Incarnational Discipleship

Sermon for Sunday, August 23
Texts: Ephesians 6:10-20, John 6:56-69

As some of you know, Lisa and I spent some time vacationing in D.C. this week. While there, we used the METRO – the subway system – to get around the city. Almost every time we rode the subway, I noticed people around us wearing uniforms. Some were wearing the uniforms of fast food restaurants. Others wore the uniforms of airline personnel. Still others wore uniforms of stores they worked at. And on occasion, the stations had uniformed security, either METRO security or the D.C. police.

Wherever we look, uniforms are around us. They are a part of life, and have been since Adam and Eve created the first “uniforms” out of leaves. And what’s interesting about uniforms is that they tend to draw attention away from the individual and toward that which the uniform represents. A police uniform represents the presence of order and protection in our lives. When someone in a police uniform is within view, we feel safe and protected. Doctors wear white coats to symbolize health and wellness. When someone walks into our exam room or hospital room, we immediately feel confident that our physical ailments will be taken care of – we are in the presence of medicinal healing. When I’m tired and grumpy and need something to pick me up, I am soothed by the sight of the uniformed employees of Starbucks. When I see that black shirt and green apron, I know that I am in the presence of the heavenly liquid called coffee, and my day is about to get better and brighter. Usually the intent of uniforms is to draw our attention away from an individual and toward the company, services, or values they represent.

In this morning’s epistle reading, Paul calls us to wear a uniform of sorts. The central theme of Ephesians is unity among Jews and Gentiles, and so it is fitting that he closes with a metaphor about wearing uniforms. The Ephesians are encouraged to “put on the whole armor of God” in an effort to unite the factions within the Christian community.

Listen to the list of armor: we hold up our pants with the belt of TRUTH, we protect our hearts with the breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS, we lace up our shoes of PEACE, we strap on our helmet of SALVATION, we hold in one hand our shield of FAITH, and in the other hand we hold the sword of the Spirit – the WORD OF GOD. Do you see what the standard-issue uniform of Christians is? Do you hear what we are to cloak ourselves in? It is a list full of gifts that God has already given to us. All of these things come from God, and our call is to dress ourselves in the truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, faith, and word that God freely offers to us. This is not the armor of the church, or the armor of Christians, or even the armor of ourselves. This armor we put on is the armor of none other than the God of truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, faith, and word.

And when we wear this armor of God, it is meant to draw attention away from ourselves and toward God. Just like doctors’ white coats and policemen’s navy uniforms and glimmering badges, we are to be adorned with our own uniform consisting of truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, faith, and the word of God. If we put on these things, then when we move through the world, others will see us not as individuals out for our own gain, but as people who are the presence of God in the world.

Of course, the presence of God in this world is most clearly defined through the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus is God incarnate – God in the flesh, God entering humanity, God being present in a very real way in our world and in our lives. Over the last several weeks, I’ve preached on some of the different aspects of what is called the Bread of Life Discourse in the Gospel of John. This morning’s Gospel lesson is the final chapter in that discourse, where Jesus teaches that he is the bread of life, and all who eat this bread will be full of life. The teaching picks up this week at verse 56: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.” And then in verse 58, his concluding remarks: “This is the bread that came down from heaven…the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

When I read this text, there’s a tendency to gloss over it or sentimentalize it. Yeah sure, we’re supposed to accept Jesus as our savior, yada, yada, yada. But this morning, I invite you to go a little deeper with me. Listen to what Jesus says:

“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” (v. 53)

“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life.” (v. 54)

“ Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and me in them.” (v. 56)

“So whoever eats me will live because of me.” (v. 57)

“But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” (v. 58)

Eat, drink, eat, drink, eat, drink, eat, eat. Jesus is obsessed with eating and drinking. He repeats it over and over, pounding it into our heads that the bread of life, that Jesus, is something to be ingested. And the followers’ first question is, “I don’t understand. Who can accept this?

“Oy vey,” Jesus must’ve muttered to himself. Who said anything about accepting? Note that Jesus is not telling us to ACCEPT the bread. He’s not telling us to take the bread or receive the bread or possess the bread. He’s not calling us to make a declaration that we know the bread. The bread of life, the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ, is not some little thing we accept and then continue on our merry way, like a trinket we pick up on a vacation and take home to sit on a bookshelf. The bread of life is meant to be ingested. It is meant to be completely consumed. We are called to completely consume the bread of life so freely given to us. There is no use in accepting the bread of life, taking it home, placing it on our counter and saying, “There, we now own the bread of life. We’re all set.” Because you know what happens with bread that isn’t consumed? First it gets stale, then it gets moldy, and then it starts stinking up the place, and then we have to throw it out.

How often do we merely accept Jesus into our lives, sit him on the countertop, glance over at him occasionally as he gets stale and moldy, and then discard him without having ever enjoyed his presence? Would you waste food that someone gave you as a gift? If someone baked us a fresh loaf of bread, would we sit and look at it, or would we consume it? Then why don’t we do the same with the bread of life? Why don’t we do the same with Jesus? Why are we so afraid to consume Jesus?

Similarly, what are we doing with the armor of God? Have we accepted our standard-issue belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, helmet of salvation, shield of faith, and sword of the word of God? And if we have accepted our whole armor of God, how often are we wearing it? Paul doesn’t say, “keep the whole armor of God in your closet for awhile just in case you need it.” He doesn’t say, “wear it a few times then donate it to Goodwill.”

When your grandmother gives you a sweater for Christmas, what does she say? Does she say, “You should put it in your closet; it’ll look nice there.” Does she say, “I thought it’d be handy just in case you had to wear a sweater for any reason.” No! She says none of these things. What does she say?

“Put it on!” she says. “Put it on! I want to see if it fits you. I think it’ll look really nice on you. Put it on!”

“Put it on,” Paul tells the Ephesians. “Put on the whole armor of God.” The whole thing. The journey of Christian discipleship is not meant to be the passive ownership of the bread of life on a countertop or the armor of God hiding in the back of your closet. It is not meant to be the hoarding of the right knowledge, the correct understanding of doctrine or theology, the accumulation of good deeds, or the tallying up of worship services attended and sacraments received. Christian discipleship must not be reduced to simplistic formulas of “Believe X, Receive Y, Live in Z.” Christian discipleship is much more than that. It is much more than making sure you accept or possess the right things. It is about taking the whole armor of God – truth, righteousness, peace, salvation, faith, and the Word of God – out of our closet and adorning ourselves with these things each day. It is about eating – consuming – the bread of life so that this bread may be the giver and sustainer of life each day.

Christian discipleship is not meant to be a collection of items in a closet or on a kitchen counter. It is meant to be a way of life. When we put on the armor of God and consume the bread of life, the hope is that these things so overtake us and become a part of us that we become incarnational disciples. What I mean by that is that we are called to be God incarnate – the presence of God in the world, just as Jesus Christ is God incarnate – the presence of God in the world. When we live our days wearing the whole armor of God and feasting on the bread of life, then our presence in the lives of our neighbors becomes a presence that points to something beyond us. Our presence becomes the presence of the God within us and the God adorning us. Then, when we move through the world, others will see and hear and encounter our lives and say, “I have seen God living in my midst.” Let us be the incarnation of God in this world, so that when we are with others, they know God’s presence by our words and deeds. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Flipping the Switch

Despite another losing record, this Pirates baseball season has been one of the most exciting ones in years. I accepted the inevitable losing record before it began, and I've had fun watching the young pups develop (or not -- I'm looking at you, Moss).

That being said, I have now flipped my internal switch from the "baseball season" position to the "football season" position. It began with my attendance at the Steelers' first preseason game, where they looked incredibly competent from the starters all the way down to the guys who will be cut 3 weeks from now. It was completed by the 14 runs the Cubs scored on the Bucs by the end of the 2nd inning yesterday. A humiliating 17-2 loss will do that to a man. Even our normally emotionless manager shot off a sarcastic response to a Chicago reporter's dumb question, so you know it's bad.

I didn't mean to flip the switch. It just happened. It's officially football season in my mind. If the weather would just drop to about 55 degrees, the stage would really be set for gridiron battle.

O What Fun It Is!

Over the last four Saturday mornings, our congregation engaged in discussions about our future. We prayed, we talked, we laughed, and we broke bread together. We spent time reflecting on our past successes and failures, and our present situation. We allowed God to rekindle a fire among us, and in our prayerful listening we have begun to discover God’s vision for our future. We have developed short-term and long-term plans to enact that vision in a myriad of ways. There is a sense of energy and excitement in the air, and we are beginning to embody the hope to which we are called.

First UMC of West Newton is at a critical point in its 170-year history. After some tough times, we’re turning the corner. We have chosen to invest our time and energy in letting God make us a new creation. I’m excited about the possibilities for God to work through us in amazing ways. I’m deeply humbled by the trust the congregation has placed in me as their pastor, and by their willingness to follow where God has led us all. As I reflect on our discussions, and the last 13+ months here, I wonder if it is possible to have more fun serving as a pastor than I am having right here, right now. What a joy and blessing it is to serve a congregation so willing to look hopefully toward the future, placing their trust in a 26-year-old pastor, but ultimately placing complete trust in God. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for us!

Lead us not into temptation

Yesterday morning around 11:00 am, I administered the sacrament of baptism for the first time. I was a little nervous, but mostly excited as a 10 year old girl named Breena stood at the altar to receive God’s amazing grace. When I asked her why she wanted to be baptized, she said, “So I can be a part of God’s family.” This is the most profound theological statement I have ever heard concerning the sacrament of baptism. It is an act of God adopting us by water and Spirit. What a joyous and holy celebration of adoption into God’s family we had yesterday!

About an hour later, a celebration of a different sort occurred just 45 minutes to the north of our church. On the North Shore of Pittsburgh, the brand new Rivers Casino had its grand opening. In an effort to boost the state’s economy, Pennsylvania’s government has chosen to expand gambling. No longer will Western Pennsylvanians have the inconvenience of driving to West Virginia to slowly give away their hard-earned money on the false hope of slot machines. Now, my beloved hometown of Pittsburgh is a gaming town. Hoorah.

However one feels about gambling, there is no denying the reality that it tempts us to press our luck in the hopes that we can “hit the jackpot.” There is also no denying that the old adages of gambling possess some truth: “It takes a lot of losers to make one big winner,” and “The house always wins.”

As of yesterday, we have a new, shiny, beautiful temptation in our midst. It will tempt many “recreational gamblers” who are looking to have a little harmless fun. It will also tempt those with serious existing gambling addictions. It will tempt those with addictive personalities who never knew the joy of gambling, and they will soon learn the perils of gambling that accompany that joy.

Breena has made a conscious decision to live a life guided by the cleansing waters of holy baptism. But just a short drive away is the tempting waters of the Rivers Casino, seeking to lure her (and the rest of us) in with false promises of hope. I pray that we may continue to place our hope in Christ and Christ alone, and that others may come to know the grace that we already enjoy. I pray also that we are not led into the temptation of the new business in our midst, and that when lives are negatively impacted by it, we may find the wisdom and courage to be in ministry with those “down on their luck.”

God STRENGTHENS

Sermon for Sunday, August 2, 2009

Scripture: John 6:24-35

(Part 3 of a 4-part Sermon Series on Igniting God's Vision at West Newton UMC)

On the day I graduated high school, my family drove me to our high school’s baseball field. I didn’t know why we were going there, but they kept saying they had a surprise for me, and my sister had a strange, giddy look on her face the whole way. When we got out of the car, there were 2 kids playing catch out on the infield. My sister kindly asked if we could borrow the field for a few minutes. They obliged, and then my family told me to run the bases.

“Why?” I asked.
“Just do it,” they all replied.
"This is stupid,” I said as I rolled my eyes. “Do I have to?”
“Yes, you have to,” my mom said.

So off I went – still in my cap and gown, mind you – starting at home plate, running to first, making the wide turn and heading for second, then making my way to third, and finally jogging down the home stretch. All of this, I’m doing with 2 younger high school kids sitting in the dugout, undoubtedly getting some laughs at my expense. I looked so silly out there. Well, when I got to home plate, my family was waiting for me. And as I approached the plate, there was an envelope lying on top of it. Inside was a card from my sister explaining how proud she was that I had graduated high school, and 2 tickets to a baseball game at historic Fenway Park in Boston.

I’d always wanted to see a game in Fenway, and now, that dream would become reality. As a graduation gift, my sister was taking me on a road trip to Boston – a pilgrimage to see one of baseball’s most holy temples. It was a wonderful trip, one I still remember vividly. It remains one of the greatest gifts anyone has ever given me.

Fast forward a few years. I’m a senior in college, and my sister and I haven’t spoken for almost 2 years. Not after that huge fight we had – the one where I said some really nasty things I shouldn’t have said, and where she said some really nasty things she shouldn’t have said. And we’re sitting together in the same room for the first time since that fight, using our extended family as a buffer between us so we don’t have to speak to one another. But occasionally, our eyes meet, and we see the pain in each other’s eyes. We see the pain each of us has caused in the other in our fighting, and the pain we have caused in my mother. And so we make the decision to begin toward reconciliation.

Fast forward to the present day. My sister and I still aren’t fully reconciled, but we’re getting there. We’re talking again, spending time together again, and trying to figure out how to really love each other after those years of bitterness and broken relationship. We’ve never been the type of siblings to profess love for one another, but we know that love is there. I know that despite what’s been said and done in the past, she loves me, her brother. And I know that I love her, my sister.

But sometimes, I still doubt that love. Sometimes I wonder if my sister ever did love me, or if she just pretended to love me, just to make our parents happy. And when I have those moments of doubt – those moments where I wonder if my sister cares for me or not – I think of that trip to Fenway. I think of how much love went into giving me that gift. If my sister didn’t love me, she wouldn’t have taken me on my dream road trip to Fenway. If she didn’t care about me, she wouldn’t have spent the money to make it happen. If she didn’t enjoy my company, she wouldn’t have taken the time out of her busy college life for a road trip with her geeky kid brother. That gift, that thoughtful, selfless, loving gift, is a manifestation of the love my sister has for me.

God gave us a gift as a manifestation of His love for us. He gave us the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ. And we hear in the Gospels of this Son, Jesus Christ, traveling all around teaching, preaching, and enacting miracles, signs, and wonders. Last week, we heard of Christ’s ministry with the beach crowd, where he fed 5000 people with just a few loaves and a couple fish. This crowd is the same group of people who have tracked him down in this morning’s lesson. They want to know why Jesus’ trip to their area was just a day trip. Why did he leave so quickly, they wonder. He gave us this generous gift of abundant food, and then left! They wanted to see a sign, and they saw it, but now they want more! Now that they’ve tasted the presence of Jesus Christ in their lives, they’re hungering for more! “We want more of the gift!” they shout.

So, as they approach Jesus, they have many questions. “Why’d you leave?” “What must we do to perform the works of God?” “If you’re really God’s son, why did you only give us bread once? After all, Moses gave our ancestors manna in the wilderness each day! And we want you to do the same! We’re starving!”

And Jesus lovingly draws them in, responding to each question in turn. And when they hunger for more bread, he gently teaches them about the true meaning of the manna, and the true meaning of the giving of the loaves. He teaches them that in both cases, the bread came from above – it came from God in heaven. He tells them that these gifts came not because people asked for it, and not because they deserved it, but simply because God loved them. And as they clamor for another few loaves of bread, Jesus kindly but firmly instructs them that He is the bread which they hunger for. Not manna in the wilderness, not loaves on a beach, but the Son of God. “I am the bread of life,” he says. “Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

The crowd received the gift of bread, but they didn’t understand it. They thought their gift, good though it may have been, is already gone. They thought it was a one-time gift of food, and are seeking the same gift once again. But Jesus, revealing himself as the bread of life, shows them that they have already received the gift which they seek. You see, all along they thought the bread was the gift. But the real gift was not the bread. The real gift was the love of God who sent Jesus Christ to teach them, to heal them, to redeem them, and to walk alongside them as they journey through life. The real gift is the everyday presence of God, through Jesus Christ, in their lives. And it is that same everyday presence of God, through Jesus Christ, that is the greatest gift in our lives. The real gift is the love that we see in the death and resurrection, but also the LIFE, of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In chapter 3, verse 16, John writes, “For God so loved the world…” What? Do you know the rest?

For God so loved the world, that he gave us the bread of life. For God so loved the world, that he gave us a son who “surely” is with us “always, to the very end of the age.” For God so loved the world, that he continues to walk alongside us, teaching us when we do not understand, feeding us when we are hungry, healing us when we are sick, being our rock when we lose our footing, guiding us when we are lost, and being our strength when we are weak. For God so loved the world…

Some of you may know the poem, “Footprints in the Sand” by Mary Stevenson. I’d like to share that poem with you now:

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
Other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life,
When I was suffering from anguish, sorrow, or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me, Lord, that if I followed you,
You would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life,
There have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”
The Lord replied,
"The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
Is when I carried you.”

You may not always know it or feel it, but God is always with you. Christ is always walking beside you, and when you are weak, he is your strength. That gift has already been given to us. The crowds hungered for more material gifts from Jesus. But in doing so, they missed the point. They thought the bread itself was the gift, but as Christ teaches them, the bread itself is not the gift. No, the true gift is the Christ that carries us along the beach in our times of anguish, sorrow, and defeat. The true gift is the nourishing, strengthening, sustaining presence of Christ in their lives. Any nourishment the crowd receives from a loaf of bread is fleeting, but the strength and nourishment they receive from Christ lasts forever. The best gift of all is the love of God manifested in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that love that keeps us going when life overwhelms us.

My sister gave me the gift of a trip to a historic baseball park. But I know that the baseball pilgrimage itself was not the gift. No, my trip to Fenway was a manifestation of a perfect gift: the gift of a sister’s love for her kid brother. The bread, this bread right here, is a manifestation of the perfect gift: The love of God that finds the lost, redeems the sinners, restores the broken, reconciles the estranged, heals the sick, teaches the confused, protects the abused, strengthens the weak, and feeds us all – from just one loaf.

This IS the body of Christ. It IS the presence of Jesus Christ, right here, right now, at this moment in our lives. It IS the gift of love, given freely and abundantly for each one of us, not because we asked for it or deserve it, but because God loves us. Let’s enjoy this blessed gift together. Amen.