner of a huge number of Laban’s flock.

Laban was furious but couldn’t prove any wrongdoing on Jacob’s part, so they agreed to be peaceful.

But Jacob had been fooled by Laban before and wasn’t going to take chances, so as he left, he sent a bunch of gifts to his brother Esau to try to find safety with him.

Jacob had been clinging and grasping for his whole life—trying to get ahead, trying to get what he desired, trying to get his share regardless of the expense to others.

And that’s where our story begins today. Jacob doesn’t know how his gifts to Esau have been received. He and his family are traveling in the wilderness. They come to a river, and Jacob makes sure his family and flocks make it across safely.

Now it’s night.

Jacob’s by himself. Perhaps he’s looking up at the Milky Way, thinking of God’s promise to his ancestor Abraham of descendants as numerous as the stars.

Then, he hears footsteps.

The footsteps get closer, and closer, and closer. A stranger approaches and knocks Jacob down.

All of Jacob’s scrappiness comes out as he wrestles with the figure in the dark. No matter what tricks Jacob tries, he can’t get the upper hand.

But neither is he pinned. The two wrestle for hours, until the first rays of dawn break over the horizon.

Finally, the stranger twists Jacob’s body and knocks his hip out of joint. Jacob yelps but doesn’t let go. He clings still, determination in his jaw winning over the pain in his hip.

The stranger gasps out, “Dawn is breaking—why are you still holding on?”

Jacob responds through gritted teeth, “I won’t let you go until you bless me.”

Ever the opportunist, Jacob wants what’s coming to him, no matter the cost.

In this case, it’s worth it. He receives a new name, which will be his legacy. And more than that, he has seen God face to face and lived. Even Moses only got to see God’s back.

Jacob, or should I say Israel, had an encounter with God that changed him completely and meant far more than any of the grasping and clinging he had done his whole life.

What is it you cling to?

What is it you are grasping for?

We all cling to something, grasp onto the hope of something.

Is it peace with all your family members at any cost?

Is it the hope that you’ve accomplished enough?

Is it getting all your debt paid off?

Is it the dream trip, the kitchen remodel, the car you dreamed of having as a kid?

Is it your health? Safety? Comfort? The absence of fear?

We all have things we cling to.

We may not be tricksters like Jacob, but we still cling to things that are important to us.

Here are three ways to tell what’s important to you, what you might be clinging to:

1.    First, what do you do with your time?

a.     Who do you spend time with? Chances are they’re important people in your life.

b.    What do you spend time doing? Do you volunteer somewhere regularly? That’s probably a cause you care about.

2.    Second, what do you do with your talent?

a.     What activities have you put enough time into to be pretty good at? You don’t have to be the best in your field at it or even make money doing it, but it brings value to your life.

b.    What are you excited about?

What interests you enough to make you want to read about it or talk to other people who love it, too?

c.     What do people ask your advice about?

3.    Third, what do you do with your treasure—your money, your material possessions?

a.     Hopefully our lives are rich outside of material possessions, but we live in a society where money makes the world go round, so where we put our dollars tells a story about us.

b.    Do you invest in your home? Maybe that’s because it’s important to you to offer hospitality to others.

Maybe you are paying more to make eco-conscious choices for your home, because caring for our planet is important toyou.

c.     Do you save up money for travel?

Maybe it’s to visit family, because family is important to you.

Maybe it’s because you love new experiences and learning about different cultures.

d.    What causes do you donate to?

You don’t need to have your name on a building for your donations to make a difference for your neighbor.

None of this is about how much money you have—it’s about what you do with what you have, however much that is.

What we do with our time, talents, and treasure tells stories about us. It’s part of our legacy—the story of our lives.

The word “legacy” means something that’s passed on or passed down.

For Jacob, certainly the wealth he accumulated passed down to his children. And also, his name Israel was passed on to God’s people throughout generations. His encounter with God and God’s promises to him were passed down. Our reading even notes the tradition of not eating the muscle of the hip socket in memory of Jacob’s encounter with God. Jacob’s story lasts to this day in scripture.

Jacob, the clinging one who takes by the heel, found his most important blessing when he clung to God.

What story will your legacy tell about you?

We are all imperfect human beings, just like Jacob.

And still, when we cling to God, our story becomes greater than the sum of our flaws.

Our legacies are not solely about our treasure—not even about our time, talents, and treasure combined. But where we spend these things does tell stories about us.

I invite you to come to our Last Things First workshop next Sunday to talk more about telling the story you want with your treasure. In our society, it takes a good deal of planning ahead to make sure your money goes where you want it to. Don’t wait and let someone else tell your story in a way you don’t want.

And no matter what, cling to God first.

Don’t be afraid to wrestle with big questions—God is big enough to handle it.

Let your encounters with God change you and even rewrite your legacy.

And don’t let go until God blesses you.

First Lutheran Church

October 9, 2022 + The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Sermon Part One“Gathering”

Pastor Greg Ronning

The appointed gospel for this Sunday is the story of Jesus and the healing of the Ten Lepers.  This morning you will hear that story and the sermon - in four parts.  I will be using the ancient liturgical pattern of worship,(the one we practice here at First Lutheran),“Gathering, The Word, The Meal, and Sending,” as a way of helping us better understand and “enter into” this gospel story. Our pattern of worship is very intentional, each Sunday it takes us on a journey; it takes us from places of isolation, broken-ness, and emptiness into the abundance of life found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This morning it will takes us on that journey in with and through the story of Jesus and the Ten Lepers.

The story, found in the Gospel of Luke, begins this way … “On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee.”

“Gathering.” Our worship service begins with a “gathering up of people,” an invitation rooted in the grace of God, God’s love poured out in the waters of baptism.  “Here in this place,” “all peoples together,” we gather with Christ.

The geography of Jesus is very important, the geography of today’s Gospel is very important.  This morning we find Jesus traveling somewhere along the border between Samaria and Galilee.  Jesus is wandering through some kind of “no man’s land,” an uncomfortable place between two peoples who don’t care for each other(the Jews and the Samaritans), a place populated by lepers, the unclean and untouchable people of his day, a place that most people probably avoided. 

Yet that tends to be the pattern of Jesus, it’s not unusual to find Jesus in this kind of place.  In story after story Jesus goes to borders, physical and social borders, and crosses over them, traverses back and forth, challenging their existence and redefining their nature, while proclaiming the Kingdom of God.

As we gather together this morning for worship, we are reminded that Jesus often gathered people up on the margins of life, at crossroads, in broken and conflicted places.  Perhaps you crossed some kind of border to be here this morning? A physical border, a social border, an emotional border? I imagine someone is not with us this morning because something kept them from crossing some kind of border? Many of us gather very aware of our own personal borders, our own boundaries, our own broken places. 

This morning we are reminded that Christ is found “between” Samaria and Galilee, between here and there, at the edges of life, at the edges of your life, and my life, on the border; the geography of Jesus is important.  We begin this morning by crossing over borders, despite borders, gathering together, “somewhere between Samaria and Galilee” at the invitation of Christ.

Sermon Part Two

“The Word”

The story of the Ten Lepers continues … “As Jesus entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. (Luke 17:12-14)

“The Word.” This is the point in the liturgy where we unpack the scriptures in search of a Living Word that can enter (find its way) into our life.  Just as Jesus enters into the village and transforms the life’s of the Lepers, Jesus enters into our life as we gather around the Word.  And in anticipation, we open up our hearts and minds that we too might receive a Living Word that will transform our life.

Often when I meditate on the scriptures, one thought, word, phrase, or idea, will come to me and invite me deeper into the story.  This week I found myself thinking about the geography, “the region between Samaria and Galilee,” and the many borders (physical, social, and personal) that existed in that place.This has become the Word I want to share with you this morning.

So, what comes to your mind when you think of borders, when you “unpack” the idea of “borders,” “the region between Samaria and Galilee?”  The first thought that comes to my mind is the border with Mexico and all the ways we struggle with issues of immigration.  I also picture the border wall between Israel and Palestine and the way it was built cutting people off from land, family, resources, and opportunity.  Fresh from my trip to Germany this Summer, I can picture the images of the Berlin Wall with its watchtowers and snipers.  And from that same trip in which I crossed “friendly” borders I remember very stern people, checking and inspecting my papers and my possessions.  When I think of borders, the first things that come to mind are not positive things, instead I imagine negative things, I feel stressed, and I become anxious and fearful. 

And what about the other kinds borders in our lives, the borders made up of things other than brick, steel, and barbed wire. 

I am reminded of the barriers that our ever-present cell phones create.  Glued to the screen we have become detached from each other; sharing meals, spaces, and moments without making eye contact and conversing.  We walk along with our ear buds blasting our music into our brains oblivious to all that is going on around us.  Head down, head long, looking at our phones.

And let’s not forget the red and blue boundaries of politics, very real boundaries that are creating very real problems for us, especially for those in great need, those who live “in between,” those stuck in “no man’s land.”  Borders that seem to make it impossible to find a way to serve each other and the common good.

And then there’s the personal borders with which we all struggle.  The areas in our life that we are afraid to explore, places where the pain is just too much, places where we become addicted, places that tear us apart from the inside out.

Borders, a Word that we all can relate to, we all have “border stories.”

Sermon Part Three

“The Meal”

A recap of the story up to this point …. “On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. (Luke 17:11-14)

Unfortunately, we have been taught and conditioned to always fear borders - physical borders, social borders, and our own personal borders.  Doubt and fear keep us from exploring the edges of society, the places where people are struggling. Doubt and fear keep us from understanding our so called “enemies” on the other side.  And doubt and fear keep us from exploring our personal rough and damaged edges.  Sadly, doubt and fear, our doubt and fear, the other’s doubt and fear, my doubt and fear, your doubt and fear, society’s doubt and fear, all the fear - keeps all of creation cut off from wholeness and healing.

In this week’s Gospel Jesus reminds us that he is very present on these borders, in that “no man’s land” reaching out and healing “lepers,” in those places that we are often too frightened to explore.  Jesus invites to step away from the doubt and the fear that defines borders as dangerous places, and to instead let God’s love transform these borders into places of grace and love and peace where healing can happen, healing for the nations and healing for each of us as individuals.

Our worship service continues with “the meal,” a time when we remember what God did for us in Christ Jesus, a time in which we are gathered up “as grains of wheat” to become “one bread,” a time when Christ is present to hold us and heal us, a time when we are nourished and inspired in life, a time when Christ “crosses” over the border to be with us, a time when we are invited to cross over a border and be Christ with each other. As we gather for Holy Communion, we are reminded that we become a Holy Community.  When Jesus invites us to “do this in remembrance of me,” we are invited, challenged, to “re-member” the body of Christ, put it back together in all its wonderful diversity embracing the kingdom of God. 

Yes, it’s hard to approach borders, borders between nations, borders between peoples, and our own personal borders.  So let us be reminded once again that Christ is present in these places, present to heal and restore, present in love, present with grace, present to set us free and to make all things new.   At this time you are invited to rise up, come forward, cross over, and share in the sacrament of Holy Community, the gift of God for the people of God.

Sermon Part Four “Sending” 

The story of the Ten Lepers concludes … “Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well." (Luke 17:15-19)

Our story ends with transformation, with healing, and for at least one person, a moment of thanksgiving, a moment of bearing witness to the love of God.  So, what has happened to you during the past 40 minutes or so, how has the story of your life been impacted? 

Did the Word find you somewhere in the midst of one of your “border places?”  Did it encourage you and strengthen you in a way that might allow you to explore those parts of your life that might be broken or damaged.  Did a word of grace and love break through giving you hope and inspiring your faith?

Or perhaps you felt a call to go to one of those places in our world where barriers, where walls, where borders divide people, hurt people, even destroy people.  Maybe you, and your gifts and talents and passion are needed to wander in those places proclaiming the gospel, and even begin tearing those walls down.

And as we gathered to share in the meal that is Christ present, “crossed” over and poured out for us, did you experience the love and grace of God?  Did you find yourself in the Holy Community, in the place where God is present “for you” in bread and wine?  Were you made aware of someone who is missing from the Holy Community, someone that needs to be reached out to and invited inside.

I hope and trust that God has spoken to you this morning, in with and through; Word and Sacrament, the Word made alive, The body of Christ re-membered, a story about the lepers who lived “somewhere between” Samaria and Galilee, a story about Christ powerfully present at the edges of your life; And that the work of transformation, the work of all things becoming new, has begun or continues in your life.

In today’s Gospel only one Leper, the Samaritan, returns and gives thanks.  Our worship concludes, following his faithful example, with a song of thanksgiving and a “Sending” out into the world, our faith filled response to the call of God, to share the story of the Gospel, present at the border, a story that breaks down walls and sets people free.

“Praise to you, O God of Mercy” 

Praise to You, O God of mercy, Thanks be to You forever!

Raising high the weak and lowly: Thanks be to You forever!

Amen.