Epiphany 2024

What Is a Gift? Matthew 2: 1-11

            Let me tell you about the weirdest gift I’ve ever gotten. A few years ago, my friends and I did a Christmas gift exchange. My friend put her husband in charge of the gifts, we went to dinner and were all having fun. As I opened my gift, I was a bit surprised to find Victoria’s Secret women’s underwear. There was silence for a solid 30 seconds. I finally quietly muttered, “Thank you.” Now to be fair, lest you think this story is weird, on Christmas, his wife opened a very nice men’s necktie as a gift to her. Ever since we’ve just done gift cards. It’s safer that way.

            A “gift” is generally defined as an item or present given to someone without the expectation of anything in return. Giving gifts is a big part of our culture. We give people gifts at Christmas, at their birthday, when we visit for dinner, special occasions, and just as a kind gesture. Today we read a scripture of the Magi who came and brought gifts to Jesus. Now, I know every manger scene shows the shepherds and wisemen together at the manger. But the truth is that the wisemen arrived almost two years after Christ was born, so they brought these gifts to a toddler, not an infant.

            And what is the best gift to bring a toddler? Gold, incense, and embalming spices, of course. Things they can make a mess with. There’s an old joke that had it been three wise women, they would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, brought practical gifts, and peace on earth would have started then and there. But instead, we get three late men, who tip off the evil King Herod, and bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

            There was some level of importance to these gifts, however. Gold symbolized Christ as the king, for only kings had gold. Frankincense symbolized Christ as holy and of God because it was an incense used for worship. And myrrh symbolized Christ’s sacrifice of love for us because myrrh was used to prepare a body for burial. Each of the gifts speak to the work of Jesus as outlined in the prophecies the wisemen studied. And when they came to Jesus, they knew they were approaching a king, a savior, and the loving friend of all.

            For us, there is another gift. We talk about grace as a “free gift,” but what does that mean? An old preacher friend said it this way, “God loves you, end of story. You don’t have to buy it, earn it, assemble it, figure it out, or analyze it. You need only accept it and share it.”  

            But if we want to be like the Magi, maybe we need to do a bit more than just accept and share. Maybe we need to seek a bit as well. There are some for whom it hard to find the good and the God in them. I remember a friend said once, “Glad it’s God who has to love them and not me.” But that’s precisely the point, we should. Sometimes, when you get a gift, you can’t figure it out how it works, it doesn’t fit, or you just aren’t sure what to do with it. In those times you have to seek—directions, fit, and acceptance of this gift in your life.

            The same is true with God’s love. It might be hard to love some people…not the people we hate or we see as enemies…but the people who just drive us up the wall. Sometimes we have to look closer to see God in them. But that free gift is given to everybody. And it’s part of our job to love the broken and unlovely, and to work to see that image of God in every human.

            Imagine if we started 2024 this way. 2023 was marked by wars, economic concern, angst, an undercurrent of irritation in life. Imagine if we start 2024 by not focusing so much on all the bad things we see, but one by one, looking for the love of God in every human we encounter. It’s going to be hard. We’re trained to do something different. But imagine if we look for God’s image in the Ukrainian and the Russian, the Palestinian and the Israeli, the liberal and the Trump supporter, and perhaps any and every either/or difference. We’re all God’s children anyway.

            Now that you’ve done your Christmas gifts, and started on your New Year’s resolutions, let’s ask a question: where do you plan to look for God in the coming year? The Magi traveled hundreds of miles looking for Jesus. The shepherds abandoned their fields to go searching. We have a free gift of God’s love right there for us. Where and in whom do we plan on looking for it, starting tomorrow? Happy New Year. Amen.

No livestream today.

Christmas 2024

“Tell Everyone of Christ” Luke 2: 1-20

            One of my Nanna’s favorite Christmas carols (and mine too, I would say) is the song, “O Holy Night.” It is a staple for soloists at every Christmas service, showing off a beautiful vocal range from soft lows to incredible, resounding high notes. It’s one of those carols that we get so lost in the melodies that we often lose the power of the words. The carol also has a much messier history that you’d probably expect. Did you know that for many years the church actually banned the carol from being sung?

The writer, Placide Cappeau, was a lawyer turned wine merchant and poet, who later in life rejected faith and claimed atheism because of his anger and disillusionment at the church. The composer, Adolphe Adam, was a vaudeville and opera musician who was of a Jewish background but made a home in the French Catholic church, and the translator, John Dwight, was a transcendentalist Unitarian, who ran a commune farm in New England. The carol was particularly problematic in the United States because verse three is pointedly anti-slavery and was written 12 years before the Civil War.

So why the history lesson? Hear these words—“Long lay the world in sin and error pining till he appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope—the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” This hymn is one of the most powerful at describing the miraculous, glorious, and powerful birth of a loving Savior. And yet, practically every word and note were written, not by the very faithful, but by people with little faith looking in at how miraculous this event really was. The whole hymn is written as if it’s a description from an outsider, not someone devoted to following the faith. And they are astounded by the holiness of the Christmas story.

They see a night filled with wonder, hope, a night divine and filled with holiness to the point that humanity falls on its knees overwhelmed. They see a King, a humble man, a friend to all of us in need. They see a Savior who ends oppression, slavery, suffering, and brings reconciliation of all humankind. They write, “Let all within us praise his holy name.” It wasn’t Charles Wesley, Fanny Crosby, or a Gaither group who wrote this. It was an atheist, a vaudeville musician, and a commune farm leader who actually got kicked out of ministry.

This story of a Savior, healer, teacher, and reconciler holds the power to change hearts and minds in a way that’s unbelievable, even miraculous. The story of a Messiah coming to save the people from their physical and spiritual suffering can change humankind. In a world of despair, Christ brings hope. In a world of war and gluttonous quests for power, Christ brings peace. In the dark and cold of our lives, Christ brings joy. And in the lonely and forgotten places, Christ brings love.

For these three, the story of Christ’s birth was not a lullaby but a challenge. And it’s a story that can change all the weariness and misery of the world. Whom do we tell of Christ? I’m not talking the Jesus of Sunday School flannel boards and cut out pictures. Whom do we tell of the Jesus who healed the sick, comforted the suffering, raised the dead to life, and assertively flipped tables in a temple that had become more worldly than holy?

And when we tell of this Jesus do we believe in the power that he has? The power of the Christmas story is not just that we hear a good lesson, or follow some philosophies, but instead, it is a life-changing story of hope, love, and reconciling all of humankind to a place of peace and holiness. Faith isn’t a weapon. Faith isn’t something we compel, argue, or debate. Our sole job is to first believe in this hope of Christ, and second to share the good news. Don’t overcomplicate what we have been called to do. In serving Christ we live like him, following his example, and we tell others of the good news—of that life-changing hope and love.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is getting Christmas crackers. In England they’re small, wrapped tubes with a gift inside. Two people pull—one on each end—and with a loud pop the tube comes apart and someone ends up with a little paper crown and a small gift. There’s a bit of excitement, a pop of surprise, and a bit of fun all rolled into one. The same is true for our faith. As we journey to and arrive in Bethlehem, I pray we still feel the surprise, the wonder, and the hope of hearing the good news of a Savior born for us.

Remember that we live every day with Christ in our lives—Emmanuel, God with us. So, I promised to keep it short today; thus, I’ll leave you with the challenge in the closing words of “O Holy Night.” It’s a call to us to do our part in making the good news known to all: “His power and glory ever more proclaim. His power and glory ever more proclaim.” Amen.

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/261520266940139  

Advent 3: Joy

Tell of the Good News—Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11; Luke 2: 8-15

            Sometimes I like to watch goofy videos online to pass time. I laughed hysterically at one recently. A daughter came home with her husband for a visit and to tell some big news to her mother. She proceeded to place a hamburger roll in the oven. Her mom was very confused by this. Finally, the daughter said, “It’s a bun…in the oven.” Her mom says, “Yes, I saw you put it in there. I know what it is.” The exasperated daughter says, “No mom, I have a bun in the oven.” Her mom says, “Yes, I know. You just put it in my oven. It’s already baked, so I don’t know why.” Finally realized that her mother would never get it, the daughter says, “Mom…bun in the oven. Come one. I’m having a baby.” Her mother, was absolutely shocked and excited. Sometimes, it’s easy to miss the good news in life.

            If I were to ask each of you to name a couple of troubles in your life, I’m betting you could throw the list together rather quickly. But if, instead, I asked you to tell me some good news in your life, I wonder how many would have to think for a moment? So, let’s ask it and think on it. What is your good news today, here and now, and how could you share that good news with others?

            Christmas is about good news. Luke’s Gospel, and particularly the birth of Jesus, is one big, incredible announcement of good news to all the world. In fact, the words Gospel and Good News are often used interchangeably in many churches: “The Gospel of the Lord for you this day!” And “Hear now the Good News from Luke.” If you look a bit further, a rough translation of “gospel” mean “good telling, good story, or good news.” And yet we find so many people who are absolutely miserable during the Christmas season when the greatest story of good news ever told just happens to be read.

            I think sometimes we see the practical and forget the magical. We understand the story of Jesus in terms of a teacher, a Rabbi, who showed us how to be forgiving and reconciled. We understand that he taught justice, healing, care for the poor and struggling. We see an announcement of good news to the lowly shepherds out in the fields and to the most wealthy and great Magi or wisemen the eastern part of the known world could send. We understand practically that Jesus’s birth was good news for all people: Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, male or female, all people, everywhere.

            But I think we still miss a bit of the magic or the holy in this good news. Have we read the story so much that it seems like just a bit of good prose to us? Have we lost the attraction and mystery of things unexplained, hope we don’t quite understand; joy which lifts or souls even if it doesn’t really make full sense to us? Are we so “aged,” jaded, and disillusioned that there’s nothing holy and awe-inspiring left for us in the birth of a Savior who loved the whole world?

            It’s hard for us to understand with unexplained things like angels, miraculous births, holiness, and so on. So maybe we need to start by anchoring ourselves in something we can grab on to. One of my favorite African-American spirituals is the hymn, “Ain’t a That Good News.” It says, “I got a Savior in-a that kingdom, ain’t a that good news? Imma gonna lay down this world, gonna shoulder up my cross. Gonna take it home to my Jesus, ain’t a that good news?” There’s a joy in the melody and the lyrics that is simply contagious. Ain’t a that good news? Start there, right there.

            In life there is good news. The angel said to shepherds, “Behold, I bring you good news of great joy to all people.” When the angels were gone, the shepherds were still there, sitting in a dark field, surrounded by what were now pretty startled sheep. Shepherds in that day and age were despised. They were seen as dishonest people who used others’ lands for their own sheep. But something was different this night. There was good news for them, not just kings and priests, but for them too. There was joy that they could take hold of in that dark night. The boring routine of their lives was interrupted by a joy which brought a holy love to them.

            Isaiah, many years before, spoke the prophetic words of this good news. He writes, “The Spirit of the…Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor,” comfort to the brokenhearted, release for the captives, freedom for prisoners, and God’s favor to those who mourn. Israel, at this point, was still captive. These were little more than words, a prophecy for them, but the hope of what could and would come brought good news of great joy. And for them in their time, it was enough for comfort.

            Don’t miss the good news. Each year at Christmas, we seem to struggle more and more with finding our way to Bethlehem and the birth of a loving Savior. It’s not quite so magical and powerful now as when we were filled with wonder at the beauty of this gospel story. For many, I wonder if Luke 2 is treated like a fairy tale similar to that of Santa and the North Pole. I heard someone say the other day that the Christmas Gospel Story is just one of the Christmas-themed stories they enjoy. We will never find our way to Bethlehem so long as we continue to be enthralled by all the bad news in life and fail to let our spirits be renewed by the Good News.

            This Christmas, however bad things may be around you, let yourself be a little broken and vulnerable to a story of good news. Maybe instead of starting out with “I hate everything!” start out with a bit of good news, “Today is another day that God is going to love me.” It may not change what’s going on. The shepherds were still shepherds. They still had to do hard work. They had to live in a society that didn’t like them. They still had struggles. But I daresay that if you read this story a couple more times, especially on down through verse 20, that the good news changed them in a powerful way, even if it didn’t change their life’s circumstances.

            There is always good news. Blogger and preacher Dr. Shermaine Sanders starts her blog posts off saying, “God’s got good news for you today!” For the people of Israel, that good news was that one day their captivity, oppression, and suffering would end. The Spirit of God was upon the writer in Isaiah to bring good news that God had not forgotten them, God still loved them, and God would eventually deliver them. Many years later, when Christ was finally born, the angels proclaimed from the heavens, “Behold, I bring you good news of great joy!”

            What is the good news in your life? What word of hope or inspiration can you share with others? A friend of mine recently started over in her mid-forties with a new career and had to go back to graduate school to make it happen. She had lived in the same town, had the same friends, made a real home where she was for her entire life. And even though everything in her life changed in just a few short weeks, if you ask how things are going, all you get is good news.

            God has good news for you today. What is your good news? Will you look for it? Will you let that good news be your strength and hope in life? Will you tell that good news with others who need to hear it? May the Spirit of the Lord be upon us too, and may God anoint us to bring good news in this world. Amen.

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/242341275406481

Advent 2: Peace

Tell of the Peace: Isaiah 40: 1-11; Luke 1: 26-38

            Earlier this year, I was at a small gathering of friends. I love this little group of folks I’ve known for years. However, in all honesty, not all of them get along. Some strike sparks off one another from time to time. At this gathering, I saw one of my friends wondering around looking upset. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what might be an intervention to prevent some kind of confrontation. Indeed, Bob said, “I’m trying to find my peace.”

So, we started working together on finding peace. The first thing was breathing techniques, then we tried walking around, then we tried stretches, all the while he seemed more and more bothered, and he never found his peace. Finally, I suggested therapy. He responded with shock. “What? Therapy? We’ve done enough of all this stupid stuff you suggested. How is therapy going to help me find the piece of pecan pie I lost.”  I was reminded in that moment the importance of both grammar and context. We found his piece…of pie…sitting on the side table.

Today we talk about the importance of peace in God’s kingdom, and we look at the story of how the angel announced the coming of Christ to Mary. Very often we tend to focus this day and age on the shock factor of this story—an unwed mother in Ancient Judea, Mary’s young age, the fact that this was more of a command than a request. In many ways this is a shocking part of the gospel when the context is added. But to look only at the shock misses the point. Mary responded to God’s incredibly difficult calling with peace and obedience.

In our present day and time, too many people seem to be searching for peace, and I don’t mean a piece of pecan pie. Recent studies show that the Global Peace Index declined again in 2023, and Gallup polls show that only a little over half of the population knows how to find peace in the struggles of daily life. Too often we see a world filled globally with turmoil—the wars in Ukraine and Gaza are just two examples. And if you want a closer example just look at how all the mature adults get along with each other so well in the halls of Congress. In the context of all this turmoil, many of us feel uneasy. And if we don’t feel uneasy about the conflicts, we feel uneasy about the effects when we go to the gas station and grocery store.

Isaiah spoke to a people well acquainted with conflict and struggle. Isaiah was written for a people living in captivity in Babylon, a people conquered, disheartened, demoralized, and in servitude. And what Isaiah brought was a prophecy of peace: “’Comfort, comfort my people,’ says your God. Tell her that her sad days are gone, and her sins are pardoned.” What Isaiah tells us is that peace is a gift from God, not something we can find on our own.

The peace for God’s people wasn’t found in some kind of search within, no, it was found in God. Isaiah writes, “Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!” He goes on to write about filling in the valleys, leveling the mountains and hills, straightening out the curves, and making the rough places smoother. When we smooth out the path in our own hearts and souls for God to come to us and abide with us, we welcome into our lives the Prince of Peace, the one who calms the storm, the one who has the power over death, hell and all of suffering.

I think sometimes; however, we misunderstand what it means to have peace. Many seem to think that having peace means the absolute absence of all things difficult or troublesome in life. That’s not what peace is, nor is it anything God has ever promised us. That’s kind of the bad news. Life may not be easy, but we can have God’s peace whether life is easy or not.

Look again at Mary. She was God’s favored, beloved, the one God chose to bear the Son of God into the world, the Light of the World, the Prince of Peace. But if we know the rest of the story, we know that this wasn’t an easy calling. The New Interpreter’s Bible puts it very bluntly: “Today, many assume that hose whom God favors will enjoy the things we equate with the good life: social standing, wealth, and good health. Yet Mary, God’s favored one, was blessed with having a child out of wedlock who would later be executed as a criminal. Acceptability, prosperity, and comfort have never been the essence of God’s blessing.”[1]

What, then, is God’s peace? I think Mary is the best example. Mary starts her encounter confused and disturbed, fearful of why God’s angel is there. But she is told that she is blessed and has found favor with God, that she would be a part of this amazing and miraculous thing, and she has the understanding that the journey would be incredibly difficult. Her response was to say, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” Regardless of her age, her engagement, her fear, and the coming struggles, she had the faith to be at peace with God’s calling. For someone of her age, education, and place in time, that’s a miraculous amount of faith and trust. Though she started with fear, she came to a place of peace with all that God had spoken to her.

God’s peace is knowing in any situation—easy or overwhelming—that God’s strength is with us, God’s promises never fail us, and God’s hope waits at the end of the journey. God’s peace comes from saying yes, when God calls. God’s peace comes from leaning back on faith to face every hill, valley, curve, and rough place in the journey here. God’s peace is knowing that in every situation, God’s word comes and says, “Comfort, comfort, you my people.”

A friend of mine wrote about his experience with God’s peace. He said that the holidays particularly test his sense of peace in life. He thought all was good, and he was, with a deep breath, at peace. But then traffic at the stores kick in, and he curses a bad driver out. The cost of buying all the gifts makes his blood pressure tick up at how much money is fleeing out the door. The general mood of “I’ll wait till after the holidays,” means work is not getting done at his office. And with each passing moment every text, every email, every phone call, every thing just rachets up that irritability inside one more notch till he wants to sing, “Fa la la la—GO AWAY!” to everyone.

But in the stillness of the night, under a warm blanket, with the warm glow of the Christmas tree in the background, he remembers a Savior, who suffered, was misunderstood, and spent difficult years on earth. And he remembers a young mother, facing an incredibly difficult road, whose faith empowered her to respond enthusiastically to God’s calling. And there, we find peace. May Christmas be a reminder to you that God’s peace is with you in any difficult time of life, for God loves you and will be with you in every one of those moments.

[1] Tucker, Gene M. “The Book of Isaiah 1-39,” The New Interpreter’s Bible. Ministry Matters. 1987.

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1008483193571780

Tell of the Light--Advent 1

Tell of the Light—Psalm 80: 1-7, 17-19; John 1: 1-13

            Every summer when I was growing up, churches would have Vacation Bible School. In our modern day and times, I fear that has gone the way of the Dodo. It’s no longer hip, rad, groovy, cool, fetch, or Gucci, or whichever word the kids are using to say “in fashion” these days. But I actually enjoyed going to Vacation Bible School, and I realize that is the biggest nerd alert I could offer. We got to do arts and crafts for 45 minutes, and I could ignore most everyone while pretending I had any kind of visual art skills whatsoever. We got those church snacks…you know the ones… they were the off brand Oreos and that orange punch that was kind of like Kool-Aid, but not quite.

            But most of all we got to stomp and march in the sanctuary of the church while singing super exciting songs. It was as close to dancing as we got growing up Southern Baptist. And one of my favorite songs was “Be a Light for Jesus.” The chorus was simply over and over the words, “Be a light shining bright; be a light for Jesus every day.” Those words should resonate as we hear John’s Gospel say to us “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about that light, so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.”

            Let’s focus in on those words…the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. Advent is the season where we look for the light of Christ to come into a world that one might describe as dark, perhaps, filled with oppression, pain, personal trials, and struggle. Much like the people in the world Jesus was born into, we also feel a sense of darkness, foreboding, and doom and gloom in our world and lives today. Some of you could probably write a book on the dark places you have had to navigate in your lives.

            Many people feel alone in our world. 7.8 billion people exist on this planet, but I bet you if many of us confessed freely, we would admit to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Many feel unloved or rejected by families. It’s no secret that marriages can get difficult, families may be toxic, or may reject certain family members if they don’t think right, act right, mental health right, love right, or live right. Just like many of us see dark places and feel held hostage by the dark places, secrets, sufferings, and struggles in our lives, so to was the world suffering in Jesus’s day. Rome was a brutal ruler, and for any brutality Rome missed, the local rulers and religious leaders made up for it.

            This was not a system of politics and religion, no, instead it was a machine of suffering and oppression. The peace of Rome was held in place by the sword and spear, as well as crucifixions looming on the horizon lest anyone forget the penalty for disagreeing. It would be easy to believe that John the Baptist, the herald of Christ, who preached repentance, the hope of one coming who would take the sins of the world…surely this prophet in the wilderness lived a life of grace and hope, right, of course, right?

            But John the Baptist, like Jesus, came into a world that rejected him, a world where he didn’t fit, his life was inconvenient, ugly, unwanted. And in the end, John the Baptist met a very gruesome, terrifying end that would make the strongest heart shudder. But even though John was robbed of his hope in this world, he had a better hope to believe in. Jesus is the light of the world; that light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

            If we are to overcome, to have that better hope, friends, we must look for that light in our lives. Growing up, there used to be trains that would haul coals from the mines out of the very mountainous county in Eastern Kentucky. It was fun, sometimes, to walk to old, long-abandoned tracks and go through the long train tunnels. At times it could get very dark, but you only had to look for that light at the end, to know at some point, you’d get through the darkness.

            That is how life is. John the Baptist came to tell of that light of hope, and Jesus came to bring that light of hope. Don’t focus on the people and situations which criticize, which cause you to suffer, which make life unbearable and difficult for you…where you find yourself oppressed. And don’t get lost in the millions of different things people say about Jesus. You have the book…read what he said for yourselves. One line even says, “Come to me, you who labor, and I will give you rest.” Anyone who offers you a version filled with hate, tension, and suffering, well, they missed the point.  Jesus is the light of the world, come to this earth to redeem us from the dark places and equip us to tell of that light in our lives.

            So, what do we do when we feel that light grow dim? What do we do when you feel so overwhelmed and suffocated by life that you feel you can’t find your way out? What do you do when someone, maybe even family, rejects you or purposefully makes you feel unloved and unwelcome? I invite you to go back to verse 4 of the Vacation Bible School hymn: “Keep your light bright, shining all the world around, be a light for Jesus every day; ‘Till, released from darkness, all the Lord have found, Be a light for Jesus every day. Be a light shining bright for Jesus every day.”

            When we walk with Jesus, we become that light shining in the world. If you find yourself surrounded by darkness, be a light. If you see pain and suffering, go over and be their light. If you see others rejected, lonely, and hurting, marginalized by a society which isn’t always kind, be a light. If you see older folks, younger folks, anyone who needs a friend or has lost their way, be a light. You don’t have to wait for something big and grand to happen. Go be a light for Jesus. And eventually, if you shine enough light in the world, it might just spread around and bring a little joy and hope to the dark places.

            I’m probably going to embarrass someone a bit with this story, but it’s a good example. One of my greatest fears with this whole heart surgery was for my mother. I knew I was fine. Either I woke up and all was good, or I met Jesus, and I’ve known Jesus for a long time, so I wasn’t too worried there. But I was terrified for my mom to be alone for up to 8 or 9 long hours of surgery. And I was especially terrified for her to be alone, in a strange place, should something go wrong.

            But at 6:45 in the morning while I was sitting there in hospital gown getting wired up to every tube they had available, in walked Reverend Doug Ivey…6:45 AM, at Emory in Atlanta. And he stayed with my mom for the entire day. And I am convinced that him bringing that light of hope and comfort, made things go easier for me, because I didn’t have to go under filled with the darkness of worry.

            Friends, we are going to encounter a lot of dark and godless places in the world if we journey here long enough. The call we have is to remember who we follow—the living, loving, redeeming Christ—the light of the world. And that light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John the Baptist was called of God to tell of the light and the coming hope of Christ.

            But for us who know Christ, who seek to have a better relationship with Christ, and who may seek to overcome some painful, dark places, we can do much, much more than just tell of that light. We can be a light of hope in the dark places of this world. It’s an opportunity, and it’s a gift. Be a light, shining bright, be a light shining bright, be a light for Jesus every day.

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/663422649305811

I Press on

I Press On—Isaiah 5: 1-7; Philippians 3: 4-14

As I was bouncing along on the Groome bus Friday while returning from a work trip, there was an elderly couple behind me headed back to their farm in Dublin. They were both 86. And they had been on a two-week cruise through Boston and Canada. We learned in the conversation that he was a veteran of the Navy and a long-time pilot for Eastern Airlines. She had been a flight attendant for Delta, and they still love going on flights and being in the air.

One of the things he said deeply resonated with all of us on the bus and left us a bit quiet for a few seconds. He said, “It’s been a really good life. You know it’s been good when you can look back and say I had a good time. I pressed on through the troubles, and I kept the faith in the good times and always. Yes sir. It’s been a great life.” Those words hit home: I pressed on through the troubles and kept the faith in the good times.

Paul starts off this part of Philippians with a little bit of his history. He was very well credentialed in the society in which he lived. Paul followed all of the customs required by the law. He was full-blooded Hebrew, of a well-respected tribe, a Pharisee, and a zealot for his faith. He was “of the best pedigree” as we might say down south here. But then Paul says this, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.”

What Paul is addressing is this idea of strength of self. It’s a very American notion that we all have to be strong. Any kind of physical or mental illness, struggling with emotions, needing help in life, needing therapy, all of these things are seen as weak. You’re a human, be strong. You’ve been made and groomed to be strong your whole life just like Paul who had all the right training and growing up, and life skills to be a strong human being. Yet that same Paul says, “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Our job, our calling as humans who follow Christ is to press on in trouble and keep the faith in the good times. We are not called to be strong enough to do all of life by ourselves. In II Corinthians, Paul writes, “Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’” When we press on, God is with us, strengthening us as we struggle and worry.

This week, I have my heart surgery. While I’m not particularly looking forward to that, I’m especially not looking forward to feeling helpless. I can’t lift things or drive, so I’m going to have to have someone help me change the cat’s litter, take me places, grocery shop, clean, and so on. I tend to be very self-sufficient, and I don’t like feeling helpless or needy. I don’t like to say I can’t lift 7 pounds of cat litter. I can’t fathom asking someone to take my trash out. It’s embarrassing to say I may need folks to call and keep me from going stir crazy. But as human beings taught to be self-sufficient, asking for help feels painful. I dread it.

In the Isaiah lesson, we hear what happens when humanity doesn’t rely on God. It was a constant back and forth in the Hebrew scriptures of a people who in bad times cried out to God and in good times went their own way, forgetting about God. It’s a practice seen in Judaism, Christianity, and many other religions around the world. Good times often cause people to stumble more in faith than adversity. It’s the oldest and easiest temptation in the world, “I’ve got this. I don’t need help.”

God is reminding the people very clearly that they do, in fact, need God. Paul writes, “I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.” Faith in Christ necessarily means following where Christ leads, relying on the wisdom in the Holy Spirit, and trusting in Jesus even when we think we know what’s up.

Paul then says one of the most powerful phrases in all of his writing, “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.” That should be what all of us Christians seek first and foremost—to know Christ, and then to trust and lean into that power of God to bring life. Then we press on and keep the faith. It’s important that Paul phrases it as “to know the mighty power” that brought the dead to life. Friends, we often use relying on God as a last resort, when prayer and faith should the theme that holds us throughout.

A friend once said to me that faith is like an egg. All I could think was, “Oh boy, I can’t wait to hear this illustration. Hope it doesn’t get scrambled or my brain isn’t fried after. But the egg jokes disappeared when in all seriousness she gave the example. Without an egg your meatloaf will fall apart, your cake will crumble, your cornbread will never get out of the cast iron, and your squash casserole will be a blob of grease and water with some squash in it. In all of these foods and dishes, it is the egg that binds it together and holds it all fast. You don’t see or taste the egg. But it’s there, and its job is vital to your food holding together. Faith is like an egg. It holds us together.

Paul wraps up this part of his letter with more powerful words. “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” When we press on in trouble and keep the faith always, we must continue to look at what is ahead. We tend to be a people who live in the past in an unhealthy way. Old sins, old wounds, old bad habits, and the “good old days” are places where we like to set up camp and stay. But faith calls us forward because God is not done with us until our last breath.

Paul tells us, “I press on to reach the end of the race.” In every trial we must press on, and always we must keep the faith. Those are not easy because they call on us to trust in God. Paul never knew what lay ahead for him in life. He didn’t know how a town he preached to would receive him. He didn’t know what that long journey to Rome would be like. But Paul knew two things—that he would press on, and that God would be with him as the strength he could rely on.

I think that is often the worry we live with. We like the past because we can go back and live in the times where we found safety and security. But God still calls us into the future—to live in faith and follow where God leads. Maybe the fear is that at some point, we will find ourselves alone and without God. Rest assured that will never happened. Wherever your journey goes, if you lean on God, God will be there. Paul finishes out that thought with this: “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Look to the finish line, not the next trial. Look to faith, not the person, the pastor, or the church folk who might have hurt you. Look towards the finish line because a lot of other folks need us to press on and keep the faith always.

Growing up, we used to sing a very, very old song, “Press On, It Won’t Be Very Long.” The first verse is a reminder of the wisdom Paul gives us, “There’s glory in my soul, since Jesus took control. He placed within my heart a happy song. The joy-bells sweetly ring, while of God’s love I sing. Press on, it won’t be very long.” God’s strength works when we are feeling weak. God’s grace goes with us into every tomorrow on our journey. And each new morning, God calls to us, who follow in faith, press on through the trials and keep the faith always.

 Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/868033947737461  

Sour Grapes

Sour Grapes: Ezekiel 18: 1-4; 25-28; Matt. 21: 23-32

            A master architect began designing the building that would be a career-defining structure. The building was sketched and measured with careful drawings and beautiful designs. It was to be a glorious building to be intricately and beautifully made. And right at the last few pages of design the architect gave up and crumpled every sheet of paper, then threw the design away. It would never work and likely the whole thing was flawed.

            The next day the paper was retrieved and smoothed out. The finishing touches were added, and a bit of color made the whole thing come together. The architect looked at it with great pride and joy. About that time the secretary came by and looked at the artistic design. The secretary turned his head slightly, and said, “Looks kinda weird.” The architect, now bitterly upset, took her drawings and threw them away again. But the truth is that the secretary, he was simply filled with sour grapes because of her skill.

            Now the important question. How many of you expected the architect to be a man? Now, lest you think I’ve gone down the politically correct pathway in this sermon, fear not. That’s not the whole point here. The true point is that by making the architect a woman and the secretary a man, you got a strong dose of the unexpected. Both our scriptures today give us a similar dose of the unexpected. In the Hebrew lesson, we read of God redirecting a question of blame. And in the Gospel, we hear of the sour grapes of the Pharisees.

            The phrase “sour grapes” comes from an old proverb and an Aesop’s Fable. It means, generally, that people will blame something unattainable as being bad anyway. For example, if a guy fails to win an award, he might say, “Well, it’s not that prestigious anyway. Wasn’t worth it.” Now, in our Old Testament, we see a God addressing the idea of curses and punishments being visited on multiple generations. It was typical in Old Testament times that, if the grandparents sinned, it would be held against 3 or 4 generations of the family. The reverse of that was any good and bad fortune of the people could be attributed to God. They could have sour grapes if they didn’t like what God was doing.

            Here, God is giving prophecy to Ezekiel that this will be no more. There will come a day, which is our time now, when people will be held accountable as individuals for what they do wrong. But with individual accountability comes individual responsibility. God says here that people can no longer blame God for bad things happening in this world. It’s always a lot easier to blame God for our suffering, than to look in the mirror at what humanity has done.

            We ask these questions—why do people hurt each other? Well, they chose meanness instead of peace. Why do we have war and suffering? People chose violence over mutual working together. Why do we have sickness, suffering, and death? The answer is too often we forget God’s promises of life and hope everlasting and to be that hope in the world. If you read Acts 2, you’ll see that the church was set up to reflect God’s kingdom of love, grace, and generosity. It was meant to mirror the same Jesus who fed the multitude, shared his miracles of healing, and called on people to be physically and spiritually made whole—go and sin no more, he told them. In Ezekiel God asks a bold question to the people who said God has not done right. God asks, “Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you?” Perhaps that’s a question we can still ask ourselves to this day?

            But even in the New Testament, we see these sour grapes continue. Jesus was not the Messiah that Jewish elite and religious leaders wanted. He was poor, challenging, and did not cater to their sense of power and order. They saw the miracles he performed and instead of belief, they had sour grapes.

            In the parable for today, they decide to challenge him, and in turn, he hands them back a challenge they cannot win. Then he tells a parable. Now in every parable Jesus talks about work, everybody works in a vineyard. I have no idea why Jesus seems stuck on the vineyard. So, let’s update it a bit for us. A man owns his own mechanic shop and has two hefty repair jobs coming in the same day. He asks his two sons to come and help him. One says, “Sorry I can’t,” but later he changes his mind and the work on that car gets done. The other son says, “Sure, Dad, I’ll help,” but he never shows up. The car owner, furious the work was not done, takes his business elsewhere and gives a bad Google review costing the father business.

            Jesus tells the Pharisees that because they were proud, unrepentant, and foolish, they would not see the Kingdom of God. They claimed they would go work for God’s kingdom, but they lied and turned their backs on God’s call. The corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes, the low of the low in Jesus’s day, initially said no, but when they met Jesus, their hardened hearts melted, and they followed Jesus into the work of God’s Kingdom.

            In our time, we have too many pharisees, and not enough workers for God’s kingdom. I read an article a few weeks ago from a Southern Baptist leader, Russell Moore, that some of the ministers in his denomination were told by church leaders not to preach on the Sermon on the Mount because it sounds too weak in our time. A friend of mine joked the other day that we can set aside the different translations of the Bible because instead of NIV or King James Version, the newest is the “Cherry-Picked Version.” How sadly true, and how much is missed!

            The reason the tax collectors and other undesirables followed Jesus so easily was because they could see the power in his love, his grace, and his call to redemption. Jesus didn’t create a society that made them suffer; instead, he offered them the same hope and redemption that was available to anyone. Those who struggled with sickness, were corrupt, were adulterers, drank too much, had become bitter and hardened, or wrestled with their own demons found a Savior who offered them grace, then said, “Go and sin no more.” The struggle might still exist, but the sin was gone. Do we find that same kind of grace in the church today? Or, do we find a place of sour grapes?

            Jesus changed things around in a way that created personal responsibility and accountability for faith. In the religious world Jesus lived in, none of these folks could find grace because it was socially wrong. No matter what they did, they would always be on the margins. But Jesus changed that, and the folks with power had some sour grapes.

            The idea of sour grapes comes from Aesop’s Fables. A fox was walking in the woods one afternoon and saw a bunch of grapes hanging over a lofty branch. He believed this would be good to quench his thirst. Yet over and over again he jumped up trying to get them and could not. Finally, he gave up and said, “They’re probably sour anyway,” as he walked away. The moral of the story is this: It’s easy to despise what you cannot have.

            A secretary belittles his architect’s work because he couldn’t design something so nice. The people in Ezekiel’s time couldn’t go back to the promised land because of their wrongdoing and blamed God instead of being accountable. The Pharisees tried to humiliate Jesus because they didn’t want him teaching things that undercut their power. Sour grapes…all of them. But if we look to Jesus, we see the example of grace, love, welcome, and most importantly redemption for those who have been told they were unworthy. There are no sour grapes in the Kingdom of God; there is only grace.

Facebook Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1281612152824487

Life Lessons Pt. 7

Have It Your Way At Burger King: Jonah 3:10-4:5; Matt. 20: 1-16

            A few weeks ago, I got an email that really just set my teeth on edge. You probably know the kind I’m talking about. It’s an email that is condescending, snarky, and intended to make you feel two inches tall. Normally, I don’t have a temper, but there are times (like that) where I can go from smooth as silk to full on eruption if pushed enough, and this did it.

            I furiously started typing this response email filled with all manner of sarcasm and snarky responses. I rounded it out with, “I guess you can just call me Burger King from now on because you always have to have it your way.” And then, just as I had vented and calmed down and started to delete the email, I absent-mindedly clicked send instead of delete. Thankfully I did not end the day actually having to apply at Burger King and anywhere else for work. Our scriptures for today contain a lot of anger and concerns over fairness. So, let’s look at ideas of fairness in life as well as fairness in God’s kingdom.

            All throughout my life, I’ve heard the saying, “Life isn’t fair.” I have a feeling the vineyard workers in our gospel parable would agree. In the parable Jesus told, a landowner goes out in the morning and hires workers for his vineyard to work the full day for a full day’s wages. They agree to these terms. The landowner then goes back out at nine in the morning, noon, three in the afternoon and at 5 PM, one hour before quitting time. Each of these workers he encountered he hired at the daily rate and sent to work in the fields. It’s important to note they were all willing to work, but they could not find any employment that day.

            At the end of the day, he sends for the workers, and beginning with the last hired, pays them all the same wages for the day. Now, note here, in ancient times you were not paid hourly. It was one, flat daily wage paid at the end of the day. The owner’s actions infuriated the workers who began work early in the morning. They thought that they should be paid more than the regular wages for a day because they worked longer. And I would say that most of us would agree with that. After all, it only seems fair, right?

            But Jesus was painting the idea of fairness in broad strokes. Instead of the fairness of work to wages for the day, he was making a point about how we value people, and how we work for fairness. His exact words in verse 16 are, “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” Think of it in these terms. The workers hired at early morning knew they would have a day’s wage. They knew they would be able to feed their family on what they were paid. They were secure and set, not fearing what would happen. The ones hired late in the day had spent the entire day looking for work, and they were likely panicked about paying bills, feeding their families, and making some kind of living.

            The owner asks, “Should you be jealous because I’m kind to others?” We live in a similar societal mindset. If you are a blue-collar worker, of average wealth to less wealth, live in rural areas, speak with a country twang, are a different race, speak a different language, or might have a tattoo or piercing, society will often judge you. You’re labeled as the last, and life or the society you live in will tell you that this ain’t Burger King and you cannot have it your way. I know the truth of this. I see it when I tell people that, despite being a lawyer and minister here in Georgia, I grew up in a small, single-wide trailer in Eastern Kentucky, relatively poor. There’s always a passing look of shock when that truth is told.  

            Jonah also struggled with ideas of fairness. He hated Nineveh, and wanted it destroyed. He felt the only fair thing was for him to go elsewhere and refuse to preach God’s message to them. If he didn’t go to preach, they would surely all die, and to him, that was fair. But God made him go and preach to them that they should turn to God or risk destruction. They heard the message and indeed turned to God. Jonah was mad. He is furious that God is merciful, compassionate, and filled with unfailing love. His words. And because he’s so mad about God being merciful, compassionate, and filled with unfailing love to Nineveh, he says, “Just kill me now!” To Jonah, sparing Nineveh was not fair. They deserved destruction. But God says, “You cannot have it your way, when God’s way is the right way.”

            To us, this gospel parable and God’s mercy in Jonah seem wrong at best, and perhaps even downright unfair. But remember the words that Jesus says at the end of the parable: “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” To those who have been looked down upon, considered not good enough, judged, unloved, unworthy by society’s standards, these are the very people Jesus came and loved. He dined with tax collectors, protected the condemned, healed Gentiles, and loved the unloved.

            But maybe for us, this parable would make more sense if we moved it from the world of labor and salaries to the deeper meaning of how this parable explains God’s kingdom. For those of you who thought the salaries were unfair in this parable, I ask you this. How many times did you celebrate at the conversion and salvation of the thief on the cross on Good Friday? Every time we get close to Easter, we hold up this guy as an important symbol of how Jesus can bring hope and salvation to anyone at any time. At the very last moments of life, on the cross, this man believed, and Jesus said that that very day he would join Jesus in paradise. I have never heard someone say afterword from the congregation, “Yeah, but he should get the tiny house over the hilltop instead of the mansion because the disciples followed Jesus longer.”

            When we apply this parable to the Kingdom of God, we seem to find a way to rejoice at the life of faith and heavenly reward someone receives whether they were dedicated to faith for 50 years, or find Christ on the deathbed… at the evening hour, as the parable says. We all labor for the same everlasting hope in God’s kingdom. It’s not a question of status, for the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Why? Because Jesus came to love and care for those who were suffering, hurting, and most in need of good news.

            We often hear that life just is not fair. I fear that in our world that can be very true sometimes. But just because life isn’t fair does not mean we should ever stop working to make life fair. Part of our mission on life is to teach God’s love and grace to others. But also, Jesus healed the sick. Jesus spent time with the suffering and outcast. Jesus did a lot of things that went far beyond just salvation. Our mission in this life is bold and expansive. We are to live like Jesus, as if we are his ambassadors and representatives in this world.  As the hymn says, “Let others see Jesus in you.”

            A friend of mine was complaining about his mother and his sister. His mother had repeatedly given money to and helped his sister when she got into financial trouble. It had been about three or four times, and the sister’s issues had cost a significant amount of money to fix the debts. Yet my friend complained that his mother had never given him such money. Life had been hard. He’d had to struggle, and not once had he been given money for it.

            He asked his mother before the resentment really built up and interfered with their relationship. His mom said, “You’re right.” But then she went on to say that she knew how capable and resourceful he was. She knew he could get himself out of any situation and be strong in life. She said, “Your sister cannot do that. I love her, but she just can’t do those same things, and she needs help in life. But I promise, that if ever you are trapped or in trouble, I will be there for you.”

            Sometimes in life we want to have it our way, but in the end, God will give us what is right and just. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. In God’s kingdom, we are all followers of Christ, who seek grace, who seek hope, and who share in God’s powerful and life-changing love. May we remember that God is there when we are in need, and God’s love and grace stay with us in this life, always.

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/689875916034373

Life Lessons Pt. 6

Forgive or Suffer, Jesus Ain’t Joking—Gen. 50: 15-21; Matt. 18: 21-35

            This week I read an article of the three hardest things to say to someone. They are as follows: 1) I was wrong, and I’m sorry; 2) I forgive you; and 3) Worcestershire Sauce. Well, I didn’t say they were the three hardest things to say for the same reason though! Let’s focus in on that second hard thing to say—“I forgive you.” Forgiveness plays a large role in our faith as Christians. In fact, one might say it is foundational to the work of Christ in our lives. If you want the hefty theological term, I think it’s called unmerited grace. But more simply it means forgiveness that no one has earned.

            Our scriptures for today present both Jesus’s teaching on forgiveness as well as the example of Joseph in truly forgiving his brothers for the crimes they committed against him. These stories and parables are familiar, but they still can be a very hard pill to swallow. Here are three lessons from these familiar stories on forgiveness: first, forgiveness is not earned; second, forgiveness should be abundant; and last, refusing to forgive will hurt you.

            First, forgiveness is not and cannot be earned. We read in the first round of forgiveness to Joseph’s brothers that there was no real apology or repentance. It was simply tears and hugs. Here we see something fuller. They beg Joseph to forgive their sin and throw themselves on his mercies now that their father is dead. They believed that Joseph was as cruel as they were, waiting only till their father was dead to kill them all. But Joseph doesn’t live in bitterness and hatred. He did not have this long-game of murder and revenge planned against his cruel brothers.

            But more importantly, there really was nothing they could really do to earn forgiveness. They offered to be Joseph’s slaves if only he would spare them. The truth is there was no way for them to make it up to Joseph for plotting to kill him then selling him off into child slavery. Hallmark doesn’t make an apology card for something that evil. But Joseph doesn’t want them to suffer, nor does he care anymore about being the best and the one they bow before like he did as a child. Joseph’s response of true forgiveness and love shows just how strongly God dwelt with him and how strongly he desired to follow God.

            Likewise, in the gospel we see a man who owed a debt which could never be repaid. The king had every right to punish this servant for his indebtedness. But the servant begged for forgiveness. He could never pay his debts. He could never make it up to the king. His forgiveness could never and would never be earned. But he received it anyway from a king who was kind and merciful. It’s symbolic of God’s forgiveness to humankind. It’s not our ability to “make it up to God,” but simply God’s love which offers the forgiveness and grace.

            One of the hardest lessons in life is that we will usually have to forgive people who have no way of earning that forgiveness. If someone talks badly about us or to us, hurts us, does something harmful in our lives, there’s no real way to take that back. We want that—we want to hurt to be undone, but it can’t. When we forgive, it has to be like Joseph or the king, and offered to those who can never and will never earn that forgiveness. God’s love and our love is found in forgiveness, not payback from an offending party.

            Second, forgiveness should be abundantly given from us. In the gospel, Peter asks Jesus about forgiveness. He asks Jesus how many times he should forgive, and Peter suggests what he thinks is a big number—7 times. Jesus, however, shocks Peter and the other disciples by saying seventy times seven times. Jesus essentially tells Peter not to be stingy with forgiveness. We should forgive abundantly.

            Similarly, Joseph could easily have accepted the offer his brothers made to be slaves to him and to Egypt. Joseph could have exacted his revenge and punishment on his cruel siblings in this instant with their father dead. But Joseph forgave in abundance, and in fact, he goes way beyond forgiveness. He promises to take care of his brothers and look out for them and their families.

            The reason we should forgive abundantly is that forgiveness is for us. Forgiveness was for Joseph. Forgiveness was for the king. It is never for the person who has done the wrong. Think of this analogy a friend a mentor told me. Let’s say you have a kitchen sink where over and over dirty, messy, and harmful things are dumped into the sink. If you never wipe it clean, the sink will become corroded until it is no longer usable. But if you wipe it clean abundantly, the sink shines like new, and the filth gets thrown into the trash where it belongs.

            Forgiveness doesn’t excuse the guilty. Forgiveness frees you from the burden of the filth they tried to bring into your life. If Joseph never moved on beyond what his brothers did, he would have been too bitter for God to work in him. If everyone acted like the unforgiving servant, the world would be a cruel and miserable place. Forgiveness must be abundant from us, so that life can be abundant for us.

            Last, if we refuse to forgive, it will hurt us. In the gospel of the unforgiving servant, when he refused to extend the same forgiveness he had received, he was punished severely. The king threw him into prison for his unforgiving heart. The gospel describes what he would endure as torture. Jesus follows this parable up in verse 35 with the words, “That’s why my heavenly Father will do if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” And there’s a truth to that.

            Consider for a moment how bitter and hard an unforgiving heart can become. Consider how angry and hate-filled an unforgiving person can be. Consider how consumed by the wrong an unforgiving person becomes over time. Perhaps it is not a literal prison, but holding on to bad things and letting them eat at your mind and soul day after day is torture. And that torture is self-inflicted. Forgiveness is not giving a cruel person a pass or ending all accountability. Forgiveness is simply letting go of what bad things do to you.

            Forgiveness is necessary because it allows God to work and turn evil things for good.  Joseph even says this to his brothers in verse 20: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” We hear the phrase in church that God often works in mysterious ways. But God’s ways aren’t so mysterious because in the end they lead to good things despite all the hard parts in the journey mean people make for us.

            It reminds me of a story from a friend’s father. His father lived in a strange kind of household. The parents were old school hippies from the 1960s and 1970s. Their small home was still painted the wild colors, had peace signs decoratively placed, had a circle of cushions to sit on, and even had the old school beads separating one room from another. His parents, though, as they aged, became very, very set in this rigid hippie mindset. They instilled those values in their son over and over. One day when their son was 17, he came home with a short haircut, fitted pants, and a flyer.

            He told them that he was joining the military and serving his country in Desert Storm. His anti-war parents were furious. This went against everything they’d ever taught him, everything they believed. Enraged they threw him out of the house and never spoke to him again, cutting all ties for his disobedience and violation of their beliefs. He went on to win a purple heart and a medal of valor for saving the lives of 10 fellow soldiers on the battlefield and went on to be a doctor. He was a hero and a lifesaver. Rejected, made homeless by his parents, and cut off from his whole family and life, God nonetheless worked in and through him for something good and amazing. And to his credit, he forgave his parents and cared for them in their old age.

            Forgiveness can never be earned. Forgiveness must be abundant in and from our hearts, and forgiveness protects us from the self-inflicted suffering of bitterness and anger in life. Three of the hardest things to say in life are I’m sorry, I forgive you, and Worcestershire Sauce. But of those three, the most important to say, to live, and to practice is forgiveness, and it must be offered seven times seventy times over in our lives.

            Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/4257578331134891

Life Lessons Pt. 5

Sometimes You Must Choose Peace: Psa.119: 33-40; Matt. 18: 15-20

            A friend of mine worked for many years in a rather toxic work environment. She stayed for hopes of promotion, things would get better, the allure of improvement that would never come. But, alas, she finally learned that the only thing she would get from her place of employment was toxic foolishness and a second blood pressure medication. One day she called me fussing about something they had done—ranting, raving, losing her mind about how irritating her supervisor had been—and she said, “You know what, I’m going to give that ‘insert choice words here’ a piece of my mind.” My response was this: my friend, it is better to be employed than to be right. Being right will not pay your bills. Besides, why not leave them once you’ve found somewhere else better to go?

            Sometimes in life, we have to simply choose our peace over the chaos and misery that other people and situations want to bring into our lives, and that can be a hard thing to do. In Matthew’s gospel, we read a somewhat difficult passage. This portion of Matthew’s writing deals with living together as community. Any time you gather a group of people together for long enough there are bound to be squabbles and disagreements. But there also may be an element that is toxic, bent on destruction, cruel, and working to damage the community and livelihood of the faithful in community.

            Matthew offers the following: confront someone (peaceably) about something which has caused you offense and allow them the opportunity to confess and be restored. If they refuse, go again with witnesses in the hopes that they will understand and budge. If that doesn’t work, take the case to the church, and let the church decide. If they refuse to accept the decision of the church, put them out. Now, obviously, for a faith that practices such an expansive welcome and love, this is tough. It is difficult for this to come from Jesus who welcomed the tax collector, the sinner, the unclean, and so on.

            And we have to take a moment and acknowledge that this process has absolutely been abused and over-used by churches. When I was in college, a friend told me of a church that used this process on her. She was in a depression because she has just divorced her abusive husband, and she had not been going out of the house much at all, let alone to church. The elders visited once or twice, not to pastorally care for her, but to chide her for her lack of attendance. It took only a short time for the church to hold a meeting and vote her out of fellowship. They sent the harshly worded letter calling her a wicked, backslidden, sinner home with her 13-year-old daughter who was also told not to come back. I guess the daughter was collateral damage. Churches, sadly, have abused this scripture for a long time.

            So, what does Matthew mean here…why would this even be included? It’s actually used to address a person who is cruel and toxic, using their participation in the church to harm others and the community of faith. For starters, Matthew only intends this to be used for serious, harmful, sins which are unrepentant and disruptive in the church. Think of something like slander, gossip meant to destroy a person, or constantly trying to create chaos in the midst of the work for hope and peace in God’s faithful.

            What Matthew is saying is that by living in community with one another, we are not required to sacrifice our sensitivities to the feelings of others, but instead we are to become more sensitive to how our choices and words affect the peace and walk of faith in other people with us. The only real way to live in a faithful community gathered together in Christ Jesus is to be gentle and sensitive with one another, patient and seeking peace.

            The end goal here is not to put someone out. Matthew is not seeking to push people away or thin the community, but to create a path of powerful restoration and reconciliation. The hope is that when a person hears that their words or actions hurt a fellow believer, they will work hard to be forgiven and change their ways. That way the two who have an issue will find a way to be reconciled as members of the body of Christ. Being a Christian means being a part of community together. Faith is not a solo activity. It’s meant to be lived in community. If you need an example, think of the words of the Lord’s Prayer—Our Father. It’s not, “My Father.” It is “Our Father.”

            This context also gives new meaning to the part that says, “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” That was never meant to mean that if you have just enough show up you can still carry on with church. What Jesus meant was even in a group as small as two or three faithful people together, God is in the midst, and the expectation is that love, peace, and gentleness with God’s people are preserved and lived. Where God is, God’s love and grace should be shown. As a friend of mine posted on Facebook, “It doesn’t matter how many verses of scripture you can quote from memory, if you don’t live by it, all of memorization is worthless.” And that is true. Faith is mean to be lived not memorized and recited.

            But what do we do when there are toxic people in our lives? I’m sure you’ve encountered them. It’s people, maybe even at church, who cross your boundaries, who disrespect you as a person and a person of faith, who find ways to make you feel inferior or inadequate, or who simply take advantage of your attempts to be kind. Either you confront them, and they find the love of Jesus in their hearts, or you put them out of your life. It sounds harsh, but sometimes you must choose your peace, and that means walking away from abuse and toxicity until God can work on that person’s heart.

            Sometimes, though the problem is the collective church. I saw a friend’s online post the other day that said, “This generation is way too comfortable with hell.” And my first thought is this: what has the church as a whole offered that seems better? Consider for millennials and younger from the 40 and down crowd, the church has been petty, politically minded, worldly, self-absorbed, cruel, and sometimes downright hate-filled. I look at news reports of bad actions church have taken around this country and world, and I think it’s no wonder that the church is being abandoned. To many who have sought hope and comfort within a church and faithful community, that church didn’t fight against the gates of hell, it was hell itself. Perhaps that’s because the ones who needed to come in were put out, and the ones who needed to go were kept in.

            If you need statistical proof, the number of pastors who seriously considered resigning rose from 29% in January 2021 to 42% in March of 2022. That’s a 13% jump in a year. Jesus said, where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there with you. We, as followers of Christ, need to remember this in every thought, word, and deed we do to one another in life—Jesus is there.

            Sometimes in life, we must choose peace. There is too much angst in the world with news, politics, surveys, and personal bad news for us to let bad behavior be tolerated in God’s faithful. One of the strongest and most clear points of the epistles is in I John where it tells us that if we do not know love, then we do not know God, for God is love. And it is up to us to practice that love in this world.

            My friend had hoped for a place of wisdom and community to grow as a worker; instead, she found a place of pettiness and toxicity. After a few years, she found a much better job and left. She chose peace. We follow Christ, the Prince of Peace, and Matthew gives us a clear instruction—seek to reconcile, confess, forgive, and restore, but if someone chooses to harm over showing Christ’s love, we must choose our peace in our own walk with God, for God is love.

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