On the Way to Wonder

First Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9

1So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God with which I am charging you.

 6You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!” 7For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him? 8And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?

 9But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children.

Psalm: Psalm 15. Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? (Ps. 15:1)

 1Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? Who may abide upon your holy hill?

 2Those who lead a blameless life and do what is right, who speak the truth from their heart;

 3they do not slander with the tongue, they do no evil to their friends; they do not cast discredit upon a neighbor.

 4In their sight the wicked are rejected, but they honor those who fear the Lord. They have sworn upon their health and do not take back their word.

 5They do not give their money in hope of gain, nor do they take bribes against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be overthrown. 

Second Reading: James 1:17-27

17Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

 19You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. 21Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

 22But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. 23For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; 24for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. 25But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.

 26If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

1Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around [Jesus], 2they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. 3(For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; 4and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) 5So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,

 ‘This people honors me with their lips,

  but their hearts are far from me;

 7in vain do they worship me,

  teaching human precepts as doctrines.’

8You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”

 14Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: 15there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.

 21“For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, 22adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. 23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON.  2021

Share with your neighbor a tradition that has been passed down through your family that is important to you.

Let us pray:  Lord may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Sermon: Dirty Hands!

Can you hear your mother’s voice in the background of our text today, “Make sure you wash your hands before you come to the table!”  If you look closely Pastor Paul will use sanitizing gel on his hands before communion.  When we use public restrooms, there is often a sign reminding employees that they must wash their hands before returning to work.  In Kenya the hostess would go around the room of people to be fed with a tea kettle of warm water, a bar of soap and a hand towel over her arm so the guests could wash their hands before eating.  Washing our hands before we eat, before medical procedures, and after coming inside from gardening are unwritten laws we live by. These “traditions” came to be like laws during Covid.  Jesus has just talked about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. The eager beaver Scribes and Pharisees, guardians of the law, notice that the disciples do not even wash their hands before eating as required by tradition.  His disciples don’t even wash their hands for ordinary food.  Houston we have a problem.  How can defiled hands touch holy food?  The Pharisees object.

  “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”

 When I checked, I found in Leviticus verses indicating that the priests were to wash hands before handling sacrifices and also people with a discharge, people considered unclean, were to wash anything they touched or those who encountered them had to wash.  Washing hands was not part of the Ten Commandments.  The Law, the Ten Commandments, had grown into a whole legal system through the years as the Jews sought to please Jehovah.  They did not want to be sent into exile in Babylonia or Assyria again and go through all that humiliation, death, and disruption.  They wanted to please Jehovah.  They wanted to do it right and had pondered and had legalized the implications of each of the ten commandments.  We want to please God too and so we try to do the “right thing” and hope the other guy will too.  The problem is we are sinners and “good” is often seen as how we do things and “bad” is seen as the way a stranger does things.  Even we live in this tension and disagreement about how laws are lived out. We wear masks, wash hands and fear covid—but today, three years later, we sometimes get a bit sloppy.

      Most of you have seen “Fiddler on the Roof.”  It opens with a Russian Jew, Tevya, pointing to a fiddler playing a tune on the top of a roof and compares the precariousness of the fiddler to the life of the Jews living in small groups throughout Europe. Tevya opens the movie with a question, “How do we keep our balance?  That I can tell you in one word.  Tradition.” “Because of our traditions every one of us knows who he is and what God expects him to do.”

      Our traditions like washing our hands, opening the door for a lady, or praying before we eat express who we are and what we believe.  Traditions express parts of our identity.  Laws are like our principles or rules but traditions are how we obey these laws.  Baptism and communion are traditions that identify Christians.  As Lutherans we would even go so far as to call them sacraments.  Many parents who have no intention of becoming a regular member of a church will want their baby baptized.  The sponsors promise to teach the infant to be Christians and yet we seldom see them being involved.  That is to point to how deeply even we defend and participate in our traditions. Other examples are like a dot on the forehead that identifies a Hindu.  A turban identifies a Sikh.  Muslim women wear hijabs.  Muslims go to mosque on Fridays, Christians go to church on Sunday and Jews attend synagogue on Saturday.  We know Nike by the logo on the shoe and it sets expectations of what that shoe will be like.  We see the Golden Arches and look for a Big Mac.  Traditions and symbols identify us and help us navigate life successfully.  So what was Jesus confronting the Pharisees about?  The Pharisees ask a question and Jesus turns on them,

“…you hypocrites…”

Jesus responds by calling them “hypocrites.”  That’s a bit harsh, or is it?  Mark explains that the Pharisees and Jews washed hands before eating.  Jesus turns around and draws a line in the sand between the “law” and tradition.  Jesus calls the Pharisees “white washed tombs.”  The outside of the container has been spiffed up to look great but that does not change the fact that it holds death.  The Pharisees are asking their question, I suspect, not because they are concerned about eating and drinking the body of Christ but because they are pointing out the discrepancy between the spiritual implication and the physical disconnect with what they have made into law.  People with dirty hands should not be allowed to eat and sinners cannot partake of that which is holy – communion.

Tevya asks, “How do we keep our balance” on the roof?  Our traditions are not an end but a means to an end, to help us keep our balance.  The law is like a mirror that shows us we are sinners.  The law can define us as dirty but it cannot fix the problem.  It does not help us keep our balance in life. It accuses and leads us to agree that we are sinners.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains that the Law says “do not kill” BUT if we do not kill with our hands but if we kill in our hearts, we are still murderers and have broken the law.  Keeping our balance is a matter of actions but also a matter of intentions.  If we are here in church on Sunday because it is a tradition or if we are coming to church like a good luck charm for the week, then our hearts are in the wrong place.  Faith does not work like a bank where I deposit money or good works and then I can draw out a miracle or protection later. We loose the blessing and are off balance when our traditions become white washed tombs. 

      The Jewish body of laws like washing hands was a body of interpretations of the law but had become “musts” in the minds of the Pharisees and Scribes.  It is possible for our traditions to become “laws” themselves and cease to be guidelines for our lives.  If someone doesn’t show for Thanksgiving, we wonder if something tragic has happened or if we are being snubbed.  My husband suggested we read the Christmas story in Swahili before opening presents.  We had a family riot.  NO DAD, that is not how Christmas morning is done! 

Jesus turns to the critics and points to the problem.   They are talking about the traditions, but they have lost focus on its purpose.  He refers back to Isaiah 29:13 where God is talking to Jerusalem about their hollow lip service and superficial adherence to God while all the time their hearts are far away.  God will humble them so their hearts seek God and then he will restore them and bless them.  Laws can become traditions that help us express ourselves but if we live into those traditions with false hearts, we have gained nothing and probably lost our balance on that rooftop.  We become hypocrites.  We are people full of hot air.  We go through the motions but we get no results.  We fail to embrace the purpose of the tradition.

  Jesus continues and clarifies,

     “15there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.

      Food is eaten to strengthen our bodies.  We eat, our body uses what it needs, and we poop out the unneeded.  If we eat poison then we die.  If we get diarrhea or cramps then we know we have done something wrong.  Pain tells us something is wrong.  Hives and rashes also alert us.  Likewise if we look at what is coming out of our lives—gossip, jealousy, bitterness, and hate then we know something is wrong. 

The problem is not the food, our life experiences.  The problem is not the tradition.  The problem is the heart.  Over eating at Thanksgiving makes us sick.  Gossiping about who’s at the meal creates tension.  Not going to church causes loneliness.  Our “rules” for achieving the good life and being in sync with God impact our experiences. We might almost say that the heart, the soul and our actions are very closely tied together.  It is not just a cognitive, mental understanding of God but how we interpret, absorb, and decide to respond to events that is important. When the heart is blind, we loose balance.  The Pharisees are not pointing out dirty hands because they are concerned about spirituality.  What has come out of their mouths and hence their hearts is criticism and not a desire to know God more.

Their question raises a valid question though.  We, his disciples come to him as sinners.  We come to church with dirty hands.  We know the secret grumps and areas where we are struggling to forgive another.  We know the argument we had with our spouse or kids in the car before entering church.  We come to eat with defiled hands.  When we kneel at the altar, we as Lutherans believe we are doing spiritual business with God.  We open our service with confession and the absolution – the proclamation of the forgiveness of our sins, not because of the depth of our repentance but because of the depth of God’s grace in Jesus on the cross.  We are forgiven, not because our hands are clean, but because our hearts are seeking God and God has made forgiveness available in Christ.
     So let us retrace our pondering on this text that is placed before us today. Jesus is responding to the exodus of the people who were offended by his teaching about eating his body and drinking his blood.  The Scribes and Pharisees are asking questions about followers of Jesus eating with defiled hands, breaking dietary rules. Many had stopped following Jesus because he was talking about something that offended their dietary “rules.”  When we seek to appease rules of religion rather than seek relationship with God, we become hypocrites, white washed tombs but inside is death.  It is not the dietary rules when broken that defile us.  Eating with dirty hands, drinking blood or eventually a new tradition of communion that will develop, that is not what defiles our lives.  The core of faith is what happens in our hearts and then how we live that out.  What is important is our relationship with God.

      Do we come to the communion table to get our card ticked, to fulfill tradition demands, or do we come for a genuine encounter with the God we believe is present and active?  That does not mean each communion is a big emotional experience but it does mean we are bowing at the altar of God and meeting with him personally about our lives.  He knows who we are and how desperately we are trying to keep our balance on the roofs of our lives and through our traditions that express us.  Ultimately we are that person created by God and interacting with him in the experiences of our life. 

      I like to say that in the mysterious handshake between us and the unseen God who is known through Jesus, in those times when we don’t remember who we are, can’t express who we are, may even be ashamed of who we are and may fear who we are — God is there holding on to us just as we are.  Communion reminds us that he will build us with bread of his body so our bodies can go through tough times.  His blood will be nourishing and life giving so we have the strength to be more than we thought we could be, to be our better selves.  He is here today, that close to us and that involved with us.  As our traditions are challenged and we feel wobbly on the roof of our lives, God will be there helping us keep our balance and helping us play our violin.  That is something for which to rejoice!  

Let the people of God say, “Amen!” And “Thank you, Lord.”

Tomorrow’s Gospel text deals with one of the mysteries of faith.  How does a mortal approach a God who by definition is holy, without sin?  Jesus has just talked to the crowds and said that his followers must “eat his body” and “drink his blood.”  We understand that Jesus was looking forward to our tradition of communion but many left him on hearing this.  Jesus asks his disciples, “Are you too going to leave ?”  Peter responds with his famous confession, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe that you are the holy one of God.”  Tomorrow’s text follows right after with the Scribes and Pharisees, the guardians of the Law, questioning Jesus  about his disciples because they see these followers eating with dirty, defiled hands.  How could they ever eat that which is holy?  Let us listen to tomorrow’s Psalm 15 put to music and deal with the same dilemma.  Only the “good guys” can approach God in his temple … and we are sinners!  Let us thank God for grace and forgiveness.  Blessings.

Psalm 15 Sons of Korah

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.1 Corinthians 10:31    

Yesterday we ended with this verse. Paul is admonishing us not to use our freedoms if they are a stumbling block for another.  I pray I will have enough self control to not drink alcohol if you struggle with alcohol, I will refrain.  Paul says we should do all things to the glory of God.  That is a hard phrase to pin down.  So I turned to Psalm 29 as today as I am writing is the 29th.  Psalm 29 talks about giving God glory.  I looked it up in The Message to see how it talks about giving God glory.  I love the opening:  shout “Bravo” for God, “Encore!”  And it ends being grateful for how God makes his 

people strong and gives us peace.  What beautiful pictures for thinking about giving God glory.  Perhaps you would not say “bravo” but you would say “hallelujah.”  How would you describe giving God the glory?

G is for _____

L is for _____

O is for _____

R is for _____

Y is for _____.

Lord, we raise our hands to praise you.

Psalm 29 (The Message)

“Bravo, God, bravo! Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!”

 In awe before the glory, in awe before God’s visible power. Stand at attention! Dress your best to honor him! God thunders across the waters, Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness— God, across the flood waters. God’s thunder tympanic, God’s thunder symphonic. God’s thunder smashes cedars, God topples the northern cedars. The mountain ranges skip like spring colts, The high ridges jump like wild kid goats. God’s thunder spits fire.
God thunders, the wilderness quakes; He makes the desert of Kadesh shake. God’s thunder sets the oak trees dancing
A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches.
We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!” Above the floodwaters is God’s throne from which his power flows, from which he rules the world.

God makes his people strong.
God gives his people peace.

31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.  1 Corinthians 10:31-33

Paul summarizes chapter 10 of his first letter to the Corinthians.  Remembering that Corinth was the fourth largest city in the Roman Empire, I would guess that the people faced the same challenges of urban life that are present in Houston.  It must have been multicultural with all those tensions and opinions.  There must have been religions of all sorts from around the known world.  For sure there were the rich and the poor, the able and the unable, merchants and peasants.  There are no written Bible as we know it today.  Having guidelines, internal rules or gyroscope for faith was needed. Paul continues to advise against doing anything that would cause another to stumble in their faith but followers were advised to try to live for the glory of God.

So what does that mean?  If you could name the top three challenges for your church, what would you name?  But let’s make it a bit more personal.  Are there ways that I can glorify God with my life or.. are there ways I can be a stumbling block to faith of others in my church today?  In my friendship group today?  Pick one of your weak points and pray that the Holy Spirit will help you recognize when you are on a roll and need to take yourself into timeout.  How might you try to glorify God with your life today?  May we not be a stumbling block to someone else’s faith and may we be able to encourage someone today.  Amen!

 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.  1 Corinthians 10:13

1 Corinthians 10:13 is a verse that many Christians commit to memory and is a verse of great comfort during dark and cloudy times.  In chapter 10 of 1 Corinthians, Paul draws a direct parallel between the journey of the children of Israel in the wilderness as they left Egypt, their past of slavery, and the walk of Christians of the first century and our lives today.  In the wilderness the people encountered many of the same trials we face today.  The available resources did not seem enough to meet the needs of the people.  They had to call on God.  They were tempted to idolatry in the incident of the Golden Calf and were punished.  They were tempted to be involved with sexual immorality as in their encounter with Balaam.  Their journey was a growth in learning about their God and to trust God.  Our faith journey is the same.  It is still so easy to grumble, complain and doubt.

This verse tells us to remember that we are not the only person going through the problems we face.  Disease, hardship and fear is felt by all people no matter how rich they might look, no matter how talented they might be and no matter where they might live in the world.  God promises that we will not be tempted more than we can bear.  When I pray, I often remind God of this promise as well as remind myself.  Our problems either drive us closer to God as we seek his help or they drive us away but in either case, he is always there.  G. K. Chesterton has said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting.  It has been found difficult; and left untried.” 

  1 Corinthians 10:13 us a good verse to put on a card to put on your mirror, have in your billfold or try to memorize.  It’s a promise and God keeps his promises!

19-23 Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!

1 Corinthians 9, The Message

Paul advised us yesterday from chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians that we not use our freedoms if it becomes a stumbling block to another Christian.  He spoke specifically of dietary rules of what we can eat and what we cannot eat.  He lived in a culture where fresh meat was used in temples.  We do not disagree among ourselves about meat but we might disagree about the use of alcohol in church or dancing or types of music.  Today in chapter 9 Paul goes on to talk about his rights as an apostle to bring a wife or family along on his journeys or to expect to be paid for preaching.  He has not taken advantage of any of his rights but has identified with the people he is with.  We might call it “contextualization.”  Some might call it “going native.”  Paul says he has tried to be a servant to those he is with, speaking with them in a manner they understand.

The Incarnation, the coming of Jesus as a baby that grew into an adult man, would be an example that probably deeply impacted Paul. God did not just stay in heaven nor did he just continue sending prophets.  Jesus came as the God/man  to live in ways we understand so we could grasp what God is like.  He even died, or walked through death, and resurrected so we would know that even death cannot separate us from God, even our sin has been dealt with.    Paul sees this type of humble love as the avenue for sharing.  Demanding our rights will get us nowhere.

So where does that leave us today?  I think we need to ask the Holy Spirit to shine his flashlight on our hearts that we might see if there is any way that we are being proud and demanding our rights.  Are there ways that we are feeling superior and asking people to conform to us rather than conform to Christ?  Lord, help us be honest with ourselves.

1 Corinthians 8, The Message

8 1-3 The question keeps coming up regarding meat that has been offered up to an idol: Should you attend meals where such meat is served, or not? We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions—but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all.

Last week we looked at 1 Corinthians 7 and Paul’s answer to questions about marriage.  Chapter 8 moves to the next question.  What about the gray areas?  The Corinthian who asked the question realized that other gods were not really gods at all for there is really only one true God.  So the question this person asks is if it is ok to do something that we know has no spiritual power, like eating meat sacrificed to idols, or do we need to refrain so as not to give the wrong impression.  We have a lot of these gray areas that divide Christians.  We argue about dancing, drinking, smoking, wearing of makeup and any number of activities that we think divide the spiritually mature from the spiritually weak.  We have turned from concern about our relationship to God to grade our spirituality on the basis of our works and relationship with people.  The truth is, though, that our faith is not just about praying but also about how we play in the sandbox of life.

Paul argues that the question is not our activity, whether we eat or drink or dance or what or what, but whether our freedom to do a certain activity undermines the faith of another.  If my freedom to drink alcohol undermines an alcoholic who is trying to stop drinking, then my freedom has been used to hurt another.  Paul argues that this is wrong.  

It seems to me that it is also possible to live in such a way that we appear duplicitous.  We act one way in some situations and then another way in other situations.  One of the most impacting meetings in early Christianity was the Jerusalem council of Acts 15 that was called.  Peter was confronted about socializing with Gentiles – sometimes. His actions were not consistent with his words and that had to be sorted out.  Did Gentiles have to become Jews first to become Christians?  It was a huge debate and impacted the development of Christianity.  Likewise we may see some of these gray areas as trivial but they can impact our spiritual maturity and the direction of another’s faith.  

Paul’s rule of thumb was to not act in a way that is inconsistent with our faith or in a way that hurts the growth of another’s faith.  Often this drives us to prayer for only God has that kind of wisdom.  Perhaps there are areas of faith that are unclear to you and that impact your lifestyle.  I always find that standing on just one verse is a bit dicey but doing a word study using a concordance and seeing how a thought is traced the Bible, is often very interesting.  Doing a Bible study with friends and opening your heart to the wisdom of a group of believers might be helpful.  Speaking to a mentor is good.  Asking myself the tough questions of what motivates my actions is hard.  Remember you have the Holy Spirit in you to guide you and teach you.  Blessings as you grapple with the gray areas of life.

First Reading: Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18

1Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. 2aAnd Joshua said to all the people, 14“Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

 16Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; 17for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

Psalm: Psalm 34:15-22

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. (Ps. 34:15)

 15The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and God’s ears are open to their cry.

 16The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to erase the remembrance of them from the earth.

 17The righteous cry, and the Lord hears them and delivers them from all  their troubles.

 18The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those whose spirits are crushed. 

 19Many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them from every one.

 20God will keep safe all their bones; not one of them shall be broken.

 21Evil will bring death to the wicked and those who hate the righteous will be punished.

 22 O Lord, you redeem the life of your servants,and those who put their trust in you will not be punished. 

Second Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20

10Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 18Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

Gospel: John 6:56-69

[Jesus said,] 56“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” 59He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.

 60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” 61But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. 65And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.”

 66Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Children’s Sermon:  Let me open today by sharing one of my favorite poems.

      “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Let us pray.  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my rock and my redeemer.

SERMON

The Old Testament reading tells of the children of Israel facing two paths diverging and Joshua challenging them which one, which god will they choose.  The Gospel reading tells of the disciples facing two paths diverging for them as Jesus talks about being the bread of life and eating his flesh and drinking his blood.  Jesus asks them if they too want to take the other path.  Peter responds,

“ Lord, to whom can we go? 

You have the words of eternal life. 

69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

We sing these words in our liturgy during Lent.  “Lord, to whom can we go?”  During this Pentecost we have traveled with the disciples and Jesus back and forth across the sea of Galilee.   We heard about Jesus feeding the 5,000 with bread, similar to God sending manna to the Israelites in the wilderness when they grumbled to Moses.  Last week we listened as Jesus continued and called himself the bread of life, the living bread of life, and whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood will live forever.   Jesus claims he is the bread of life that gives his flesh and blood for the whole world.  That was a mouthful and many walked away.  Today, Jesus challenges the disciples if they too want to walk away when it gets hard and we don’t understand.

This month we follow this theme of “manna in the wilderness” and Jesus as the bread of life. Jesus tries to explain what he is saying to the followers who grumble at the analogy.  Perhaps to make this real, let us pause and remember a time we grumbled this week.  Was it over having to wait for someone texting at the traffic signal?  Was it the price of gasoline that seems to jump up and down?  Was it because a beloved forgot to remember us?  Yup, we are not that different from the Israelites in the wilderness or the Jews traipsing around after Jesus.  It is so easy to become discouraged and to grumble.

Are there alternatives? “Lord, to whom can we go? 

In our first reading Joshua is getting ready to retire.  He is 110 years old.  He stood at the side of Moses and was taught.  He was there on Mt. Sinai at the giving of the Ten Commandments.  He took over after Moses and led the people across the Jordan into the adventure of the Promised Land.  He fought the battle of Jericho.  A lot happened in his lifetime!  The whole journey was lived not as a happy-ever-after story but as a struggle with the tendency to grumble and the temptation to idolatry.  Entering the Promised Land was a battle. 

      If we were to draw a timeline of the major social events in many of our lifetimes, we might see a similar picture.  Most of us were born after the traumas of World War II but remember words like “Korean War,” “Vietnam War,” and “Desert Storm.”  We grieve at the news reports today about Ukraine and the Middle East.  I remember life before Netflix, before streaming, before credit cards AND when phone numbers started with letters – no area codes.  We have lived through the invention of microwaves, hybrid cars, and airplane travel is a common blessing and affordable to most.  Yes, we have seen a lot and in all truth, grumbled a lot as we have learned to master all the change.  I suspect more than once we have wondered where God is in all this and more than once cried over the events in our lives.

      Joshua stands in-front of his people and challenges them, 

     “14“Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Jesus turns to his disciples today as they struggle to understand what he is talking about and he  asks them, “Do you also wish to go away?”  He is challenging them and us about whether we want to serve other gods.  The gods of health, wealth, and prosperity are always calling to us.  I listen to the news and I hear that little voice on my shoulder whispering, “Where is God in all this?” and hear the voice of temptation, “Don’t you also wish to go away?”

      I pray we join with Peter, whom we know will fail even as we will, and we say, “Lord, to whom shall we go?”  Do the gods of this world truly offer more?  We don’t really understand the mystery of eating Christ’s flesh and drinking his blood but the promises of the gods of this world are hollow and transitory.  Faith chooses the road less traveled by and it has made the difference.

“Lord, to whom can we go? 

You have the words of eternal life.”

      Joshua offers the people choices. Consider the gods of the people surrounding them.  We too could look at the “gods” people worship today.  Is wealth a god worth chasing?  Perhaps the rich will not mind being taxed more to help the poor and perhaps economic equality will be reached but will will wealth bring eternal happiness and wisdom?  I doubt it.  Few of us can chase the god of talent in hopes of becoming famous in Hollywood.  As far as I can tell our stars age, fame passes, and the critiques are … brutal to the ego.  Perhaps we would like to chase the god of health.  Well, folks, as far as I can tell, none of us will outrun the biological clock of aging forever.  We look around at the gods this world offers, even the gods of other religions, and it is easy to despair at the options.  Who has the words of eternal life?  Is the grass greener down the other road or is it an illusion?

      Joshua challenges the people to remember their history.  It is possible to remember all the valleys we have passed through and see the bad. Or it is possible to look and see the hand of the Lord guiding and protecting us along the way.  The Psalmist reminds us that “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and God’s ears are open to their cry.”

      To whom shall we go today?  To the gods of this world or to the God who sees and hears, whose arm is not short and who never slumbers or sleeps? As we look at each path, do not be deceived, there is a difference. 

Peter confesses to Jesus, you have the “Words of eternal life.”  Our second reading is from Ephesians and clearly acknowledges that we live in a broken world facing challenges that are far beyond us. We do not face enemies of blood and flesh, but we battle against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  The enemy is not our spouse, our neighbor, our parent, our boss, our old car or even the government.  We are indeed experiencing reality as it was not meant to be. But that does not mean that another future is not forming.  The kingdom of the world will be replaced by the kingdom of heaven one day.  We need the words of eternal life to stay focused on the God we follow.

The New Testament reading in  Ephesians admonishes us to strap on the belt of truth and use the sword of the Spirit that is the word of God.  What are some of those words?

·      The Lord is my Shepherd…he walks with me through the valley of the shadow of death

·      Nothing can separate us from the love of God, neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation.

·      “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” say the Lord God, “who is and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

I do not know what “word of eternal life” has encouraged you.  Let’s turn to your neighbor and share a verse that has been helpful to you. Mine is my confirmation verse, Isaiah 41:10, “ So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”   Please share.

Peter continues with a statement of faith.

“Lord, to whom can we go? 

You have the words of eternal life. 

69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

      Joshua in the Old Testament, challenged the people to choose which god they would follow. Will it be the gods of Egypt, their past, or the gods of the people surrounding them, their future, or will it be the God who has led them through the wilderness?  

In the psalm that we usually read responsively, we join our voices in reading affirming that the choice that we all face as to which god we will follow makes a difference.  Our God sees us and hears us because we stand in Christ’s righteousness not our own good deeds.  Our God opposes evil and evil will be erased.  God will restore justice. Our God not only hears our cries but he acts, perhaps not as we wish but always for our best.  His desire is to deliver us.  And during those times when we are too broken to pray, when we are overwhelmed with doubts, when we forget who we are, he remembers us and draws near. We will have troubles but God walks through them with us. Death is the end of the wicked but we can look forward to eternal life.  We are redeemed.  These are eternal words that give us hope and life.

In the New Testament, or second we also read that the road less traveled will involve challenges but God has given us armor to fight those battles.  

      Today we start with the challenge, we must choose which God we will follow.  Jesus says that following means “eating his body and drinking his blood,” a difficult teaching.  The early church heard it as putting on the armor of God.   

Like the disciples we probably don’t really understand what this eating and drinking of Jesus means.  Jesus is God, not us, and so that always puts our faith, not in the driver’s seat but in a position of needing to trust that God will do what is best because he sees the big picture and has our best at heart.  God speaks and we trust.  Where else can we go?  Jesus has the words of eternal life and he is the Holy One of God.  He goes with us into this week.  He is there in Ukraine, the Middle East, and American elections.  He is with people struggling with disease.  He is with those in chaos from environmental extremes and he is even with our government.  I don’t understand but I do believe. 

14“Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.”  

Let the people of God say, Amen!

“The Road Not Taken” Song for Robert Frost’s Poem | Memorize “Two Roads Diverged In a Yellow Wood”

Tomorrow’s Scripture readings will open in the Old Testament with Joshua challenging the children of Israel about which god they are going to follow as they go into the Promised Land.  Two roads are diverging and they must choose to follow the gods of Egypt, the land of slavery they had been freed from, the gods of the people whose land they were entering, or the Lord.  Joshua and his household chose to follow the Lord — and that has made all the difference.

The New Testament reading climaxes a chapter in John where Jesus identifies as the living bread of life.  He tells his followers they must eat his body and drink his blood.  What???  Many turn away.  He turns to his disciples and asks them if they too are going to choose not to follow his road through the woods of life.  Peter responds, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”  Those disciples had to choose and it made all the difference.

Today we are still challenged to choose which path we are going to follow.  It is more than a choice of which party we are going to vote for in November.  Robert Frost’s poem seems to capture the feel of the choice we face.  It is like standing at a crossroad of two roads diverging in a yellow wood.  Our choice makes a difference.  The poem has been set to music.  Listen and ponder choices you are making.  The road you choose will make all the difference.  Blessings.

17 And don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for your. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life. Don’t think I’m being harder on you than on the others. I give this same counsel in all the churches.  (1 Corinthians 7: 17, The Message)

By chapter 7 of Paul’s first letter to the people of Corinth, Paul has presented his concerns about the fellowship there.  He has heard rumors of their disunity and divisions into parties.  He has heard rumors of sexual immorality that is not only being tolerated but boasted about. And he has heard of them taking their disagreements to a secular court that does not understand their value system.  In chapter 7 he turns to answering their questions. All of chapter 7 deals with questions about marriage.

Paul supports marriage as a faithful relationship rather than sexual promiscuity.  Paul also endorses singleness either for people who never marry or for people who have lost their spouse.  He sees marriage or singleness as a gift from God.  Watching the grass grow on the other side of the fence helps no one and only breeds discontentment and undermines a relationship with God.

Paul next talks about  “mixed marriages,” not ethnically or religiously mixed but philosophically mixed.  One is a believer and one is not.  He advises that if the unbeliever wants to stay with the believing spouse then they should stay together.  The relationship protects the children and may indeed  help bring the unbeliever to faith.  On the other hand, if the unbeliever wants to leave then the believer should release the other.  We are called to peace, not slavery in relationships.  Paul does not encourage “sequential polygamy” as practiced in the West that practices jumping from one marriage to another, divorcing one to move to another.  Polygamist men add wives but theoretically care for all the women and children.  He advises staying single if marriage does not work out.  God can use us wherever we are and he is with us.  God is our foundation and we are his temple as he reminded us at the start of his letter.

Certainly this chapter challenges some of our Western thinking and practices.  We like to think we are free to choose our future and choose the character of our relationships.  It is easy to convince ourselves that we need not feel uncomfortable emotionally.  That is not to condone true abuse and cruelty but it is to acknowledge that relationships with others and with God requires work.  We do not always get our way.  Working through differences is hard.  Admitting we are wrong, saying “sorry,” and humbling ourselves is tough.  Perhaps the challenge we need to reflect on is to acknowledge that God is our foundation for any relationship and God is always present and willing to work with us.  We are his temple and we have the Holy Spirit to call on when the stress seems intolerable.  Lord, help us develop staying power for the rough times.  Give us understanding hearts that are willing to look at the other’s point of view. Do I need to ask for help today in any of my relationships?  Lord, may our relationships honor you!