Monthly Archives: February 2010

The Time and the Place

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This was my Ash Wednesday Meditation for March 5, 2003, at Tompkins Corners UMC.  The Scriptures are Joel 2: 1 – 2, 12 – 17; 2 Corinthians 5: 20 – 6: 10; and Matthew 6: 1 – 6, 16 – 21

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There are countless quotes involving time and perhaps an equal number that involve place as the subject. Thomas Paine wrote that these are the times that try men’s souls. Charles Dickens wrote that these were the best of times and the worst of times. Brigham Young, upon seeing the Great Salt Lake, said that this was the place.

But I am only aware of one time when the time and place of an activity are the subject of a single quotation. Invariably, when I would attempt to do something highly inappropriate, my parents would invoke the phrase, "This is neither the time nor the place." Now, I am sure that your parents said much the same or you as a parent have done so as well; but I am writing the sermon so the quote gets attributed to my parents. And to be complete accurate in quoting my parents, the phrase was generally followed by "and now is neither."

As Joel called out to the people of Israel, we have gathered in this place today in order to welcome the coming of the Lord. We have gathered here today because this is the day, as Paul proclaimed to the Corinthians, the day of salvation.

Today marks the beginning of Lent, the beginning of our preparation for Easter and the resurrection, the day when salvation is realized. It is because God has promised that there would be a time when all of our pleas for mercy and justice would be answered. And now is the time and this is the place, as Paul said.

The prophet Joel writes that this is the day both of the Lord’s coming and our own return to God. Joel wants us to gather together and celebrate the presence of the Lord in our midst now because we cannot presume that another opportunity will ever come again. It also marks the beginning of our preparation for the true celebration, one that marks our salvation.

But it is a preparation done privately, not publicly. Jesus, in Matthew’s Gospels, warns us against public demonstrating our faith solely for the purpose of saying that we have faith. This is not to say that we shouldn’t let others know what we are doing. Paul points out that there are many ways of expressing one’s faith and one’s celebration of life. . It will be our actions that the loudest when it comes to our faith. Paul writes about the different types of situations he and those who worked with him faced in the completion of the ministry. It will be by our actions that others will also come to know what it is that we are celebrating this day and preparing for over the coming days.

What Jesus warned us about was making a big deal out of it. Jesus never could tolerate those who would stand on the corner in public and loudly pray. For those who would stand on the corner and loudly pray for others to hear or sounded a trumpet before they arrived merely wanted the trappings of faith, not faith itself. If we spend more of our time showing off our faith, we do not have the time to use our faith. Paul reminded the Corinthians that God was ready to listen to them but they could not be so busy doing other things that they could not hear his call.

Jesus speaks of storing treasures in heaven, not on earth, for the treasures stored on earth would slowly disappear. We are afraid that if we do not work at putting away treasures on earth then we will be left with nothing. But the time will come when we find that we don’t have anything. Our treasures will be that which we find in heaven, having led the good life and putting our faith into action so that others have the good life as well. Jesus’ own concerns were for those to whom he ministered. He made no big deal about it, he did not call a press conference to let others know how many were fed or what was eaten; he simply went about seeing that those that were hungry were fed.

Paul wrote of the many ways that those associated with his ministry carried it out. Here is a chance to do the same. There is this thought that we should give something up for Lent; that we should sacrifice something. But I want us to think about something else this year; rather than giving up something, let us give of ourselves. Ask yourself what it is that you can do this year that would help someone. One way is to utilize the Lenten Calendar that is available.

There is a time and a place for everything, if I may paraphrase the Preacher from Ecclesiastes. Joel called for the people of Israel to come together in a single place to celebrate the coming of the Lord. Paul said that now was the time for salvation. If you have not given yourself to Christ, then this is the time and the place to do so. If you have given yourself to Christ, what better time or place is there but here and now to rededicate your life to Christ, so that others may also be able to so.

A Questionnaire about Lay Speaking

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There is a discussion going on in our district/conference about lay speaking and the changes in the curriculum for lay speakers. I have some idea about the lay speakers in our district and will be getting answers as to the courses that they have taken in the past. But I want to get some idea of the nature of lay speaking on a broader scale. So I have come up with these questions:

  1. Are you now or have you ever been a local lay speaker? Are you now or have you ever been a certified lay speaker?
  2. When did you take your first course to become a local lay speaker?
  3. Describe the course or courses that you took when you became a local lay speaker?
  4. When did you take your first course to become a certified lay speaker?
  5. Describe the course or courses that you took when you became a certified lay speaker?
  6. How much of your being a lay speaker (local or certified) is more leadership than speaking? (an approximate percentage of the total time)
  7. How much of your being a lay speaking (local or certified) is leading worship rather than speaking? (an approximate percentage of the total time)
  8. If you are a certified lay speaker, how many Sundays in a given calendar year are you at other churches?
  9. Are you aware of the category of lay speaker known as “Certified Lay Minister”?
  10. Is your conference aware of the category? Is your district aware?
  11. Are there any individuals in your conference qualified as Certified Lay Minister?
  12. If so, how are they utilized in this position?

Thought provoking question – “In your opinion, should a person be a lay speaker before they consider full-time ministry?”

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If you are not a lay speaker, can I be as bold as to ask why not? And would you mind sharing these questions with your friends who happen to be lay speakers? Thank you!

Answers may be posted to my blog or you may mail them to me at [email protected]. I will try to have a summary of the answers up by the 1st of March.

That Transforming Moment

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These are my thoughts for Transfiguration Sunday, 14 February 2010. The Scriptures for this Sunday are Exodus 34: 29 – 34, 2 Corinthians 3: 12 – 4: 2, and Luke 9: 28 – 36 (37 – 43a).

There is a certain degree of significance in this weekend for me. In addition to this being Transfiguration Sunday, it is also Boy Scout Sunday and, with February 12 being the anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth in 1809, Evolution Weekend. To quote from “The Clergy Letter Project” web page,

Evolution Weekend is an opportunity for serious discussion and reflection on the relationship between religion and science. One important goal is to elevate the quality of the discussion on this critical topic – to move beyond sound bites. A second critical goal is to demonstrate that religious people from many faiths and locations understand that evolution is sound science and poses no problems for their faith. Finally, as with The Clergy Letters themselves, which have now been signed by more than 13,000 members of the clergy in the United States, Evolution Weekend makes it clear that those claiming that people must choose between religion and science are creating a false dichotomy.

There are those who find my being both a chemist and a lay speaker mutually incompatible. As I have mentioned before, I find it disturbing that many in this country feel that you can be one or the other but not both. This, I also find alarming and frightening. For it speaks to a world where one’s thought is limited and controlled. To me, the topic of evolution and what it means in the context of both faith and religion is about controlling; controlling what one believes and how one believes.

As a chemist I need not, I suppose, be concerned with the issue of teaching evolution in our schools. But as a science educator and as a parent and grandparent, I find any attempt to limit the discussion of science in the classroom an alarming and frightening proposition. I also believe that such limitations come about from a lack of knowledge and an unwillingness to seek answers to questions that are often beyond comprehension.

Too many people, I fear, take their rudimentary knowledge about their faith and the world around them as the limit to what they can and cannot know. But to do so is to limit what God can be for each of us and what we are meant to be.

We are presented with a society in which our individuality is determined by our conformity and acceptance of societal standards. We are told that we can be a person of faith but then we are told what a person of faith is supposed to be; we are not allowed to find out for ourselves. We are told that we can be a person of reason but, again, we are told what a person of reason is supposed to be. We are told that we can be one or the other but not both. We are told by those whose faith and ability to reason is limited by that veil that covers their eyes and mind and whose vision of the world is cloudy at best that we must limit who we are and what we can be.

But there comes a time when there are opportunities to push aside that veil and seek what lies beyond, to see new visions from the mountaintop and pursue them wherever they may lead.

When I was twelve, I heard the call to seek God. Three years later, I would again hear the call, this time to seek a better understanding of this world. I would answer the call to seek God by earning the God and Country award in the Boy Scouts. In the summer of 1966, I would begin the journey that would ultimately lead to my doctorate (though I had no idea then that it would) by entering the Honors Program at Northeast Missouri State Teachers College (now Truman State University).

Were it not for my involvement in the Boy Scouts when I was growing up, I doubt very seriously that I would have even contemplated, let alone begun, this particular ministry. For it was my confirmation class and my study for the God and Country award that provided the foundation in faith that would enable me to pursue an active lay speaking career in the United Methodist Church. The skills learned as a Scout, both in earning the God and Country award and otherwise, have served me well over the years.

Besides giving me the opportunity to build a foundation for my own faith, the Scouting program also gave me an appreciation for the world around me. I am not by any sort of standard an environmentalist but that doesn’t mean that I believe that we can do what we want with this planet and its resources. I was taught to leave the places where I had been better than they were when I got there; I was taught to carry out my trash and not just bury it somewhere so that it wouldn’t disturb others. I wish I could say that this appreciation for the environment was universal but it appears to me that we as a society and as a civilization are bound and determined to leave this world trashed and abandoned.

It isn’t that we deliberately litter this world but we definitely don’t show much consideration for the earth on which we live. We still cling to the idea that, given enough time, the environment somehow will correct itself. At least we don’t have any rivers catching fire like they did forty years ago (“Cuyahoga River Fire”). But when we run out of clean air and clean water and our land has outlived its fertility, we will wonder what happened.

I truly believe that any discussion of the environment must also include a discussion about climate change. But this is difficult to do when the discussion is dominated by a vocal minority that refuses to accept the notion that mankind is screwing up the environment They have taken God’s commandment to be good stewards of this earth to mean that they can do anything they want and not expect to pay the cost of such blind ignorance.

This vocal minority will tell you that there is ample coal and oil to meet this planet’s energy needs and that we need not seek alternative energy resources but simply drill for more oil and mine more coal. It is of little consequence to them that the burning of more and more fossil fuels adds more CO2 to the atmosphere. To them, such statements are merely part of a myth perpetuated by liberals who have a grievance against the growth of business and prosperity.

But can we keep growing? Is prosperity limitless? Or are their limits to what we can and cannot do? Is it possible that human greed, driven by ignorance, is the real problem in this world today?

There is a nuclear power plant in the region where I live and its operating license is due to expire in 2012. The plant owners want to renew the license for another 20 years but there are a number of groups and individuals who want the plant shut down, not at the end of the license, but right now.

There is a problem with the various nuclear reactors that are in this country today but it is not terrorism; rather the major problem is ignorance and complacency. After a certain period of time, the age of the plant comes into play and this particular plant is definitely old. And while that is a problem, it is not the whole problem.

You see, there is a small problem with a leak coming from an underground pipe. It is a water leak but it is water contaminated with tritium, the radioactive isotope of hydrogen. It is a by-product of the process but it is not supposed to “leave the building”.

First, the plant owners said there wasn’t an underground pipe but now they have acknowledged that there are such pipes but, apparently, they aren’t sure where these pipes are.

To me, all of this is not a problem with nuclear energy; it is a problem with humans and the desire of humans, especially in business, to cut corners and shave expenses. The pipes weren’t supposed to be there in the first place but the government’s regulating agencies didn’t catch the error because they have too many places to regulate and not enough people to do the regulating. Of course, some people actually believe that the government shouldn’t be regulating such industries but rather should let the industries regulate themselves; after all, they know what’s best, right?

And while there is a threat to the water supply, the issue is no longer about that threat; it is that this particular company doesn’t have the trust of the people; they lied about the leak and the pipes and no one is going to believe them about anything.

Why, we ask, would a company do this; why would any company try to get by with shoddy workmanship, sloppy quality control, and an arrogance that they can do anything they want and the public will accept it for economic and national security reasons? Because we, the people of this country, let them!

Perhaps the world is changing too fast technologically for most of us; perhaps we are just too lazy and don’t want to learn. Whatever the reason, we see the world through a veil and the images that we see are cloudy and dim. And rather than lift the veil and see the world clearly, we gladly let others tell us what to see and what to do.

We are fast approaching a point where our own ignorance will destroy us. This company that I described wouldn’t have tried to do what it did and is doing unless it thought it could get away with it. While I was preparing this piece, I have been following a debate on the CHEMED list about climate change. But it is no longer a debate about climate change; it is a debate about the validity of the data, caused in part because evidence has arisen that some individuals have tried to tamper with the data, not show all the data, or prevented all the data from being presented. It is not a debate about what is happening; it is a debate about people.

It is a nasty debate that no one will win. It is symptomatic of our society that when we no longer debate the issue, we debate and debase the people. And we do that because we are essentially, and excuse me for being blunt, ignorant and unwilling to learn.

Learning is a transforming moment in our lives; when we learn something, it is like the veil has been pulled from our eyes and we can see what is happening. We have all had that moment, a moment when a difficult learning experience suddenly becomes quite clear and we then wonder why it had been so difficult before.

It is a liberating moment, giving us the opportunity to move beyond the boundaries of our lives. But liberation can be frightening because it takes us where we do not know what’s there. And we sometimes are more comfortable in being where we are, not where we could be.

Learning requires an active participation by the learner; it cannot be accomplished by having an instructor tell a pupil what will happen. Would Peter, James, and John have understood the relationship between Jesus and God if they had not gone with Jesus to the mountain top? Participation is an important part of the learning process, but it is quite clear that too many people today want education to be more about what happens than actually doing it. Our educational process today gives more credit for learning about basketball than learning how to dribble a basketball or make free throws.

Learning also requires questioning, not just blind acceptance.

And in the field of science, there are those who would limit any experiences. There is no way Darwin could have created his theory had he stayed home in England. It took being in the field and observing variations in species and thoughtful consideration about what was observed before he put his thoughts on paper. And from his observations Darwin began to ask questions.

Yet, there are those today who would have us blindly accept words written two thousand years ago as more than fact, as statements that cannot be questioned or tested; words which were intended only to tell us who we are and why we are on this planet. They would have us believe that certain processes are so complex that they are beyond comprehension and that we should just accept that some intelligent designer designed the process and we are not to even think about what happened. But to say that something is unlearnable or unknowable is as much an invitation to explore and find as it is against God’s own words to seek the truth so that it, the truth, can set the people free.

It would be understandable if the Bible was a science book or a history book but it is neither one. It is story about who we are and what we are and why we are here. It provides the opportunity for us to complete the story; to truly understand the creation called Earth that God made for us, with all of its complexities and all of its paradoxes and contradictions.

When we limit what we learn; when we demand that evolution not be taught in schools or that alternative theories be taught (even though there are no credible alternative theories), we are acting as Paul said the people did when Moses wore the veil to hide his face. There is a veil over our minds and it clouds our minds and prevents us from seeing that which needs to be seen. As Paul writes, without the veil, we can see the glory of the Lord clearly and we are, ourselves, transformed.

Now, I will add this caveat; if we are to teach the theory of evolution, and note that I said “theory of evolution”, we need to make sure that it is taught correctly (something that I am not entirely convinced happens today). I think that the reason there is a controversy about this subject is because the individuals involved do not know what it is they are teaching. But if we really want people to understand the glory and power of God, we should work to make sure that they are capable of doing just that.

There are those today who are afraid of what might happen if their children or grandchildren are taught the theory of evolution. And perhaps they should, for if their children and grandchildren were to learn something new, it would open up their world and take them away from the rigidity and control that their parents and grandparent seek to impose on them. But, God never meant that our lives would be limited or controlled; He gave us the power to explore and open our minds, to find out who He was and what He was about.

There is a danger when we open our minds and we begin to see the world differently; we may not like what we find. I think that is why so many people are opposed to the teaching of evolution; it will lead people away from God.

It is true that as we explore this world around us, our belief in gods (note the plurality and lower case) as the cause of illness, sickness, death, weather, and various other things diminishes. But it should not diminish our belief in God for it was through Him that we have achieved the ability to conquer illness and sickness and disease. Were it not for our being created in His image we would not have the power to change this world, to bring water to dry valleys, to make crooked roads straight and fill valleys. It is when we forget from whom we received our abilities that we run the risk of doing what we are doing right now, destroying the world.

And when we forget from whom our gifts, our talents, and our abilities come from, we also run the risk of reducing God to a capacity and size limited by our capacity and size, thus once again placing the veil before our eyes. And when we do this, we are unable to call upon God and like the people of the Old Testament find ourselves as a lost and forgotten people wandering in the wilderness.

The debate in this country about whether or not we should teach or not evolution or whether we should offer some sort of alternative theory is more a debate about whether we want to see the world clearly. Now, none of this has anything to do with evolution but it does have a lot to do with that moment on the mountain top when Moses encountered God and when Peter, James, and John saw Jesus standing with Moses and Elijah in the same light that first bathed Moses.

I doubt very seriously that Peter, James, and John truly understood what took place that day on the mountaintop. After all Luke writes that they didn’t speak of what happened. But it was there in their minds, along with all the other miracles that they had seen Jesus do. And when Jesus was resurrected on Easter Sunday, then it became very clear what was happening.

When Jesus was transformed on the mountain, He showed the Glory of God to all. When Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons, He demonstrated the power and greatness of God. And He gave authority to the disciples to do the same, to pass on to the people that knowledge

On this weekend, I celebrate that I was given the opportunity to open my eyes and expand my horizon. I celebrate that I was shown the wonders of the world and given the opportunity to explore it and appreciate it as a gift from God. And on this weekend, I want to offer to others that ability to transform their minds and their lives.

Mornings in Whitesburg

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Here is the message that I presented at Tompkins Corners UMC for Transfiguration Sunday, 22 February 2004.  The Scriptures for this Sunday are Exodus 34: 29 – 35, 2 Corinthians 3: 12 – 4: 2, and Luke 6: 28 – 36 (37 – 43a).

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Before I moved to New York I lived in Whitesburg, Kentucky. This is a small town in a small county in the southeast corner of the state. I am reminded of this every time I drive down the Taconic parkway. Partially, the sharp turns and narrow road beds of the Taconic as well as Highways 9 and 9D are reminiscent of the roads that I traveled in that particular part of the state. Also, it is traditional to call the enclaves tucked in the various valleys of eastern Kentucky "hollows" so driving along Peekskill Hollow reminds me that I haven’t really left where I came from.

But another reminder is seen every time I turn off of Highway 301 and head south on the Taconic. There on the left hand side, just about a mile down the road is a sign indicating that I am at 1153 feet above sea level. Though I have traveled almost as far north as I have ever done, I haven’t gained or lost much altitude.

Whitesburg is at about 1200 feet above sea level. The primary difference between Whitesburg and here is that the valleys on the eastern slopes of the Appalachian Mountains are broad and shallow while the valleys and hollows of the western slopes through Kentucky and West Virginia are narrow and deep. Whitesburg may be at 1200 feet but the tops of the mountains that surround the town are another 1000 feet higher.

This makes for some interesting mornings. On some mornings it was not unusual to wake up and find the town shrouded in clouds. This is not fog, as it might be in this area but low-level clouds.

Within the clouds, life is very gray. But if you head up the mountain to the top to cross over, you pass through the clouds and it suddenly becomes very clear and very bright. Your vision clears up and you can see for miles. Sometimes there isn’t much to see, what with the valleys and hollows below shrouded in clouds but it is an awe inspiring sight and the brightness of the sky is a stark contrast to the grayness you left behind.

(see “The View From The Mountain Top”)

It may not be as bright as what Peter, James and John experienced on the mountaintop that day in the Gospel. Nor would it be like the brightness that burned Moses’ skin. But it is a brightness that takes you back for a few seconds when you pass through the clouds and forces you to readjust your sight.

The Israelites had to adjust their sight every time Moses came back from talking with God. As the Old Testament reading states, Moses’ face shined so bright that the people could not look at him and he was forced to wear a veil. The veil served two purposes; it allowed the people to look at Moses without being blinded and it prevented the people from seeing that the brightness faded over time. It was a veil that prevented them from seeing clearly.

We don’t always want to see things clearly. Sometimes we think it is better if what we see or what we are told are only half-right. Many preachers today do exactly that, in part because it glorifies them, making them seem greater than they are and in part because the people do not want to know the truth, even if the truth will in fact set them free.

There are preachers who bring in the crowds but what are they saying? In many cases, it is not the Gospel they preach but rather statements of hate and prejudice, falsities and half-truths, statements meant to divide, not join together. (Adapted from "Is That You, God?" by Norma Sherry, posted to the BuzzFlash web page on 18 February 2004.)  They preach what the people want to hear. People want to hear these words because they are afraid. They are afraid of what is happening in the world and instead of working to solve the problems of the world, they seek someone to blame. They do not want to be reminded of the problems outside their safe environment of the church.

Christ walked and ate with sinners; the Pharisees reviled him for doing so. Christ made them look like fools. But, if we are to believe some of today’s more widely known preachers, we are not to reach out to the sinners, we are to exclude them.

Their religion is a religion of exclusion; their religion condemns but does not forgive. The ills of society are caused because others are wrong, not because we have not worked to solve the problems. The ills of society will go away, so it seems, if we ignore the problems, keep them away for our lives.

That is not what Jesus said or did. Yes, he opposed sin but he never condemned someone because of it. He did not exclude people or force people away. He gave people the choice to walk with him or not. The implication was obvious; to not walk with Christ was to condemn one’s self. We cannot save ourselves without Christ, but we can be lost.

The old-line churches don’t have it any easier. They practice a religion of exclusion as well. They have lost ground to the more modern churches because they have failed to keep up. They hold on to the old ways, of expectations and structures designed for another time and place. There are fights between those that seek modern solutions and those that want to hold on to the old beliefs.

How can we expect to bring people in if all they see or read is the trouble the churches are going through? How can we expect people to come to a church if it is filled with internal squabbling? Don’t kid yourself, people can sense when there is squabbling, even if the people hide it. The rise of modern or more contemporary denominations is as much about the problems of the old as it is selling the new.

But changing the olden ways and making something new doesn’t mean that there will be changes.

The rise in membership in churches today is in the "modern" church, the one that markets the Gospel to the people. But marketing always removes a lot of the context of the message; marketing is designed to get you to try the product. The problem, at least I see it, is that what passes for new provides nothing in the way of substance. And I think this fact, more than any others, is lost in the message of many churches today. The Gospel is not a product that you buy and sell and I fear that in the next few years as people find out the shallowness of the message being preached, they are going to discard it and throw it away.

People go to these churches because it is easy; there are no demands placed on them. The problems of the world are not their problems; others caused them and others must fix them. As long as we are in these modern churches, we feel safe. These modern churches preach a Gospel of the here and now, with fear for the future.

Even Peter was not immune to the idea of a Gospel in the here and now. His reaction to the appearance of Moses and Elijah with Jesus was to build a monument celebrating the event. He was focused on what was happening now, not what was to come. And when they came down from the mountain, they still were more interested in themselves than they were in helping others.

Jesus’ anger at his disciples for their failure to help the epileptic child may have been as much for what was going on between the disciples as it was for their lack of faith. In Luke 9:46 we read about a dispute among the disciples about who would be the greatest. Despite everything Jesus was telling them, the disciples were still interested in their own standing, not the result of their work. Jesus pointed out that it was the least of all whom would receive the greatest standing in God’s kingdom. I think that this message gets lost in today’s church, as it did back then in the early days of Christ’s mission.

It may seem hopeless, to be a part of church that some see as selfish and self-centered or greedy, bigoted, and exclusive. But Paul points out that there is hope and that we should not lose heart. Those who heard the words of Moses clung to the old ways and to them there was a veil hiding the light of God. Paul points out we no longer need to hide the light of God. Through Christ’s death and sacrifice, the veil has been removed. We are able to clearly see what God wants us to see, if we are willing to look.

Bill Wilson was the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. He was smart enough that Thomas Edison wanted to hire him even though he did not have a college degree. But rather than work for Edison, Wilson chose to work in the stock market. But it was not the stock market crash of 1929 that brought him down. Long before the market crashed, alcoholism had destroyed his life. One doctor told him that alcoholism was a disease without a cure (an interesting diagnosis at a time when it was still considered a moral problem). One can only imagine Bill Wilson being told that he was incurable and thus beyond hope. The noted Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung felt that the only cure for alcoholism would come through spiritual experience. This must have also been reassuring to Bill Wilson, as he was a man who did not believe in God.

But when he hit bottom, Wilson in all of his unbelief cried out, "If there be a God, let him show himself!" At this Wilson reported that the room was filled with a blazing light and that he was filled with ecstasy and that he felt like a new person. (From a note in the 24 February 2004 issue of Christian Century. The note was taken from My Name is Bill by Susan Cheever and printed by Simon & Schuster.)

The presence of God in our lives opens our eyes, it gives us hope and shows a promise for the future. We may not encounter God or Christ as Bill Wilson or Paul did. But there will be enlightenment in our hearts and in our minds. That day on the mountaintop, Jesus showed Peter, James and John the beginning of a new day, a new morning in their own lives.

Those who preach the Gospel for their own gains or falsify its meaning or cover it with false truths are not unique to this day and again. The same things were said about Paul. But Paul stated that he had no need to be crafty or deceitful; he had no reason to lie and he certainly wasn’t doing it for personal gain. He relied on the truth of the Gospel, a Gospel that was open to all that choose to hear it, not those who would be denied the right to hear it. He boasted in his belief in God and what the Gospel stood for; shouldn’t we do the same?

Nowadays, I don’t wake up to many foggy or cloudy mornings. Some mornings there is some fog but it quickly dissipates. Each day though, I see the sun come over the ridge and begin a new day. On this day some two thousand years ago, there was a new morning. It was not a new morning in the sense of a calendar but rather a new morning in the time of man. It was the announcement by God that Jesus was His Son and was sent to save the world, even if we did not want to be saved. As we go out into the world this afternoon and as we work among our friends and neighbors, strangers and enemies, may they see in us that same light that shone when Christ announced to the world that his mission was among us. Let this be the start of our new morning in our lives as well.

The Mountain Top

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Here is the message that I presented at Walker Valley UMC for Transfiguration Sunday, 25 February 2001.  The Scriptures for this Sunday are Exodus 34: 29 – 35, 2 Corinthians 3: 12 – 4: 2, and Luke 6: 28 – 36 (37 – 43a).

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The view from a mountaintop can be a most spectacular site. When I was living in Whitesburg, it was always a joy when I had to drive over the mountain to Cumberland or through Pound Gap into Virginia and down to Knoxville. To get from Whitesburg to Cumberland meant having to drive a two-lane highway literally up the side of Pine Mountain using a variety of switchbacks.

But at the top of the mountain, you had a chance to pull over (you didn’t dare stop on the highway anywhere else) and look westward across the hills and valleys of eastern Kentucky. Similarly, when I had to drive over to Virginia, the view of western Virginia was one beyond words.

(see “The View From The Mountain Top”).

Another thing that gave a surreal beauty to the area was the fact that many times the cloud cover was at 1,400 feet. What added to the beauty was that Whitesburg was at 1250 feet and so driving over the mountain took you through the clouds. And when you were at the summit of Pine Mountain and look at the valleys below, they seemed filled with clouds. It was also interesting walking to work on days like that because you knew you were in the clouds.

It is this beauty and the vistas that the mountaintops hold that are the reason people want to come and visit eastern Kentucky and western Virginia. But the problem with such wonderful views is that though you can see for great distances and the beauty is so wonderful, you can’t see the details. You can’t see the people walking in the streets and you can just barely make out the cars as they go by. Nor is it possible to see the poverty, the unemployment, the illiteracy that make Letcher County one of the poorest counties in Appalachia and the country.

When you come down from the mountaintop, you might see the straight pipes that take the sewage and household wastes from the various cabins, shacks, and houses in the hollers and dump it in the creeks that feed the headwaters of the Kentucky, Cumberland, and Big Sandy rivers. And if you know where to look, you can see the effect years of strip-mining coal have had on the environment.

It is an interesting experience to relate the beauty and spectacular views of the mountaintop with the reality of life that exists in the valleys and hollows of eastern Kentucky.

As a covenant people, ours is a history of mountaintop experiences, where we rededicated our lives to the one whom "in his might loves justice" and who "established equity." Mountaintops are an important part of our own faith journey, for it is there that we have access to the kingdom perspective and can see clearly God’s loving and just plan for humanity. Mountaintops, though, are not ends in themselves; they are only the means by which we are better prepared to embody the covenant in the valleys of history.

The transfiguration account, as written in Luke, comes between two episodes that emphasize the day-to-day reality of Jesus’ ministry. Before Jesus took Peter, James and John with him to the mountaintop, he has spent time revealing that His Messiahship is embodied not in political revolution nor religious power but in His suffering, death, and resurrection. In the second passage, following the transfiguration, Jesus must exorcise a demon from a suffering child because his apostles could not do so, reportedly because of their own lack of faith.

The ecstasy of the transfiguration is thus grounded by and rooted in the reality of the Christ who suffers for and who is incarnately present with those who also suffer. Luke emphasizes that our covenant is fulfilled or broken not on mountaintops but in our daily commitment to more fully embody the love of Christ.

One thing that I took from reading the Epistle today was that we cannot hide the glory of God. When Moses returned from having gone up on the mountain and talked with God, his face glowed from having been in the presence of God. The veil that Moses wore served two purposes. First, it allayed the fears of the people who still saw God in terms of power and not love. For all they had heard, they had reason to fear what had happened to Moses. And second, as Paul pointed out, it was a temporary glow that faded because of the imperfect glory.

Paul also pointed out that when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Our understanding and our ability to reach out come from the presence of the Lord in our lives.

As we come to this season of Lent, I hope that you will take time to go to the mountaintop, to renew your own covenant with God and the covenant you made when you joined this church, to support it with your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your service. Take a few moments to reach out to those in your area who are members of this church but haven’t been here for awhile and encourage them to come back and renew their covenant.

As Christians we, like Peter, face the temptation of becoming entrenched in our mountaintop experiences, wanting to live safely apart from the struggle and desperation of those who seek justice in an unjust world. As tempting as it is, we cannot get comfortable on the mountaintop, for we are just passing through. We can enjoy the view from the top but sooner or latter we must come down from the top. But having been to the mountaintop, having been with God, we can more easily face the day-to-day difficulties of trying to live the Gospel in a broken world.

The road to Cumberland over the top of Pine Mountain was a narrow, two-lane highway, full of twists and hairpin turns. You never knew what might be coming from the other direction around the corner, but it was just about the only way that you could go. Such is the same with life. But when we go to the mountaintop and come closer to God, through Jesus Christ, we are better prepared to make that trip back down the mountain.

The View From The Mountain Top

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Because this coming Sunday is Transfiguration Sunday and the Old Testament Reading (Exodus 34: 29 – 25) and the Gospel Reading (Luke 6: 28 – 43) deal with incidents on a mountain top, I often use references to the time that I lived in Whitesburg, KY.  To get from Whitesburg to Cumberland, KY, or over to Pound, Va., you have to cross Pine Mountain.  Here are some photos from the top of Pine Mountain looking westward, towards central Kentucky.  South of the location where these photos were taken is Promised Land State Park.

Enjoy the view.

The Right Place and The Right Time

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I am again at Hankins UMC this Sunday.  (Location of Hankins – the church is just past the intersection of NY 97 and NY Co 94 (on church road))  The service starts at 10:15 and you are welcome to attend.  The Scriptures for this Sunday, the 5th Sunday after the Epiphany, are Isaiah 6: 1- 8 (9 – 13), 1 Corinthians 15: 1 – 11, and Luke 5: 1 – 11.

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As I mentioned in passing last week, I post my sermons and other thoughts on my blog. One of my top posts continues to be a collection of sayings that I have accumulated over time (“A Collection of Sayings”).

One of the first sayings that I ever wrote down was “In every age there comes a time when leadership suddenly comes forth to meet the needs of the hour. And so there is no man who does not find his time, and there is no hour that does not have its leader.” (The Talmud) I have always attributed my keeping this saying to my reading of Making of the President – 1960 by Theodore White but I can’t find that quote in that book.

This particular quote came to me because of the events that transpired in the Gospel reading for this morning. The disciples (Peter, Andrew, James, and John) had been fishing but without much luck. Jesus comes along and uses one of their fishing boats as a floating pulpit so that he can preach to the crowd that was following him. Following the lesson, Jesus instructs the four brothers to put their boats in a particular place and they catch more fish than they probably thought was possible.

Whatever knowledge one might have about fishing, Jesus put the fisherman in the right spot at the right time to get the catch of the lifetime. Now, Luke has the four brothers putting down their nets and walking away from the only means of work that they know in order to follow Jesus and become “fishers of men and women.” And there are those today who would wonder why? Could it be that this catch brought enough at the market to let them do this? Perhaps, but that would be speculation on our part. We do know that these four had already encountered Jesus before (see John 1: 40 – 42 and 2: 1 – 2); this event in the history of the disciples provided the basis by which they would later change history.

That is why I used the quote from the Talmud. There is a time and a place when we as individuals will be in a position to change the direction of the world. Now this, in and of itself, may seem to be too great a task for any one individual to accomplish. On the other hand, how are we to know what will happen if we do or don’t do a particular task?

On February 1, 1960, four young men sat at the lunch counter in the Woolworth store in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was something that they had been planning for some time.

Now, for today’s reader, just as we find the four brothers walking away from their jobs in order to undertake a mission of unknown duration and an uncertain outcome, to hear the story of four young men sitting at a lunch counter in a department story is highly implausible. First, what is or was Woolworth’s? There are no Woolworth’s in business today in America, though for those who do know remember when they existed, some still exist in other countries. But in the 1960’s, Woolworth was the leader in what were called “five and dime stores”, essentially 20th century general stores were everything, including lunch, was sold. And while we have the third generation of such stores on the landscape today (Target, K-Mart, and Wal-Mart), the era of the general store has gone by the wayside.

And just as this idea of a general store has disappeared from society to be replaced by super stores and buy in bulk warehouses, so too has the idea of a lunch served on a plate in a store that wasn’t a restaurant also disappeared. So, to think of four young men planning on ordering lunch and sitting down to eat that lunch at a lunch counter in a store which doesn’t exist today is perhaps a difficult task.

But, there is more to this story. For the four young men in this story who planned this event were black. In Greensboro, North Carolina, in the 1960s, they were barred by law and custom from sitting at such a lunch counter and ordering something to eat and then being allowed to sit and eat their lunch at the lunch counter. White customers were allowed to sit; but if black customers wanted to eat lunch, they would have to stand. It should also be noted that the workers at the counter were white; the black employees were upstairs and out-of-sight.

And they will each tell you that this act of civil disobedience was not done lightly. Reprisals were common against those who spoke out against the rule and custom of segregation and each of the four truly expected such reprisals would be forthcoming, as would occur in other sit-ins that would follow. But to the credit of all the citizens of Greensboro, nothing happened.

The four were told that they would not be served and that they should leave the store. But they would not do so and when the store closed for the day, they went home but told the manager that they would return. They returned the next day and sat at the counter again. And again, they were not served. Nor were they served the next day or the next. But it was different on these following days, for each day others who supported their actions would come and take a seat. And it was not just the black students of Greensboro who sat at the counter in defiance of the law and custom; white students began to take part in the sit-ins, offering support through action against the custom and law.

It would take several weeks of patient sitting and waiting but in the end, not only did the store but the city of Greensboro as well agree to integrate (this story can be found at http://www.sitins.com/story.shtml).

And as the word of the sit-in spread across the South and the country, other sit-ins began. Most were peaceful but there were instances of confrontation and violence (images of these protests can be found at http://www.crmvet.org/images/imgcoll.htm). The four young men were in the right place and the right time and their actions changed history. And the world changed as well.

We might find it incomprehensible today that just a few years ago, there were places in this country where the color of one’s skin could and did determine what you could and could not do, where you could walk and talk and eat and where you would never dare to do such things. There are those who cannot understand how the election of one man can make a difference in this country or even in this world but if you grew up in the South and you saw what life was like, you would understand.

We might find it incomprehensible to know that we could, in this country, divide schools, restaurants, bus stations, rest rooms and churches and still say there was equality in this land. But, as one who grew up in the south and felt the impact of segregation in his life, let me assure that it did happen (see "Lexington, North Carolina"), And what I find frightening is that there is evidence today that some would seek to impose the economic and social structures of segregation once again in this country.

When I hear a politician, Northern or Southern, speak of state’s rights or suggests that literacy tests are necessary requirements for voting in this country, I hear the calls and cries of Southern politicians from the 1870s through the 1970s. I hear the voices of those who would control the lives of others by using fear and ignorance.

A politician will only call for literacy tests as a requirement for voting in this country because they want to frighten those who would listen and are ignorant of the past. Ministers who say that natural disasters are the signs of God’s wrath and anger against people or a nation are ignorant of the world around them. A minister who calls for a government based on Christian principles but includes murder, violence, discrimination, and hatred can only be speaking out of their own fear of the unknown and an ignorance of Christian principles.

Fear has been a tool from the days of Christ and the disciples. The Romans used crucifixion as a tool of fear, to control the populace by saying “this can happen to you if you don’t stay in line.” The religious authorities used fear to extract obedience from the people by saying “we know the proper way to do things and you don’t”. Time and time again, dictators have used the fear of the people to control them and direct them to the dictators’ own selfish purposes.

We are at a point in time when the future is in peril. Our ignorance of the world around us threatens our health and our safety. Our ignorance of other cultures threatens our security. Our fear of the unknown, of what lies “out there” keeps us from learning and keeps us ignorant. The four brothers only knew what Jesus was saying; they had no idea of what was to come when they walked away from the nets and their boats. But still they left.

In Paul’s letter today, he reminds the Corinthians of how they got to this point in their life. Paul lays the basis for faith in these verses and the verses that follow (verses 12 – 34). When a person speaks of Christianity or any religion being only a myth, I believe they are speaking out of ignorance. Faith cannot grow in fear, yet too many people try to use fear as the means to faith. Faith can only grow through knowledge, knowledge found both in the physical world and, for the lack of a better term, the metaphysical world.

To bring the Gospel message into the world is a challenging task, to say the least; and it is a task that many people are unwilling to undertake.

I did not, when I began writing this sermon, intend to be a prophet of doom. The passage from Isaiah has two parts, the second being the consequences of the first. Isaiah is called by God to give a message to the people; it is a message that will harden the hearts and close their minds, it will bring doom to the nation.

And God said to the people through Isaiah, “You aren’t going to get this the first time. You will listen but not comprehend; you will look but not understand. You will become dull and shut your ears and close your eyes. And in doing so, you will become dumb and ignorant and you will die.”

That is not the message that we want to deliver. But we should not see it in those terms, unless we desire to have history repeat itself. All those “out there” who call these the End Times say that there is no hope in this world; that the world shall come to an end and there is not one thing we can do to stop God’s plan. But I never accepted this notion that God’s plan was for the destruction of this world, the world that He created. Why else did He send His Son to be the Hope and Savior of the World?

What I have believed is that we have been warned as to what would happen if we choose to walk a different path, if we choose to let ignorance, fear, and hatred control our lives. God sent His Son, not to condemn us, but to save us. He gave us the tools and the abilities to use those tools for the betterment of all mankind, not just a select few. He put us in this place and at this time to do just that.

We are like Isaiah, presented with a monumental task, a task far beyond our own perceived abilities. Yet God provided Isaiah with the words, the skills, and the strength to undertake the task. Every prophet, every messenger of God, has reacted in the same manner as Isaiah and every prophet, every messenger has received the same message.

In a world where cynics decry the meaning of faith and say that there is nothing a single individual can do, it is hard to be that single individual who takes the first step. In a world where faith is ridiculed or compromised, it is hard to say to someone “come with me on Sunday; I want you to find Jesus.”

We can be like so many who heard the message to come and follow me and say, “No, not today.” And we have many reasons for doing so, “I am too old; I am too young; I have too many things to do; I can’t walk away from the life that I have worked so hard to gain.” Yet, Isaiah went, even though the prospects were not good. And the four brothers put down their nets and walked away from their boats, to follow Jesus for three years, to follow Jesus to a place and time where history would change.

We have that opportunity today; we are in the right place and the right time to follow Christ, to change history. What shall we do?

A Scout Is Reverent

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Here is the message that I presented at Tompkins Corners UMC for the 5th Sunday after the Epiphany, 2 February, 2004.  The Scriptures for this Sunday are Isaiah 6: 1- 8 (9 – 13), 1 Corinthians 15: 1 – 11, and Luke 5: 1 – 11.

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In our journey through life, we tend to mark certain days as being important to the journey. The second Sunday of February, which we call Boy Scout Sunday, is one of those days. For it was on Boy Scout Sunday that I celebrate my Christian birthday.

It was this particular Sunday when I completed the confirmation portion of my studies and joined the First Evangelical United Brethren Church of Aurora, Colorado. Later, in May of 1965, I would complete the studies that earned me the God and Country award given by the Boy Scouts. But it was this day that I took that first step as a member of a church. You might say that this day doesn’t qualify me to be a Christian but I think it was the culmination of a journey that had begun some two years before, when as an seventh grader in Montgomery, Alabama, I began looking at my relationship with Christ.

One of the decisions that I made was to begin studying for my God and Country award. I wanted this award because it is one of the few awards in Boy Scouts that is not rank dependent. In other words, you do not have to be a certain rank before you can earn it. And it is an award, which calls upon the individual to make decisions about themselves, and which will have an impact on their lives far beyond the time of study and work towards the award. If you are going to earn this award, you must make a commitment to Christ.

What I remember most about my own studies is what came about because of my studies. I do not remember how it was that I became a part of that first class, other than I approached Reverend Eddy about earning the award. But however it happened I, along with two others, began my classes on Saturday morning.

These studies included the traditional confirmation studies. But service was also a part of the curriculum, so on Sunday mornings, the three of us served as acolytes. Now, the church held two services each Sunday morning so that meant that one of the three of us had to be the acolyte for two services every Sunday.

It was about this same time that the Scoutmaster of my troop decided to hold a contest to get the members of the troop involved in Scouting activities. Most of the activities centered on traditional scouting activities such as hiking and camping. But there was also a service element and when the others in the troop saw that we were getting points for being acolytes, they also wanted to be a part of that process as well. And when our class was over in the spring of 1965, ten members of the troop indicated that they wanted to be a part of the next class.

Now, some thirty-nine years later I cannot say what happened to those who went into that next class; I can only hope that their lives were changed as was mine. But the fact that they wanted to be a part of that next class indicated that they saw something in what was happening to the three of us in the first class and it must have had an impact. Each one of us, through our words and deeds, exposes others to the impact of Christ on our lives and gives others the opportunity to find Christ in their own lives.

And that is the point Paul is stressing to the Corinthians in today’s Epistle reading. Each one of us has come to know Christ first through the actions and words of others. No one in Corinth was present at the resurrection but they had heard from those who had encountered Christ and, in turn, they would transfer this experience to others down the line. We individually come to know Christ because of what someone did for us; our hearts are opened because we have seen or heard what happens to others who have encountered Christ.

But it is not action alone that brings us into a closer relationship with Christ. It is our faith. For some today, this is a very hard idea to accept. They are willing to say that because there is no physical evidence, the resurrection could not have occurred. They are willing to say that a God which allows hatred and violence to exist in this world, then there cannot be a God of love and peace. But we know through faith that Christ died and that he died for our sins so that we could be free. And if there is hatred or violence or repression in this world, it is because we have allowed it to happen, not because God has done so.

We know, as Paul did, that there are those who have encountered the risen Christ. To those individuals, who told others, the resurrection is not a simple folk tale; it is the truth. Our celebration of communion today is more than just a ritual; the words that we say only have meaning because of the faith that we bring with us to the table. Our celebration of communion today is more than just a reenactment of a gathering of friends one night many years ago. It is our connection with Christ through the very act by which He became a part of our life.

Our faith is renewed each time we partake of communion because we, along with countless others today and countless saints who have walked before us, take part in the celebration of life and its victory over sin and death.

Each of us here today holds on to the legacy of faith. By our actions, we reestablish the legacy of faith that has been passed down from age to age and which we shall pass to ages to come. It is true that our faith is being sorely tested these days. There are many who would say that the world around us is falling apart and that our faith is not sufficient to fight the forces of evils. The events of the past week merely show how hard we must work. There have been many that call themselves Christians who are quick to react to the threats of society. But their reactions and responses are repressive and hardly reflect the words of Christ. It is one thing to condemn but you must also open your hearts and forgive those who have wronged; you must also provide a response that reflects a better alternative.

The problem is that those who condemn fail to provide alternatives. Remember when the self-righteous leaders were ready to stone the woman who was caught in adultery? Let us ignore for the moment that they were not going to punish the man who was also caught. They asked Jesus who should throw the first stone but he replied, "let that one person without sin cast the first stone." Those who condemn should be prepared to offer an alternative.

Our faith is tested and often found weak because we are not ready to focus on Christ. We more often than not focus on our own life. Like Peter, in the reading from today’s Gospel reading it is our faith that will move us forward. Peter didn’t think that he could catch any fish; after all, he and the others had been up all night and had not caught anything.

But he listened to Christ and came away with a full load of fish. Peter’s life changed because he heard Christ calling him to be a fisher of men and not just a fisherman. Isaiah was just as sure that he wasn’t the one who should serve God. He was a sinner, hardly worthy of a life serving God. But God granted Isaiah a second chance and changed his life and made him a prophet.

So now God is calling. Perhaps it is quiet and soft like the call heard by a twelve-year-old in Montgomery, Alabama so many years ago. Maybe it is a call through thunder and lightening like that Isaiah heard. Or perhaps it is through the cries of the needy or the moans of the hungry. No matter how God is calling, He is calling you. It is not important how the call is made but it is important that the call is answered.

The twelfth of the Scout Laws is "A Scout is Reverent. A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others." This simple statement was one that has directed my life ever since I heard the call from God so many years ago. It took me a while to figure out how to answer that call. And today, as we come to the table we hear the words of Christ calling to us, inviting us to be a part of the table as well. How will you answer the call?

Whom Shall I Send?

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Here is the message that I presented at Walker Valley UMC for the 5th Sunday after the Epiphany, 4 February, 2001.  The Scriptures for this Sunday are Isaiah 6: 1- 8 (9 – 13), 1 Corinthians 15: 1 – 11, and Luke 5: 1 – 11.

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I found the reports last week about the faith-based initiative for welfare that the present administration is pushing interesting. Not wanting to pursue the fundamental issue of the separation between church and state, I wonder why we have to even think about the need for welfare support in this country in the first place. It should be that in a land of plenty, which is how we see our country, everyone has what they need and no one should lack for anything.

But we know that is not the case for there are countless homeless, hungry, sick, and people in need throughout this country. And the question must be asked as to how we, as a country and as individuals, will respond to the needs of others. This is not a new question, but one that has been with us since time immemorial.

The impetus for the founding of the Methodist Church came from society’s response to the needs of those less fortunate.

The prevalent attitude of the church during Wesley’s time was that poverty was a result of sinful life. Being poor was a fate given to you by God and there was very little you could do about it. If you were poor, it was because you lead a sinful life and were to be pitied. In the sermons of that time, one can read of a real concern for those less fortunate but it was assumed that the only way the working class, the poor and downtrodden could be saved was for them to make their lives better. If they lead lives like those who had enjoyed the success of society, then success would be theirs as well.

Wesley felt that it wasn’t necessary for those less fortunate to be like their betters but it was necessary to enable them to find the way to Christ for themselves. But he also understood that a church and a nation that ignores members of its society could never expect worldly success, let alone success in Heaven. Having accepted Christ as one’s personal Savior, you could not sit back and wait for the Glory of the Lord to come to you. You had to take the message of the Gospel out into the world, both in thought, word and deed. John Wesley understood that the church must present a message people understand. But the message must be accompanied by actions. To Wesley, preaching the Gospel was more than a Sunday experience; it was a daily occurrence. Preaching the Gospel alone is not enough when people are hungry, homeless, or suppressed by an indifferent society; you must help people overcome such barriers. If people are hungry, they must be feed; if people are sick, they must be healed; if the people seek to improve their lives through education, there need to be schools. If the church is to be a vital and living part of the community today, it must offer the hope and promise of the Gospel message to all that seek it.

The church throughout its history has always been a society of people. But, for many people, this means that the church has taken on the form of a social club where like-minded people gather together and have fun and fellowship and generally support one another. Now, I see nothing wrong with those activities; they are essential parts of the life of a church. But I do see something wrong when people view themselves only in those terms and refuse to look beyond the boundaries of the church. I can remember the horror people had at one church when it was suggested that one week out of every fifteen the church be used to house two or three homeless families and that the members of the church assist in the feeding of the families. Those things were just not done in polite society.

But that is the other side of the coin. Whatever breaks down in society, the church needs to be involved. The church needs to stand up for what is right and good. Over the years, the church has stood for good education, equality among all peoples, civil rights, and stability in society. And the call will go out for people to lead the in this regard.

But many people do not want to answer the call. Locked in their own private pain and troubles, many cannot see how they can help others. But in our own private pain, we find that God will meet us and move us beyond it, to make a difference.

Isaiah comes to the temple in pain, seeking after God. He had this vision from God in the Temple. The revelation that came as part of this vision involves a powerful and majestic display on God’s part. In the presence of God, Isaiah saw himself as he really was. His words were "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips." (Isaiah 6: 5)  God’s revelation brings a sense of Isaiah’s unworthiness and the unworthiness of his people.

The same was true for Peter in the New Testament passage we read this morning. Up until this point in the New Testament, Jesus had carried out his ministry alone. Now he begins to enlist his followers, his disciples. The message of this passage is that God calls ordinary people to do the extraordinary and empowers them to do it.

Jesus climbed into the boat and called these fishermen to fish for people. But it was only after they realized Who was in the boat with them that the call came. And that call is just like the one we get — to serve.

But when Simon Peter realized Who was in the boat he fell down in front of Jesus and said, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5: 8) He knew he was in the presence of God ( he had called Jesus "Master" in verse 5 but "Lord" in verse 8) and had no right to be there. He simply wasn’t up to the task that Jesus was asking him to take on.

Like Isaiah, Peter was immediately conscious of his unworthiness in the face of God. None of us, by our own merit, can stand before the God of the universe with our heads held high. Any person who has accepted God’s call as an adult has had this overwhelming sense of unworthiness. The past floods one’s consciousness, and the person will echo Peter, "Depart from me! I am sinful, O Lord." We are all inadequate and unworthy.

Even Paul admitted that he was unworthy to work for the church since he had sought the persecution of the church. But through God’s grace, he was able to change who he was and it was through God’s grace that he was able to work for the church.

Isaiah’s honest admission and confession in the presence of God invoked Gods’ forgiveness. Isaiah also knew what to do with his unworthiness. Are we doing anything with our own unworthiness? Are we in touch with the spirit and movement of God’s own self-disclosure to the point that we can honestly admit who we are and what we have or haven’t done, as God’s person? Such a movement is crucial for us to ever get to a place in our lives where we trust God with all of who we are.

Once Peter realized who was in that boat that day, he feared for his life. But Jesus offered him the soothing words that God has said several times before already in Luke. To a trembling Zechariah, to Mary, to an ordinary Peter, God’s words of serenity were "Do not be afraid." God say to us, when we realize our own undeservedness, "Do not be afraid. My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Paul speaks very plainly about the resurrection of Christ and its meaning on our lives. One of the most important facts of the Christian faith is the bodily resurrection of Christ. The very existence of the Christian church bears witness to the fact that something happened to transform a broken, beaten group of losers into men and women who gave their very lives for Christ, whom they witnessed in his resurrection power.

More than all the factual data we could muster in our endeavor to prove the literal resurrection of Christ is the very fact that he, right now, is in the business of changing lives. Before Peter’s empowering, he was no more capable of catching people than he was capable of catching the fish the night before. But God’s enduring presence enabled him, as it enables us, to do the extraordinary and answer the call to discipleship and service.

After God forgave Isaiah, He asked "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" (Isaiah 6: 8). These questions imply God’s concern for Isaiah’s community of faith. The progression of this drama has now moved from the personal need of Isaiah — his grief — to his coming to the Temple seeking after God, to God’s revelation to him as God discloses himself, to the honest confession by Isaiah of his own unworthiness, to forgiveness, and now to God involving Isaiah as God discloses His own concern as to who can go to the people with his Word. It is a sweeping story that describes, in detail, the call of this prophet of God. Some who have received this same call will see their own story here. The power of this call is discovered as Isaiah is moved beyond his own need, through forgiveness, to being invited by God through the petition to participate with God in bringing his Word to the community.

The challenge is like that. It is a challenge that changes us. To Peter, Luke 5: 10, "From now on," was not a time reference but a fundamental change in the state of affairs. After we met God, whether in the boat like Peter or in a vision in the Temple like Isaiah, we can never be the same again.

With God’s help, we are enable to move beyond our own hurts, pains, struggles, doubts, and fears to become persons sent forth in the name of the One who calls. Through our own encounters with this God who loves us, we are able to answer the question put before Isaiah who shall be sent.