Sermon for August 7, 2016: Admission Standards for the Kingdom

This sermon was preached by Rev. Mark T. Peterson at Christ the King Lutheran Church, Holliston, MA on August 7, 2016.

Luke 12:32-40

[Jesus said:] ³²“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
  ³⁵“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; ³⁶be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. ³⁷Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. ³⁸If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
  ³⁹“But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

  

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

As many students prepare to go back to school, especially those who are off to college somewhere, the excitement of the day that an acceptance letter came from the school of one’s dreams has certainly faded by now. The joy that came when the packet was opened, and that young person read, “Congratulations, we are excited to offer you admission to….” or maybe it went, “It is our good pleasure to welcome you into the distinguished….” or some other greeting, which was both warm and enthusiastic.

I started thinking about these letters and the spirit with which they are written, and it occurred to me why they could come across in such away, it’s because these schools get to choose who is good enough to get one of these acceptance letters. Each school gets to pick people who will be contributors to the school’s student life and academic reputation, and so they are excited about picking people who will make them better. And, hopefully, each prospective student will share this excitement in return.

The one caveat with these acceptance letters, which perhaps some of you have framed, or have safely kept somewhere, is that they aren’t good forever. In order to go to the school, you have to keep your grades up during your senior year and most certainly graduate. When you do get started, you of course have to keep your academic life on track, pass your classes, don’t do anything too horribly wrong, and of course, most importantly, keep the checks coming in on time. If you fail at this, the warm greeting that you received in your acceptance letter will be replaced by other messages telling you to leave.

This morning, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says, “It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” Now this, is an acceptance letter as it is an offer of entrance into a Kingdom. Now, this is not simply any Kingdom, but this is the Kingdom of Heaven, or the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom that is at the top of every publications “best Kingdom’s” list. It is a great kingdom for all majors, all careers, all different types of people. This is the Kingdom that Jesus declares it is the Father’s good pleasure to give to us. In comparison, I’m guessing that not many schools out there are including invitations to sit on the Endowment Board as a part of their acceptance letters. Schools out there are happy to give you the opportunity of an education, but they aren’t real anxious to hand over the whole institution.

God though, operates differently. God doesn’t just welcome us into the life of the Kingdom, but hands over the whole thing. What’s also different, is that none of us even needed to apply. This Kingdom has been given to us in the waters of baptism, by the work of the Holy Spirit, and it is in these waters where we are made citizens of this kingdom. The citizenship that we are given is the work of God’s grace, not our own achievements, but is given to us because right from the get-go, God has made us miraculously and marvelously, and has stitched that wonderfulness into every inch of creation. Ultimately, it is a sign of how much God loves what God has made, and out of this love, God gives to us the Kingdom.

In receiving this offer, just as one goes to college or university, there is work to be done in this Kingdom. Joyful work. The work of creating, restoring, and giving life. The work of relationships. The work of seeing and giving thanks for the joy that is found in each and every day, and that is found in each other. This is the work of love, and it is the work that we are called to in those waters of baptism. This work is our daily vocation, the work of living lives that reflect the Kingdom’s love, peace and justice. This is the work that isn’t about making a living, especially as we hear Jesus tell us to “sell everything we have and give the money to the poor.” This is the work of realizing the abundance we have been given and growing in our generosity of that abundance. This is truly the work of the Kingdom. The work of faith.

19 years ago, I was about to head off to college myself. I had my sights on becoming a social studies teacher. Four years later, I graduated and then taught for another 5 years.

10 years ago, at this time, I was just finishing our Summer Greek class, on my way to beginning seminary. I was ready to go down the road to becoming a pastor.

As I take stock of these years, it’s easy to see that my profession has changed, my title has even changed, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the work, the work of faith…the vocation. This is the calling from God to be loving and caring, the call to be a steward of God’s creation, the call to learn to trust in God and proclaim God’s grace. This is a calling that has been formed in me since I was baptized as a little baby. This is a calling to the work of the Kingdom of Heaven, and it has been given to me as a family business is passed on from generation to generation. This is the work that God gave to Abram, or Abraham, so that it would be passed on with such abundance that the numbers receiving it would be more countless than the stars.

Now in my 37^th year of this work, with the days remaining before my 38^th year dwindling, I must admit that I have not been a big success in this “Kingdom Work” that God has given to me. I’ve hurt people instead of loving them. I’ve lied. I’ve taken things that don’t belong to me. If you could find ways to be incompetent at this Kingdom work, I’ve found them…we all have. And, that’s just counting the things that are on the outside, I don’t even want to get into the stuff on my mind and in my heart, the stuff that is not very Kingdom oriented, the stuff on the inside that tells God exactly what kind of person I am.

If I were God. If I were the one making this Kingdom, I would surely pick someone different than me, someone different than all of us. I would pick people who have much better qualifications then simply being born. I would pick people that actually listened to what I wanted them to do, and who actually did it. Even more so, if any of those worthy candidates who I picked to give the Kingdom to, who I left in charge of running it didn’t do it right, I would kick them out, or at least put them on double-secret probation.

It certainly seems like God could have chosen better citizens of the Kingdom than us. Yes, the Kingdom is still here and still going on, but sin remains as well. Our sin, sin that continues to mar this Kingdom with violence and death, selfishness and greed, envy and hatred.  Yet, in the midst of our own sinful incompetence in the work of the Kingdom, what we are given eyes to see is that this work of faith is ultimately not ours, but is God’s. This is work that has gone on long before we were here and it will go on long after we are gone.

 When God opens our eyes to the work that God is doing, God also gives to us a vision of faith, just as Abram was shown the stars in the sky as a promise of how numerous his unlikely descendants would be. This is the vision of faith we put our hope and our trust in, this is the vision of Jesus Christ who continues to complete this work of faith in us. This is the vision of Jesus Christ continuing to call us through his mercy and grace to be a blessing to others, by giving them these same things.

As we stand before God, knowing our applications don’t look good and there’s not much we could show God to continue justifying our presence in the Kingdom of Heaven, we give thanks that God doesn’t kick us out. Rather, God comes to us, in flesh and blood, and gives us this life, and through his work assures us that he knows what he is doing in picking us for the Kingdom. God comes to us in Jesus Christ and lovingly affirms that it is truly the Father’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom.

While we get ready to go back to school, or college, as we enter into Kindergarten or if we haven’t gone back to school shopping for years, our calling remains the same. As Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, as Children of God we have been called to the work of faith. The very work that is being done in us today, the work of love, the work of our Lord, Jesus Christ, giving himself for each of us and for all of creation. May we share in this work wherever our roads lead, and may we share and proclaim this Kingdom life that we have been given, and the one who gave it to us.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Amen

Sermon for July 10, 2016: Memory Roads of Hope

This sermon was preached by Rev. Mark T. Peterson at Christ the King Lutheran Church, Holliston, MA on July 10, 2016.

Luke 10:25-37

²⁵Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” ²⁷He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”²⁸And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”
  ²⁹But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³²So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ ³⁶Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” ³⁷He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Greetings to you from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ,

As many of you probably know, I was on vacation last week, going back to Minnesota, where we stayed with my sister, in southeast Minnesota for most of the time we were there. As anyone who has ever journeyed back to where they are from can attest to, when you drive on the old roads you grew-up on, many memories start coming back. One particular afternoon, my brother and I, along with Charlie and our nephew, drove down County Rd. 10. We remembered all of our neighbors who lived in each house, and we drove by the house I grew-up in; reminiscing the whole time. As we drove further down that road, the four miles into the small town of Dover, I told the kids about the time my friends and I rode our bikes to our middle school, on the last day of school. As we proceeded to cross the treacherous Highway 14, my brother and I both agreed we'd never allow our kids to do that today...it was a different time then! We continued though, driving along the back road into Eyota, by the "new" elementary that was built over 20 years ago. We stopped at Dover-Eyota High School, to see the pavers and bricks that had recently been laid there, especially the one we as a family bought and dedicated to my mom, who was a teacher in the district. Being back on the roads of my youth brought back a lot of memories and it was great to be "home" for awhile. 

Today, as we read Jesus' parable known as the Good Samaritan, it's sort of like a Biblical memory road for us. It is a story we are very familiar with, it's even a part of our culture..if someone does a good deed for someone they don't know or who is different then them, we often call that person a "Good Samaritan." And, this memorable story takes place on a road, a road from Jerusalem to Jericho. We may not be real familiar with this particular road, but we have strong memories of what happened on it, a violent act, an act that left a man robbed, beaten, and broken. We also remember the people, the "holy" ones, a Levite and a priest, and we remember we don't want to be like these people, who pass by the injured man rather then help him. We remember that we want to be like the Samaritan, the one who was a neighbor to that person in need. The parable of the Good Samaritan, is a very much a part of our memories. 

It is our memories that help connect us, now in the present, across the time and space of our lives, and it is our memories that bridge us to the future. 

On my last day in Minnesota, we had moved our base of operations to the Twin Cities, and in the morning I went to have breakfast with my friend, J. As we started talking, J asked me if I had heard what happened the night before on  yet another road, a road that I had lived next to, and driven on often. He started telling me about events that had happened on Larpenteur Avenue, very close to its intersection with Snelling Avenue. He told me that a young man, Philando Castile, had been pulled-over there, and that his life had violently ended, that there was video up on social media, and I was a bit shocked, as I remembered that I had worked at a restaurant that was right next to where this awful and violent tragedy took place. I remembered being in the area, and driving up and down that road many times, and never once feeling any sort of danger. 

As we reflected on what happened, other memories came back as well. Memories of the "Oh No!" kind. Memories of all the similar events that have happened so recently, (and probably occurred at the same rate in the past, when we weren't as connected with technology), and a memory of such a similar event that had happened in Baton Rouge, where Alton Sterling's life had ended so suddenly and violently. Memories that keep piling up, memories that cause grief and unrest, memories that you don't wish upon anyone. 

Still trying to make sense of the conflicting memories I had, of working and living in a place that was so safe for me, but not someone else, I was wondering how such a thing could happen there. And how such a thing could keep happening in our society. Then, on the very next day, the violent events of Dallas happened, where 5 officers violently have their lives taken from them, with others wounded, and so much fear all around. 

As we read this parable, about the Good Samaritan, taking place on that road from Jerusalem to Jericho, a road that I believe you can travel on today if you visit that area, a road that whether we've been there or not continues to play in our collective memory. Today, we all have different roads in our life and culture, that we've traveled on either metaphorically or literally, but it seems as if our collective, virtual road, the one that we travel on together as a society is a lot bigger and more connected than in the past. Over the past week, and even over the past weeks, this road has been filled with violence, pain, and suffering, things that tear us apart as a society, things that cause us to question what it is we base our lives on, what it is we know and don't know. 

In weaving together the story of the Good Samaritan and recent events, we want to become like that Good Samaritan, we want to do something to help, and we certainly don't want to be like the Levite and priest, who leave the man to suffer. In my own memorable reflections on this parable, trying to be like the Good Samaritan has always been what has been impressed upon me. Yet, in times like these, it can be hard to be the one, the Good Samaritan we are supposed to be. Maybe, it's because we don't always know what to do, or what is right. Or, perhaps, it's hard because the world, and its violence can seem so overwhelming, and there's so much going wrong with it. Perhaps, we just feel so far away from all of this violence, even something that happened so close to where I once lived and worked. How do you be the Good Samaritan, as painful memories keep being made, memories that don't provide a bridge to the future, but cause it to be so uncertain? 

We ask, how do we be the Good Samaritan, but this morning, let's try a little different take-away from this memorable story. Rather than ourselves as the Good Samaritan, let's replace him with Jesus, and instead of the Good Samaritan, how about we recognize ourselves, as human beings, as being like the man who is by the side of the road; robbed, beaten, broken, and in need of help. The man who now must certainly distrust this world, who fears it, the one wondering where our help will come from. As we make Jesus into the Good Samaritan, we remember what motivated him, we remember that this man was moved by his pity, or compassion, for the one who was left for dead, the one who was not only a stranger, but a Jew, the arch-enemy of the Samaritans. When we start to view Jesus as our Good Samaritan, we see our Lord, our God, who is moved by compassion for us, a God who feels our pain and brokenness, our despondency and despair, our injustice and anxiety; the things that are a part of our lives and society and which leave us in need of help. We know that our Lord, who feels such compassion for us don't just pass us by on the side of the road, but is moved to come to us, and give us his life, his love, his healing, and his HOPE. This is the hope that doesn't wait for the road to be safe, or for the time to be right, but is a hope that is shown to us on a cross. A hope that makes the time right, that makes our lives filled. This is the hope, the compassionate hope that is given to us, and the hope that will enliven us once again. This is the hope that indeed shows us the mercy of God, the hope that springs forth from the merciful actions of a Good Samaritan. 

Therefor, as we look upon our world today, we see a world that is as filled; filled with sin as it was 10 years ago, or 100, or even 1000 years ago, a world that is filled with fear and hatred, filled with injustice, filled with uncertainty. In such a world, it is hard to be that Good Samaritan that is a part of our memory, indeed, what are we to do? Called by the Holy Spirit, we are to come together to dine on the life of our Good Samaritan, to be filled with his compassion, to taste and see his mercy, so that we can give this mercy to others. We are called together to pray, to pray to this compassionate Lord, to be moved by the compassion which so moves him, so that the world may have hope, so that the world may know mercy. 

As we continue to come together, to KNOW of this mercy more and more, as we GROW in our prayers to a God who acts in such a way towards us, we see that this compassionate love, that this mercy, that this healing and health and life is for all people, no matter what. We see this mercy, and by it we GROW, being transformed to give this abundant mercy that has been given to us. This is the mercy of the Good Samaritan, the mercy which fills us so much, that it overflows onto others. This is the mercy that isn't passive, that doesn't sit on the sidelines. Rather, this mercy is active, it goes to those who are hurting, those who have been marred by injustice simply because of what they look like, those who are filled with fear and anxiety over their loved ones who spend their lives working to keep others safe, those who are just confused or lost. This mercy of God is active, it gives us life, it gives us love, it gives us hope. Today, God is here once again, to fill us with this mercy, with this love, with this life, so that we may go and do likewise. For this we give thanks!

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Amen

Sermon for June 19, 2016: To KNOW and to GROW, Coming Out.

The following sermon was preached by Rev. Mark T. Peterson, on June 19, 2016, at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Holliston, MA. It is the fourth sermon in a 6 week series on Galatians, entitled TO KNOW, and TO GROW. 

Galatians 3:23-29

²³Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. ²⁴Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, ²⁶for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. ²⁷As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

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

This morning, just as we have for the last three weeks, we read from Paul's letter to the Galatians. This is a letter Paul wrote thousands of years ago to the churches of Galatia and it's a letter, which by the power of the Holy Spirit speaks to us today. 

Paul wrote this letter so that people, whether they be Galatians or Christ the Kingians, would Know and Grow. So that these people would KNOW their identity as the People of God and so they would GROW in what it means to be a people with such a holy identity. 

Now, one thing that may be overlooked in our 'knowledge' about being the people of God, one part that we might take for granted is the greeting that Paul uses in his letter, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ," the same greeting which I gave at the beginning of this sermon. As the People of God, these words remind us what it is that makes us such a people, the thing that initiates this relationship, and that thing is God's grace and peace given to us out of love. It is God's grace and peace, given to us not because of how good we are, or how great our children are, or what country we come from, what religion we necessarily practice or even who we love, rather it is given to us because we are in need. God's grace is given to us because we are all sinners.  The whole point of grace, is that it given to someone who's done something wrong, not someone who's done everything right. So we remember, as the People of God, that this greeting, and the grace it bestows, is where our faith comes from and it's where our faith grows from. 

Apart from grace, there is "the law" as Paul puts it; the law which would have us do all the things that God wants us to do, the law which would have us do everything right, the law which is subject to endless interpretation, the law which greets us in a different kind of way: "YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT, ANYTHING YOU SAY CAN AND WILL BE USED AGAINST YOU IN A COURT OF LAW." or "DO YOU SWEAR TO TELL THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH..." or there is always this greeting, which I know from more then just the movies and TV, which I know from actual experience, "DO YOU KNOW WHY I PULLED YOU OVER? The law isn't really concerned with my own personal well-being, or anyone else's for that matter. 

While the law is good for the general ordering of our society, it can't give us grace or love. The law can point out our wrong doings, it can accuse us, it can uphold our rightness over and above someone else, it can be interpreted in a lot of different ways, but it doesn't build relationships. The law doesn't make us People of God or keep us as people of God. 

Yet, we do give thanks for the Law, God's Law. The law which tells us to love the Lord, our God with all our heart, and soul, and mind; and to love our neighbor's as ourselves. We give thanks for the Law, because through it's commands, it does have the ability to keep us safe, somewhat. Recently, I've been given new insight into what Paul is saying to us regarding the Law as our guardian, as keeping us safe. This insight came to me through work with the Holliston Drug and Alcohol Awareness Coalition, and in hearing different people's stories. One theme that has come up recently, is the story of parents whose children, while struggling with addiction, have either been locked-up in jail or prison, or spent time in in-patient rehab. Troubling as it is, for parents who are in a constant state of crisis, worried about where there child is, where they are spending the night, or even if they are alive, having some security that there child is at least safe, brings some relief. While a parent never dreams of wanting this for their children, this type of "law" watching over their children is far better than the alternative.

This idea of law as our guardian, can be very useful to us, and help us to get through some of life's toughest moments, especially when the love that we bear becomes so painful. But being locked-up, is not how parents want their children to live, it's not how any of us want to live, it's not how God wants us to live, it's not how we are created to live. 

WE KNOW: God didn't make us the People of God to put us into a prison of rules and regulations. We have been made the People of God so that we can love God, love each other, and KNOW how much we are loved. 

WE KNOW: It is by the grace and peace given to us by Jesus Christ, that has made and formed us as that People of God, and that it is through the waters of baptism where we are clothed in Christ.

Indeed, it is sheer grace that makes us the People of God, and in Christ, that grace is among us. This grace forms us as the People of God to become One, to grow together, with God and with each other. By this grace we have been made the People of God so that when sin comes knocking at our door and greets us with such tragedy as the events in Orlando last Sunday, or the events in Charleston last year, we don't ignore it. When we see and hear of our sisters and brothers, of our fellow children of God suffering, being persecuted, having violence done against them just for the sake of who they are, by the grace of God we are called to join with them in their suffering, called to love them, called to be One with them. By the grace of God, as the People of God, we are called to be the Body of Christ with them. A body that knows suffering and death, but that most surely knows resurrection. 

Here in the ELCA, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, it is grace that has helped us see the pain and suffering of so many people who love someone of the same gender, or who don't fit neatly into traditional expressions of romantic love, have gone through, physically, emotionally; externally and internally. It is grace that has helped us as a national church to break open some of these "prisons", which never should have been there in the first place, and allowed us to be blessed with the gifts of so many of our sisters and brothers in ministry. 

It is this same grace, which has brought us this far, which helps us to see the persecutors of such crimes, and KNOW that we offer grace to them as well; as hard as this may seem. God's grace is intent on bringing us together, on making us One in Christ; where there is no longer slave and free, Jew and Greek, male and female, but only One. 

Truly, we have been clothed in Christ, so that we can remember what God's grace has done and so that we can be this grace for the world. This graceful living isn't easy, if it was, it would just be how we always act. It isn't easy, even for us, who hopefully hear of this grace everyday, who are on the receiving end of this grace. Living in grace can be hard, and it's why God is constantly at work in us. God is working by calling us together, and feeding us with his body and blood, so that we may KNOW what it is that makes us the People of God. So that we may KNOW our brothers and sisters, so that we may KNOW that God's love is what wins!

God's grace calls us together so that we may KNOW we are the People of God, and God's grace calls us together so that we may GROW. WE GROW in coming out to this grace. WE GROW in realizing that our pain and suffering, our shame and guilt, that our shortcomings, our sin, is an affliction that we all share. WE GROW when we come out in our pain over loved ones who are lost or our own lack of control over things, and share it with each other and with God. The many afflictions in our lives, the things that cause us to suffer are not things that should separate us, and they certainly don't stop us from being the People of God. These things are only the places in our lives where God's grace is at work, driving out that which works to separate us, and bringing us into relationship again and again. WE GROW in coming out to God's grace, so that it can take our inner-demons, the ones that we all have, the ones that we pass on to each other and even to our children; so that this grace can break down the walls that separate us, and light can shine in the dark places of our lives and world. 

WE GROW by coming out to God's grace, and remembering that it is not how we act that makes us a People of God, but how we are loved. As we remember that fact, as we experience it, as we share in it, we see that we are indeed clothed in Christ, that we have been made One in him, and we rejoice over all that God has done!

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 

Amen

Galatians, we KNOW:

That the Gospel message is given to us by Jesus Christ, is about Jesus Christ, and it reveals Jesus Christ.

That Jesus Christ came to do something, to give himself for our sin and free us from this evil age. 

That Jesus Christ comes not to the healthy, but to sinners; sinners like Paul and sinners like us, to transform us and give us new life, to give us his life. 

That we are justified not by works of the Law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

God didn't make us the People of God to put us into a prison of rules and regulations. We have been made the People of God so that we can love God, love each other, and KNOW how much we are loved. 

It is by the grace and peace given to us by Jesus Christ, that has made and formed us as that People of God, and that it is through the waters of baptism where we are clothed in Christ.

and we GROW:

By considering the question that Paul asks about who we serve, and whose approval we are seeking. Is it the approval of God, or is it humans? 

By learning to trust in grace, and not our own human abilities and ways of doing things. We wrestle with the words of this quote from H. William Gregory. "Trust, and not rigidity is what defines the will of one converted by Grace." 

By opening ourselves to the presence of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, in our lives, and allowing him to live in, with, and through us.

By realizing that our pain and suffering, our shame and guilt, that our shortcomings, our sin, is an affliction that we all share.

By coming out to God's grace, and remembering that it is not how we act that makes us a People of God, but how we are loved.

Sermon for June 5, 2016: TO KNOW and TO GROW; Visions from God.

The following sermon was preached by Rev. Mark T. Peterson, on May 29, 2016, at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Holliston, MA. It is the second sermon in a 6 week series on Galatians, entitled TO KNOW, and TO GROW. I will be making references to a document I produced, of the same name, and that is pictured within this post. 

Galatians 1:11-24 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; ¹²for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

  ¹³You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. ¹⁴I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.¹⁵But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased ¹⁶to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, ¹⁷nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.
  ¹⁸Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days; ¹⁹but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord’s brother. ²⁰In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! ²¹Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, ²²and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; ²³they only heard it said, “The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴And they glorified God because of me.

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

When I was younger, maybe late high school, perhaps college, I feel as if I was given a vision from God. Mind you, this was not a vision to go and become a pastor. Rather, it was a vision of riding a motorcycle. Not one of the big choppers that people like to cruise around on, but the kind commonly referred to as "crotch-rcokets." The kind that Tom Cruise so awesomely drove in the movie, Top Gun. In my vision, I was thinking about how cool that would be to have one, and how fast I could go. In my vision, I saw myself speeding up and down the road, and then God interrupted, and I, a young man who felt pretty invincible as many young people do, saw myself, flying off of that motorcycle and a long way into the air. I realized then and there, that God was telling me that a motorcycle would not be a good purchase for your life. God was saying "DO NOT BUY A MOTORCYCLE. EVER!"

There I was, a bold, invulnerable young man, and God interrupted, and gave me a better path, a different way of doing things. 

Today, we read once again from Paul's letter to the Galatians. In reading it, we remember that Paul, wasn't always Paul. In his earlier life, he had been Saul, a bold and zealous young man, a very religious young man, an important figure in the realm of Judaism. In his religious life, Saul had certainly known all the rules and was a stern protector and defender of the faith. So much so, that when a new expression of it started popping up, when churches, centered around this guy named Jesus Christ, a man who had been crucified and then was raised...Saul, a zealous person of faith sought to put an end to that church. Saul even held everyone's coats when one of the members of this new faith, Stephen, was being stoned to death. Saul new where he was headed in life, he had it all figured out and his religion, would take him to the top, both in terms of importance and righteousness. 

It was this person named Saul, who had a vision from God, who in fact had more than just a vision, but a revelation. The leader of this church that Saul was so zealously persecuting, a guy buy the name of Jesus, came to Saul, knocked him off of his horse, and blinded Saul with his great light. This revelation must have been amazing to Saul, as it was Jesus, who had been raised from the dead who had encountered him. But the most amazing thing about this whole encounter, this whole revelation, was that Jesus gave to Saul his grace and love, and transformed his life. Saul went from someone who had had it all figured out, to someone who realized what it was he was doing by persecuting the church and it's followers, and who saw how empty, even sinful his own self-perceived merit before God was. Because of Jesus' revelation to him, Saul, the one who lived with pride in his own works, was transformed into Paul, the one who lived by trust in the grace of someone else towards him. 

Paul, this person so dramatically transformed by Jesus, is a unique case. We don't have a lot of folks with similar experiences running around. It seems Jesus worked in this sort of way about once, and that was it. Yet, Jesus, our risen Lord and Savior, continues to reveal himself today. Jesus continues to reveal himself through Paul, as Paul went around starting to build up the same church that he had once tried to destroy, including the church in Galatia. In Paul's work, in his transformation and building up of the church, by the power of the Holy Spirit we see the work of Jesus revealed. 

Quite a few years after helping to start this church, Paul wrote a letter to them, a letter that still speaks to us today. Paul wrote to those Galatians as one who had been transformed by Christ, and as one seeking to reveal Christ to them once again. 

Indeed, Paul wrote to the Galatians so that they could KNOW about how it is that they had come to be this church, this people of God in Christ. Paul wrote to them so they could KNOW about Jesus' love which did this work. 

Paul wrote to these Galatians so that they could GROW in what this identity means. So that they could GROW in being free from this evil age. So that they could GROW in the life of Jesus Christ, who gave himself for their sins. 

In Galatians, we hear Paul writing to us as well; to KNOW and to GROW:

TO KNOW: That the Gospel is from Jesus Christ, it is about Christ, and it reveals to us Christ. 

TO KNOW: That Jesus Christ came to do something. He came to give himself for our sins and free us from this evil age. 

TO GROW: We join with Paul in asking: "Am I seeking human approval? Or the approval of God? Am I hear to please people?"

Because of God working through people like Paul, we KNOW and we GROW. 

We KNOW that Jesus reveals himself today, the same Jesus that was revealed to the Galatians; the same Jesus that revealed himself to Paul. Jesus comes to us and is revealed in baptismal waters. Waters that promise us that we are children of God; waters that tell us that just as Jesus is God's son, we have been made God's children, that God's favor is upon not only us, but upon all of creation and upon all people. 

We KNOW that Jesus reveals himself to us today, as we gather in worship. We KNOW that he is full of grace and mercy as he reveals himself to us by giving us his life to us in the midst of our sin. He gives us his body and blood for us so that we may share it with each other. 

We KNOW that Jesus reveals himself to us here in worship, through the Word of God that has been handed on through the generations to us. We KNOW that Jesus reveals himself to us here, so that we may see our risen Lord Jesus' presence wherever we may look; his grace, his mercy, his love, his unending life. 

In our Year of Prayer, here in 2016, we pray to this Jesus. This Jesus who comes to us, not only when we are riding horses or motorcycles, and knocks us off of our old way of being. And he gives to us a new message, a new way of life; the way of grace and mercy. 

This week, we are to KNOW, we are to KNOW that Jesus comes and frees us from this evil age to transform sinners, to transform us. Jesus came to Saul for a reason, to transform him, to turn him into Paul by revealing to him his grace and mercy. Jesus' revelation to us today does the same. Truly, Jesus is here, transforming us.

TO KNOW: Jesus reveals himself to us, to transform sinners by his grace and mercy.

In knowing this, WE GROW. WE GROW in our trust. Just like Paul, this person who was taken from a life where the rules,  the way of being, how to get along in society, and how to be faithful and religious were all clear, and following them was what brought upon God's favor, and had it all shattered by grace, the grace of Jesus Christ. After this, Paul was left with only trust, trust in Jesus. In fact, in Paul's letters, it's never about what he is doing, but about revealing what Jesus is doing. Paul's letters are about revealing the One who he now follows, and revealing the Life that has been given to him. 

To the transformation of Paul, and our own transformation another way, I offer this quote which I recently read, from H. William Gregory, "Trust, not rigidity, is what marks the will of one who has been converted by grace." Paul was converted by grace. We have been converted by this same grace. May we learn:

TO GROW in our trust of that grace, and let go of our own human visions and human ways so that we may seek the way of life we have been given, the way of Jesus Christ. 

And, as we grow in our trust of this grace we have been given, it's abundant life will spring forth in us, and by the work of God, we will share it with each other, and all of creation.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.

TO KNOW and TO GROW, Galatians Chapter One Summary:

TO KNOW: That the Gospel is from Jesus Christ, it is about Christ, and it reveals to us Christ. 

TO KNOW: That Jesus Christ came to do something. He came to give himself for our sins and free us from this evil age. 

TO KNOW: Jesus reveals himself to us, to transform sinners by his grace and mercy.

TO GROW: We join with Paul in asking: "Am I seeking human approval? Or the approval of God? Am I hear to please people?"

TO GROW in our trust of that grace, and let go of our own human visions and human ways so that we may seek the way of life we have been given, the way of Jesus Christ. 

Sermon for March 6, 2016 Lent 4: Accepting that you are found.

^{This sermon was preached by Rev. Mark T. Peterson, on March 6, 2016 at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Holliston, MA.} 

^{Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32}

¹Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus.] ²And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
  ³So he told them this parable: ^11b“There was a man who had two sons. ¹²The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. ¹³A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. ¹⁴When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. ¹⁷But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” ‘ ²⁰So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. ²¹Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²²But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; ²⁴for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
  ²⁵“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. ²⁷He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ ³¹Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’ ”