By Faith

The scriptures include Hebrews 11:29-12:2.  It was preached on August 18, 2019 at Presbyterian Communities Vespers service in Florence that afternoon..


By Faith

A few years ago, before seminary,

I took a course where I had the opportunity

(and the challenge)

of reading the entire Bible in less than a year.

When beginning in Genesis, a very long book in itself,

one wonders how long it may take to get through

the entire Old and New Testaments.

For me, Numbers in the Old Testament was probably

the most challenging book to get through.

My favorite book of the Bible was Hebrews.

Why?

It connects the Old Testament and the New through Jesus;

Jesus is seen through the eyes of the Old Testament

as Jesus is the new covenant between the people and God.

The book of Hebrews is about faith;

faith which is active in obedience.

Faith endures.

God’s love for people continues and

Jesus brings a new covenant.

The faith begun in the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New;

God’s love embodied in Jesus.

Shalom.

This is a common greeting in Hebrew

used for both ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’.

However the meaning of this Hebrew word is peace.

Peace,

harmony, wholeness, completeness,

prosperity, welfare and tranquility.

Shalom.

So what does ‘peace’ mean to you?

Peace and quiet.

Peace of mind.

Peaceful rest.

How about the peace in the enjoyment of God’s gifts?

Feeling the presence of God?

How about faith?

The scripture from Hebrews this morning

highlights the phrase ‘by faith’.

 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea

as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians

attempted to do so they were drowned.

  By faith the walls of Jericho fell after

they had been encircled for seven days.

 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those

who were disobedient, because

she had received the spies in peace.

She had received the spies in peace /in Shalom.

The faith of the Israelites,

their faith in God was stronger than Israel’s opponents.

By their faith they were righteous, obedient, and

were willing to take chances and have hope.

The book of Hebrews reflects the historical memory

of the Israelites,

remembering the early ancestors, the patriarchs,

the prophets, and those who answered God’s call.

Something else to note about the book of Hebrews,

it is not written as letter to a church in a specific location.

Hebrews is a sermon, a sermon on the subject of faith,

the endurance of faith.

Moses and the Israelites wandered in the wilderness

and died before they reached the promised land.

They believed in God’s promises without seeing them fulfilled.

It was another generation who crossed the Jordan.

That original generation, the ones who left Egypt,

journeyed by faith.

Their hope for something better was not just for them,

but for the next generation

and the next.

Moses began the journey, then Joshua continued it.

Faith sustains.

Faith endures.

They were part of the cloud of witnesses.

Those who came before.

Those who begin the journey and

give others a path to follow.

You and I are a continuation of that journey.

We look to our cloud of witnesses….

As you look around this community of faith

think about all those who have been here before you;

they have sat in the pews before you,

other men and women living together in unity,

praising God, supporting each other, learning and teaching;

all in faith;

Former residents

Those who have passed on to God’s heavenly kingdom,

those who may have supported you,

family and friends.

All those who have led you to this point on

your journey of faith.

In faith,

for their times and the present times;

In faith

of what is done now and done for future generations.

Faith,

Enables believers to persevere in the midst of suffering.

Faith, as defined in the first verses of chapter 11 of Hebrews,

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,

the conviction of things not seen.

 Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval

 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared

by the word of God, so that what is seen

was made from things that are not visible.

Faith in the presence of God.

God is present in our lives and in the world.

That conviction of things not seen

and assurance of things hoped for.

Faith and Shalom.

The prophet Jeremiah asks a couple of interesting questions.

²³ Am I a God nearby, says the Lord, and not a God far off?

²⁴ Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?

says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.

God fills heaven and earth.

God, the Creator, is in touch with every aspect of creation.

God is able to discern all that happens.

God is transcendent.

And God is both near and far.

God is hidden (not fully revealed) from human beings,

but human beings are not hidden from God.

Think about that a moment.

God is hidden (not fully revealed) from you and me,

yet, we are not hidden from God.

What are some of the ways we express how we know God?

By anthropomorphizing God:

Those phrases you and I use to express God in human terms and

giving God human form and traits.

This is our way to comprehend the incomprehensible.

Yet, the reverse is not true. God, our Creator knows us!

Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.

The prophets in the Old Testament were led by their faith:

faith in God

faith in the hopes for the future

faith for the promise of something better.

And something better came forth in the New Testament.

Someone to blaze the trail for others to follow,

a perfect example,

a better hope,

a better covenant,

a better promise,

a better sacrifice,

a better high priest,

a better resurrection.

Jesus.

Jesus is the model of faithful endurance.

We ‘run the race’ with Christian endurance;

you and I as individuals are always moving

toward our need for wholeness/shalom.

On our pilgrimage toward God,

we yearn to be in the presence of God.

The fulfillment of that desire is a lifelong journey,

a journey of faith.

Christ acted on our behalf.

Jesus was the first to attain faith’s goal,

presence of God and

Jesus makes it possible for others to have access.

So, you and I focus our attention to Jesus for guidance.

The true prophet,

speaking God’s word,

giving hope for the future,

knowing the promises of something better.

Our believing,

you and I taking action in the world

as Jesus’ disciples;

we do this by faith

as so many before us have done.

You and I will become part of the cloud of witnesses.

We reach for Shalom,

for peace,

for wholeness, and completeness,

for connections to our faith.

Shalom, my friends. Shalom.

Ask, Search, and Knock

The scriptures include Luke 11:1-13.  It was preached on July 28, 2019 at Presbyterian Communities Vespers service in Florence  that afternoon..

Ask, Search, and Knock

What is your prayer life like?

Do you have a certain time of day set aside for praying?

Are you spontaneous or do you use a devotional?

Do you pray out loud or speak to God in silence?

Throughout the Gospels we witness Jesus at prayer.

It is an important image for the disciples and for you and me.

One of Jesus’ disciples requests:

“Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”

Luke’s version of the Lord’s prayer is similar

to the scripture in Matthew’s Gospel.

The instruction on prayer in Matthew is part of

the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew may go into a little more detail:

“do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand

and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners

so they may be seen by others…

go into your room and shut the door and

pray to your Father who is in secret.”

“do not heap up empty phrases…

for you Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Both Matthew and Luke tell us:

“Ask, and it will be given to you;

search and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened for you.”

The message is the same in both:

pray

ask

search

knock.

How do these 3 terms,

ask, search, and knock relate to prayer?

Ask:

say something in order to obtain an answer, information or

a request of someone to do or give something.

Sometimes in prayer we ask for guidance;

sometimes it is something more tangible.

“Give us each day our daily bread.”

An alternate translation is “our bread for tomorrow”;

That is assurance and hope for tomorrow

and the next day and the next…

You and I know what God has done for us in the past,

what God is doing for you and me in the present,

and we have trust it will continue for the future.

Search:

try to find something by looking or

otherwise seeking carefully and thoughtfully.

Carefully and thoughtfully,

a time of meditation and reflection.

Searching is you and me acting to discover

perhaps something that was lost or

something we have never had before.

Sometimes things get lost as in the parable of

the Lost Coin;

sometimes we get lost as in the parable of

the Lost Sheep;

prayer can center us.

What are you and I searching for?

~peace~ ~understanding~ ~comfort~

~direction~ ~confidence~ ~harmony~ ~faith~

Knock:

strike a surface nosily to attract attention,

especially when waiting to be let in through a door.

I like that definition: doing something to attract attention.

There are times we desire God’s attention;

when you and I have questions about

our lives,

our purpose, and

our place in the world.

Ask, search, and knock all do tie into prayer.

We pray; we address God with a sincere request

or an expression of thanks.

So, the question comes up again…

What is your prayer life like?

In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus instructs us “do in secret”.

Prayer is personal,

an individual’s personal relationship with God.

In the gospels, Jesus often goes off to a quiet place to pray:

“…he went up the mountain by himself to pray.”

(Matthew 14:23b)

“In the morning, while it was still dark,

he got up and went out to a deserted place,

and there he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

“Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw,

knelt down, and prayed.” (Luke 22:41)

There is another element to prayer -silence;

prayer involves times for listening in the silence,

listening for God’s answers,

God’s guidance,

God’s purpose for you and me.

God does answer when we ask, search, knock, pray.

Jesus tells the parable of the friend at midnight.

“Friend, lend me three loaves of bread.”

A simple request at an inconvenient hour.

The one knocking is depending on their friend’s

kindness and generosity.

Hospitality is a theme throughout Luke’s Gospel.

It is the way we treat each other,

the way God wants us to act with each other.

If your friend,

your neighbor,

or your relative does for you;

answers your request,

gives to you what you seek,

opens the door to you,

think how much more God does for and will do for you.

This friend at midnight also lets us know

that prayer can happen anytime, anywhere

and in any way, we chose to pray.

God is always available;

God is not reluctant nor hesitant to answer

when you and I ask, search, knock, and pray.

In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he advises:

“Rejoice always,

pray without ceasing,

give thanks in all circumstances;”

Pray without ceasing:

prayer is to be continual.

I remember reading somewhere that

the idea of ‘continual prayer’ is like

a tune of a familiar song;

we hum along,

it is on our mind as we go through our day.

What is your prayer life like? ~visual part of sermon~

They are so many books on prayer,

that discusses prayer as praise, penitence, and petition

~Common Prayer~¹

different ways to pray,

finding new paths to God ~Praying in Color~²

books filled with prayers,

that guides us in reflection on God’s word

~Praying w/Hildegard~³

devotionals to direct us,

that guides us through themes ~One Minute Prayers~⁴

prayers we find in the psalms,

that are part of our daily prayer life ~Psalter~⁵

poems and hymns as prayer,

that speak to everyday events ~Prayers that Sing~⁶

even a prayer cube,

an aid to give simple thanks

to give different options for grace before a meal.

You and I have so many options for prayer,

no matter the time of day or night,

whether it is spontaneous or guided,

or if we shout our thanks and praise

or silently speak and listen.

God is there with answers,

with what we are seeking,

and ready to answer the door.

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,

and all these things shall be added unto you. Alleluia.

Ask and it shall be given unto you,

seek and ye shall find,

knock and the door shall be opened unto you. Alleluia.”⁷

Alleluia, Amen.

1 Common prayer: a Muslim-Christian spiritual anthology, edited by Kenneth Cragg, Oxford : Oneworld, c1999.

2 Praying in color: drawing a new path to God by Sybil MacBeth, Brewster, Mass. : Paraclete Press, 2007.

3 Praying with Hildegard of Bingen by Gloria Durka, Winona, Minn. : Saint Mary's Press, c1991

4 One Minute Prayers for Women, 2004

5 The Paraclete Psalter -a book of daily prayer, 2010

6 Prayers that sing & stir the heart by Sibley Towner, Richmond, Virginia : Union Presbyterian Seminary, [2018].

7 hymn Seek Ye First by Karen Laferty

Go and Do Likewise

The scriptures include Psalm 82  and Luke 10:25-37.  It was preached on July 14, 2019 at Pollocksville Presbyterian Church in Pollocksville, NC.

Go and Do Likewise

Go and do…there is always someone in the Bible

who is being told to go.

In Genesis the Lord said to Abram…

“Go from your country and your kindred

and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”

Moses was told by God to go to the Pharaoh…

“I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people,

the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

When Elijah fled to the wilderness God instructed him to…

“Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus;”

And in Luke, chapter 10 begins with the 70 being sent…

“After this the Lord appointed seventy others and

sent them on ahead of him in pairs

to every town and place where he himself intended to go.”

The scripture we heard today from Luke

has Jesus being questioned by a lawyer.

Jesus answers the lawyer and tells him to “go and do likewise”.

Go and do what?

First let us look at how the conversation begins…

The lawyer asks a question…

“what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus answers the question with a question…

“What is written in the law? What do you read there?”

The lawyer replies quoting the Shema,

the great commandment from the Torah…

“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.”

Jesus agrees with his answer,

however, the lawyer wants to know more…

“And who is my neighbor?”

This is when the parable of the good Samaritan is told.

The parable is so familiar to us;

the phrase ‘good Samaritan’

has become a secular phrase,

a way of describing someone

who does good and cares for others.

In Jesus’ time that was not a phrase used by the Israelites.

Their opinion of Samaritans was not a favorable one.

Samaritans were disliked and considered outsiders.

Who do you and I look at as outsiders today?

Someone who looks different, thinks differently,

has a different opinion, who does not fit in,

someone of a different status, race, religion, or background.

We do live in a broken world,

where you and I put people in categories:

blue collar or white collar,

southerner or northerner,

republican or democrat,

unemployed or retired,

young or old,

and it goes on and on…

What do you and I forget when we categorize others?

You and I and all are Children of God!

We are neighbors!

In Galatians, Paul tells us the whole law is summed up

in one commandment…

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Can we do that?

Do we do that?

As we look at the parable, think about who you identify with?

“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.

Now by chance a priest was going down that road;

and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place

and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan while traveling came near him;

and when he saw him, he was moved with pity.

He 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.

The 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.’

There is a priest and a Levite, who are they?

In the New Testament commentary on Luke,

New Testament professor John Carroll describes them as

“both belong to the large workforce of thousands of priests who maintain the cultic operation of the temple institution.”¹

These men are looked up to by the people,

they are respected,

they are those who have an expected place

in the Kingdom of God;

they are not considered outsiders.

So why did they not stop to help the traveler.

Perhaps the priest and the Levite thought it was a trap,

if they stopped, they too may be robbed and beaten.

Or maybe they were in a rush,

needing to get where they were expected.

Whatever the reason, they passed by on the other side.

When have you or I crossed the street

to avoid an uncomfortable encounter?

So, should we judge the priest and the Levite for their actions?

The Samaritan is the surprise character in the parable.

No one would expect someone from Samaria to stop and help,

those from Samaria are the other,

the one pre-judged as ‘not like us’.

The Samaritan who is not described in the parable as ‘good’,

only as a Samaritan who was traveling;

we have put the ‘good’ description in,

yet it is not to judge those who did not stop as ‘bad’.

We do not say the bad priest or the bad Levite.

I wonder if the ‘good’ description in the past was a slight,

‘well, this Samaritan was good, but he is the exception’.

Once again, we may see something like that in our world today.

Jesus wants to show there should not be boundaries

in who we perceive as our neighbors.

Jesus ask the lawyer…

“Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor

to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”

The answer…

“The one who showed him mercy.”

The one who showed mercy.

Mercy, compassion, simple kindness;

Mercy, generosity, a selfless response to each other;

Mercy, hospitality, a giving heart…love.

We usually think of love as associated with the heart,

yet think of love as the deep-down feeling,

the feeling from your gut.

In verse 33 the verb used to say the Samaritan was

moved with pity,

moved with compassion,

moved by deep emotion is the Greek word:

splank-ne-zo-mi (σπλαγχνίζομαι)

meaning not heart (cardia) but the inside parts (the gut).

One character we have not mentioned yet

is the man who was beaten and robbed.

He is only described as a traveler and defined by

what has happened to him.

Nothing else is known about him:

who he was -a salesman, a priest, or a drifter,

what was his reason for traveling -heading home

or to meet someone in Jericho,

his status -a man of wealth or a simple tradesman,

a tax collector or a carpenter,

his race -Samaritan or Israelite.

This traveler has no identity.

In this, there is no pre-judgement, no stereotypes,

just a broken man, half dead, alone, and suffering.

What would you or I have done

if we had been on the road to Jericho?

Truthfully, I do not know what I would have done.

In today’s world people hope to embrace

the qualities of the good Samaritan.

Do we?

Do we as individuals,

as a community of faith,

as neighbors in this broken world?

The instruction Jesus gives the lawyer is to go and do likewise.

We are also being instructed to go and do likewise,

show mercy, be compassionate,

have love for our neighbor.

There is one more thing I want to add

about the beaten and robbed traveler.

I see him representing a broken imperfect world

that existed in Jesus’ time and exists in our time also.

God calls us to be active and work for

healing reconciliation, and unity.

You and I as Christians are not called to sit still or

to ‘pass by on the other side’:

we go,

we do,

we act,

we are disciples.

Go and do likewise!

1 New Testament Library Luke by John T. Carroll. Page 245.