A Life of Compassion

Presented May 22, 2022 by Rev. Judy Davis
Based on Mathew 5:38-48

The scripture today from Matthew is part of what is known as “the Sermon on the Mount,” which is found in chapters 5-7 of the Gospel of Matthew. It contains the moral teachings of Jesus and is often considered to contain the central tenets of Christian discipleship. This sermon comes early in Jesus’s ministry, but sometime after his baptism by John and after Jesus went to the wilderness and fast and pray, and after calling some of his disciples to follow him as he traveled around preaching. This sermon is believed to have taken place on a hillside near the Sea of Galilee.

A couple of weeks ago eight of us from Bethany attended a conference at Zephyr Point on “justice.” Justice for creation. All creation. The main speaker was Dr. Cláudio Carvalhaes, a professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York.

During one of the evening sessions, he spoke about what it means for us to be in a “wilderness time of our lives.” These are the times most likely to be when we have suffered some trauma or loss. Times when we might feel confused about just who we are. Or probably, just who God is. Everything we believe about God might have taken a severe hit. We might feel the God who we believed to be our protector might seemed to suddenly have disappeared. During this wilderness time we find ourselves searching for our true selves. Asking “who am I?” Asking “who does God think I am?” Asking “what does God expect me to be? Out in the wilderness of our life confused about the path ahead.

I’ve had those wilderness times in my own life, especially in the midst of illness and deaths of people I loved. But I want to begin with the Bible’s story of Jesus being in the wilderness, and his search for who he was and who he was to be.

Jesus had gone down to the Jordan River to ask his cousin John to baptize him. And the Bible says: ‘just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness.”

Most of us are familiar with this story. A story where three times Jesus is tempted by the devil. Tempted out there in the wilderness while he is asking those questions we ask: Who am I? Who does God think I am? What does God expect me to be?

After fasting 40 days and nights Jesus is tempted by the devil with these words: “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 

Most of my life I was taught that the temptation for Jesus was to turn those stones to bread. But I don’t see it that way anymore. I think the temptation was in the first part of that sentence: “If you are the Son of God,” you should be able to do exactly that: turn stone to bread. 

But of what we know about Jesus, turning stones to bread was not among his God-given gifts. Jesus was in the wilderness examining who he was, and what that could possibly mean if he was the beloved Son of God. I think Jesus knew himself well enough to know he had a gentle, compassionate heart for everyone. He loved people. Lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors, the mentally ill, fishermen, children, women and men. That’s who he was. He loved to listen to people’s stories of their lives.  He wanted to teach about what he believed the Hebrew scripture said about God’s Kingdom on earth. Jesus believed in mercy and forgiveness for sin.

Maybe out there in the wilderness Jesus was tempted to doubt the Spirit’s voice he had heard at his baptism about being God’s Son. Maybe he was tempted to believe that who he was—a healer and a reconciler—wasn’t really what God wanted. Maybe God cared about acts like stone turned into bread. That kind of flashy power. Not the power of forgiving and gentle love. For everyone.

Jesus came out of the wilderness and began his ministry. He began teaching what it meant to be a child of God: 

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” 

“If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.”

“If someone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well.”

and “If someone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.”

This isn’t hyperbole. This is what Jesus came to believe during those forty days out in the wilderness, struggling with that question of “Who is God? and what does it mean that I am God’s beloved Son.” 

A man named Stanley Hauerwas, an American theologian and ethicist, wrote this:

“The basis for the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount is not what works but rather the way God is. Cheek-turning is not advocated as what works (it usually does not), but advocated because this is the way God is—God is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. This is not a stratagem for getting what we want but the only manner of life available, now that, in Jesus, we have seen what God wants. We seek reconciliation with the neighbor, not because we feel so much better afterward, but because reconciliation is what God is doing in the world through Christ.”

It’s hard not to hit back when we’ve been hit. Every child knows how it feels to want to retaliate. But the way of Jesus is not retaliation. It’s feeling that pain ourselves, to be still and stop the escalation of hate.

Is it really possible, as such weak human beings, to live the way of forgiveness?

Gandhi is famous for saying: “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” At the end of his life, Gandhi claimed he no longer hated anybody.

Nelson Mandela walked out of the South African prison where he was confined 27 years, and when he came to power he initiated a process of reconciliation rather than seeking revenge.

The Dalai Lama, who was exiled from Tibet by the Chinese as a young man, saw his monasteries destroyed and his monks executed, and yet he persistently refused to condemn the Chinese.

Martin Luther King believed that the highest point of Jesus’ life was the moment when he forgave his executioners. King believed that “only goodness can drive out evil and only love can overcome hate.” King insisted that we must win the friendship and understanding of the enemy.

We know that compassion involves risk. We become vulnerable. And even though Dr. King was a victim of hatred, his commitment to compassion changed the world.

The well-respected religion scholar Karen Armstrong has written a book about becoming compassionate. She writes that the attempt to become a compassionate human being is a life-long project. It is a struggle that will last until our dying hour. She says that compassion though is possible. Some people have achieved heroic levels of empathy, forgiveness, and concern for others.

She says that we must not get depressed by our repeated failures, but to keep practicing and persevere. We can become a force for good in the world. We can become a refuge for people in pain if we remain gentle and calm, and openhearted in this chaotic world. We can become a haven of peace.

Armstrong says that this is the ideal to strive for, that we can leave the world better because we have lived in it.

This is the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached. That Jesus lived. That Gandhi, and Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., and so many others strived to live out. To be that person of “compassion.”

Amen.

Without Exception!

Presented February 20, 2022 by Elder Jim Guida
Based on Luke 6:27-36

Love. Love God. Love your friends. And love your enemies.

I have thoroughly searched the Bible in regard to this statement, and nowhere does it say, “...except for.” Except for … that stupid driver. Except for … your dopey brother-in-law. And especially not “except for those kids.” We are told to love. Love that jerk who cut you off. Love your brother-in-law, despite his misanthropic political ideas. And love those kids. Especially love those kids.

This could be the simplest sermon possible to preach. A smart person would simply read the passage and then go to the anthem.

That’s what a smart person would do.

But I’ll continue.

It’s easy to sit here in church, among our loving church family, to say “love your enemy,” nod solemnly, and relax. We can do that. Until it happens to us. And our very human reaction is anger. Frustration. Revenge!

Fortunately, we are better than human. Because we have a better-than-human teacher in Jesus the Christ. Who teaches us to overcome our human response and utilize our super-human—our Christian—response. Which is … to love.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King wrote, “Hate is too great a burden to bear. Hatred and bitterness can never cure the disease of fear; only love can do that. Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.”

We are blessed with lessons of love through history, even from those who have been jailed, spat upon, and beaten.

We just need to hear them.

The opening statement in today’s Bible verse is telling—never more so than in 2022. Jesus says, “But I say to  that listen…”  “To you that listen.” How many of us are distracted a thousand times every day, with electronics, random thoughts, noise, whatever? I, of course, include myself when I ask, “Are we centering ourselves on a Christ-filled life or is Christ simply part of our life?” An important part, to be sure, but up there with dinner plans, where am I going after church, and I sure hate Zoom meetings.

Being a Christian—in accordance with the Gospels and New Testament writing, and not someone’s political interpretation of the Bible—is an activity we must practice as sure as we breathe God’s good air. No one is likely ever going to slap you—but they will double-cross you, cut you off in traffic, or make insulting remarks. As practicing Christians—that is, practicing the word of Christ every day—we will know how to respond. We may not give them our shirt with our coat, but we can pull back on the road and give them the space they feel they need. We may lovingly try to correct them—with no hint of superiority. And we just “let it go.” 

“Love is the force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme, undying principle of life.” We have all learned in life the message that every positive religion that ever existed extolled—to “Do Unto Others As You Would Have Others Do Unto You.” Take a breath. Step back. Make good immediate decisions. And the only way to do that is to be ready to do that—living the life God wants us to live—in everything we say and everything we do. 

Remembering the Greatest Commandment—to Love God—“is the height of life,” says the Rev. King. “And when you do this, you live a complete life.”

But why should we love? We are good people. We pay our taxes, don’t cheat others, and hardly ever think ill of people. Isn’t that enough? Why should I love supernaturally?

Because we believe in the greatest lover of all time: he who was sent to earth from our heavenly Father to share the most important message of all time. We must love because Jesus loves us. 

And THAT—above all else—is the word of God.

Living in God’s Covenant

Presented February 28, 2021 by Rev. Judy Davis
Based on Genesis 17: 1-7, 15-16 and Acts 11: 25-30

In the past weeks I have read a small book by N.T. Wright, a British biblical scholar, titled God and the Pandemic. Many of my thoughts this morning are informed by what he had to say. During this season of Lent I am trying to learn more about the responses we make as Christians toward disasters and how our lives are impacted by those responses.

On this second Sunday of Lent, the lectionary takes us to the Genesis scripture telling of the Covenant that God makes with Abraham. God had already called Abraham to leave the land of his father and go to a new land, and promised that Abraham would be a blessing. Now God makes a covenant with that man, Abraham.

Earlier in Genesis there is the story of  God making a Covenant with Noah and with every living creature. A promise that God would never again destroy the earth with a flood. But God’s covenant with Abraham is a promise made to one man, a promise to fashion a people. Yahweh would be their God, and they, the descendants of Abraham, would be Yahweh’s people.

After more than 4,000 years we are here today in that long line of descendants. So my question for us, is what does it mean today to be God’s covenant people?For we—as Christians—follow a man, Jesus, who was a Jewish descendant of this Covenant.

The Hebrew word for Covenant is b’reeth. A word that denotes a promise, a never-ending relationship, a bond or treaty between two people, two nations, or, in this case, a bond between God and a people. Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets saw that bond as permanent and binding. Moses had brought down from Mt. Sinai the commandments, the expectations of God for his people, and when Israel failed God’s expectations, God called them back. God was faithful to entering into the continuation and renewal of that Covenant. Over and over. In Jeremiah we find that God puts his law into their hearts, forgives them, and remembers their sins no more. “I will be their God, they shall be my people.” At the very heart of covenant keeping is: ‘I am yours, you are mine.”

There is another Hebrew word that belongs to the language of Covenant and the relationship of covenanted parties. It defines and qualifies these mutual relationships. Its fundamental meaning is loyalty and faithfulness to a covenant. It is most often used in the context of God’s “steadfast love” that endures forever. It is the kind of love that actively seeks the well-being of the other. It is the kind of love that offers the best the world has to offer and constantly seeks redemption for the one in need. 

This Hebrew word is cheh-sed and sometimes is translated as “mercy” or “compassion.” This God of steadfast love is alive and well in the Old Testament narrative and song. Mary Donovan Turner writes:

God sends “chesed, steadfast love … God remembers it, continues it, shows it, causes it, makes it great, keeps it, satisfies it, and surrounds it.”

“This is the kind of love that sees us through weakness, confusion, complaint, temptation, sin, and defeat. It is the love that indwells the human spirit, inspires hope and courage, and enables us to be faithful even when we grow weary of doing good works.”

This is God’s love, and it is the love to which we are called;  not just to give back to God, but to give to all of God’s creation. That’s how we show love to God, by loving others.

N.T. Wright writes, “God always wanted to work in his world through loyal human beings. Jesus, himself, says in John 20:21, “As the father has sent me, so I’m sending you.” As Jesus had been to Israel, so were his followers to be to the world.

From Psalm 106:1 “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.” 

From the Gospel of Matthew: Jesus says “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." Then Jesus begins to quote the ten commandments. For they are our covenant with God. And then Jesus says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 

In Mark 12, when Jesus is asked which is the first commandment of all, Jesus answered, “The first is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these." 

That is the steadfast love of God. That is the love that God sent Jesus to this world to live out in the midst of his community. That is the love that Jesus sent his followers to live out in the midst of their world.

When I was about 14 years old, I got a glimpse into this kind of love when one of my beloved junior high teachers had a stroke one evening while attending the wedding of her neighbor. She died that night at the hospital. She was only about 40 years old. A woman deeply loved; her son, my classmate; her husband, a teacher at the college. At her funeral the First Baptist Church in my hometown held a packed sanctuary of students, friends, family—all of us in shock at this tragedy. Then in the middle of the service, unexpected, a tall,  slender, elderly, frail-looking man stood up and begin to sing. No piano, but in his emotional voice, the father-in-law of this beloved woman began to sing:  

O love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee; 
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow 
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to Thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.

O cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from Thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

Some years after, Jesus was crucified, Acts 11 takes us to Antioch, in Syria, 300 miles north of Jerusalem. Antioch is a bustling city with people from everywhere. Many languages, cultures, and ethnicities work together in this city and there is already a Christian community here. Antioch is the first place that followers of Jesus were called Christians. Barnabas has just come up from Jerusalem to check with them, and he is delighted to find this community.

The Apostle Paul also comes to Antioch to help with preaching and teaching. One day a traveling group of prophets comes to town and holds a meeting. Agapus rises to share a prophecy—there will be a terrible famine over the whole world, a famine of wide proportions. We rarely get to witness the new Christian movement in action so soon. A worldwide famine—a health crisis.

There are several ways a Christian community might respond. 1) Oh don’t worry about it God will handle the famine or 2) surely this is a sign that Christ is about to return, these are the end times or 3) this must mean we have sinned and are being punished so we must repent.

But this church in Antioch instead asked themselves three questions:

1. Who is going to be at risk when this crisis occurs?

2. What can we do to help, what resources do we have?

3. And who shall we send?

Just prayerfully asking what can we do to help.

Sounds so much like Jesus: “I was hungry and you fed me. I was sick and you ministered to me … I was in prison and you came.”

And that is what the Christian community does. They agree that they will be fine but they discuss that small, persecuted Christian community down in Jerusalem, some 300 miles away. They will almost certainly have a very hard time in a famine. So they take up a collection they send Barnabas and Saul to Jerusalem with the funds. 

That’s it. No time to ask why, no time to question the past or other people’s sin. Just get these people food. 

This church was indeed a people of the Covenant with God.

In this past year we, too, have faced  a health crisis. And while the government has had to ask what went wrong, what to do to try and fix the crisis, we—as a Church, a community within God’s covenant—have had to ask those same three questions the Christians in Antioch asked 2,000 years ago.

1. Who is at risk?

2. What can we do to help?

3. Who shall we send?

We know exactly what Jesus himself said his father had called him to do:

To bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners; to comfort those that mourn.

And then he sent us to do more of what his father sent him to do.

Two weeks ago my home state, Texas, had another crisis, freezing weather and so many losing  their source of heat. There was plenty of blame to go around, but Communities of Faith, Communities of God’s Covenant, needed to ask the questions of who is at risk and needs our help.

God’s covenant, a covenant filled with cheh-sed, steadfast love, a message repeated throughout the Old and New Testaments, and so summed up in the words of the prophet Micah:

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Amen.

Transfiguration on a Hill … Then Back to Real Life

Presented February 14, 2021 by Jim Guida
Based on 2 Kings 2 and Mark 9:2-9

To give context to our New Testament reading in Mark 9, I want to share an abridged version of the Old Testament’s 2 Kings 2:

The prophet and miracle worker Elijah was walking with Elisha, his disciple and most devoted assistant. The Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven and three times—at three different cities—Elijah told Elisha to “stay here.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” Finally, after they crossed the Jordan River together, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”

Elijah is a Jewish synonym for Messiah. Whereas Elijah is not the Messiah for which the Jews are looking, his return to earth will be the harbinger of the Messiah and the promised times. 

As Christians, we believe differently—that our Messiah has already come, in the personage of Jesus Christ.  In fact, the word “Christ” comes from the Greek word “Christos,” meaning Messiah.  (Now how many of you thought that was just Jesus’s last name?)

With that in mind, let me read from Mark 9:2-9:

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 

Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

If you want to hear how that turned out, be sure to join us for our Easter service.

But for now, let’s examine today’s text. We read that Jesus’s “clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.”

Great theological minds have examined this Bible passage, which can also be found in Matthew, Luke and 2 Peter, and while they may have found interpretations, your first response has validity.

No doubt that response is, “Man, that’s weird!”

And you can study the Bible backwards and forwards and find no explanation for this phenomenon.

Fortunately, for you, I’m here. 

And I’ll tell you—“Man, that’s weird! 

Why the ‘whiter than white’ that puts us in mind of Clorox bleach commercials?” It’s an odd sentence and I don’t want it to detract from the rest of our reading. So I won’t.

On the mountain with Jesus was Moses, with whom I believe all of you are familiar, and Elijah, whose significance I mentioned before. 

This event occurred after Jesus had fed the 5,000, healed a blind man at Bethsaida, and Peter had declared Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah. So clearly, his disciples knew that there was something special with this man.

But this triumvirate of religious leaders had to be beyond any understanding.

It’s as if Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Derek Jeter were gathered on the same ball field.

It’s Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dolly Parton singing in the same concert hall.

You know what I mean. It’s beyond extraordinary.

And naturally, you would want to build a shrine to the place all three of them were gathered.

But if that wasn’t enough, the Big Guy chimes in. There is no question who is speaking and of whom he is speaking. “This is my Son, the Beloved; Listen to him!”

And then let’s continue with Matthew’s version—“When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”

Isn’t that a wonderful phrase? We hear it so often in the Bible stories. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

That’s wild, man!

And as they descended, Jesus instructed his disciples to “tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.”

Which he has. 

And which they did. 

Which allows us to gather as a church family 2,000 years later.

But if we just had Jesus and his friends hanging out with some heavy hitters from the past, we would have no reason to celebrate the Son of God as the Prince of Peace. Because although Jesus is inextricably tied to what we call the Old Testament, it is his message to Love One Another that keeps him alive in our hearts.

One lesson to take from this Scripture is that no matter how exhilarating an experience may be, eventually we have to return to reality—to “descend from the mountain”—and live a life made better but what has transpired.

We live in the Central Valley of California—the Sacramento Valley, to be specific. And if you descend from one mountain, eventually you will have to climb another hill. With your permission, this old white man will read part of a poem, written by a young Black woman—a poem that  sounds more like a sermon to me. On January 20, Amanda Gorman shared with the nation and the world, “The Hill We Climb.”

And so we lift our gazes, not to what stands between us but what stands before us.

We close the divide because we know, (in order) to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside..

We lay down our arms

so we can reach out our arms to one another

We seek harm to none and harmony for all

Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:

That even as we grieved, we grew

future first we hurt, we hoped

That even as we tired, we tried

Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree—And no one shall make them afraid

If we’re to live up to our own time

Then victory won’t lie in the blade

But in all the bridges we’ve made

That is the promise to glade

The hill we climb

If only we dare

But one thing is certain:

If we merge mercy with might, and might with right,

then love becomes our legacy

and change our children’s birthright

So let us leave behind a country

better than the one we were left with

When day comes we step out of the shade,

aflame and unafraid

The new dawn blooms as we free it

For there is always light,

if only we’re brave enough to see it

If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

Matthew 5 tells us let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it

If only we’re brave enough to be it.

Grow your faith in the light of Jesus’ love. 

Because that is the word of God.

Amen.

God Is Doing a New Thing—Stewardship, Part 2

Presented November 15, 2020 by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on Matthew 25:14-30

In the early 2000s, I served as the Director of Youth and Outreach at First Presbyterian Church of Buffalo, New York. It was absolutely formative in my call to ministry. I served this church, affectionately known as “First Church,” for four years prior to even attending seminary. My time at this worshiping community taught me so much about church—its purpose, its strengths and weaknesses, how to approach ministry and stewardship, how to navigate change, etc. 

I began at First Church during a very exciting time in the life of this historic church, which had been founded in 1812. Just before I was brought onboard, the Session decided that they were going to actively spend their endowment. For several years, First Church had been in a death spiral. Membership had fallen from 1500 down to 150. The neighborhood had changed, the building was a money pit, and the church was becoming irrelevant. The Session decided that now was the time to invest in the church’s future with radical acts of faith. 

They hired a new pastor, an excellent Christian Educator, a seminary intern, and myself. I like to think that we became an A-Team of ministry! We put a lot of energy into rejuvenating the congregation, reaching out to the neighborhood through a lot of creative endeavors, and implementing new ways of being the church. Sudanese refugees were settling in the neighborhood and so we created a literacy program for their community. A martial arts instructor rented out some of our space, and in turn, part of his payment was to offer free classes for neighborhood kids. A local caterer ran his business from our kitchen, while we also hired him to help our aging congregation by providing meals for our events. 

I am still in regular contact with this church and I’m happy to report that they are going strong 20 years later! They are not only surviving, but they are thriving. Their basement has been transformed into a satellite campus for an area college. The Buffalo Historical Society has moved into the building and offers tours. Recent immigrants from Liberia are now using the worship space for their own services. 

Friends, I believe that Bethany finds itself in a situation remarkably similar to that of First Church. We stand at a crossroads. Will we lock down our resources to enable us to drift along the same path we’ve been on, or are we ready to try something new and to invest in our future? Do we want to drift to the end, shutter all mission, and let the last living person turn the keys over to the Presbytery, or are we ready to use our resources to boldly re-establish ourselves as a beacon of hope in our community?

Much like today’s parable from the Gospel of Matthew, the Session of First Church decided to invest their talents rather than bury them. Jesus shared this parable as a way of teaching us to be good stewards of the gifts he has entrusted to us. If you asked people who give to church, 9 out of 10 would demand that the money be used in furthering God’s work. Sure, investment can be risky, but when we believe that God’s Spirit is working among us, we believe such risks are worth it. There are lean times when we must gather our resources in store houses, but there are also many more times when we need to make investments of faith to respond to the many opportunities God has placed before us. 

I was hired to help create a new vision and lead Bethany into a new chapter. Even though we are in a pandemic, it is clear that we are brimming with ideas for ministry and outreach. Within a few short months, we have adapted to virtual worship and have identified it as a permanent tool for connection beyond our church’s walls. At the same time, it has also become clear that Bethany is in need of a variety of updates for our facility, our technology, and even our polity. Indeed, we have no shortage of areas to address, and now is the time to act. 

Fortunately, all around us is fertile land for ministry. So many of our congregants have appreciated our care packages. Perhaps it’s time we mail them to folks living in our neighborhood? When the pandemic finally ends, I think a lot of parties are in order! Perhaps concerts and ice cream socials? How about art shows and barbeques? We could host speakers and offer space for art exhibits. 

As we begin to experiment, we will find special ways of bringing folks together—from inside of our own circle and from new circles. We’ll have fun doing so, and ultimately, Bethany will offer God’s love and hope to so many in new ways. 

Now, please don’t get me wrong—I don’t want to exhaust our members or stir up anxiety about too many meetings and endless fundraisers. We always want our church to remain a place where all feel a sense of wholeness and peace, rather stress and burden. We would be wise to embrace our identity as a small church. Too often we suffer from “big church envy.”  We feel we need to constantly be growing, and offering a myriad of classes and ministries.  That is a lot of pressure for a small church like ours, especially when we don’t have as much energy or able-bodies as we used to. 

How can we do “church” in new ways that leave us feeling joy and fulfillment? It’s time to let go of programs that cause too much stress or aren’t sustainable. We may need to pay staff or partner with other groups to accomplish our goals. Let’s experiment and then focus in on that one ministry that we can do well together, rather than spreading ourselves so thin. 

The good news is that Bethany has already begun taking a few steps down this new path. I am so eager to participate in “The Gathering” which is run by Rev. Judy Davis. It is one of these meaningful new ministries that are resonating with members and friends alike. In a time of political polarity, we need to build empathy through hearing one another’s stories. There are now “churches” that meet for walks and brunch weekly, there are “churches” that garden together and distribute free food, there are “churches” that help tutor young people and serve them weekly meals. There is a PCUSA congregation in Los Angeles which has partnered with a local school. They purchase instruments for children, and in turn, these kids offer performances at the church for the entire community. At the church I served in Wisconsin, we created a West African drum ensemble which performed in worship and offered community concerts. There is a church in Albany, NY which is shared by 5 different worshiping communities. As a community center, it sees hundreds of people pass through its doors every week. We can dream really big and find new ways of using our space, as First Church did. We could partner with a developer to create senior housing on our property or plant gardens for SSIP. 

As we brainstorm doing ministry in new ways and using our facility in new ways, we inevitably find that we have been richly blessed with all sorts of possibilities.

Now is the time to discern a plan for our future and to consider all we have to bring to the table—time, talent, treasure. What do we want our future and our legacy to look like? As we make our way through the pandemic, we might find that churches see a surge in relevance. Folks may have a renewed sense of faith and a desire to be together and ask meaningful questions. 

• Will we be ready to welcome them?

• Will we have a plan to offer ministry, spirituality, and fellowship programs that are inspiring?

• When Christ inquires about how we used the talents that were entrusted to us, how will we answer?

God is most certainly up to something new. This pandemic has been pushing and pulling us in new directions, as well as illuminating growing edges and revealing new ministry possibilities. I am excited for these changes, these new beginnings that God is offering us, and I hope you are, too.

We proclaim the hope of the resurrection—not just for people, but for our churches as well. May we dream, invest, and act boldly, trusting that God is indeed doing a new thing! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? God will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. May we all trust in this promise! Amen.     

All Saints Day

Presented November 1, 2020 by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on Matthew 5:1-12

Today, we celebrate All Saints Day.

It might be a perplexing holiday for many Presbyterians as we don’t really revere special holy men and women as Catholics do. In our tradition, rather than putting any person on a pedestal, we give glory to God for the ordinary, holy lives of believers in this and every age. We subscribe to the scriptural assertion of “the priesthood of all believers.”

Even though we may not consider them to be saints necessarily, we all have those giants in our lives who have had a profound impact on us, maybe even the world. Today, we remember and celebrate those wonderful people—moms and dads, grandmothers and grandfathers, other family members, friends, church members, teachers, co-workers, classmates, you name it—who we cherished, who enriched our lives, and who we miss so very much now that they’re gone. 

This year, because over 1,190,000 people have died of the coronavirus worldwide, our hearts are even heavier as we consider so many people who are mourning such tragic losses. Moreover, because of the severity of this disease, it seems as though death has been a present possibility for all of us. 2020 has reminded us that death can strike at any moment, and tomorrow is not guaranteed. And when we do encounter death, it’s devastating. 

Last night marked the 4th anniversary of the death of my cousin Brad. He took his own life at age 29 on Halloween in 2016. This shocking act was so unexpected, and our family was left with many questions and much anguish. Halloween has always been a favorite holiday of mine—I love all the costumes, pumpkin-carving and scary movies. But, as you might imagine, it has become bittersweet because I can’t help but miss my cousin on this fateful night.

As I am getting to know many of you—via Zoom and e-mail—I know that you, too, carry wounded hearts from the sting of death. As we hear one another’s stories, we are so familiar with the pain of loss and absence. Our hearts ache for one another, and wish we could make all of the misery disappear. Perhaps the most insidious aspect of this pandemic is our inability to be physically present with all those we care about during the transition from this life to the next, and to be present with one another as we say goodbyes to the dying and mourn them.

It’s really a tough pill to swallow.

We acknowledge that death is a part of life, but man, does it stink when we have to face it. Can’t we all at least live to be a few hundred years old like the ancient ones of Genesis? Jesus, being fully human and fully God, understood the anguish and anxiety that resides within all of us concerning death. Our deepest desire is to love and to be loved in return. Death severs those connections and steals our loved ones away.

Perhaps this is why Jesus began his most famous sermon—the Sermon on the Mount—with the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are a proclamation of blessings for those who are suffering—the poor, the hungry, the abandoned—as well as for those who struggle because they yearn to live a kind, righteous life in a world of wolves. These blessings name the distressing consequences of unjust political realities and the pains of living. The second half of each of these blessings promises God’s reversal of these difficult situations. 

In these frightening times of pandemic and contentious elections, we need to hold on to promises, especially those of our faith. Even as our grief knocks us to our knees or as we ponder what happened to the America we once knew, we must remember that we worship Jesus Christ whos love for us defeated death and sin. No matter how crazy this world may get, Christ is not bound by any earthly powers and he will have the last word.

We cannot forget the great cloud of witnesses of all backgrounds who faced unfathomable storms yet remained faithful. The believers before us held on to the promise of love no matter what, and refused to succumb to hate, bitterness and apathy.

We cannot forget that this very day we have been given is a gift. God’s promised abundance swirls all around us—may we seek it out, engaging all of creation for the joy that it brings.

Friends, food, faith—all are lights to keep the path illuminated, especially when death can make things so dark and heavy. These promises may not heal your pain, but they give us strength and hope—the same things our ancestors clung to—which empower us to stay in the race that God has laid before us.  

Listen to this poem by Mary Oliver, entitled, “The Summer Day.”

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean—
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down—
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention,
how to fall down into the grass,
how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed,
how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

It is my prayer that we would not spend this one wild and precious life held captive by our grief. Our wounds may be a part of our story, but they are not our story. For we Christians believe that this wild and precious life is a gift from God, complete with friends and lovers, mysteries and magnificence, sadness and joy.

When this journey finally comes to the end, when we meet face to face with death, do not believe that death is final. Our faith in Jesus Christ promises that death is only a transition to heaven.

We believe we’ll go on to be with God in perfect peace, surrounded by all of the ancestors.

We believe that the best is yet to come.

So let us continue on in faith on the path God has laid out before us.

Death is out of our hands, so let’s focus on living for today. 

Let’s vote.

Let’s protest.

Let’s pray.

Let’s mourn

Let’s cry.

Let’s remember.

Let’s heal.

Let’s play.

Let’s believe.

Let’s hope. 

Jesus reminds us that it will all be ok. All shall be well and all shall be well. This promise is enough to get us through even the darkest of days. Amen.

Theology Matters

Presented on Reformation Sunday—October 25, 2020—by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on Luke 18:9-14

With Election Day only 10 days away, and our nation is awash with political ads, polls, and high anxiety. 

Even though Biden and Trump are very different men with opposing visions for America, regardless of who is elected on November 3, we’ll still have a host of problems to sort out. The most aged among us declare that they have never lived through such divisive times as these ones. One of the most critical issues we face as a nation is how do we become a united union one again. How will we find ways to compromise, reconcile, and reunite? Though I’m not sure I have the answers to these questions, I believe our faith tradition—the Reformed Tradition—offers a helpful voice to our nation and to the world as we seek to progress into the future together. 

Today is Reformation Sunday—when we celebrate our faith and the unique approach we offer to the world. In today’s era of post-denominationalism and fewer and fewer people attending church, there’s a lot of confusion about what various denominations believe. Many people probably ask you, “What the heck is a Presbyterian” or “what makes Presbyterians different from Lutherans or Methodists?” (It’s also fun seeing people attempt to spell Presbyterian!)

Although I strongly support the spirit of ecumenism—of all Christians seeking our unity in Christ—theology does matter. And today we celebrate our Reformed theology. So, without further ado, here are beliefs that, we Presbyterians, hold near and dear. 

First and foremost, Presbyterians believe God is really big, grand, and sovereign. Though it can be tough to wrap our heads around, God is all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful. Try as we may, we’ll never achieve a complete understanding of who God is or how God works. As the Psalmist proclaims, “such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high, I cannot attain it.” John Calvin thought this was the most important message of scripture, and the Presbyterian Church (USA) thinks so, too. God is God, and we are not. When you start here, you will not let yourself become inflexible and dogmatic, and you make room for a variety of viewpoints since no one person or church or doctrine can capture all of God. 

Next, because God is so grand and mysterious, we have a lot to learn. We have ten PCUSA seminaries in the United States and 65 PCUSA-related colleges and universities in this country. That’s a lot of higher education institutions for a denomination our size. The fact that we value the education of clergy and laypeople enough to invest in these institutions is itself indicative of a very important denominational value: since we’ll never know all of God there is to know, our leaders should be life-long learners, who explore the depths of the tradition, and are trained to interpret not only scripture but the congregations we serve and the world in which we live. John Calvin said that Christians should never fear knowledge, no matter where it comes from, because any time we learn more of the truth about the world, we are learning more about God. You will rarely find a Presbyterian dismissing science or running from an insight because it might challenge her or his faith. We love to ask questions and seek answers. 

The tagline of Presbyterianism is “reformed, always reforming.” What this means is that we have figured some things out, but we still have a lot more to figure out. In other words, we value our tradition and all the contributions of those who have gone before us, but we still know we are imperfect and far from understanding who God is and what God’s plans for the world are. So we strive to keep growing, adapting, and seeking out what the Holy Spirit is doing in the present moment. Remember, “reform” means to “change and improve.”  Though it can be a challenge to put into practice, Presbyterians should embrace growth and change because we are forever evolving on our faith journey. 

One important reason why Presbyterians are always wanting to grow and improve is because we believe that we are all broken, imperfect beings, and quite insignificant when compared to God. We like knowing that tomorrow is a new day to give it another shot. We get lost, we hurt others and ourselves, we sin. We recognize ourselves in the tax collector from today’s text who stood far off, ashamed to look up to heaven, beating his chest and begging God to have mercy on him. Most Sundays we offer a prayer of confession—we acknowledge how we have sinned, we ask for God’s forgiveness, and we recommit ourselves to God. Jesus teaches his followers that those who are humble, like the tax collector, will be exalted. Ultimately, there is nothing we can do to earn God’s grace, but we do give thanks to God whose love and mercy is eternal and for God’s son, Jesus, who saved us and gives us new life.

As we adapt to the world around us, we remain deeply committed to the Word of God. The Bible is our steering wheel as we navigate the ways God is working among us. Ever since the original reformers’ call to return to scripture, all of our theology, our worship, even our polity is scripturally-based. But he Bible, being the inspired Word of God, has many interpretations and so we call upon the Holy Spirit to help us understand the Word of God. 

Now, because of our independent spirits and our passion for our beliefs, we can find ourselves in many arguments. Yes, we fight, but we fight fair. We spend a lot of time talking about what it means to follow Christ, and sometimes those conversations get heated. But we spend a comparable amount of time making sure all voices are heard and all perspectives are honored. Decision-making is therefore messy and slow. But we’ll take messy and slow if it means honoring all the people of God in our rich diversity. 

Indeed, we think it is important to play well with others. In any town in America, you will find Presbyterian folk partnering with other Presbyterian denominations, Baptists, Episcopalians, Catholics, you name it. We welcome their members to take Communion at our tables and their ministers to preach from our pulpits. We see ourselves as a small part of a much larger family of faith, and we have much to learn from one another. We do not believe that the Presbyterian way is the only way because, again, God is just too big to be boxed into to any single tradition or way of thinking. Moreover, many of us, myself included, seek connections with people of other faiths so that we might promote peace and understanding for all the peoples of the earth. Often during the process of interfaith sharing, we make new friendships and are blessed with hope. 

Truly, the world needs our witness. Jonathan Sacks says, “in America we no longer broadcast, we narrow-cast.” In this new era of social media and a plethora of news channels, it is possible to construct our world in such a way that we can go through our day never encountering an alternative point of view. Our two political tribes—Democrats and Republicans—fail to represent all of us. Denominations splinter into churches of the like-minded. People run from church to church looking for places that “fit” their own world view. 

Our nation, our world, and the universal church need to see a group of people who know how to stay together even when they do not always agree, a group of people who believe at the core of their faith that they will never know all of God there is to know and who therefore refuse to narrow-cast.

Presbyterians do not do this perfectly, but we do try to be this kind of witness in a world that desperately needs it. So may we speak up, as our ancestors did, on behalf of a great diversity of voices, and seek to keep building bridges among all of God’s children.

May we all be life-long learners and reformers.

And, despite our differences, may we still find ways to understand one another and educate ourselves so that we can strive to make this world the loving creation God intended for all of its residents.

Happy Reformation Sunday! Amen. 

“Trusting in the Lord, God’s Never Let Us Down Yet”

Presented October 18, 2020 by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on Psalm 28

The Psalms were written approximately 1,500 years ago—and yet they are as relevant as ever. They still speak to us in such powerful ways.

COVID-19 infection rates are once again spiking, and this cursed virus shows no signs of going away. The rollercoaster of election season is in full swing, while we wait with bated breath as to who our next President will be. God only knows what 2021 will bring.

Some of us feel as though we are in the pit of which the Psalmist speaks, or at least many of us find ourselves close to the edge of that pit. We shout out, “Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help!" 

Yes, Lord, hear our prayers for these uncertain, frightening times!  

Despite the despair of this Psalm, it ends in a hopeful manner. We see that the Psalmist places his trust in the Lord. He declares, “The Lord is my strength and shield; in God my heart trusts; so I am helped and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to God.”

Trust is a huge aspect of our faith. After all, isn’t having faith in God or in one another similar to trusting in God and in one another? 

Both trust and faith require letting go of the need to be in control. Trust is an acknowledgement that we are insignificant creatures who are often in need of a helping hand. In a sense, putting our trust in God is an admission of our humanity and our deep need to be connected to others and to God. But we must also admit that trust is often easier said than done. 

In college, I served as a ropes course instructor at our Presbytery’s summer camp in western New York. Ropes courses involve a variety of both low and high obstacles which are used to build trust and teamwork among groups, and to challenge and empower everyone who attempts them. Some of the obstacles are over 30 feet in the air—straddling rope bridges, or climbing to a zipline. All participants are connected to a rope, and partner on the group is connected to the other end, ensuring that the individual won’t fall. So from the very beginning, ropes courses involve a lot of trust.

One of the first lessons we always taught participants was that it often takes a long time to develop trust, but it can be broken in an instant. Unfortunately, most of us are painfully aware of what it’s like to have our trust shattered. It hurts … so much so that we become very hesitant about offering it to others again. 

We all have stories about our wounded-ness, much like the Psalmist. We’ve been let down by our leaders, some friends have turned into enemies, even our families might abandon us. Our trust can and will be broken sometimes.

But no matter how bad it gets, the Psalmist declares that his trust is in the Lord. Whether or not we humans might let one another down at times, God remains eternally faithful. 

Jesus, much like the Psalmist, came out of a harrowing environment, full of violence, poverty, and injustice. Yet he refused to become jaded and abandon the values of God or his faith. Jesus trusted that—in the end—it will be ok. Not only that, he refused to give up on us. Time and time again, Jesus demonstrated to us the power of love and forgiveness, of grace and trust. 

Jesus understands our amazing potential, as beings made in God’s own image, and so he urges us to live out the values he teaches us about, so that we might build the kingdom of God here on Earth. “Kingdom values” such as trust and kindness, honesty and humility stand in opposition to those values of the world that adhere to suspicion, aggression, and revenge. When we share these values in our personal lives and in our churches, those with anxiety find peace; those who are hurting find healing; and those with without hope find encouragement.

Our church communities should be safe places where we can offer one another helping hands.

Rather than attempting to bend this world to our wills, which makes us all nuts, we choose to trust that God has a plan for us and we are gonna enjoy the ride.

Rather than forcing newcomers to earn our trust, like grace, we give of it freely so that we can widen our circles of love and build communities of joy. 

Regardless of the many bruises and dark valleys we encounter in our lives, in the end, we are still saved. The Psalmist reminds us that, “This, too, shall pass. It might pass like a kidney stone, but it shall pass.”

God loves us passionately and eternally, and so God will not abandon us. Much to the opposite, God will find ways to bring us through all the hardships we’ll face. We might receive substantial wounds, or even encounter death, but we will be carried through to another place—be it a new chapter in the life of our nation, be it as a new way of being for our own life, or perhaps it is going on to be with God and all the ancestors who have gone before us.

This is the Gospel message—that Christ has defeated death and nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is the promise in which we place our hope and trust. 

While I was working in Namibia with a study abroad program, our students decided they wanted to go skydiving. I thought it sounded like fun so I joined them. For beginner skydivers, you always take a tandem jump—which means you are connected to professional skydiver who pulls the ripcord and guides the parachute down to the ground for a safe landing. Jumping out of a plane, then, at 10,000 feet requires a whole lotta trust in your partner who you are literally fastened to. But then you remember that this person is a professional. He or she has jumped out of planes thousands of times and this is their work and their passion. So you trust the process and you take a leap of faith.

High above the Namib desert, I stepped out of the doorway of the small plane, and off we went—flying through the air at 200 feet per second. It was a rush unlike anything I’ve ever felt in my life. After 30 seconds of free fall, the parachute opened and we enjoyed a five-minute-long float until we landed softly in the sand. It was truly one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had in my life; it was a spiritual experience. It was a big risk, but my trust was rewarded with a life-changing experience. 

May we be encouraged to put our trust in one another—so that our journeys might be more joyful.

May our churches be places of trust, inspiration and goodwill—so that we would all be empowered to keep moving forward on the journey of faith.

And may we trust in God, knowing that we are loved beyond comprehension.

As the classic African American spiritual reminds us:

“We’ve come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord. Trusting in his holy Word, he’s never let us down yet. Can’t turn around—we’ve come this far by faith.”

Amen.

The Fairer Text

Presented October 11, 2020 by Elder Jim Guida
Based on Philippians 4:1-9

In today’s scripture (Philippians 4:1-9), Paul is writing to the church he founded in Philippi, which scholars agree was probably the favorite of all the churches Paul founded. 

So it was possibly disheartening for Paul to learn of the strife at this church: the quarrelling of two members.

A lot of folks will dismiss the Bible—especially the writings of Paul—as misogynistic (anti-woman). These folks are confusing the times of Paul with the words and intentions of Paul. In our reading today, we hear Paul specifically call out to Euodia and Syntyche “to be of the same mind of the Lord.” Scholars tell us that these two members of the church were, in fact, quarreling, and Paul wanted that to end.

But this is not some girlish catfight.

Paul is in prison and he is taking the time to write to one of his favorite churches, the one in Philippi. If the two people here were inconsequential, why would he go to the trouble of naming them?

As an example of Paul’s alleged misogyny, people will quote Paul in his writing to the church of Ephesians:  “Wives, obey your husbands as you obey the Lord. The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church people. Wives should obey their husbands in everything, just as the church people obey Christ.”

And every woman listening is shaking her head and saying, “Nope. Not gonna happen.”

But these were the times and Paul was part of those times.

In the same letter, though, Paul wrote: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church people. He gave his life for the church. So husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself. However, each one of you should love his wife as he loves himself. And the wife should respect her husband.”

That women are an important part of the church has never been in question.

One of the main incidents connected to Paul’s first visit to Philippi was the conversion of a prominent woman of means called Lydia, a seller of purple-dyed goods. In Philippi, Paul also cured a slave girl, whose gifts of divination were being used by her owner, who was so angry that he had Paul jailed.

Paul was not a misogynist. The Bible is not misogynistic. It is God’s word, interpreted by men who lived in a patriarchal society.

Today’s sermon is inspired by lectionary and also by the passing this month of two great female advocates who advanced the cause of female equality. Singer Helen Reddy made popular the anthem for women in the mid-1970’s with her song I Am Woman. More recently, we lost the greatest champion for women’s rights this nation has ever seen in Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

The voices of these two women have been silenced but their work can continue—and we can use the Bible to work towards that goal.

You will find people who are happy to challenge the Bible, with their “Yeah, but what about.”

But for every “didn’t he say this?,” there is Paul recommending Phoebe in his letter to the Romans, as a benefactor and leader of the church in Rome.

In the same letter, Paul mentions Priscia and her husband, Aquila—in that order!—as workers in the church and teachers of Jesus’ words.

In other writings by him and about him, women are specifically named as partners in Christ, including Nympha and Mary, Mother of John Mark.

We could easily do a Bible study on this subject and perhaps when this COVID-19 nonsense is over, we will. In the meantime, do not be intimidated by those who may say a woman’s place is not in the Bible.

Old Testament stories and even entire books have women as the protagonist and it was Jesus who welcomed all into his company. More immediately and more at home, Bethany Church has always had a strong female presence, since its inception over 100 years ago to last week, when the Fellowship Commission put together and delivered Care Packages to our local members. Those creating and delivering the packages include Dolores, Wendy, Cherie, Janice, Cindy, Diana, Jo, Dena and drivers Cathy, Wendy, Janice, Dolores, Trisha, Grace and Kathy. And if anyone was left out, I apologize, but you can clearly see that we are a church of equality, a church that Paul writes of in Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

That is our blessing. That is our Bethany. Amen

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Bethany women and friends - Mother’s Day Tea 2019

Trump Cards

Presented September 27, 2020 by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on Ephesians 1:15-23

There was a pastor working in China some years ago. He was under house arrest, when suddenly soldiers came to his house one day and said, “You can return to America." 

As the pastor and his wife and kids were celebrating, the soldiers said, “You can take 200 pounds with you." 

Well, the pastor and his family had been in China for several years. They got out the scales and began arguing what to take: the new typewriter, the antique vase, books, clothes, souvenirs. They weighed everything, putting each item on the scales, taking them off, and then putting on various combinations of items. 

Finally, they got their configuration correct and they got it right on the dot: 200 pounds exactly. 

A soldier asked them, “Are you ready to go?” 

“Yes.”

“Did you weigh everything?”

“Yes.”

“You weighed the kids?”

“No, we didn’t.”

“Weigh the kids.”

And in that moment, the typewriter, the vase, and every other item became insignificant trash.

I like this story because it is a lesson in perspective. And in these frightening days of COVID-19, political strife, and climate catastrophes, it’s really easy to lose perspective. The issues we face in our personal lives, as well as these massive problems I’ve just mentioned are serious, but even so, they are manageable. Most of us still have our health, our strength, our daily bread, not to mention a home, people who care about us, a society that functions relatively smoothly despite political dysfunction. 

Because of the endless news cycle, what we think is important really doesn’t mean a thing in the grand scheme of things. Perspective is what keeps us grounded and allows us to prioritize what’s truly significant in life. And we all can use a good dose of perspective—daily! We need perspective in our personal lives and we need perspective as a society. We need to be able to seek out perspective in each of our lives and we need to teach perspective to our children and grandchildren. If a child has perspective, a tantrum won’t be thrown over a lost toy; if a teenager has perspective, a break-up won’t be considered the end of the world; and if an adult has perspective, a lost job doesn’t mean one is a failure. Change, losses and other disappointments become manageable when we have perspective.

Today’s text from Ephesians offers a blessing for all the things God has done for believers; it provides tremendous perspective. It is chalk-full of good news! This blessing moves from faith and love to hope, showering the reader with these life-giving truths.

Early on, we see that Paul offers his continual thanks for these believers and we learn that he is encouraged by them. Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter, so he was certainly in need of encouragement, but he was still giving thanks. Talk about perspective!

I am drawn to the way in which Paul notes that we, believers, are on a faith journey. There are gonna be lots of ups and downs, but we keep journeying. We are on the way to fuller understanding; we have not arrived yet. We are to trust the process—trust one another, but most importantly, trust God.

God’s got this! 

But, as we journey, we should keep some important things in mind. First, Christ is at God's right hand, and thus, God and Christ are with us wherever we are. Second, Christ is over all other ruling powers, rulers and authorities. We are no longer—in any ultimate sense—under their control, whether they be understood as supernatural or earthly. We are freed from them, be they governments, armies, or a terrible boss, and freed for love of God and love of neighbor.

This texts pulls out all the stops as it depicts the heavenly status of Christ.  Christ breaks every spatial barrier that we can imagine and every temporal barrier as well; verse 21 states, "not only in this age but also in the age to come." In this passage, Paul speaks in the present tense of Christ's rule as an accomplished fact. Therefore, we learn that Christ is the One who transcends both time and space, bringing all of us and all of creation under his care. This vision incorporates all people, and the inheritance we all have in Christ. 

So we are showered by Christ’s blessings which replaces our usual scarcity thinking. Conflicts lose their significance when Christ becomes the all in all.  

When I was growing up, my family celebrated what we called, “Party Night”on Fridays. Our dear family friends, the Cashings, joined us at our place for pizza and then we kids played together all over the neighborhood. Meanwhile, our parents always sat at the kitchen table and spent the night playing cards. And the game they played every Friday night was “500." 

Have any of you ever heard of this game or played it?  Well, if you have, you have a partner in me!  

It’s a lot like Hearts or Spades or even Euchre. You have a partner and you are trying to take tricks. Bids are made and a trump suit is determined. Trump cards are the power cards. A trump card can be played and it overrides the power of other suits. It’s a very good thing to have a hand full of trump cards.

Today’s text reminds us that we have a pocket full—or rather a life full—of trump cards wherever we go. Today’s text is proclaiming our trump cards. This great prayer in Ephesians reminds of an inheritance that is much, much more than individual riches or even a beautiful heaven that awaits. It is the gift of being adopted as God’s own, joined to Christ's body, to journey alongside one another in the way of Jesus Christ. 

I’m not trying to gloss over many of the issues that we face as a nation or minimize an individual’s problems. But these comforting words from Ephesians declare to us that in the midst of all the changes, the turmoil, the daily struggles, the bottom line of our existence is that God is in control, and we belong to God!  The next time the news seems too depressing or your life seems like it spiraling out of control—remember to gain some perspective. These trump cards should help. Hallelujah! Amen. 

I want to introduce a new benediction, authored by Steven Charleston:  

Now is the moment for which a lifetime of faith has prepared you. All of those years of prayer and study, all of the worship services, all of the time devoted to a community of faith: it all comes down to this, this sorrowful moment when life seems chaotic and the anarchy of fear haunts the thin borders of reason. Your faith has prepared you for this. It has given you the tools you need to respond: to proclaim justice while standing for peace. Long ago the Spirit called you to commit your life to faith. Now you know why. You are a source of strength for those who have lost hope. You are a voice of calm in the midst of chaos. You are a steady light in days of darkness. The time has come to be what you believe. Amen. 

How Are You Doing?

Presented by Rev. Jesse Larson on Mental Health Awareness Sunday • September 20, 2020
Based on Matthew 15:21-28

“How are you doing?“

This most basic of questions has taken on a whole new relevance in the year 2020. 

With each passing week, we seem to be managing a new crisis, and it’s safe to say that many of us aren’t doing too well. In July, 53% of adults in the United States reported that their mental health has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress over the coronavirus. To our credit, so many of us have adapted to this “new normal” rather quickly, but it’s also easy to slip into despair when we watch the nightly news. 

Statistically speaking, some of us are afflicted with a mental disorder and at the very least, most of us know someone who struggles with a mental illness—a mood disorder, an anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, autism, a personality disorder, an eating disorder, etc. The pandemic, wildfires, and political chaos certainly aren’t making matters any better. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about one in five adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. This figure translates to about roughly 47 million people. Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada.

So, clearly, many of us—a sibling, a relative, a friend, ourself—are often dealing with a mental health issue. But we also know that mental illness is still stigmatized in our society. Mental illness is often spoken about in whispers and behind closed doors. We hide our mental illness and we suffer quietly. And we are unsure about how to help someone who is battling a mental illness.

For example, some people think depression is simply feeling sad, and so they encourage the afflicted to put on a happy face and change their attitude, not understanding that depression can be truly debilitating. The insidious nature of depression is that you have no energy or ability to do the very things that might help you feel better. One of my best friends described depression to me as lying at the bottom of the Grand Canyon on your back, completely zapped of all energy, watching the walls close in. It sounds absolutely miserable. 

When we have a physical ailment, we get fixed up and back on our merry way as soon as possible. After a broken bone or a surgery, we are given time to heal, medicine, and we receive a lot of additional support in our healing process—prayer, flowers, cards … and church deacons may bring us a meal. But for those struggling with mental illness, they often suffer in silence. We may not want to share our struggles as we can be viewed as being weak and broken. 

Mental illness can confuse our behavior, which means we don’t act like our normal selves. 

Like so many Bible stories about Jesus, today’s text is another that involves Jesus healing someone. The Gospels are full of accounts of his healings, and many of these healings have to do with people struggling with demons. Today many consider these “demons” to be possible mental health issues, even addictions. Interestingly, Jesus healed people with issues that afflicted the body AND the mind and soul. Indeed, Jesus sought to bring wholeness and healing for our entire being—our physical health, our mental health, our spiritual health. 

What is so admirable about the mother who brought her daughter for healing in today’s story is her determination and faith. Her daughter was tormented by a demon, and the mother kept shouting to Jesus to “have mercy." The disciples tried to send her away, but she would not be deterred. Finally, after an exchange with Jesus in which she convinces him that her daughter is worthy of healing, Jesus exclaims, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”

One lesson to learn from this text is to recognize that you, too, are worthy of healing. All people deserve compassion and support in the midst of their troubles. Suffer in silence no longer. Do not be ashamed. Seek out those who may be able to help you. Share your burdens with those who will listen and support you. Thankfully, society is becoming more open about managing mental health issues.

I see a counselor fairly regularly. We talk on the phone weekly, and I share with Barry the joys and pains I deal with in my life. After our conversations, I feel more grounded. A counselor listens to the issues you are struggling with, without judgment. He or she can help you to ponder new questions, consider different perspectives, and offer suggestions to better manage your issues. Ultimately, the whole purpose of a counselor is to empower you to feel better. 

Another crucial lesson we can take away from the many healings Jesus conducted is that no one should be defined by his or her illness, be it a physical ailment or a mental illness. Remember, in Jesus’ day, anyone who was struggling with a physical or mental health issue was usually deemed unclean, and thus discarded. So when Jesus healed someone, he also restored them—they were no longer ostracized by the community. And the restoration of one’s position in the community was often just as valuable as the actual healing. 

Christ calls us to continue to break down the barriers that separate us from one another and from God.

Some of our ailments will be cured, others won’t. We manage as best we can with each passing day, so all the more reason why our churches should be places of comfort and grace. Whatever brokenness you bring to the table, remember that we are unique individuals made in the image of God, with our own gifts and strengths and experiences. We are so much more than our flaws or our illnesses, so let us never be defined by them. 

My great-great-grandfather—Charles Larson—died an alcoholic in a state mental health facility in Erie, Pennsylvania, many years ago. It was a sad ending, but my family doesn’t dwell on this small detail. Charles Larson left Sweden for a better life in the late 1800s. He settled in Erie and soon brought over his wife and son. I was fortunate to meet his son, my great-grandfather Henry Larson, who died at age 101 in 1987. Charles Larson was a ship’s carpenter who sailed the world seven times, and there are many tales about his adventures at sea. If you think about it, I wouldn’t be here without him. He had his struggles as we all do, but they were only a small piece of the person who God had made him to be. 

Friends, I know these days are quite heavy. I often feel overwhelmed myself. Please know that you are not alone. If you are not doing well, please reach out to someone you trust. We have many helpful resources at our disposal which can help us to feel better, and manage in these trying times. 

We hold fast to our faith that God is working in our lives to bring wholeness, restoration, and redemption in ways we may comprehend and in ways we may not. It will get better, and God will have the final word. 

At the very least, as disciples of Jesus Christ on this wild journey together, may we be considered allies in the quest for a healthy and valued existence for all of God’s children. May it be so. Amen.   

Unplugging: Honoring the Sabbath

Presented September 13, 2020 by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on Genesis 2:1-4

This past Tuesday, I had one of those days when I entered one of the nine circles of technological hell.

I’m sure you are also familiar with this tortuous experience. After the internet had been out for most of the day, it was finally restored. But only a few websites would load on my browser. I began looking into my computer’s settings, as well as several YouTube videos to search for fixes. I headed down several rabbit holes, and my frustration only grew. Finally, I decided to step away for a while and take a deep breath. I turned off my computer and sure enough, when I turned it back on, everything was working again! The problems were remedied by a simple fix—a restart. 

As Bay Area native and author Anne Lamott says, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." Isn’t that the truth? Restarts are vital for our minds, bodies, and souls. Life has grown more complicated and all the changes are overwhelming. As we work our way through this pandemic, a tumultuous election season, protests, ongoing climate disasters and even road rage, it all gets to be too much.

Some days are better than others, but I must admit I’ve felt quite a bit of despair lately. Each week brings with it a new calamity, and we wonder when we’ll ever get a reprieve, let alone some good news. 

Today’s scripture lesson is a very important reminder for all of us. Near the end of the first creation story—there are actually two of them—we learn about the Sabbath. God was pleased with God’s creative work in making the universe, so on the seventh day, God rested and made the day hallowed.

For centuries, Jews and Christians have kept a special day every week to honor God. While some continue to make the day a day of rest, much of society has made the Sabbath day just another day of the week; stores are open, few bother with worship any more, and the pressures of our lives keep mounting up. Fortunately, for those of us gathering today for worship, we understand just how important it is for us to re-center our lives on God. We often get beat up along the week, and we come in need of restoration, hope, and inspiration. Even when it’s been a good week, we still realize that this life has a way of skewing our perspective and racing along at breakneck speeds. We need to get off the rollercoaster before we miss all of the goodness and hope happening all around us. And we need to take a break to let our bodies, minds, and souls rest. After all, we are human beings, not human doings. 

Taking a day of rest is not only a part of creation since the very beginning, it is one of the 10 commandments.

Yes, God commands us to rest, to unplug, to recreate.

Moreover, scripture teaches us that there were several instances when Jesus sought rest and refuge. Luke 4:16 relates that Jesus went to the synagogue regularly, as was his custom. Just last Sunday, we studied the story of the feeding of the 5,000; Jesus was trying to get away from the crowds, but they continued to follow him. Right after the miracle of the loaves and fish, Jesus went up a mountain to be alone and to pray. 

As the disciples of Christ, we can model a different way of being that pushes back against the unhealthy demands of society. We are about the kingdom of God, and so we can show folks that there are alternatives to all of the frenetic pressures. Whereas society pushes us to work 24/7, the church offers the gift of rest and grace. The church invites us to come as we are without any expectation of having to do. In seminary, pastors are taught to protect their days off, and to be sure to take vacation time because, sadly, over 75% of pastors leave the ministry after their first five years.

Indeed, if you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness. Our churches should ensure vacation time for our staff as well as pay living wages. We can create new ways of doing the business of the church, rather than pressuring people to fill leadership positions that only stress them out. When our church culture exudes serenity and renewal, it’s amazing how many people long to be a part of it.   

A strong work ethic is admirable. The Protestant Work Ethic helps to make a financially sound nation. But, we can all admit that we often go overboard with our need to be productive. After all, is our existence only about increasing our GDP, or has God placed another purpose upon our lives?

God calls us to love and to tend to our souls and the souls of others. And in this work, God commands us to rest. So let’s do it—without guilt or shame. It’s ok to say “no,” to slow down, and to stop and smell the roses. As this pandemic has taught us, lots of good things come from rest and relaxation—baking skills, new hobbies, reconnecting with old friends, making new ones, even new ways of getting work done—thank you,Zoom!  

So may you take time to enjoy all that creation has to offer.

My cousin Tim arrived to our apartment a couple of days ago. He’s on a nationwide road trip. We’ll be heading out together to see the Grand Canyon and southern Utah in early October. I know the pandemic has thrown a huge wrench into all of our plans, but maybe you can still find time to sneak away to the mountains, the forest, or the coast for a weekend. Such trips are never a letdown.

Let’s turn off our devices and the never-ending barrage of media. Let the natural world and stillness and silence fill our souls with wonder. When we take time to relax, we are able to appreciate all that is going on around us. Your “to-do” lists can wait, but take time every day to embrace all that the day has to offer. 

In closing, I’d like to close with a blessing from John O’Donohue from a piece entitled, “The Inner History of a Day." He writes:  

We seldom notice how each day is a holy place

Where the eucharist of the ordinary happens,

Transforming our broken fragments

Into an eternal continuity that keeps us.

Somewhere in us a dignity presides

That is more gracious than the smallness

That fuels us with fear and force,

A dignity that trusts the form a day takes.

So at the end of this day, we give thanks

For being betrothed to the unknown

And for the secret work

Through which the mind of the day

And wisdom of the soul become one.

Honor the Sabbath, and rest and be well friends. Amen. 

Inventory of Abundance

Presented September 6, 2020 by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on Luke 9:10-17

Last week, I introduced the idea of the “myth of scarcity.”  Scarcity is THE driving force behind so many of our actions. The world over is filled with anxiety concerning resources and opportunities are quickly running out. The future grows inevitably bleak, and so we need to horde and defend.

The theologian Walter Bruggemann labels this idea of scarcity a myth because the Bible describes God as creating a world that has fruitfulness, vitality and growth in its very DNA. This theme is found throughout scripture, including today’s passage.

Today’s Bible lesson of the feeding of the five thousand is one of the few stories that is found in each of the four Gospels. Since all four authors chose to include this story, we must consider it to be important.

We find Jesus among large crowds of people, healing many who were sick. After what was surely a long, tiring day, the disciples ask Jesus to send the crowds away so that they can go for dinner. However, Jesus responds, saying, “You give them something to eat.”  The disciples quickly reply, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”  We become overwhelmed by a problem, and so we want to shut it down. Still, Jesus asks them to be a part of the solution. Jesus takes what appears to be a meager supply of bread and fish, he gives thanks to God and then has the disciples give the food to the crowds. Sure enough, 5,000 men are fed, as well as countless other women and children, too.

This text gets at an important core of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus—“what are you going to do to help?” That is, how do to become a part of the solution, how do we help to build the kingdom of God here on Earth. And how do we take leaps of faith on behalf of love and hope rather than fear and scarcity? Today’s text demonstrates that having faith in Christ combined with our own gifts enable us to do miraculous things.

The truth is that there are scarce resources in our world which we must use wisely. The world is changing so fast, it’s hard to keep up. But, Jesus encourages us to consider how we respond to the challenges we face—through hording and violence, or through creativity and faithfulness. The world has tried wars plenty of times; I wonder if we might try a different approach?

As Christians, we are encouraged to see the good in others, in our experiences, and in ourselves. The more faithful we become, the more hopeful and positive we are, and vice versa. Moreover, we understand gratitude. We have been given so much from God. Our gratitude and faith help us to reframe the ways we approach the world—either through the lens of scarcity or bounty. We are still realists who acknowledge very real problems in our midst—joblessness, climate change, and systemic racism.

But as we grapple with these issues, rather than give into fear or scarcity, we should inventory our gifts, strengths, our resources, and our many blessings.

In creating our “Inventory of Abundance” we ask, “What do we have to be thankful for? What are our gifts? What are our resources? What excites us about the future?

It is true that our economy isn’t what it once was. Finding lasting, quality jobs can be really challenging. Our oceans are filled with plastics. Our churches are shrinking, and each year roughly 10,000 churches close in the US alone. But that is not the whole story. Communities and churches are responding to the seismic shifts in our society in some very meaningful ways. Lots of cool stuff is happening all around us, if we just have the eyes to see it. The good news is that there are many ways people are rejecting scarcity. Specifically, I want to highlight some of the unique ways Presbyterians are creatively responding to what’s happening in our world.

• Presbyterian Homes is an organization that helps transform church campuses into retirement villages and nursing homes. Often, the sanctuary remains intact and becomes a more vibrant community with more people able to easily access it. And smaller congregations no longer have to manage the burden of maintaining a sizable property.

• Indeed, many churches are using their campuses in new ways. Some are providing space for chefs, caterers, artists, counselors, and entrepreneurs. In turn, these renters provide a host of special events for church members and the larger community, transforming our churches into vital community centers.

• A Presbyterian congregation in Los Angeles has partnered with a local elementary school to provide kids with instruments. The children then use the church’s sanctuary as a practice and performance space for the entire community.

• Many of our congregations are comprised of retired folks. We may not have as much energy as we used to, but we do have more free time. Some church members are becoming pen pals and tutors with local school children. Others are volunteering as adoptive grand parents to young people in need of care and mentoring. Others support local businesses by arranging outings for members.

• Some congregations are using their endowments to pay off medical debt. Others are modifying space in their buildings to provide small apartments for young people with limited income.

• The PCUSA’s “1001 Worshiping Communities” funds a variety of new worship initiatives. Our own Rev. Judy Davis has been bringing the community together to share our stories with one another. In Chicago, my best friend founded an intentional Christian community with six other friends from seminary in 2008. They share many belongings in common, they offer affordable rooms for rent, and they prepare a homecooked meal every night for residents and guests.

Sometimes it’s as easy as identifying a need and then researching how communities are responding to the need. Who can we partner with? What resources do we have to bring to the project? And how would this project be fun, sustainable, and life-giving to all parties involved? Then, it’s time for a leap of faith and to see what happens! 

What are our gifts and resources here at Bethany? What is our shared vision for our future? How will you help to serve God’s people? As we continue to face the uncertainty of tomorrow—as people have done since the beginning of time—may we encouraged to think creatively about the issues we face. It may mean doing things very differently, but then again, isn’t the church meant to adapt to the needs of the people?

May we refuse to give into the myth of scarcity, feeling that life is always out to get us. Rather, may we inventory our abundance—our many blessings, our many gifts, our many resources—and may we put them all to use and live into our call as co-creators.

Amen.

Love Will Heal Us

Presented August 23, 2020 by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on 1 John 4:7-12

We know the Bible is a big book, full of lots of different themes—love, hope, grace, faithfulness. Interestingly, conflict is also a prominent theme of scripture. 

We remember the Hebrews struggled in the wilderness; they were so uncomfortable that they even longed to return to their bondage in Egypt. 

Many of Paul’s letters were written to encourage members of early churches that were navigating intense conflict. 

Jesus frequently sparred with religious leaders. These struggles were so heated that on more than one occasion, people tried to kill Jesus. And yet Jesus stayed true to his convictions that God had better plans for all of creation, and therefore, he refused to shy away from conflict. 

Most conflict isn’t so much about malice as it is differences of opinion. We have different perspectives which are valid, but as soon as we dip our toes into the waters of conflict, we quickly pull out and turn to unhelpful band-aid solutions that give us a false sense of stability. But these unresolved issues will find a way of popping up over and over again until we finally address them. So the question is: how do we work our way through conflict; how to we hold one another amidst the discomfort, and then move forward after all of the turbulence?

It seems that church conflict is an inherent part of our being since the very beginning, and this is because we are all broken and flawed people and we care so deeply for this important institution in our lives.

John’s first letter, for example, is a document addressing a congregation that has suffered a division among its members. In verse 19 of chapter 2, John acknowledges that “they went out from us, but they did not belong to us.” 

John’s statement even acknowledges that sometimes we grow apart—we all have our own boundaries and sometimes we need to go our separate ways. Still, in the midst what was most likely a great amount of hurt, anger, and sin, John encourages these early believers not to lose hope. He assures them that they are on the right path. In each of our chapters, whether together or apart, during our glory years or in the lean times, God has plans for our lives and our churches. 

Notice that John doesn’t offer any quick fixes. He also doesn’t rail against conflict. It is a fact of life. But, most importantly, he offers us a way to hold on in the midst of the storm: keeping love as our core. 

“Let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God … God is love.”

We are to love one another, just as Jesus taught. That’s what it’s all about even when we disagree and even if we go in different directions. 

John reminds us that God loves us so much that we have been saved through Jesus’ great sacrificial act of love. Our sins no longer keep us from God. And so as a response to God’s love for us, we should love one another, boldly. If we love one another, God lives in us! Wow! Talk about empowering!

John had probably heard both sides of the conflict—all of the accusations, all the hearsay, all the drama. There was also surely some level of complexity to such issues. There are always two sides to every story. And yet John remains undeterred. He doesn’t offer any easy solutions, but he declares that our shared love of God and one another is more than enough to get us through to a better place. John reminds us all that the core of our very being and the core of our churches is that God loves us and we are to love one another. And because of this deep love, we also have faith and trust in God and in one another. Are our churches places of love? As individuals, do we treat one another with love?  

Dr. John Mackie was the president of the Church of Scotland after World War II. With two other ministers of a rather pious denomination, they traveled to a remote part of the Balkan Peninsula to check on missionaries they supported. The three clergymen visited an Orthodox priest in a small Greek village. Excited to see the visitors, the priest offered the pastors a glass of rare and expensive wine. Horrified, the two pious ministers refused. Dr. Mackie, on the other hand, took a glassful, sniffed it like a wine connoisseur, sipped it, and praised its quality. He even asked for another glass. The other two pastors were clearly upset by Dr. Mackie’s behavior.

Later, when they were all back in the Jeep again making their way down the bumpy road out of town, the two pastors turned to Dr. Mackie and asked, “So, you mean to tell us that you are the president of the Church of Scotland and an officer of the World Council of Churches and you drink?” 

Dr. Mackie quipped back, “No, I don’t, actually. But SOMEBODY had to be a Christian!”

Yes, we get caught up in all the rules, who’s right and who’s wrong, all the while missing opportunities to show love and grace. 

There will be fights in our lives and in the lives of our beloved churches. That’s just the way it is. But God’s love and the love we share with one another is much stronger than any conflicts we may face. Even in times of great conflict we still have power over how we behave and respond in the midst of all that is swirling around us—the ways in which we treat one another. 

John urges us to keep love as the core of our being. This is what it’s all about. Our sin has been covered; if we mess up, try again tomorrow. Keep loving. Do small acts of love and big acts of love. Have faith that God has a plan for you, no matter the twists and turns that your life may take. Trust in the power of love and the power of God. It will be enough. And as Richard Rohr, the Franciscan priest and author, states, “If your only goal is to love, there is no such thing as failure.” Hallelujah! Amen. 

Zacchaeus the Opportunist

Presented August 16, 2020 by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on Luke 19:1-10

Last week, I mentioned a superb Nova episode on PBS entitled “The Rise of the Mammals.” It was so good, I’m getting two sermons out of it! The program dealt with how mammals were able to rise out of the ashes of the meteoric event that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. The earliest fossils from this time period indicate that tiny mammals had front teeth that were used for biting and tearing, while their back teeth were rounded, meaning that they were used for grinding. Their teeth resemble our own; scientists argue that these little creatures became opportunists—they ate meat, vegetation, just about anything. Those creatures that had much more specific diets died off because climate change had killed off so many plant and animal species. Only those creatures who were able to adapt and take advantage of every opportunity for sustenance could survive. 

One can argue that tax collector Zacchaeus  was an opportunist who adapted to his surroundings. You remember his story, don’t you? “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he. He climbed up in the sycamore tree to find out what he could see.” Zacchaeus clearly had some advantages over many of his contemporaries—he had a good job and was rich. But today’s text also shares that he was a short in stature, and, as a general rule, tax collectors were reviled as they were cheats who also did the bidding of the Roman occupiers. So, like all humans, he also had his disadvantages. The story is so memorable because Zacchaeus decided to climb a tree so he could see Jesus amid all the crowds who surrounded him during his visit. Jesus sees him in the tree and shouts to him that he’ll be staying at his home. (Maybe when the pandemic is over, I’ll start coming by your homes and declaring to you that I’ll be joining you for dinner!)  

Despite his questionable profession, we laud Zacchaeus’ drive. He was a go-getter; he wasn’t going to let anything stand in his way from seeing Jesus. Zacchaeus was an opportunist who creatively overcame the disadvantages of his height, and by doing so, his life changed radically.

Zacchaeus reminds us of the importance of an active faith. We shouldn’t just sit back and wait for things to happen; rather we are the change agents that the Holy Spirit works through to build the kingdom of God here on Earth. Each of us is dealt a hand to play—we all have our gifts and our shortcomings—so we shouldn’t spend our time making excuses. How will we make the most of what we have been given in this life? How will we solve the problems presented to our community by the Covid pandemic? How do we solve the problems that we are facing as a worshiping community?  

When we reach out to God, especially in creative ways, God responds by presenting us with special opportunities. Stiff-arm those who want to shame or criticize you, and embrace those people and activities that fill your soul with joy. Think outside of the box, take risks, challenge yourself to grow and expand your horizons. Make today be the day of a new beginning! The Spirit will meet you in that place, to set you on a path bound for healing, wholeness, and enlightenment. 

Zacchaeus’ bold leap of faith helped him to encounter Christ, and the payoff was huge. Initially, the crowd grumbled when Jesus chose Zacchaeus as his host for the evening. They considered him a sinner who was unworthy of this special honor. But Jesus quickly silenced the crowd, saying that “Zacchaeus, too, is a son of Abraham.” In other words, even a sinful, unethical man like Zacchaeus is a recipient of God’s promise and God’s grace. 

Jesus reminds us that we are all children of God, and this is yet another story of an unworthy fellow who God refused to write off. Such an experience with grace is so overwhelming that our lives are forever changed. While still standing in the tree, Zacchaeus was so moved to even be acknowledged, that he immediately declared he would give half of his possessions to the poor and make amends for any of his fraudulent behavior. 

Jesus reassures us that even on our worst days, we are all made good and in the image of God. So is our neighbor and even our enemy. We really need to let this message sink is, as we continually miss it. We spend far too much time judging who is righteous and worthy, when we could be finding new ways of blessing people with deeds of love and grace. Rather than dwelling on everything that could go wrong, Zacchaeus took it upon himself to change his reality. He must have been ready for a change, but perhaps he just couldn’t do it alone. Jesus witnessed Zacchaeus’ desire for something better in his life, and was moved by his faith. Zacchaeus reached out to Christ, and Jesus responded by wanting to have a relationship with Zacchaeus. Moreover, Jesus shattered the barriers of shame and sin by inviting himself to break bread with this sinner. Zacchaeus had been lost, but he sought out a map; Jesus took his hand and set him on the path of salvation.

In closing, I’m eagerly awaiting a visit from my cousin Tim this fall. He is taking a road trip across the country, and I hope to join him for part of his western leg. For some years now, every day he posts photos on Facebook of beautiful sunsets taken by professional photographers. He has decided that now is the time to take in some of these vistas in person. He has quit his job and is soon to make his way west from Cleveland. 

We’ll need to hike some rough terrain to reach the landscapes we want to see. It will take time, energy, and money to get to such secluded destinations, but to see such panoramas with our own eyes will be unforgettable. Maybe even life-changing. Indeed, Tim has no idea what will be next after this epic road trip, but he is certain that he’ll be present to create new opportunities! I’d say that’s a pretty faithful attitude for an agnostic! 

May we be as willing in our own lives to seek to be adaptable, creative, and bold so that we may seize the many wonderful opportunities that God has prepared for us. Amen. 

Add a Bit of Grace and Watch the World Change

Presented July 26, 2020 by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on John 8:1-11

This past Thursday, Rowena and I were doing some shopping at Delta Shores. Cars were zooming about here and there, and sure enough, the car ahead of us promptly ran a stop sign. The car that has been cut off skidded to a stop behind the errant driver and proceeded to honk its horn. The driver at fault instantly threw his car into park, got out, charged over to the other vehicle and began yelling at the car, making threats and even spitting on the windshield. It was shocking, but fortunately, the other car was able to drive away from the troubled individual. 

Unfortunately, road rage, shootings and random acts of violence seem to be more and more commonplace in our frenzied society. Too many people seem to be on edge, ready to boil over at any time. And when they do—even for the slightest reason—disturbing acts often ensue. To make matters worse, we are now adding the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic, polarized American politics and complex race issues into the mix. It’s getting to be more than some folks can stand, and many of us are witnessing a lot of bad behavior. 

Is the reality of more people losing control a part of the new normal we keep hearing about? We hope not. 

Learning how to manage stress and anger is a skill all peoples—epecially we who call ourselves Christians—need to hone, as stress will always be a part of our lives. I can’t even begin to imagine the stress and anxiety present in today’s text concerning the woman caught in adultery. The scribes and Pharisees claimed that the woman was caught in the very act of adultery. So it was not only a humiliating situation, but the stress was ratcheted up when these same men pushed for her to be stoned as a punishment for her crime. This angry mob was hungry for blood. 

The scribes and Pharisees also pushed Jesus to weigh in on the matter. You can sense the crowd was reaching its fever pitch, while these religious leaders fueled the fire. They demanded the go-ahead from Jesus. “Let’s put on this show of force, let’s punish this woman, and let’s get on with it now!” Interestingly, Jesus bent down and wrote something in the dust. The scribes and Pharisees must have been looking at one another wondering what the heck was going on. We don’t know what he wrote in the ground, but maybe that’s besides the point. It seems to me that Jesus was intentionally lessening the intensity of the moment and distracting the crowd from their blood lust. Jesus provided some space for cooler heads to prevail. When he had their attention, he then asked them the question, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  He then bent down again and resumed writing with his finger in the ground. 

Eventually, the crowd dispersed and Jesus was left alone with the woman. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  She said, “No one, sir.”  And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

In so many other encounters with others, Jesus has a way of creating an entirely different reality out of what was originally a dire situation. In the midst of vicious mob justice, Jesus protected this woman and redeemed her. Jesus never adds fuel to the fire or throws up his hands in frustration. Instead, he is always turning us away from our worst instincts and putting us all onto a path of mercy and love.

Last week we considered the question, “What does it mean to follow Jesus?”  Some of you responded that it means to try our best to follow what Jesus taught, and to even emulate the ways he interacted with people. These answers are all spot-on. In the midst of our good days and bad ones, we are called to put love into our interactions with others.

Love is a muscle that needs to be used every day. In difficult situations of conflict and hot heads, we often say, “be the bigger man.” (It’s not a politically correct statement, but the sentiment remains.) Behave in a loving manner even when you know the other party is in the wrong. Or, as Michelle Obama said, “When someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level. Our motto is, when they go low, we go high!”

Yes!  Let love, rather than hate, be our guiding light. When hatred is met with grace, the results are often amazing.

What we are talking about is grace. For better or for worse, it seems to be needed in most of our daily interactions, with both loved one and strangers alike. Grace is extending love, kindness, compassion, and mercy to someone who hasn’t earned it and may not even deserve it. Grace is a true gift. It is a gift we can give to one another (and ourselves), and it is a gift that God has given to all of us.

There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love or forgiveness. No matter how hard we try, we always fall short. But that doesn’t matter to God—we are loved fiercely and without any strings attached. God’s grace washes over us, makes us whole, and completely changes a situation from fracture to unity, from hopelessness to hope, death to life.

Jesus looks beyond our sins, as he did for the woman caught in adultery, and refuses to condemn us. Instead, he picks us up, dusts us off, and sets us back upon the right paths. 

In closing, while visiting Nepal in 2018, I hired a taxi to take me to a few sights near Kathmandu. While parking at one temple, a bus backed into our taxi. My driver and the bus driver got out of their vehicles and began shouting at one another. I tiptoed my way into the temple, avoiding this confrontation. An hour later, I returned to the taxi and asked the driver what happened. He simply responded by saying, “Oh, I forgave him. It was an accident.”  My heart was warmed. If we could all be as gracious as this taxi driver! It was an accident!

We all make mistakes. We make them all the time. I know that I occasionally cut off other drivers, or fail to return a phone call, or I say the wrong thing. We make mistakes and we hurt one another, sometimes accidentally and other times intentionally. It’s a part of life, but thanks to grace, we can get past these hiccups, restore our relationships, and continue on the way that God has laid out before us.

Grace is amazing. It has a way of redeeming all of us and turning bad days into good ones. In these days of intense stress and strain, may we continue to put more and more grace into a world that desperately needs it. It’s not always easy, but when every time we do use grace, we are inevitably rewarded with the chance to see people and the world change before our very eyes.

May God’s grace be with you all, and in turn, may we pour it into our world every day. Amen. 

Hope In a Time of Pandemic

Presented July 19, 2020 by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on Matthew 8:18-27

It’s nice to be back in Sacramento after taking off the past two and a half weeks to visit family and friends back east. Like everyone, I wish we were all gathered here together in our sanctuary and that this cursed virus was a thing of the past. We are tired of it, but, alas, this virus is proving to be an enduring foe.

I had such a wonderful time with my loved ones—laughing, eating, swimming, boating, even shedding a few tears as we reminisced. While staying at a cabin in central Pennsylvania, we even had a black bear and her four cubs visit our patio three nights in a row. It was amazing. All the while, Coronavirus infections spiked across much of our nation; we were unable to travel to New York as they are forcing Californians and other folks from states with high infection rates to self-quarantine for two weeks. The entire time we were with my parents, we all wore masks and were socially distanced

It was a memorable vacation, to be sure. I came across a new term on Facebook that is very relatable for times like these: 

“Coronacoaster”—the ups and downs of a pandemic. One day you are loving your bubble, doing workouts, baking banana bread and taking long walks and the next you are crying, drinking gin for breakfast and missing people you don’t even like.”

Isn’t that the truth!? On the one hand, we are witnessing our world change before our very eyes. So many are re-evaluating our lives, creatively responding to this new normal, and addressing many issues in our society that we had put on the back burner for far too long.

On the other hand, though, hundreds of thousands of people are dying, we are forced to be apart from those we love, and many don’t know how they’ll get back on their feet financially. 

As you read through the Bible, there are very few stories that are not set in the midst of turmoil.

• Noah survived a flood,

• Jacob fled for his life and wrestled an angel,

• Ruth left her family,

• David and Jonathan went to war.

• Prophets were imprisoned just as Paul and Peter were.

• The religious leaders sought to destroy Jesus, while the Romans held Palestine as a colony.

In today’s text, Jesus is preaching to a crowd near the sea. Crowds were always following Christ, as he offered such a different reality than what they experienced day to day. Life was hard for these people just as it holds its challenges for every generation, including our own. Jesus offered healing, hope, and salvation to everyone he encountered, and such gifts are truly life-giving.

Those following Jesus at the beginning of his ministry, as well as those of us following Jesus two thousand years later, are still longing for hope, healing, new ways of a being, a brighter future. To this human yearning, Jesus responds, “follow me.”   

Jesus acknowledges the chaos of the world when he states that the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. It’s as if his work is never ending and that he is needed everywhere all at once. A scribe, who was eager to follow Jesus, first tells him that he must bury his father. Jesus responds by saying, “Follow me and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”  It sounds rather harsh, but I believe Jesus was teaching the man, and all of us listening, that in following him, we are offered abundant life. Death, disease, conflict, and pain will always be a part of life, so in order that we won’t be swallowed up by this reality, we must follow Jesus.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by this world and its big problems. Death never seems to be too far away, and yet by following Christ, we put our precious energies into acts of love and trust that God upholds us in this world and in the next one. 

The second part of the story hammers this point home. Jesus and his disciples get on to a boat and head out upon the lake. A great storm arises, and waves are crashing over the ship, but all the while, Jesus was asleep. The disciples scream to him, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!”  Jesus responds, saying, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” He calms the storm and his disciples are amazed.

Once again, we learn that storms and chaos are very much a part of life—there is nothing we can do to insulate ourselves from frightening experiences—but we can follow Jesus and it makes all the difference. Christ is our anchor in the storms of life and our lighthouse pointing us to a safe passage. We follow Jesus—practicing what he asks of us, living lives of love and mercy, and trusting that in him, death is forever defeated. 

Civil Rights icon and representative John Lewis passed away on Friday night. He was a man of deep faith who put his faith into action as he led protests and marches for Civil Rights in the 1960s all the way into 2020. He was beaten and imprisoned and yet he held fast to his faith in Christ and the hope of a better world. Despite facing many intense obstacles, Lewis stated:

"Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."

Lewis recognized that the struggles of life are with us for a lifetime, but he still encourages us to be hopeful and optimistic.

No matter how bad it gets, nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. In these days of Coronacoasters, may we hold on to this truth and share it far and wide. Amen. 

Diversity of Personalities—Our Diverse Gifts

Presented by Rev. Jesse Larson June 21, 2020
Based on 1 Corinthians 12:4-13

Some of you might be familiar with a more recent personality test called “True Colors.”  Through your responses to various questions and pictures that are attractive to you, you determine your color. There are four colors—Blue, Yellow, Green, and Orange—which represent your dominant personality traits. Now do note that we are rarely solidly one color. We usually have at least a couple of these four colors as a part of our unique personality. That being said, we lean more strongly toward one color than the others. For example, I’m a strong blue. Blues are often sensitive, caring, spiritual, empathetic, personable, and peaceful. We are nurturing and love to talk. Yes, we are very touchy feely and often drawn to the helping professions. Think Oprah or Mr. Rogers. 

On the other hand, yellows are sensible, practical, organized, thorough, punctual, dependable, conservative, and predictable. They stick to detailed tasks and see them through. They are highly responsible and well-organized. Yellows follow rules and procedures and respect for regulations and authority. Yellows are not comfortable in unstructured situations. Because I am so informal and much more content to let the Spirit move in the ways it will, I can drive yellows crazy by not always paying attention to details. Famous yellows include Henry Ford, Connie Chung and Margaret Thatcher. 

Many of us are either predominantly blue or yellow, but we still have some greens and oranges. Greens are complex and curious, independent, intellectual, research-oriented, inventive, logical, calm, and cool. They are non-conformists who like to explore new ways of doing things. Their independence can be perceived as being impersonal. They do not like to talk about feelings, and their head is in charge of their heart. They love work when it is stimulating and can be workaholics. Steven Spielberg, Whoopi Goldberg and Albert Einstein are all greens.

Oranges are spontaneous, enthusiastic, generous, charming, fun-loving, and even wild. They have lots of energy and love trying new things. They are usually talented and love performing in front of others. They grow easily bored, especially with routine and structure. They need freedom, and have a hard time following rules or respecting authority. They learn by experience and love to engage extravagant or off-the-wall things. They love excitement and exploration; life is one big party and they want to enjoy it! I’ve got some orange in me, too! JFK and Amelia Earhart are two famous oranges. 

I enjoy these personality tests because, well, I’m a blue, and we love talking about feelings, but also because they demonstrate that we truly are diverse beings, even if we members of the same ethnic group, class, or gender. We see the world through very different lenses and our worlds are ordered in diverse ways. These personality tests highlight our strengths—the gifts that we bring to the table. 

The apostle Paul, just like Jesus, focused on our gifts rather than our weaknesses. The so-called “dregs of society”—tax collectors, prostitutes, and lepers—were Jesus’ friends! He saw good in everyone—the divinity in all people, as we are all children of God. 

Jesus and Paul knew that our focus should be on what makes us special and how we can share our gifts with a world that needs them. Last week’s text from Ephesians declares that God gifted some of us to be apostles, others as prophets, some as evangelists, and still others as pastors and teachers. And Paul argues the same point in today’s text as well—some work in miracles, others in prophecy, and some have a gift for languages. All are valuable and it is the same Spirit that gives us these gifts. 

The truth is that most of us are painfully aware of our shortcomings. All of our personalities have drawbacks. None of us is perfect and we’ll always have growing edges to work on. Imagine what it would be like if we refrained from critiquing and judging one another, and instead accepted each other and a child of God. Could you imagine our strength if we were given compliments and encouragement each day?! 

Do our personality differences frustrate each other sometimes? Sure. The same is true for cultural differences. Too often our instinct is to stick to our own kind because that is easiest. But growth and unity cannot happen in a bubble. And besides, it gets boring.

The more we understand about one another, the more we value one another’s gifts and perspectives, and the more grace we give one another for one another’s shortcomings, the better we all are. If we afford one another grace and trust, imagine the gifts that could be shared to solve our many problems. The sky would be the limit!   

Paul’s letters, like so many letters of the New Testament, are dedicated to building unity in the church. And it seems that we still have a long way to go towards this goal. Our tribalism, racism, and ethnocentricity seem to be issues we’ll always need to wrangle with. The ongoing protests in our streets are introducing a host of new ideas concerning how we might overcome the racism that infects so much of life in America. 

Jesus and later Paul saw the good in each of us—as gifted people made in God’s image—who could build heaven here on Earth. The key, which they persistently preached, is for us to reorient ourselves toward the spirit of love and grace. When we gift one another with love and grace, our differences begin to dwindle and our gifts begin to shine. If we are willing to walk a mile in another’s shoes and focus on be willing to see new perspectives, life seems less negative and threatening. Never forget that we, Christians, are eternal optimists!

Building unity begins by focusing on the positive rather than the negative. It must be about love!

Jesus was all about shattering walls and welcoming all people to the table. Paul keeps reinforcing the idea that there is one body and one spirit … that we are united in our work and in the spirit of Christ. He writes, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” Paul is always good at prioritizing what is truly important. 

This incredible Spirit is running through us all, through the universe, through everything that keeps us united, despite our varying gifts, calling, cultures, experiences. May we all hold on to these words tightly as we work our way through difficult conversations, heal, and work to build a more just nation and world for all.

May we keep the dream of unity alive. 

And may we trust that the Spirit of love is blowing through all of us and this world making all things good and more than enough. Amen!

Hearing the Voices Long Silenced … and Speaking the Truth in Love

Presented June 7, 2020 by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on Ephesians 4: 1-16

As I begin my sermon for today, I want to share that I am struggling with what to say to you all in the midst of these days of protest and unrest. 

I have my own opinions on white supremacy, institutionalized racism, and police brutality, and I also understand there are so many complexities and nuances to the many issues swirling around these heavy topics. 

I am charged with a difficult task as a pastor—to be both a prophetic voice as well as a pastoral presence—to all of you watching this video who hold your own opinions on these matters as well. I hope not to offend with my reflections, but rather to challenge all of us to discern how God’s Spirit of love, truth, and justice is speaking to us in this moment in time. 

So I turn, then, to the collective wisdom of our faith tradition. Bethany is a community of faith that is a part of a connectional denomination. That means that we all work to discern God’s voice together. Let me read to you all from one of our confessions—“A Brief Statement of Faith.” It was authored by Presbyterians in the early 1980s as the northern Presbyterian Church was reuniting with the southern Presbyterian Church after separating a century prior due to the Civil War. (Yes, we Presbyterians like to take our time, even when it comes to reconciliation!) This confession speaks about Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit.

Just last week, we celebrated Pentecost—when a violent rush of wind, the Holy Spirit—brought tongues of fire upon the disciples and ignited an incredible movement which remains alive to this very day … the church. I think it is no small coincidence that the protests which were gathering steam last weekend happened on the day we celebrate Pentecost.

The Spirit is moving, there’s no doubt about it. Listen, then, to what we confess to believe about the Holy Spirit:

We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life.
The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith, sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor, and binds us together with all believers in the one body of Christ, the Church.

The same Spirit, who inspired the prophets and apostles, rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture, engages us through the Word proclaimed, claims us in the waters of baptism, feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation,
and calls women and men to all ministries of the church.

In a broken and fearful world, the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.

In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks, and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

Amen! There is so much theology packed into each of these sentences, and again, this was only the section dedicated to the Holy Spirit. As I read this powerful statement again, a phrase jumped out at me—“to hear the voices of peoples long silenced.” If it found its way into a confession authored by a group of theologians, it must be important.

And it is.

This phrase gets at the profound dynamic of power that has shaped human history every step of the way. History is full of the stories of the winners—conquerors who defeated others on battlefields, parliaments, offices, and classrooms. 

But the stories of those who were dominated, pushed aside, or murdered are not told. Even if we do hear a bit of their stories, they are brief and incomplete.

For example, have any of you heard about the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921?  26 African Americans were murdered and planes even dropped bombs on what was the most financially successful black neighborhood in the U.S. at the time. I never learned about this racial riot in my classes at school nor did I learn about the many other incidents of racial violence in our history. 

Truly, to the victors go the spoils. Our nation is and has been run by white people and its systems privilege us over others. That’s not to say we haven’t been working to make things more equal, but most of us admit that we still have a ways to go.    

Many of us have felt that we are barely keeping our heads above water as each week of 2020 seems to add a new layer of stress. We have been managing a lot—personal issues, a pandemic, political polarization, political protests—I shudder to think what next week will bring. 

I think that black people in our country have been experiencing such stress and frustration for generations. They not only feel unwelcome and ostracized, but many fear for their own lives in their own country. I cannot imagine what that must feel like. 

As we are experiencing now, every so often things just explode. It all gets to be too much. People are screaming out in our streets, demanding to be heard. Shouts of “I can’t breathe” fill the air, memorializing the last words of George Floyd as he was murdered by police, but also acknowledging the trauma and frustration of so many of black and brown people. They want to tell the stories of their experiences and reality, and they want so desperately for those stories to change! They long to be included fully, to be recognized as individuals rather than stereotyped, they want to valued and made whole as all people do. 

So the question becomes: Will we listen? Are we willing to hear the stories of these black people whose voices have long been silenced? Clearly, we need to do much more to build a more inclusive, just, and merciful nation, but the process begins by listening to those who haven’t been welcome at the table. 

Thank God the Holy Spirit has our backs, because it’s not easy work we are called to. 

To own up to the violence of our history and the current presence of structural racism, and to acknowledge our privilege as white Americans often involves shame and discomfort, but it means so very much to those who have been cast aside and are hurting badly. But, it is good, vital, life-changing work that needs to happen if we are to have any hope in moving forward together as a unified people. 

So then, may we have the courage to truly hear one another without rushing to offer an alternative argument. May we also seek to honor one another’s intentions in a spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood, rather than race to become outraged or offended when emotions run high and opinions differ.

After all, I believe deeply that the overwhelming majority of us really do care deeply about one another. I know so many of you cherish the diversity present at Bethany. We have people of different ethnicities, classes, genders, nationalities, sexual orientations, and opinions—and yet we are a church family who care for one another passionately. 

The Spirit is presenting us with a new chapter in the life of America. The time for this holy work of listening is long overdue—so let us begin by hearing the voices long silenced. 

It will be a step in the right direction of healing a nation and peoples who are so ready for a new reality. Amen. 

The Spirit and Setting Sail

Presented Pentecost Sunday • May 31, 2020 by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on Acts 2:1-13

A violent rush of wind. Tongues of fire! People shouting in a host of different languages! It’s no wonder that some people observing this spectacle considered everyone to be drunk! 

This encounter with the Holy Spirit doesn’t sound peaceful or pleasant. The Spirit arrives with violent winds and flames. Yes, experiences with the Holy Spirit can be intense and unsettling, even frightening. 

If you flip through our Presbyterian hymnal, you will find many Christmas hymns and Easter songs, hymns for Advent and Lent, many songs about God and Jesus. But we only have a few dedicated to the Holy Spirit. Our hymnal reflects our Presbyterian stance towards the Holy Spirit—it is mysterious and maybe even a bit scary, and best kept at bay. (We are Presbyterians, after all.) We value decency and order. We are the denomination of committees and procedure. We plan ahead. We like having back up plans for our back up plans. The Holy Spirit, then, makes us uneasy as it is unbridled and unpredictable. We think of the long, intense worship services of Pentecostals who fly by the seat of their pants by the whims of the Holy Spirit. You never know what to expect, which is tough to imagine, right?

Something changing in the middle of our worship? I can think of nothing more unnerving for Presbyterians! Our service going longer than 1 hour—God forbid! Yet here we are now in May 2020—unable to even worship in our own sanctuary because of a global pandemic. Bulletins, choirs, potlucks, and so many of those things that have been an integral part of “church” may now be a thing of the past. How quickly things change.

I come from a sailing family—being on the water is a part of our family culture. On the water, things can change in an instant—from placidity to turbulence within seconds. And usually the changes correspond to the wind. I’ve experienced a few harrowing times upon the water while under sail. Much of life is unpredictable and chaotic just like the wind; we have all been made painfully aware of this truth by COVID-19. We not only fear catching the virus, but it seems certain that we will be in an economic depression for some years to come. And the other issues we have been struggling with aren’t going anywhere either—global warming, racism, active shooters. We face storms in our lives as we face storms on the seas and we are in the midst of a doozy now. Some days I feel lost and overwhelmed and I bet you do, too.

So how are we to navigate these stormy, chaotic days? Well, a sailor would advise us by saying, “you can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.” How true! So many things are out of our control, like the wind and this cursed virus, so maybe it’s best to just let go of our need to control everything. We often sweat the small stuff, and now is not the time for such trivial matters.

The Holy Spirit is up to something big—blowing violently in the world, in our communities, and in our churches. We would be wise to discuss and discern what new opportunities are rising out of this crisis. The truth is the church needs the Holy Spirit just like a sailboat needs wind; without it, a sailboat will just bob up and down in the waves and currents, and churches just get stuck in our traditions while the world passes us by. 

Fortunately, the church, much like a sailboat, is full of tools and wisdom which enable us to boldly join the Spirit on the journey—sailing knowledge, a skilled crew, reliable charts, a deep keel, a strong tiller, fast lines, and a ship-shape vessel. Christ is our anchor. The Spirit is ready to blow us to our next destination. Rather than fighting the wind, let us use our gifts to let it guide us in a new direction. 

In the midst of storms and uncertainly, the sailboat will lean, but the deep keel is used as a counterbalance to keep the ship up right and smoothly cutting through the swells. Trust in God and in one another, have faith in the Holy Spirit, and let our visions lead us to new lands. When we “let go and let God,” amazing things happen. 

Most importantly, now is the time to put our trust in the Holy Spirit and take big risks. Our churches are rapidly changing, just as our culture is, and the coronavirus has expedited this reality. The Spirit is actually opening doors to us all the time, but do we have the eyes to see them or the willingness to step out on faith to engage such opportunities? Indeed, like the sailors of old, will we have the courage to leave behind familiar shores in search of new lands? For truly, it is upon the seas that give us beautiful vistas and exciting experiences. We are able to reach destinations we never thought possible.  

In closing, today, we not only celebrate the presence of the Holy Spirit and the many gifts it gives us, but we also celebrate the birth of the church. Pentecost was not a singular occurrence. The book of Acts goes on to relate a great variety of occasions in which the Spirit mobilizes Jesus' followers and inaugurates new directions for ministry and community.

And guess what … we are in one of those eras now when we are being stretched into a new way of being the church. The Spirit is blowing—can you feel it? I think it’s time to go sailing! Amen!