November 28, 2010 Another Christmas Story: All I Want for Christmas

Do you remember singing the song, All I Want for Christmas, when you were younger? My sister and I used to change the words in order to drop hints to our parents about what we wanted for Christmas (sing “All I want for Christmas is a new stereo, a new stereo…” No, no, that was my sister. I sang, “All I want for Christmas is Farrah Fawcett, Farrah Fawcett…)

Think back for just a minute to what it was like when you were younger – the anticipation of that wonderful day…maybe you had that one special gift you really wanted but you weren’t sure you were going to get…so you had to wait and dream…maybe it looked something like this…

(Video clip shown)

That was a clip from my favorite Christmas movie of all time, A Christmas Story…the story of Ralphie who is consumed in his anticipation of the one gift he desires above all else – an Official Red Ryder, Carbine-Action, Two-hundred Shot, Range Model Air Rifle. Ralphie is sure that this one gift has the potential to change his life – from an ordinary ten year-old boy who often feels at the mercy of his family, friends, and school bullies…into a savior who can defend his family from all the bad things in the world. And so, Ralphie waits for that special day that has the potential to change his world.

We can watch this movie and laugh at Ralphie’s innocent little boy dreams but lets be honest…we are not all that different than Ralphie. Even as adults we often anticipate gifts that we believe will change our lives and make them more perfect. Our prayers are full of such dreams – fix our economy God, find me a job God, give me a spouse who understands me better God, make it so I have more time to spend with my kids God, grant me a bigger house, fewer bills, less stress, a healthier body…give me this one gift and I won’t ask for anything else because things will be ok then…just one present from you is all I need.

But will one present really fix everything?

Israel was once conquered by the Babylonians and forced to leave their land and go into exile in Babylon. While in exile, the people grieved for their loss and their greatest desire was to return to their own land – to get back to Jerusalem. If God would just get them back home, everything would be ok again…their broken nation would be healed. But Israel was eventually surprised, when the gift they had most desired was granted and they returned to Jerusalem and found that life was not all fixed and healed like they thought it would be…they quickly realized that what they wanted most, was not really what they needed most. Hear what the prophet Isaiah had to say as Israel discovered this astounding truth…

Isaiah 64.1-9

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence— as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed.

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people.

While in exile, Israel wanted only one present from God – that was to go home again…but once they got home they realized that it was not a present from God that they really desired – instead it was God’s presence that should have been at the top of their wish list.

You know, we can make all the wish lists we want, anticipate all the presents we desire but until we understand that our lives only have purpose and joy in the presence of God – we will always feel the world is not right.

Ralphie believed that the bb gun will help him gain control and take on the role of saving his family…but his mother has quite a different take on the matter.

(Video clip shown)

She doesn’t say this to be cruel and shatter his dreams, she says it because she is his mother and she understands that he needs maturity and wisdom to appreciate such a present. She knows that Ralphie isn’t ready – he doesn’t understand what such gift would mean.

God could certainly give us immeasurable presents…things we want/desire to make life better…things we are sure will make us happy…but would they?

Let’s think for a moment about the origin of the one who embodies our way of thinking about Christmas presents - St. Nicholas. Born into a wealthy family in the 3^rd century, Nicholas grew into a devout young man…when his parents died, leaving him a small fortune, he took seriously the biblical call to sell all you have and give it to the poor and he did just that.

Throughout his lifetime, Nicholas was known to have used his money and resources to provide for the needs of people, especially children. Notice I said, provide for the needs…not wants…nothing frivolous…just money and food so that they could survive. Over time, or understanding of St. Nicholas sure has changed…

Soon he became large, a sign of great wealth and prosperity…then he became jolly, no longer appearing sad and burdened by a world in which children die and go hungry…now St. Nick is more about video games and Barbie dolls than feeding the poor and saving the lost.

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “You can’t get to joy without first journeying through despair.” We don’t always understand the consequences of the things we ask God for. We dream big and we think it’s the perfect gift, yet God, our father, knows that we are not always mature enough or wise enough to appreciate the gifts we desire. Sometimes, God must simply shake his head and say, “Sorry, but you’ll shoot your eye out.”

We want a lot from God, we expect a lot from him, but what we really need is to mature enough to realize, like Isaiah, that we need a parent who knows us, who wants to do what is best for us. What we need is not presents from God but God’s presence in our lives.

And this is really what Advent is about – anticipating God’s presence among us...waiting on God. At times we may feel like Isaiah…we may get frustrated with the state of our lives and think that God has simply left the building…he’s not here anymore. The truth though is that God is never far from us. God is always present and even though there may be times when he is silent – it does not mean that he is not working.

Look with me for just a moment at the third verse of O Little Town of Bethlehem…

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts

the blessings of His heaven.

No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive him still,

the dear Christ enters in.

In the silence of a dark night…when many felt God had abandoned them…he came into the world amidst the barn animals. While the world demanded of God a king to overthrow nations and a powerhouse to rule over others…a silent teen girl held the son of God and wondered in her heart what it all meant.

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given…the blessing of God’s heaven.

It is so easy in our world today to get caught up in the presents of Christmas, the things we want and the things we give…but let us take seriously the anticipation of Advent, which reminds us that it is the Presence of God that is our most treasured of all gifts.

All I want for Christmas is for Christ’s church to yearn for and share God’s presence with the world…it is the greatest gift we have received and the greatest gift we can offer to others.

Pray with me.

November 21, 2010 ATM: A Stewardship Series: Mission

Today is the last in our Stewardship Series. Over the last couple of weeks, we have been looking at stewardship in a different light. With Thanksgiving coming up in just a couple of days, it may be worthwhile to stop and reconsider the first part of this series.

This Thursday, hopefully each of us will take a moment to thank God for all the blessings we have been given. When we really stop and take an introspective inventory, we really do have a lot to be thankful for. Yeah, it’s true that some have it better than others, but the one thing that we all have equally is the love of God’s Son, who died so that our sin would never again separate us from God. If for nothing else this Thursday, that is something for which we all need to give thanks.

But, as I spoke of two weeks ago, I think it would be good for us also to stop and listen for God to whisper to us, “Thank You.” That’s right, I believe that God does thank us for those times when we look beyond ourselves and we give of our time and money so that someone else’s life may be touched in Jesus’ name and be given some hope.

God loves it when our attitude is about helping each other out. That’s because God treasures each and every one of us. Stop for a moment to consider just how wonderfully and uniquely each one of us is created. Take a look for a moment at your fingers. Though almost every other person in the world has ten fingers similar to ours, no one else in the world has the same fingerprint. That is amazing! How is that possible? Each one of us, created by a loving God who blew the breath of life into us – and when that breath ceases, this same God promises to bring us together with all the other saints in a place called Heaven.

Why? Why would God do this? Because God loves and treasures you and me. And God asks us to do the same.

Here’s how I know that to be true. Look with me if you will at a passage of scripture from Matthew – a section often referred to as the Greatest Commandment.

This section is prefaced by a few accounts where Jesus made some of the religious rulers mad because he was pointing out that they were missing the point of their religion. They were concentrating on the rules rather than the intent. So, being angry with him usurping their authority, they began questioning him, trying to trap him in something that would allow them to have him arrested. So here we go

Matthew 22:36-40

36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Even this made them angry. Why, because the answer Jesus gave was one they could not dispute. But they still didn’t get it, even with Jesus plainly stating it for them, they still didn’t get it. But you know, they have some good company. It appears that most of us don’t get it either or at least, we forget it quite often.

Let’s take a look here at Jesus’ response to the question. Now to help us do so, let’s pretend we are back in school for a moment and let me ask, What do you suppose is one of the most important words in this passage, but also one of the most overlooked? Well, being back in school, here’s a little ditty to help stimulate your thinking

(Video Clip shown)

And. That one little word makes a huge difference, doesn’t it? What kind of difference would there be if that commandment read something like “Love the Lord you God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength or love your neighbor as yourself.” While there are some people who would like for it to be that way, it’s just not. There is no way that you can make it that way either. You cannot do one without the other. You cannot truly love God without loving your neighbor (yeah, even that mean one who kicks your dog and bites you kids). That’s because God loves our neighbors just as much as us and we cannot love and honor God without loving those God loves.

So, maybe by now you are asking, “How do we love that which God loves?” One of the mainstay hymns of the Christian Faith gives a glimpse into this understanding. Let’s look at it:

The Church’s one foundation

is Jesus Christ her Lord;

she is his new creation

by water and the Word.

From Heaven he came and sought her

to be his only bride;

with his blood he bought her,

and for her life he died.

There is a reason that the Church is called the Body of Christ. It is the Church, you and me friends, that Jesus has entrusted the propagation of the gospel, the Good News of Jesus. That’s our mission; to invest our time, our talents, our prayers, our presence, our money, our resources in the Good News of Jesus!

We see this in scripture at the very end of Matthew. Just before Jesus goes up to Heaven, he gathers all his followers together to give them one final instruction – to make sure that his mission, his saving grace is extended to everyone. Here is what he said:

Matthew 28:18-20

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

In order for his followers to do so, they must be vested in his mission, feel some ownership in it, become the Body of Christ.

And friends, that’s what we must do also, have a vested interest in the mission.

This is the purpose of this series, to help you see that Jesus has entrusted to you the purpose of his being and to change the world.

(Change the World video)

Those were but a few pictures of how we invested ourselves over the last year. Now, God is calling us to even greater areas. Just as we heard last week of the faithful stewards being given even more, so are we. It’s exciting times here at Sunrise!

The packets that you were given last week are tools to help you determine how you can invest in this great commission to go a change the world. Oh, those Estimate of Investment Cards, they are fluid. You can change them as the Spirit enables.

Pray with me.

Sending Out

In the Great Commandment, we often hear it phrase as “Go.” But in the original language, the word “go” is present participle. That means that it is probably better translated to say, “As you are going.” So, here you go friends, “As you are going about you daily lives, love God, love others, make disciples of Jesus.” Go in peace! Amen.

November 14, 2010 ATM: A Stewardship Series: Treasure

(The following is a draft of the message given on November 14th)

Today is our second Sunday in our Stewardship Series. The premise for this series is not to make you feel guilty about what you give or don’t give. Instead, it is more of a celebration about why we give our time and money and our attitude towards God. We also recognize that we give of our time and money because understand Sunrise to be the Body of Christ, living and active in our community and world. And we celebrate what God is doing through us to make a positive impact in the lives of those in our community.

But you know, when we come right down to it, we can be a little skeptical about being good stewards. Our time and money is precious to us and we want to make sure that when we invest these valued commodities, they are going into a safe investment.

Our scripture passage this morning talks about what it means to make a good investment. It comes from the Gospel of Matthew, and it will be up on the screen for you to read along with me.

Matthew 6:19-20

19 "Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or - worse! - stolen by burglars. 20 Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. 21 It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

(Prayer)

Over the last couple of years, I have started watching some show about the stuff people acquire.

Karen and Emily – Hoarding

For some reason, it just makes me queasy

But there are a couple of other ones that I like. For instance, this one:

(Video clip)

Yeah, that’s more my style.

Just Junk.

19 "Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust…

Sometimes though, what appears to be junk or worthless holds a hidden secret.

(Video clip)

Sometimes people are wrong about the value of their procession.

Matthew 13:44 "God's kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidently found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic - what a find! - and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field.

Invest in what’s real, what’s eternal, what is of God.

Invest in what God treasures - people

(Pass out Stewardship Campaign Packets)

Why are we doing this?

Matthew 6:21

21 It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

Let’s get honest friends – stewardship isn’t really about money, it’s about honor, it’s about treasure, it’s about treasuring the one who treasures you.

I want to close out this time by reading you a letter that was shared with me a few years ago by a member of a former church.

On July 31, 1970 my wife, Connie, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. For three years we tried unsuccessfully to start a family, so the joy was great with the arrival of our only biological child. Lance was born before it was acceptable for the father to be present in the delivery room, a fact for which I have forever been grateful. I waited in the hall just outside of the delivery room and at precisely 4:13 I heard the sound of what I will never forget, Lance’s first cry. The nurse emerged with a smile and said, “You have a baby boy.” I could hardly wait to get Connie and Lance out of the hospital and back home. The wonderful glow of fatherhood was dimmed however when I was asked to visit the business office at the hospital. They wanted me to pay for Lance. In fact, it seemed that my wife and child would be held hostage until the hospital bill was settled. I wrote the check paying my expenses, freeing my family and we made our escape. That check turned out to be one of hundreds if not thousands of checks that I would write on Lance’s behalf.

Children are expensive. Formula, food, doctor visits, vaccinations assaulted my bank account. Diapers and toys took their toll and clothes were a constant drain. Just about the time that we built a great wardrobe for the kid, he’d grow and force us to start all over again. As his age and size increased, so did his expense. Soon it was baseball gloves, Nike shoes and uniforms. There were glasses for his eyes and braces for his teeth. And then, disaster struck – Lance became a teenager. Now it was cars and dates and name-brand clothes. Then came college. Lance had always and only wanted to be an architect. Soon it became clear that he would be in school until he was forty. Expenses soared, tuition, books and drawing tools. But of course, like parents everywhere, we were glad to be able to help him. And we did all we could to support his growth and his dreams. Then one day, Lance died. On Halloween day, 1991, we buried 21 year-old Lance in our church cemetery. That afternoon, we walked away from his grave and we never spent another nickel on Lance.

And that’s how I learned it – death is cheap. Death can be sustained without expense. It is living that is costly. It is growth that is expensive. Our dreams and hopes require sacrifice. Death does not. That’s why I will always give whatever I have available to the church. A living, growing, thriving church will always require continual and conscientious effort by its members to give their prayers presence, gifts and service.

Pray with me.