On the Way to Wonder

First Reading: 2 Kings 4:42-44

42 A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing food from the first fruits to [Elisha,] the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.” 43 But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” So he repeated, “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’ ” 44 He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.

Psalm: Psalm 145:10-18

You open wide your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. (Ps. 145:16)

 10 All your works shall praise you, O Lord, and your faithful ones shall bless you.

 11 They shall tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your power,

 12 that all people may know of your power and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your dominion endures throughout all ages.

  You, Lord, are faithful in all your words, and loving in all your works. 

 14 The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up those who are bowed down.

 15 The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, and you give them their food in due season.

 16 You open wide your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

 17 You are righteous in all your ways and loving in all your works.

 18 You are near to all who call upon you, to all who call upon you faithfully. 

Second Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

  20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Gospel: John 6:1-21

 Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”

  15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

  16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

CHILDREN’S SERMON. Aesop’s Fable, “Belling the Cat.”

“The Mice once called a meeting to decide on a plan to free themselves of their enemy, the Cat. At least they wished to find some way of knowing when she was coming, so they might have time to run away. Indeed, something had to be done, for they lived in such constant fear of her claws that they hardly dared stir from their dens by night or day.    At last a very young Mouse got up and said:  “I have a plan that seems very simple, but I know it will be successful.  All we have to do is to hang a bell about the Cat’s neck. When we hear the bell ringing we will know immediately that our enemy is coming.”

All the Mice were much surprised that they had not thought of such a plan before. But in the midst of the rejoicing over their good fortune, an old Mouse arose and said: “I will say that the plan of the young Mouse is very good. But let me ask one question: Who will bell the Cat?”

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

Our Gospel reading takes us to the Gospel of John for today’s text.  The stories we read feel familiar as we have looked at Jesus being followed by hungry crowds and we have seen Jesus in a storm on the Sea of Galilee.  This text appears to fill in some details from John’s perspective and has a slightly different focus.  There must be “something more” for us today so let’s put on our glasses and take a second look. John adds the detail that Passover was near. Passover was the Jewish tradition of remembering the Israelites’ deliverance from bondage in Egypt.  It was the evening when people were told to kill a goat, put its blood over the door and the angel of death would pass over, not killing the first born.  The Sedar is the traditional meal that is eaten, even today.

   I find it interesting that we are in a somewhat similar context.  We might say that the presidential elections are near and because of the attempted assasination of former President Trump, the news media has been spending a lot of time going over our political history, comparing and contrasting violent events and seeking to understand what happened.  Our historical context impacts how we understand the unfolding of our life events.  How we interpret the last four years will impact how we vote in this election.  We are also in Pentecost when we are looking at the texts to see how these texts impact our lives.  We are not necessarily looking to understand the character of our God but how his character might reflect in our lives.

In today’s text Jesus sees the crowds approaching.  Last week we learned that Jesus saw the crowds approaching like sheep without a shepherd and began teaching them.  Jesus today anticipates another problem, hunger, and tests the disciples.

Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 

One thing we know is that Jesus does not ask questions because he needs information. He is not wanting to know where the closest bakery is nor do I think that Jesus believes Philip could carry back the necessary bread.  I am guessing Jesus sees the problem approaching and is asking the disciples to asses their resources.  When we are faced with a challenge, we need to be aware of our context and our resources.  The mice do not need to be reminded of the cat but they do pool their thoughts on how to deal with it.

Philip creates a mental spreadsheet calculating how much money would be necessary to buy food for the crowd.  I suspect if we were honest we would admit that we will calculate our finances before we buy.  My sister is contemplating a move closer to her daughter and is asking herself how much money she can draw from her pension savings.  She has checked with the bank about how much of a loan she could float.  Then if the closing of the sale of her house is longer than the closing of the new house, can she handle payments.  Those are necessary calculations that must be done.  The unknown is whether her house will sell.  There is an unseen, unknown factor.  Philip reports that It does not seem financially possible to buy bread.

Andrew, Peter’s brother, on the other hand does a quick survey of the audience and figures out there is a boy with five barley loaves and two fish.  He evaluates his fluid assets he could touch right now.  My sister is going home to put money into upgrading her house to increase the value on the market. Andrew looks at the boy’s lunch and realizes the size of the challenge, of feeding five thousand, is far greater than his assets.  It just does not seem possible.  The mice realize the cat is big and dangerous.

The question, the challenge, drives the disciples to a confrontation with reality.  They are going to have to deal with the hunger of the crowd.  Hospitality demands it.  The women will meet at Bethany to figure out a plan to welcome the people coming to meals for Bethany Gardens’ gatherings and they will figure out a way to serve the meals in a warm, welcoming and nutritious way.

The disciples, though, are driven by Jesus’ question to the realization that their resources are insufficient.  They are about to loose face.  The cat has the upper hand.

But what are they (the bread and fish) among so many people?” 10

 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” 

It seems that the disciples have not yet learned to factor in Jesus, God.  The challenge drives them to acknowledge their limitations. The problem drives them to turn to Jesus.   It is then that God can step in and help.  As I think back to the challenges we have faced in our Pentecost texts – Jesus asleep in the boat in a storm, two women at the point of death, sick needing healing, people like sheep without a shepherd – the problems all drive us to seek help from Jesus and that help reveals the character of God.  Perhaps we would say today that our problems drive us to our knees in prayer.  We may choose to not be transparent with our core group of Christian friends or maybe our problems challenge us to seek advice from friends traveling the journey of faith with us.  The problem may drive us deeper into studying the Word of God as we seek wisdom to deal with a decision.  Our values often are clarified as we grapple with the situations we are in.  The mice call a meeting and share ideas.

Jesus tells the disciples to have the crowd sit down.  Let’s ponder this for a minute just for fun.  As we watch the political rally’s right now, I think of people standing crammed together and often chanting slogans.  When the shots rang out, the chaos pursued.  If those crowds were to sit down on the grass, I imagine a much calmer scene.  As we sit at our tables at a church event, we chat with neighbors until the number of our table is called to go fill our plates.  Perhaps Jesus’ first advice to us is to sit down, calm down, count to ten and wait for God before you act.  Don’t panic.

Next Jesus turns to heaven and thanks God before he acts.  Ummmm, do we tackle our challenges with an attitude of  gratitude?  Do we tackle the challenge of helping our friends with an attitude of gratitude?  Good question.  The shooter had to be neutralized.  A worship service was not appropriate but I am willing to beg a lot of prayer went up at the rally when the shots rang out.  Problems are never welcome.  There always seems to be a cat lurking near by and patience to wait is not my strong point.  As an elder I now look back at all the challenges I whined my way through, all the times I despaired that I could feed the beggars lining up at the back door, the hours of prayer for my children, and unfortunately when my mouth was in motion with my husband.  Some of the lessons are left at the foot of the cross to be forgiven but some I look back and marvel at how God brought us through. We may not have all the wealth and fame that the world says we need but I would guess we could spend time sharing stories of the impossible times we faced and survived.  

Jesus distributes the bread and fish and the passage does not explain the miracle. The important part is that there is enough  for leftovers. Today we all face challenges.  Cats are real.  It may be financial where resources feel stretched, it may be dealing with health where the time ahead seems too short or too long, and it may be just a decision we are agonizing about.  In any case, Jesus asks us today where we are going to buy the resources we need to deal with our problem.  As we check and recheck our check books and our social registers, may we not forget to check our spiritual resources also.  May we seek an attitude of gratitude.  May we sit calmly and wait for the Lord to act.  The young mouse when asked, “Who will bell the cat?” Is faced with a relevant question.

15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, 

he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Ahhhh, there is a fly in the ointment.  Eve in the Garden of Eden thinks that if she eats the fruit, she will be wise and be like God. These people think that if they make Jesus their king then they will no longer be hungry and no longer have problems. The mice think that if they can just bell the cat then they will be safe from pain and possibly death.  We somehow think that if we choose Jesus then our lives will not have problems.  God performs a miracle and helps his disciples meet their challenge but who gets the credit?  The crowds see the miracle and come to the conclusion that they want to have Jesus as their king.  They have misunderstood the character of God.  It is so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the an all powerful God should be able to give us the good life, give us health, wealth and prosperity.  When life goes good then we feel like all is right in the universe and God is happy with us.  But when we have problems, we suspect we have somehow done something wrong.  We have gotten bad karma.  We are confronted here with the question of whether we believe God is serving us by giving bread to all people or whether we are here serving God and helping him to build the Kingdom of Heaven where God rules. 

Jesus withdraws to the mountain to be by himself.  He does not leave and return to heaven.  He does not transport to Jerusalem and the Temple.  Jesus withdraws from obvious presence where we might be in danger of getting the wrong idea or perhaps develop an unhealthy dependence on him. Again I am drawn back to the truth that we are not robots made to do God’s wishes but we are his children being trained to walk in his image.  Jesus tested the disciples to help their faith grow when they face impossible situations.  Jesus wants us too to realize that as we face the challenges before us this week that we have God present with us.  Perhaps, though, we need to sit down, calm down, be grateful and wait for God to reveal the plan.

“It is I; do not be afraid.”

The text does not end with the feeding of the 5000.  Our text continues.  Jesus has withdrawn and the disciples must decide what to do next.  Some days are like that.  We live in automatic mode.  It’s an ordinary day, not necessarily spiritually challenging and we are not facing some big cat.  There is no indication in the text that there was a plan they had all decided on about the next stop on their journey.  We only know that Jesus has withdrawn and the disciples make the decision to climb in a boat and cross the sea.  A storm blows up.  There is always another problem to face. Perhaps we deal with the cat but there are still the mouse traps with bits of cheese to entice us. 

According to John, Jesus is not asleep in the boat.  Jesus does not even appear to be in the boat.  John tells us that Jesus comes walking on the water to the disciples.  The disciples are terrified.  Our story has carried us from facing a challenge too large for the desciples’ resources to a challenge that feels like the occult.  We have gone from the impossible to seeing ghosts or demons.  The disciples are not just having a bad day handling a problem too big for them, they are now handling a problem when they suspect evil is actively working to sink their ships.  Despairing about whether I will ever get that last child potty trained is very different than needing the wisdom to deal with a child caught in addiction.  The challenge of suicide feels like evil is winning.  A marriage torn apart by adultery requires God’s healing.  It’s not just a bad day, it is a day that claws at the roots of our faith.

It is at this point that Jesus says, “I AM is with you.”  Confronted with Evil, Jesus uses his  godly name, I AM, that he spoke to Moses on the mountain as Moses prepared to do battle with the Pharaoh of Egypt for the deliverance of the children of Israel from slavery and bondage.  Jesus is not in teaching mode, not in helping us stretch resources to make ends meet, Jesus is in full power mode.  When we come to Jesus, we may need to be taught like sheep without a shepherd. We may need to be fed like the hungry crowd.  We may need to be laid at his feet so we can touch the hem of his garment.  We may be coming today with a big cat at our door and our community of mice while comforting, all seems small and timid like us.  We want the cat to be belled.  The disciples do not know yet that Jesus will bell the cat and defeat Evil on the cross.  We have not reached heaven yet and only have glimpses of the Kingdom of Heaven but we do know that I AM is traveling will us.  He allows problems that draw us to him, that remind us that we are limited in our resources, that force us to sit down and pray and wait for him to lead.  He is the great I AM, always present, forgiving our past, going into or future with us and helping us deal with the present.  He says,

DO NOT BE AFRAID!

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

You Are My Hiding Place ( With Lyrics ) | Selah

We finished yesterday with 1 Corinthians 1: 25, 

“25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”

God uses that which is weak, like me and perhaps you, to display his power and glory.  He walks with us so that when we are weak, we find strength, and when we are poor, we are rich in unseen ways.  It made me think of this worship song “You are My Hiding Place” written by Michael Lerner and recorded by Maranatha Music.  The author was going through a rough time that inspired the song.  When some of his friends heard it they realized its comforting message.  It is based on

“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” — Psalm 32:7 (NIV) 

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” — Psalm 56:3 (NIV) 

Please enjoy as you prepare for worship tomorrow.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

“25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”

Yesterday we read Paul’s first point as he wrote to the group of believers in Corinth.  He pled for them to be united.  He asked them to identify as followers of Jesus and not followers of the particular person who first introduced them to what would become to be known as Christianity.   He asks us to be united around our belief in Jesus and the power of the cross and not identify with a certain eloquent speaker and persuasive leader.  The power is in the cross and not in the personality presenting the message.  So now in verses 18-31 he fleshes out his explanation for his thinking.

The Greeks admired philosophers like Plato and Socrates, the men who were eloquent narrators.  The Jews looked to the ancients like Moses who did miracles in the wilderness or David who was strong.  they were more practical and applied in their quest.  Paul believes that God chooses that which is weak to confound the strong.  God uses ordinary people like you and me and through the testimony of our lives the world sees that we are strong in our ability to love, to forgive, to turn the other cheek, to be generous, and to change from being a sinner to being a saint.  Ordinary people like you and I can share the wisdom of the Gospel without going to any university.  Somehow our ordinariness displays the glory of God.  Our ability to be united inspite of race and language speaks to the wonderfulness of our God that grows us into a functional body of believers.  God gets the glory, not any single person.

Paul concludes in verse 31, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

So if you were to boast of a wise and intelligent person who came alongside you in your life, who would it be and how did that person help you?  Now, if you were to think of a godly person who impacted your life, how would you describe that person?  Is there a difference?

Thank you Lord for choosing the weak things of this world, like me, to work with.  May I always give glory to you.

1 Corinthians 1:10

“10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.”

A plea for unity is the first topic on Paul’s agenda, having complemented his audience on how he sees God working in their lives thus laying the foundation for his message.  That is a word and a plea we are all familiar with these days as we approach elections. We are being asked to forget economic differences and state identities and focus on a bigger national idea.  We are being asked to be united.

 Paul continues in verse 12 to list the source of division.  It seems that the Corinthians were divided over who had led them to become believers.  They had divided loyalties. People identified with different preachers.  Today we might say it is like the different denominations with each having its own unique flavor.  Or to bring it down to earth, it might be the divisions among us about which part of the political platform should be emphasized and how to achieve the goal. Interest groups. The candidates want us to focus on party identity and not splinter over individual issues.  Paul asks the Corinthians to focus on uniting factors.  All believe in Christ and they were baptized into his name. 

 Paul reminds us in verse 17 that the power lies in the cross, not in the eloquence of the speaker who led them to faith.  So what gets under your skin and leads you to disharmony with another?  Do you have a pet peeve that gets to you and divides you from your friends?  Let us pray today that the Holy Spirit will shine in our hearts and convict us of ways that we are being judgmental and unfair. Open our eyes to see that that other is someone Christ died for.  Help Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 

5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 

6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you.

 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Apostle Paul is famous for his very “dense” writing.  I sometimes wonder if he is going to let me take a breath and I have to search to find the point in the sentence because he can pack so much into one sentence.  Paul has introduced himself as an authorized messenger for writing to the Corinthians.  Paul has greeted the people he is writing to as saints, people in the process of being sorted out, growing in their Christian character.  He now delves into a long statement that might be summarized, I would suggest, as saying, “I’m so glad you’re my peeps!”  “I’m glad we’re on the same team.”  Let’s let that soak in for a minute.  The “other” is so often demonized today.  So what is Paul appreciative for?  It is not what I might expect.

Paul is thankful not for what the other has done for him but for all that he sees in them, their potential, their giftedness that they bring to the fellowship of believers. They have been graced and enriched with speech and knowledge.  Perhaps they agree but perhaps they are iron sharpening iron since we know Paul is writing this letter because of differences.  He’s doing that sandwich thing where you put two slices of complements and add a layer of meaty challenges between.  But first he lays a foundation of gratitude for their growing points.

  It makes me wonder to what degree I celebrate the diversity others bring to my life and see the way they are growing as a blessing to me, calling me forward, or am I threatened by differences. That’s certainly the message in the political media today.  Paul is able to be thankful because he is able to see Christ working in his friend’s life and he is confident that Christ will lead to a good conclusion.  God is faithful who has called us into fellowship with someone different from ourselves.

May we learn to look at others and see the growth they are going through and may we see them as fellow team members with different skills placed in our lives and the lives of those around us.  Indeed I would pray for “grace and peace” of God for others as we go through today.  Blessings.

1 Corinthians 1:1-2

2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:  (NIV)

1 1-2 I, Paul, have been called and sent by Jesus, the Messiah, according to God’s plan, along with my friend Sosthenes. I send this letter to you in God’s church at Corinth, believers cleaned up by Jesus and set apart for a God-filled life. I include in my greeting all who call out to Jesus, wherever they live. He’s their Master as well as ours!  (The Message)

We are starting to ponder the epistle 1 Corinthians.  The author, Paul, introduces himself as an authorized messenger writing a letter to the church in Corinth to clear up some questions that had arisen.  He mentions a man named Sosthenes who is considered the leader of the believers in Corinth.  Letters are written into a context.  Business letters have a very different, perhaps formal, tone than a letter written to a friend or a letter written to a younger grandchild with whom I am trying to share my truth.  Paul writes to people whom he perceives to be “sanctified.”  I love the way The Message puts it.  In that translation sanctified is phrases as “believers cleaned up by Jesus and set apart for a God-filled life.”

Yesterday we thought about who we might want to send an email to and just how we would introduced ourselves.  We thought about our title.  Few of us are “authorized messengers” like Paul but we might be “your loving grandparent” or “your friend in Timbuktu” or “your long lost friend” and maybe “a concerned neighbor.”  How we understand ourselves is different from how we understand the person we are writing to.  As we sit and pull our thoughts together before we put pen to ink, it might a good challenge to breathe deep and think of an image of the person we are writing to.  If we think of that wayward child as a rebellious and stubborn youth, our comments might be much harsher than if we first tap into the love for the child beneath the anger aroused by our deep concern for their dilemma they are in.

”Cleaned up” carries the feeling of someone in process, someone being sanctified and that includes all of us.  We are all called to be God’s holy people and we are all in process, not yet perfect, saints in the formation.  Let’s take a moment to think of our best friend as a saint being formed.  Not so hard.  Now think of that person who gets to you as a saint in the forming.  That is harder.  Lord help us to see others as works in process, beloved of you.  Blessings.

 1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, (1 Corinthians 1:1)

As I write this reflection, I cannot help but also listen to the news flooding our media about the decision by President Biden not to run for President again this Fall.  Letters are flowing in to the news as we listen to hear all the opinions about this move, affirmations of the presidency of Biden, and opinions as to what the road forward is for the Democrats.  I kind of wonder if the birth of Christianity shortly after the resurrection was not a similar cultural debate.  We forget that in those early days, Judaism was the dominant faith system in Israel.  You were Jewish or Gentile.  There was no Christian church.  What we call “the church,” was an emerging dynamic.  Followers of Jesus did not debate about how to handle immigration but there were heated debates about whether a person had to become Jewish and be circumcised to be a follower of Jesus.  How were non-Jews to be incorporated?  There were no denominational centers and financial challenges were facing small groups and reps were being sent with financial donations.  Was a follower allowed to eat sacrificial offerings of meat sold in the market?  What are the expectations about marriage?  Even as we listen to the presidential candidates present their platforms, writers like Paul, Peter and James wrote into the early church.

  One of the formative voices in this process about what “faith” should look like was Paul.  Paul spoke into all the questions swirling  among the groups of believers forming around the Mediterranean.  There was no formal Biblical scripture as we know it today, only the Old Testament.  There was no television to let the church in Rome know what the church in Jerusalem was thinking. Paul made “missionary journeys” walking around the Middle East training, updating, and establishing leadership.  He wrote letters, we sometimes call epistles, to young groups.

Corinthians is one of those letters that was circulating and which was chosen as inspired for the New Testament.  Paul was writing to the church in Corinth.  We will see Paul tackle many of these nitty gritty issues being debated. Paul could speak into these issues because he was raised with Jewish identity and Roman identity.  His name was Saul.  He was trained as a Pharisee.  He persecuted early Christians and through a spiritual experience, encounter the risen Christ and was converted.  He changed his name from Saul to Paul. 

 Paul introduces himself as an “apostle,” a sent one.  He is claiming to be an authoritative messenger speaking to the Corinthians.  He is writing to Sosthenes, the leader of the believers in Corinth.  Corinth was a commercial center of commerce near Greece.  Paul spent a lot of time in his two letters to the Corinthians  talking about issues.  They are issues common to us today..  Paul is writing to his friends, addressing issues in the group of believers there.

So let us sit back and think how this applies to our lives.  If I were to write a letter to a granddaughter or a dear friend about the struggles that person is going through, how would I open and identify myself?  Paul opened, “Paul, an apostle…”. How would you open your letter?  What title might you give yourself that would convey your felt need to write?  Blessings as you ponder your status in the faith system and who you would like to share with today.

First Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6

1 Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. 2 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. 3 Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.

  5 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

Psalm: Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. (Ps. 23:1)

 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.

 2 The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.

 3 You restore my soul, O Lord, and guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.

 4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil;

  for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

  you anoint my head with oil, and my cup is running over.

 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

  and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

Second Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22

11 Remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision”—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands—12 remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. 15 He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, 16 and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. 17 So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

Gospel: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

  53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms,they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

CHILDREN’S SERMON. “Chariots of Fire”: In 1981 a film came to Hollywood that had captivating opening music.  Englishmen ran along the sea coast to train for the Olympics of 1936.  Two men become the main protagonists. One was Eric Liddell, a Scotsman, a missionary kid from China, and a man who ran with the father of one of my Scottish colleagues!  The other was Harold Abrams, a Jew who was determined to win and trained with a known trainer, fudging the rules a bit.  Liddell refused to run in the qualifying race for his event on a Sunday because of his Christian faith. Instead he ran a race four times longer.  Two lines are often quoted as Liddell saying in the film:

• “Where does the strength come from to finish the race? The strength comes from within”
• “ I believe God made me for a purpose – but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”

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

We are moving through the Gospel of Mark, traveling with Jesus but also reflecting on how the reality of this God who incarnated to be with us and reveal himself – how this reality of our faith in Jesus  changes our lives.  We saw Jesus calm a storm on the Sea of Galilee and realized that even though he may appear asleep in our boat, he is still God and is part of major events impacting us when we fear we are dying.  Then we saw him heal two women, two no-bodies in the scheme of life, who were in fact facing death and he brought them both to wellness.  That was all encouraging but then we saw him rejected in his hometown and were reminded that not all are willing to believe in Jesus.  Last week even John the Baptist, his cousin, was beheaded by an unjust, insecure king.  Life is unfair and people we love get hurt but that does not mean God does not care. Mark shifts his focus slightly and we see Jesus start sending out the disciples two by two to do ministry.  We are an important part of God’s eternal plan.  Yes, he died for sin, but he is building a kingdom for eternity and we are part of that.  We have a purpose and feel his pleasure when we are in sync with him and we need strength within ourselves to run the race.

Today the disciples return from their beginning outreach adventures and are wanting to report in to Jesus.  Perhaps like Eric Liddell they are beginning to tap into unrealized resources within themselves and feeling the pleasure of serving.  People are being healed, believing, and demons fleeing.  The disciples are feeling God’s pleasure. Jesus, though, realizes they are tired and need to debrief and need to come away and rest awhile. 

Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves

and rest a while.”

Some of us come to church today and we are just plain tuckered out.  We have sat with declining loved ones.  We are holding the line with teenagers testing their wings.  Perhaps there is one more month in the pregnancy and we are excited about the birth but exhausted from the journey.  Grandparents worry about grandchildren.  Executives are tired of carrying the responsibility of being in leadership.  Politics is making November look somehow dicey.  Will it be another social unrest time and will financial markets reflect this?  We come to church today celebrating that we have roles, jobs, responsibility and yet we need to spend time with Jesus.

Perhaps those disciples were longing to hear, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness! (Matthew 25:23)”. I long to hear those words— well done, thank you.  We don’t say it often enough to each other.

Perhaps those disciples were longing to ask questions.  Not all encounters turned out the way they wanted.  Sometimes they had to shake the dust off their feet.  Sometimes the people who welcomed them were what we might call “challenging cases.”  Then again those they expected to be open to the message of the gospel were hard as rocks.  Lord, what did I do wrong? We long to ask Jesus.  We come to church today with our questions also.  We ponder where we have gone wrong and what we might have done better.  We long to hear, “Peace, be still, be not afraid.”

Perhaps those disciples returned to Jesus wanting to hear the words of forgiveness.  We open our services with the confession of sins and the absolution.  We confess that we have not loved God with all our heart, soul, and strength nor our neighbor as ourselves.  We have fallen short and we have not done the good we could have.  Sigh.  The pastor says as a representative of God – you are forgiven.  May we never take those words lightly.

Jesus calls to those of us who are tired to come away and rest.  He does not call us lazy.  He does not call us failures.  He does not call us to a seminar on how to improve our act.  He calls us to rest with him.  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28-30)

Where does the power come from to finish the race – from within when we rest with Jesus.

“…they were like sheep without a shepherd;” 

A second group of people appear in our text today.  Jesus took the disciples to a deserted place for rest but in fact wherever we go, there we are.  That longed for vacation does not remove the reality of life.  Wherever Jesus went, there were people who needed him and wanted him.  The people raced ahead of Jesus and the disciples.  “34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.”

The second group of people were like sheep without a shepherd.  They seek Jesus and Jesus is moved with compassion.  He more than empathizes or sympathizes but additionally he is moved to compassion.  He is moved to come alongside these people and help.  But what do they need? The text says he taught them.  Let’s look at Psalm 23 and what a Good Shepherd does.

Perhaps some of the people in the crowd, some of you in church today, are needing guidance.  You are facing decisions about your future and the wisdom for getting to the grass that is greener on the other side of the fence of decision.  Decisions about spouses, about health, about jobs, or about finances impact the direction of our future.  We want to play our cards right and some of us are in the fog of decision making.  Psalm 23 says the shepherd guides us along paths of righteousness.

Perhaps some of the people in the crowd, some of us, need our souls to be restored.  A disappointment this week knocked the wind out of us, doubt is the storm of faith we face, and today we need to hear Jesus speak.  Psalm 23 reminds us. That the shepherd restores our soul.

Perhaps some of the people in the crowd and some of us are walking through the valley of the shadow of death for ourselves or with a loved one.  We need the comfort of Jesus’ rod and staff and so we come to church today, grieving.

Perhaps some of the people in the crowd were just plain hungry. Psalm 23 continues to say, “5 You prepare a table before me..”   Some of us are in the presence of our enemies.  We wanted to do a quiet time but sure enough life happened.  We read a devotional and it may as well have been written in Greek.  That pod cast we like to listen to raised questions that dredged up the past failure, or a present fog or a future fear.  Somehow our boat of faith was rattled and we come today needing to listen to Jesus.

Our text says, “and he began to teach them many things.”    Again, we do not see Jesus shaming the crowds.  He does not send them away for a more convenient time after he had helped the disciples or our pastors.  He did not accuse but interestingly he taught.  Sometimes I need to draw aside and find rest in the security of my relationship with God but sometimes I just need to draw aside and spend time in the Word.  That takes many forms.  I love to go to the Gospel of Luke and focus on the character of God revealed there, not on the TV.  Sometimes I sit in the shadows of the evening and listen to my praise music.  I am surprised when a routine church service suddenly turns into food for my soul’s confusion.  I hear just what I need.  Many like a walk in nature.  God “teaches many things.”  Sometimes we just need to be still and listen to God speak and teach us.

Where does the strength come to run the race before us each day, it comes from within, feeding our souls with words of truth.  I like the Message’s translation of Hebrews 1:1-2

“1 Long ago God spoke in many different ways to our fathers through the prophets, in visions, dreams, and even face to face, telling them little by little about his plans. 2 But now in these days he has spoken to us through his Son to whom he has given everything and through whom he made the world and everything there is.”

But there is also a third group.

They “begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.”

Our text continues and we meet a third group of people.  The disciples are present, the crowds are present like sheep without a shepherd and then there are the sick.  These are desperate people who think if they can just touch the hem of Jesus’ garment like the woman two weeks ago, they might be healed.  They are sick but it is their friends who lay them on the road and intercede for them, asking Jesus to just allow the sick person to draw near and touch his hem as he passes.  “All who touched it were healed.” Wow.

I do not believe we are sick because we lack faith.  Illness is part of this kingdom of the world.  Saints like Paul got sick and we will all face death some day.  I do believe though that there are times when we need others to intercede for us and help position us so that we can “touch the hem,” so that we can draw near to God.

Perhaps you have come to church today, just needing to be near where Jesus passes.  After my husband died, I sat in the back row just being near a church load of people I did not know, and not knowing when I would burst into tears of grief.  A song would trigger the tears or a word from the sermon.  I just sat in the back and grieved.  I have sat on the fringes of a church as a “new kid in town” observing the unspoken traditions of a worshiping community surrounding communion, passing the peace, and other parts of the service the insiders know.  Perhaps the load of guilt and shame from life choices you have made convince you that you are unwanted, untouchable, a ruined person.  The evil one loves to whisper in our ear lies about how we are not good enough to even come near to Jesus. We come as beggars and we come because a friend makes it possible.

We met three groups of people in our text today.  Perhaps you are one of the tuckered out and need rest.  Perhaps you are a sheep needing to get in touch with the Good Shepherd and you just need to hear the words of truth, of hope, of encouragement or guidance. But you might also be just wanting to draw near to God today and quietly touch the hem of his garment.  We all fall in some combination of these categories.  It is in communion that we hear, “This is my body, given for you.  This is my blood, shed for you,” and we are touched by the Holy.  It is in the confessions we repeat the age old truths that have grounded lives for over 2000 years. And I have been known to fall asleep during the sermon as my soul relaxes and finds rest and safety from a full week.  I think Eric Liddell was right when he pondered where the strength comes to run the race.  It comes from within.  Sometimes we find a quiet place and rest from our hectic lives. Sometimes we hurry  to a place we know Scripture is being taught.  And then  sometimes we just lie down on the fringes and touch his hem.  God did make us with a purpose.  When we live in sync with that purpose, we feel his pleasure.  May we find time this week to draw aside and just enjoy his love.

Let the people of God say, “AMEN!”

Turn! Turn! Turn! Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 MV

One of the songs we highlighted when we started our look at Ecclesiastes back in March was the song “To Everything There is a Season,” also known as “Turn, Turn, Turn” and made famous by a secular group, the Byrds.  It comes from the beginning of chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes.  It was one of the first large portions of Scripture put into popular music.  It seems to highlight the feeling that the cycles of life define us which the author reiterates at the end with the caveats that each moment becomes unique and meaningful, not meaningless, because it happens before a God who knows and sees all and will make things right in the end.  Let’s reread the verses.  Which one jumps out to you?  Now add meat to the idea.  If you are planting, what would you plant — perhaps a veggie but perhaps you would like to plant more love?  And if you could pluck up something in our world, what would it be — hatred, campaign rhetoric?  Let’s spend some time thinking about what these words mean and how they apply to our lives.  Blessings as you prepare for worship tomorrow.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

“A time to be born, and a time to die; 

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; 

a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; 

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;

 a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;

 a time of war, and a time of peace.”

9-10 Besides being wise himself, the Quester also taught others knowledge. He weighed, examined, and arranged many proverbs. The Quester did his best to find the right words and write the plain truth.

11 The words of the wise prod us to live well.
They’re like nails hammered home, holding life together.
They are given by God, the one Shepherd.

12-13 But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There’s no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you’re no good for anything else. The last and final word is this:

Fear God.
Do what he tells you.

14 And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 (The Message)

We come to the end of the book of Ecclesiastes written by the Teacher, called the Quester in the Message, and considered to be King Solomon, son of KIng David, and considered a wise man.  He concludes that wisdom is like nails holding the boards of our life together.  When we are foolish the boards of our life fly apart.  When we are wise, regardless of how counter intuitive it may seem, life holds together better.  I think of the words of wisdom of Christ – forgive our enemies and allow God to judge, turn the other cheek, or return good for evil.  Crimes of violence against another — whether it be shooting, abuse, or violent language resolves  nothing.  Speaking truth to power is is absolutely necessary but “fearing God” by which I think means factoring him in the scenario as present is important.  

The Teacher opened the book of Ecclesiastes with those famous words, meaningless, meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless.  He has analyzed life from many angles.  He comes to the conclusion that without a God, without a final judgment to set things right, life is meaningless.  It is as we acknowledge the presence of a God walking with us, before us, and dealing with our past that life gains meaning, perspective, and is no longer meaningless.   We believe Evil will be brought to account be someone smarter and stronger than I.

As we close our study of Ecclesiastes’s today let us thank God for his forgiveness for our foolishness that he somehow is able to work for his glory and let us thank Him for walking with us and giving us to face the challenges of today and tomorrow.  To Him be the glory!