First Lutheran Church

June 25, 2023+ Pentecost 4A

Sermon

Pastor Greg Ronning

Today’s appointed gospel reading features some of those so called, “hard sayings” of Jesus.Jesus proclaims, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”  (Matthew 10:34-39)

Can you hear the good news of the Gospel?  Perhaps not, - certainly not at face value.  These are just hard words to understand.  What in the world is Jesus trying to tell us?

Theologian Debie Thomas offers us some good insight into today’s Gospel text, “It’s important to remember that when Jesus speaks of division rather than peace in this Gospel, he’s being descriptive, not prescriptive.”   In other words, Jesus is not commanding us to go out and break up our families, to set fathers against sons and mothers against daughters.  Jesus is not calling us to stir up conflict for conflict’s sake.  However, Jesus is warning us that those who follow him, those who choose to be his disciples, those who choose to pursue the Kingdom of God will undoubtably, unfortunately, find themselves in conflict with the world around them.Jesus is inviting us into a life of ultimate concern, to a life that is meaningful, to a life that is purposeful, a life so passionate about grace, mercy, forgiveness, justice, peace, and love that everything else - just doesn’t matter.  And that reality, that place of faith, often puts us into conflict with “the way things are,”in conflict with a world, with systems, with economics, with politics, with careers, with relationships, that do not ultimately value grace, mercy, forgiveness, justice, peace, and the unconditional love of Christ.

Theologian Willian Danaher comments on today’s gospel reading from Matthew, “To be a disciple is to make a deliberate break with the world we know in order to live according to the new world that Jesus is bringing into being. This break with the old world inevitably involves conflict, even violence. Therefore, the decision to be a disciple is not something that happens organically or in the normal course of events. It is a moment in which we decide to stand with Jesus and for Jesus regardless of the outcome.” 

Such is the story ofSaint Francis. Francis was born into a family of privilege and wealth in thirteenth century Italy.  His father was a very successful cloth merchant.  Accordingly, as such, Francis lived a rather carefree life.(Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous) He was always happy, by all accounts he was charming, and everyone seemed to like him. However, a life of “living it up” was eventually tempered by the horror of his experience in war, a subsequent grace filled encounter with a leper, and a vision in which God called him to rebuild a local church that had fallen into disrepair.  Francis’ encounter with the unconditional love of grace, internalized in his experience with others, especially with those in need, compelled him to seek after the kingdom of God first and only, to leave everything else behind for the sake of following Jesus.  And this “ultimate concern” led to conflict.

Francis’ new life was not well received by his Father who became extremely angry with his son when he found out that Francis had sold some of his retail goods to raise money to rebuild the church.  This led to a public fight in which “father disowned” son, and “son renounced” his father’s riches.  In fact, tradition says that Francis stripped off his expensive clothes, laid them at his parent’s feet, and walked away naked from his family, his friends, his home, and his town! 

St. Francis discovered that his newly transformed faith and its values had put him in conflict with his community and his family.  Yet so powerful was his experience of grace, that he was compelled to literally leave everything behind.

It is also the story of Martin Luther. Luther’s father had high hopes for his son, he invested in his education, he sent him away to school to become a lawyer.  Yet Luther quickly became disillusioned with law and became obsessed with trying to understand the nature of Christ and salvation.  On July 2, 1505, he found himself in a wild thunderstorm and as a bolt of lightning crashed to the earth and knocked him to the ground - he vowed to become a monk.  At a farewell dinner he bid his angry father, his family and friends goodbye saying, “This day you see me, and then, not ever again.”   Luther chose to leave his entire world behind to seek out Jesus. 

Francis and Luther both experienced the cost of discipleship, they understood the words spoken by Jesus, “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

Today’s Gospel reminds us that following Jesus is risky business, even dangerous business.  Contemporary Lutheran Writer and Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber was once asked what kinds of things, spiritual exercises, she practices in order to deepen her relationship with God, to get closer to Jesus.  She recalls that she laughed aloud, and without thinking blurted out, “Nothing!  Why would I do that?  I wish God would leave me alone half the time. Getting closer feels dangerous. I’m gonna end up loving someone I don’t like again. Giving away more of my money? I don’t know. It just feels like a bad idea.”

Yes, a bad idea, but for those who have been called, those who have been powerfully touched by grace and love, that doesn’t matter.

Nadia goes on to say, “Sometimes Jesus hunts your “you know what” down, and there’s nothing you can do about it!”  “God creates faith in us!”And when that happens, radical things happen, your perspective on life changes, your passion changes, your values are reshaped, and you find yourself willing and able to pick up a cross and follow.  Suddenly you find yourself not only an advocate but an active part of the kingdom of God that is emerging into this world!  And it becomes your ultimate concern, that by which you make your life choices.

What is your ultimate concern? What lies in the intersection of your great passion and the world’s great need?  What is that thing that makes a difference and gives you great joy at the same time?  Where does the Kingdom make its claim upon you?  Where does Jesus hunt you down?  Where does God create faith in you? Where do you “stand with Jesus and for Jesus regardless of the outcome.” 

May God bless each of us with an ultimate concern, a divine calling, an extra-ordinary life; an opportunity to proclaim the good news of the gospel, an opportunity to make a difference, an opportunity to serve those in need; a place and a people to share in our vocation, a body to affirm us and strengthen us, the faith and courage to count the cost, and finally the peace and joy that comes from following Jesus the Christ, each according to our own unique and gifted way.  “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” 

I’d like to conclude with the song “Peace Prayer” based on the Prayer of St. Francis.  It is a bold prayer, it is a courageous prayer, it is a prayer that flows from the heart of one who has been touched by God’s unconditional love and grace.  It is the prayer of one who has been called into the kingdom - to serve the kingdom.  May it be your prayer this morning; a prayer that will set you free, a prayer that will bring you life, a prayer that might inspire you; a prayer that might fill you with joy and peace.  Let us pray …

“Peace Prayer”

St. Francis of Assisi

Lord make me a means of your peace

Where there’s hatred grown let me sow your love

Where there’s injury Lord, let forgiveness be my sword

Lord make me a means of your peace

Lord make me a means of your peace

Where there’s doubt and fear, let me sow your faith

In this world’s despair, give me hope in you to share

Lord make me a means of your peace

Lord make me a means of your peace When there’s sadness here, let me sow your joy

When the darkness nears, may your light dispel our fears

Lord make me a means of your peace

Lord grant me to seek and to share

Less to be consoled than to help console

Less be understood than to understand your good

Lord make me a means of your peace

Lord grant me to seek and to share

To receive love less than to give love free

Just to give in thee, just receiving from your tree

Lord make me a means of your peace

Lord grant me to seek and to share

To forgive in thee, you’ve forgiven me

For to die in thee, is eternal life to me

Lord make me a means of your peace

Sermon on Matthew 9:35-10:8

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

You can’t do it by yourself.

That’s a tough lesson for many of us.

There’s much in US culture that rewards independence, the “self-made [person],” and an attitude of “if you want it done right, do it yourself.”

Even Jesus had to learn that he couldn’t do it all himself.

He was traveling around, teaching, healing, and proclaiming the good news of the Beloved Community. Our reading says he went to “all the cities and villages.” Maybe he actually went to every single village in the area, or maybe it just felt like it. You’ve been there, right? When it feels like every single piece of paper is on your desk or every single person in your life needs help right now?

Our story tells us that Jesus had compassion on all the people he could see who were “harassed and helpless,” who were looking to Jesus for help and healing.

That’s a lot of pressure.

Overcome, he turns to his disciples, asking for prayer.

He tells them: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Jesus can see there are so many people who need the good news of the inclusive, abundant Beloved Community that he is bringing to the world. And he’s trying to do it himself. Sure, he gathered some students, but so far, he’s just having them follow him around and learn from him. They aren’t doing the work themselves yet.

But now, Jesus has reached the end of his capacity. He’s been trying to take his message to every town and village, and it’s not enough.

People are still suffering, people are still harassed and helpless.

The suffering in this world can be overwhelming.

It was overwhelming for Jesus, and it can be overwhelming for us.

The vast number of anti-trans bills in various states in this country is overwhelming.

The vast number of immigrants and refugees who are suffering around the world is overwhelming.

The vast amount of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and all other kinds of discrimination is overwhelming.

And yet, we have a responsibility to address it.

The world watches us, as people of faith, to see what we will do about suffering and injustice. They look at us to see if we really take Jesus seriously or are just paying him lip-service. And if we say and do nothing, that speaks volumes.

We are part of the ELCA, the whitest Christian denomination in the United States.

And yesterday was the anniversary of when a young white man who had grown up in an ELCA congregation went into Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina and shot and killed nine Black people who had come for a Bible study.

We have a responsibility to remember this tragedy, and we have a responsibility to dismantle the white supremacy that fueled it.

But, where do we even begin?

If we go about it alone, we will end up overwhelmed and burned out.

We see Jesus in our reading trying to reach everyone, trying to ease every form of suffering, all by himself.

His conclusion: “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”

He could have given in to despair—“nothing will ever get better! I can’t fix everything, so why bother?” But he didn’t.

Instead, he asked his community for prayer. He asked his disciples to pray for help.

Then, the next thing we see him doing is sending out his disciples to do exactly what he had been doing in all those cities and villages, starting in Jewish territory, though expanding to the whole world by the end of this Gospel.

Looks like God answered Jesus’ prayer. Jesus prayed for help, and then he saw the people around him and taught them to do what he was doing.

They say, “Be careful what you pray for.” I wonder if Jesus looked at his…eclectic…band of disciples and thought to himself, “This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”

The reading lists out the disciples, almost likeit’s saying, “yeah, really: this is what Jesus had to work with.”

It begins with Peter the denier.

In the middle, there arepolar opposites:

Matthew, the tax collector, the collaborator with the Romans

and

Simon, the Cananaean or zealot, the rebel, the political radical

And then the list ends with Judas, the betrayer.

God gave Jesus these folks to work with?

Jesus gave these folks “authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness”?

But that’s exactly what happens.

God has a reputation for preferring the underdog, for using the least likely suspects to work God’s wonders.

And if God could use that motley crew of disciples to cast out spirits, cure diseases, and share the good news of the Beloved Community, then God can use us, too.

God can use us to speak up against racism.

God can use us to challenge what is violent in our world.

God can use us to advocate for the dignity of every person, every beloved child of God.

God can use us no matter where we come from, or what we’ve done, or how awkward or scared we are, or what barriers society has put in our path. We are cherished children of God, invited into the Beloved Community, and sent out again to bring God’s abundance and liberation wherever we go.

But where do we even begin?

You can’t do it by yourself.

No one person can end white supremacy by themselves. But without the work of individuals, nothing will change. It requires many people working together to change the status quo.

To summarize something my ethics professor in seminary, Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, wrote in her book Resisting Structural Evil[1]: what has been constructed by humans can be dismantled by humans.

White supremacy is a structure of lies, biases, and violence that was built by humans, and so, we can demolish it and, with God’s help, build the Beloved Community in its place.

Whenever that seems overwhelming, imitate Jesus, and turn to your community for prayer.

Through prayer, he gained the clarity to recognize the answer to his prayer was already surrounding him.

Prayer by itself is often not enough, and action without attending to the spiritual can easily get off course or become overwhelming.

We need both action and reflection, spiritual practices and hard work. And we need each other.

Overwhelming tasks like bringing healing and good news to all the cities and villages or like ending white supremacy can be accomplished with God’s help. God uses all kinds of people, even us, to share the healing and liberation of the Beloved Community with this world.

You can’t do it by yourself, but fortunately, you don’t have to.

Begin by turning to your community for prayer. Expand your idea of what your community is. And let God answer your prayer in the most unexpected ways.

That is how the world will be unchained from evil.

That is how every person will be celebrated for who they are.

That is what will set us free.

[1]Moe-Lobeda, Cynthia. Resisting Structural Evil: Love as Ecological and Economic Vocation. p. 3.

First Lutheran Church

Ministry Fair Sermon + June 11, 2023

“All Are Welcome” ELW #641 (Verses 1-3)

Let us build a house where love can dwell, And all can safely live,

A place where saints and children tell, How hearts learn to forgive.

Built of hopes and dreams and visions,Rock of faith and vault of grace;

Here the love of Christ shall end divisions:

All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.

Let us build a house where prophets speak,And words are strong and true,

Where all God's children dare to seek, To dream God's reign anew.

Here the cross shall stand as witness, And as symbol of God's grace;

Here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:All are welcome...

Let us build a house where love is found, In water, wine and wheat:

A banquet hall on holy ground,Where peace and justice meet.

Here the love of God, through Jesus,Is revealed in time and space;

As we share in Christ the feast that frees us:All are welcome...

Sermon “Let Us Build A House”

Pastor Greg Ronning

O Lord I love the house in which you dwell,The place where your glory abides,

So lovely, gracious, and true,To you, I lift up my eyes.

From the Gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  And then, in the fullness of time, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.”   O the places God has chosen to dwell!  God, in Christ Jesus, born to Mary and Joseph, who named him, Emmanuel – which means “God with us.”

O Lord I love the house in which you dwell,The place where your glory abides,

So lovely, gracious, and true,To you, I lift up my eyes.

St. Paul writes in the second chapter of Philippians, “Let the same mind be in you that wasin Christ Jesus, who, though he existed in the form of God,did not regard equality with Godas something to be grasped,but emptied himself,taking the form of a slave,assuming human likeness.And being found in appearance as a human,he humbled himselfand became obedient to the point of death -even death on a cross.”  God not only dwells among us in Jesus, with us in our everyday life, but God also dwells with us in our most profound human experience, - in our struggle with suffering and death.  God dwells with us on the cross, God dwells with us completely.

O Lord I love the house in which you dwell,The place where your glory abides,

So lovely, gracious, and true,To you, I lift up my eyes.

And God dwells on the other side of the cross, - in life resurrected.  The Risen Christ invites us - to see and to believe.  And then we are told to wait upon the promise of the Holy Spirit.  And on that day, on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit descends, as God continues to dwell with us in a new way.  The Spirit descends upon each of us, the Spirit awakens life within each of us; and the Spirit re-members each of us into the church,- the Body of Christ.  God’s presence continues to dwell among us, in us, with us, around us, and through us.

O Lord I love the house in which you dwell,The place where your glory abides,

So lovely, gracious, and true,To you, I lift up my eyes.

Today we celebrate the house built by the Holy Spirit, and in particular the house built by the Holy Spirit here in this place.  We celebrate this physical building, those who went before us and built it here on the corner of Lemon and Wilshire.  We give thanks for those who kept it up and running.  We give thanks for the memories this place holds and the new memories that are being created. 

But more importantly we celebrate that it has been a place where “all are welcome.”  A place where those who need food are fed, where those who are marginalized are included, a place where the hospitality of Jesus is both proclaimed and practiced.We give thanks for a foundation built on grace and forgiveness, a foundation that gives birth to dreams and visions of hope and peace.

O Lord I love the house in which you dwell,The place where your glory abides,

So lovely, gracious, and true,To you, I lift up my eyes.

And we give thanks for our calling to continue to “build” this house.  To continue to care for this place, both physically and spiritually.  To be stewards looking to the future, creating the time and the space, where the love of God in Jesus - will always be revealed.

Today we gather for a “Ministry Fair.”  A time for our leaders to report to you the work we are doing. A time to point out our successes, and a time to list the challenges this House of Faith faces.  And we have both! 

It will also be a time of listening to the Spirit.  As you listen this morning to our leaders, also be listening for the voice of the Spirit that dwells inside of you. 

How can you get more involved in the building of this house?

Where do your gifts and talents – match our needs?

What ideas do you have for “new additions” to our space, new ideas for ministry?

We gather this morning not just as random people, but as the gifted and talented people of the Holy Spirit.  Called together for a particular reason, - to repair and to maintain, to tidy-up and to clean, to build and rebuild “this house,” -a place where all are welcome in the love of God through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.

O Lord I love the house in which you dwell,The place where your glory abides,

So lovely, gracious, and true,To you, I lift up my eyes.

Amen.

“All Are Welcome” ELW #641 (Verses 4-5)

Let us build a house where hands will reach, Beyond the wood and stone

To heal and strengthen, serve and teach,And live the Word they've known.

Here the outcast and the stranger, Bear the image of God's face;

Let us bring an end to fear and danger:All are welcome...

Let us build a house where all are named,Their songs and visions heard

And loved and treasured, taught and claimed, As words within the Word.

Built of tears and cries and laughter,Prayers of faith and songs of grace,

Let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:All are welcome...