Yesterday, I was sitting in my office working on a number of different things and listening to the “Christian Folk” radio station on Pandora.com when an interesting song came on. It’s a song called “Thank You God” by a new group called GreatStreet. (For more information, you can check out their website: http://greatstreetmusic.com/ourmusic.cfm.) Here’s a sample of the lyrics for you:

Thank You God

For rainy days and Mondays

Thank You God

For parking on the street

Thank You God

For this car I hate to drive

It takes me to the job that waits for me

Thank You God, thank you God

Thank You Jesus

For all the things that You have given me

Thank You God

For four‐by‐four foot cubes

Thank You God

For office meetings drive thrus

Thank You God

For this boss who’s got it out for me

And people who can’t seem to get along

Yes … you read that right. The whole song is about thanking God for all those little things that drive us crazy throughout the day – all those things that get us riled up and get under our skin.

Wait … what?!

Why would we be thanking God for the things that bother us? Why would we be thanking God for a car that we hate to drive, for Mondays, for a boss who’s got it out for us? From where we sit, these are the things that we ask God to fix in our lives, not the things we say, “Thank you” for.

But maybe we need to change our vantage point. Maybe we need to shift our point of view.

In recent weeks, we have been reminded all too often of the things that can go really wrong in the world: mass shootings in both Washington D.C. and Chicago, devastating flooding in Colorado, the hostage situation at the shopping mall in Kenya, the violence and political turmoil in Syria … sadly, even this long list could go on and on. Lately, it feels like every time we check the news – be it TV, radio, online news source, or the good old-fashioned newspaper – things around the world are getting worse. From this vantage point, all those minor irritants that are a part of our days don’t seem quite so earth-shattering, do they?

This doesn’t mean that we have to act happy when that boss that has it out for us comes down on us for something. It doesn’t mean that we have to walk around on Mondays acting as exuberant as we do on Fridays. It doesn’t mean we can’t fantasize about a new car instead of the one we’re driving.

But instead of spending all our free time griping about those little inconveniences, remember how blessed we are to live in this land of freedom. Remember how blessed we are to have the ability to write to our leaders with words of support or criticism, praise or complaint without fearing retaliation. Remember how much we have in comparison to the vast majority of the world.

Towards the end of “Thank You God,” GreatStreet sings this:

‘Cause my worst day could not outweigh

This world of suffering

So quiet me ’til I can be

A grateful offering

Just what did I do to deserve

This day I’m living in

I know that I could never earn

The choices and the chances that

You’ve given

Forgive me

Remember that even on our worst days, God loves us. God cares for us. And God has given us grace upon grace. Hallelujah. What a thing to be thankful for.

Blessings,

* “Thank You God” was written by Joy Clevenger and Michael Warner and can be found on the GreatStreet debut album produced in 2010. *

• There’s a great camp song out there.  (reference children’s sermon) There are a lot of different names and variations for this song, but we always called it, “Hi, my name is Joe!”
  • Describe game
    • Right hand –> left hand –> right knee –> left foot –> hip –> head –> tongue
    • Final response – boss: “Are you busy?” and I said, “YES!”
  • Perfect camp song
    • Silly
    • Great ice breaker – gets everyone looking ridiculous all at the same time –> something unifying in looking ridiculous with a large group of people
    • But stop and think for a minute: How often does this silly song mirror our lives? How often do we find ourselves doing so many things that are expected of us that we end up flailing around and wishing we had more hands than an octopus? And in the midst of all this racket, how can we actually live the Sabbath rest we so desperately need?
      • Last week: talked about importance of Sabbath rest to the well-being of bodies, minds, and spirits –> learned Sabbath rest isn’t just about taking a break from all the chaos but also about devoting that break time to honoring God
      • This week, we’re going to think about how we can live into that Sabbath rest – how we can honor God with our timeouts.
• Vital question this week: How do we live into the promised renewal of Sabbath rest in the midst of our busy daily lives? How do we find a way to reflect Christ instead of reflecting our friend Joe who works in the button factory? –> million dollar question
  • Typing “Sabbath rest” into Amazon produces 256 hits … and that’s the just a search with a limited phrase! If we were to spend more time poking around – searching with key words and phrases like “rest in God,” “peace and Sabbath,” etc. – I’m sure a lot more would pop up. And the vast majority of these results are books written to help us find that renewing, refreshing Sabbath rest in the midst of our chaotic lives.
    • That many results says to me that we truly are in desperate need of rest – stop for a minute and consider your calendar/schedule
      • How many commitments do you have in a week?
      • How many hours do you work in a week?
      • How many miles do you put on your car in a week?
      • How much sleep do you get at night?
      • We are crazy people! Even if we aren’t physically out and about, working or running errands or whatever, we’ve got plenty of other things going on – things that eat away at our time and our mental and spiritual energy.
        • Bills that never fail to arrive
        • Correspondence that we keep up (snail mail, email, phone calls, social media, whatever)
        • Worries that occupy our minds
  • God understands what it’s like to be busy – to have a lot on your plate
    • Whole 1^st ch of Genesis = creation –> Paragraph after paragraph of the multitude of things that God spent days creating – light and dark, land and sea, plants and fish and birds and all other creatures … and people! “Hi, my name is God, and I work in an everything factory!” I mean, talk about having a million things to do! And yet God did it all and did it well. After each day of creation, God looked at everything that had been created that day, and God said, “That’s good.” No wonder God desired a rest on the seventh day!
      • Remember words from Washington Post article last week: Medical science has demonstrated that … Lack of rest and relaxation is associated with inattentiveness, inability to concentrate, impulsivity, moodiness, learning difficulties and health problems.[1]
      • Simple message in passage from Gen –> work is good, but rest is necessary
• See this in NT passage, too –> first we work, then we rest
  • First part of the passage = work of the apostles – text: He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. … So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.[2] –> This is difficult work that Jesus was asking the disciples to do. It’s hard coming into a new place and getting to know people, never mind the fact that they had a new message – a radical, world-shattering message – to deliver in every town they encountered: “The Messiah has come. God loves you. Let me cast out your demons and cure you in the name of Jesus the Christ.”
    • Physically draining trekking from one town to the next on foot
    • Emotionally draining meeting whole town’s worth of new people and dealing with the possibility of rejection at every turn
    • Spiritually draining casting out demons and curing/healing those in need
    • See this in Gr –> text: [the disciples] had no leisure even to eat – “leisure” = opportunity
      • This implies a sense of immediacy to me. The work that they were doing was so pressing, so important, so vital that they didn’t even have the opportunity to stop and eat once they returned to Jesus’ side. It’s not just that they didn’t have a few hours to sit and have a leisurely dinner, reclining on pillows and filling their bellies with wine and bread and meats and olives and whatever else. The disciples couldn’t even squeeze in the opportunity to eat. That’s how chaotic their work life was! –> not so different from our lives in the church today
        • Just some of the work that’s done
          • (Z: choir preparation, Country Store, bringing refreshments after worship)
          • (O: luncheons, Food Shelf, bringing refreshments after worship)
          • Also “designated/ordained positions” – trustees, deacons, council/session –> work that we do for the good of the church, for the furtherance of God’s message, yes, but work that requires energy … energy that needs to be replenished just like the disciples needed to be replenished. You see, it’s great to do God’s work – to do what we can to help the church reach out and grow and be God’s presence here in this community. But our passages for today acknowledge that even when the work that we’re doing is God’s work, we need to take a rest because through Sabbath rest, we are able to reconnect with God and renew our weary spirits.
            • See this in Mk passage: [Jesus] said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure eve to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.[3]
              • “Come away … and rest a while.” –> Gr. “rest” = relax, remain quiet, be refreshed
              • Jesus knew that the disciples were running on empty, so he invited them to take that Sabbath time – to step away from the work that they were doing for a little while to reconnect with God. “And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.
        • Importance highlighted by scholar: The setting aside of [time] when human beings attend, not to their own responsibilities and freedoms, but to God’s ordering of life honors the larger creative purposes of God and integrating oneself into them. It acknowledges that God is indeed the Creator and provider of all things.[4]
• So how can we do that? How can we actually live into that Sabbath rest? How can we set aside our own responsibilities and freedoms to acknowledge and honor our Creator? How can we take that time to relax, remain quiet, and be refreshed in God’s presence?
  • Lots of ways that we can reconnect
    • Everyday ways
      • “Quiet times” – just you, God, and a Bible
        • Various ways to read and interact with the Word (drawing/sketching, journaling, taking notes in your Bible)
        • Variety of ways to pray
        • Variety of other resources (devotional books, daily emails, even apps for your phone/mobile device)
    • Special ways to reconnect with God
      • Oblates of St. Benedict: “Oblates of St. Benedict … seek God by striving to become holy in their chosen way of life. By integrating their prayer and work, they manifest Christ’s presence in society. … Oblates concern themselves with striving to be what they are, people of God and temples of the Holy Spirit.”[5]
        • Not required to live in religious community or take vows –> follow Benedict’s rule as best they can in everyday life
          • Honest labor, spiritual reading, prayer … sound familiar? “By integrating their prayer and work, they manifest Christ’s presence in society.” Sounds like the cycle of work and Sabbath rest to me.
          • Start this journey through the spiritual community at St. John’s University/College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, MN
        • Spiritual direction
          • Help explore and deepen your relationship with God
          • Various places in Rochester (Holy Spirit Retreat Center, Hermitage Farm, etc.)
    • In community – retreats: idea that we’re exploring for this congregation(s) –> This is a chance for us all to get away and take that Sabbath time both as individuals and as a community. Sometimes, in order to really experience the Sabbath rest we need, we have to get away.
      • Leave behind distractions and obligations –> whole new setting allows us to focus on Sabbath rest in a whole new way
• Basically, there’s no end to the ways that we can reconnect to God. Remember, we were made in God’s image, and God is a tenacious, creative God who pursues us to the very end. If we set time aside – time that is devoted solely to God and time that leaves us in some way renewed and refreshed – that is Sabbath time for us.
  • Could be …
    • Playing with children/grandchildren
    • Spending time in nature (walking, biking, running, etc.)
    • Sitting on the seat of a tractor in the early hours of the morning when the mist is still rising off the field
  • It’s kind of like the words to the familiar worship song (that the choir sang): “Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true. With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.”[6] When we are living into Sabbath rest, we can truly become that pure and holy vessel for God. Amen.

Not surprisingly, I’ve been thinking about child-like faith a lot lately. Tends to happen when the majority of your time, energy, love, and focus is two adorable little children, I guess. 🙂 Actually, it’s because of these two wonderful children of ours that I’m understanding child-like faith in a whole new way.

In his gospel, Mark relays this lovely little scene: People were bringing little children to [Jesus] in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them (Mark 10:13-16).

I love picturing Jesus this way – defending the children and their parents against the misguided and impatient disciples who thought the Mighty Messiah was to busy for a bunch of kids, firmly but gently correcting the disciples misunderstanding as he tenderly scoops up the children into his loving arms and blesses them. There is peace and encouragement in his demeanor. Love and compassion shine in his eyes. Something kinda like this …

“Laughing Baby” by Jean Keaton

I used to read this passage and think about it from the point of view of the disciples – those who, once again, did not understand but whose eyes were opened by Jesus’ kindness and his welcoming spirit. I used to read this passage and think about it from the children’s point of view – those who didn’t truly understand what was going on, but who felt rejected one minute and unconditionally loved the next. I even used to read this passage and think about it from the point of view of Jesus – the One who took this seemingly-haphazard encounter and turned it into a chance to teach about God’s message of acceptance and grace. 

But now, when I read this passage, I think about it from a different point of view.

Now, when I read this encounter between Jesus and the children, I think of it from God’s point of view – the point of view of the One who brought those beautiful children into the world, the One who looked on them with such an all-encompassing love it was liable to burst out all around the seams of Creation, the One who would do anything to bring those children back into relationship with their loving Creator.

Having my two boys has given me a whole new perspective on this short but familiar passage … a whole new perspective on what child-like faith means. You see, when you are a child, you don’t consciously think about filling your eyes with love when your mom or dad comes into view. You don’t think to yourself, “I’m going to grin from ear to ear now because my mom or dad’s attention is focused only on me right now.” As you’re falling asleep in Mom or Dad’s arms, you don’t consciously acknowledge that you’re safe and warm and surrounded by love. When you’re a child, all of these wonderful things just happen because your love for those who care for you is so complete. It doesn’t question. It doesn’t second guess. It doesn’t get weighed down by things like suspicion, doubt, or past misunderstandings. When you’re a child, you love because you love. It’s that simple. It’s that beautifully, awe-inspiringly, graciously simple. It looks something like this:

“Mommy! Daddy! You’re here to take care of me, to feed me and make sure I’m comfortable and happy, to love me not because of what I can do for you or what you can gain from me but just because you love me. I am so happy to see you! I don’t care whether you’re perfect or not. I don’t care whether you think you should be better, do better, live better, or provide better. Let me show you just how much I love you right here in this very moment.”

*tear* Yup. That’s what I see in those faces: unabashed, unconditional, unforgettable love. And every single time I see it, it blows my mind. (Can you tell this momma recently dropped her boys off at daycare? *sniff sniff* Thank God for our wonderful daycare woman. Thank you, Amy!)

What if we approached God with a love like that? Open and unassuming and powerful like the love on those boys’ faces? What if we put our trust in God without question, without reservation, without conditions and strings attached? What if we let our guard down enough to really be vulnerable with God – as vulnerable as a little child, relying on God for what we need because God knows what that is better than we ever will? What if ……..?

I am far from perfect. I know that no matter how hard I try, I will make mistakes in raising our boys. I will have things to apologize for. I will have things to make up for. As a family, we will have good days and bad days and days in between. But I also know that my love for my boys will never waiver. It will never fade or morph into something that looks and feels less like love. They will always be my babies … even when they’re old and grey and I’m long gone from this earth. And I will always do everything in my power to care for them. And what continues to amaze me each and every time I think about it is that this is the way God looks at us. This is the way God love us. Times a million. It’s mind-boggling. It’s humbling. And it’s reassuring. 

Hallelujah. Amen.

This week’s sermon kicks off a 3-week series on sabbath: Learning Sabbath, Living Sabbath, and Loving Sabbath.

Once upon a time in a grassy meadow, there lived an ant and a grasshopper. The ant worked very hard collecting food from the farmer’s field far away. All day long, without stop or rest, she scurried back and forth, collecting the grains of wheat, and storing them in her larder.

As she worked, the grasshopper would look at her and laugh. “Why do you work so hard, Ant?” he would say. “Summer is here, and the days are long and bright. Why waste the sunshine by working the day away? Come, rest a while. Listen to my song.” But the ant would ignore him, steadily continuing on her path to and from the field. “What a silly little ant you are!” the grasshopper would call after her, and the grasshopper would hop away across the meadow, singing and dancing merrily.

Time passed, and the seasons changed. It grew cold, and snow began to fall. Suddenly, the grasshopper realized he had no shelter and nothing to eat. “Oh, what will I do? Where will I go?” he wailed. Suddenly, he remembered the ant. “Ah ha! I will go to the ant and ask her for food and shelter,” declared the grasshopper. So off he went to the ant’s house and knocked on her door. “Ant,” he said, “you’re in luck! I’ve decided to come and sing for you while I warm myself by your fire and while you get me some food from that larder of yours.”

But the ant just looked at the grasshopper and said, “All summer long I worked hard while you made fun of me, and sang and danced. You should have thought of winter then! Find somewhere else to sing, grasshopper. There is no warmth or food for you here.” And the ant shut the door in the grasshopper’s face.[1]

• Ahh … Aesop’s fable of the grasshopper and the ant – a story with such a tried and true moral for our society today: It is wise to worry about tomorrow today. Work work work before you can rest. Cram every minute of your day with activity so you don’t get caught without “enough.” But as Christians, how are we supposed to balance this work ethic with the Biblical mandate for Sabbath?
  • How do we even understand Sabbath?
  • How can we truly live into Sabbath?
  • Can we ever grow to really love the idea of Sabbath?
  • These are questions that we’re going to spend the next few weeks exploring. We’re going to think about the role that Sabbath does – or maybe doesn’t! – play in our lives and how it affects us. –> today’s: learning about Sabbath
    • What is Sabbath really about, anyway?
• Sabbath = about rest –> pretty clear
  • Rest as source of renewal for body, mind, and soul
    • God sets the ultimate e.g. for us – text: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day.[2]
      • In terms of our fable, God ≠ an ant-style God –> Working is important, yes. God worked hard for six days. After that, God rested. And so should we. You see, it’s also important to set aside time for rest and renewal.
        • Important for bodies – time to literally recharge
        • Also important for minds and spirits – Washington Post article “Sabbath Rest Good for Body and Soul”: Medical science has demonstrated that the effects of rest are significant, indicating the great role that rest can play in our physical and emotional well-being. Lack of rest and relaxation is associated with inattentiveness, inability to concentrate, impulsivity, moodiness, learning difficulties and health problems.[3]
        • Talking about more than just career work – housework, other chores like shopping trips, anything else that saps you of you energy
        • Scholar spells it out: Israel rests because God rests. This God is not a workaholic; Yahweh has no need to be more secure, more sufficient, more in control, or more noticed. It is ordained in the very fabric of creation that the world is not a place of endless productivity, ambition, or anxiety.[4] –> So God’s rest was about more than just physically needing to stop and take a breather. God’s rest was about renewal. For God, that meant pausing creation for a day.  For us, Sabbath rest is about stopping to take time because there are other, more important things than working to get ahead, to make an extra buck, to both produce and consume more and more and more.
  • On the surface, this is what got the disciples into so much trouble with the Pharisees.
    • Text: Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.[5] –> according to Pharisees, picking grain = work (strictly prohibited on Sabbath according to Jewish law
      • Important distinction to make: disciples are doing more than just snacking here – Gr. “eat” = consume, devour –> Those are the kinds of words that we use when we’re really hungry! Remember, the disciples gave up everything they had to follow Jesus – jobs, family, money, and security. They couldn’t just pop into the corner store for a Snickers bar every time they wanted a bite to eat. At this point in their journey, they were so hungry that they were devouring raw grains of wheat! So they weren’t “working” to get ahead in their own harvests or to make some extra money on the side. They were “working” to keep themselves alive.
        • Scholar: The Law provides that [those who are poor and hungry, as the disciples were] could pluck grain in fields that did not belong to them; the issue was whether it could be done on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were concerned for God’s honor in correctly observing the Sabbath.[6] –> Ahhh … so honoring the Sabbath is about more than just resting for the sake of resting. In our Sabbath rest, we are also honoring God. It’s important that we hear the scholar’s final words. The Pharisees were concerned with correctly and respectfully honoring God. Their hearts were in the right place. They just misunderstood.
          • Put more focus on the “no work” part of the Law than the ultimate purpose – connecting with God
  • Never fear … Jesus is here to correct their misunderstanding
    • Straight out tells them – text: If you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.[7]
    • But before he says that, he comes back at the Pharisees with story of David from 1 Sam: Saul was king before David –> David spent time in Saul’s household after slaying Goliath, but Saul grew to hate David –> Saul tried to kill David, so David fled –> in midst of fleeing, David enters the temple and begs the priest for food because he’s starving –> priest’s response: I have no ordinary bread at hand, only holy bread”[8] (Bread of the Presence: loaves of bread that remain on the altar in the temple as an offering for God) –> David convinces the priest to give him the bread anyway
      • So Jesus comes back at the Pharisees with another story about bending the letter of the Law in order to take care of ourselves.
        • Law mandated David wasn’t allowed to eat that bread, but David was in need
        • Law mandated the disciples weren’t allowed to do any work, but the disciples were in need
        • You see, Jesus is trying to get the Pharisees to see that there’s more than one way to honor God on the Sabbath.
• Brings us back to OT text – instructs to: Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy [because] the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.[9] –> makes it clear that there’s more to Sabbath than just taking the day off (in terms of fable = not your grasshopper-style Sabbath)
  • Heb. “keep it holy” and “consecrated” = same word –> means “set it apart”
    • So we’re supposed to do more than just kick back and relax on the Sabbath. Rest is certainly a part of it, but it’s only one side of the story. This idea of “consecrating” Sabbath time – of setting it apart from all the other time that we spend during our week – has a sense of intentionality to it. Think of it this way: when you set something aside – an object or a task – you set it aside for a specific purpose, right? You set it aside so you can focus on it, keep it special, and give it your full attention. This is what God is asking us to do with our Sabbath time – to set some aside so we can turn our attention to our relationship with God, the One who created us, redeemed us, and continues to sustain us day in and day out.
      • Notice I said “set some time aside.” –> Doesn’t have to be all day
        • God doesn’t expect us to sit around all day doing nothing. But God is asking us for something – some time that we set aside specifically for God. Read the Bible. Pray. Listen for God.
        • Rest and renewal for your faith, for your soul, for your relationship with God à truly honoring the Sabbath by consecrating some of your time for God
        • Scholar: Sabbath practice is not to be added on to everything else, but requires the intentional breaking of requirements that seem almost ordained in our busy life.[10] –> Basically, make room for God because it’s important. More important than …
          • Groceries
          • Mall trip
          • Pile of dishes or laundry or leaves out in the yard
          • “Real life” e.g. of this – LNPC “Sabbath experiment”
• At the beginning of the sermon, we asked what Sabbath was really all about. I think one way to answer is that Sabbath is God’s gift for us. God knew that we would need rest because we were created in God’s own image, and even God rested! Now, I know how hard it is to take that time. I get home on Sunday afternoon, and although my body just wants to REST, my eyes see my house … and my grocery list … and my to-do list … and the clock. My brain says, “You have all this ‘free time’ today. You could get so much done. You can rest later.” But that’s not what God says to us. God says, “You have all this given time. You and I could get to know each other better. You can work later.” What is Sabbath rest all about? Sabbath rest is about choosing God and only God. Not multitasking with God in the background. Not listening for God with one ear and the latest news report or football game or television show with the other. Not juggling our relationship with God among all the other balls that we’re trying to keep in the air. Sabbath rest is about taking the time to put all of the rest of it down so that we can offer ourselves up to God. Amen.

• There’s a really great book that came out a number of years ago. It’s called Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America,[1] and it’s written by a man named Mike Yankoski. In 2005, Mike and his friend, Sam Purvis, spent 5 months – from late May to early November – living on the streets of 6 major U.S. cities.
  • Read back of book
  • Overall purpose:[2]
    • To better understand the life of the homeless in America, and to see firsthand how the church is responding to their needs
    • To encourage others to “live out loud” for Christ in whatever ways God is asking them to
    • To learn personally what it means to depend on Christ for [their] daily physical needs, and to experience contentment and confidence in [Christ]
  • For Mike and Sam, this experience shocked them out of their faith comfort zones. You see, sometimes I think we get a little too comfortable in our faith. Sometimes, we need something to remind us how vital and essential our faith truly is to our lives.
    • NT scripture passage does this for us –> I have to be honest with you, this is not a comfortable passage to read or to preach. This is one of those passages that makes pastors feel a little uneasy when we see it coming up in the lectionary.
      • Lots of posts from pastor-friends on FB this week: Struggling with the Luke passage … how is everyone else tackling it this Sunday?
  • And for me, there was a very specific word that I kept coming back to as I was reading this passage from Luke this week: vulnerability.
    • Not a word we like to get too familiar with à we don’t like being vulnerable, makes us feel …
      • Awkward
      • Precarious
      • Uncomfortable
      • At the same time, I think our New Testament passage for today makes it clear that discipleship demands a certain amount of vulnerability with God.
• Explore that vulnerability
  • Under the Overpass is full of experiences that left Mike and Sam feeling more vulnerable than they ever expected.
    • Physical vulnerability –> hunger, strain of traveling from city to city (hitchhiking, walking), threats/fights, weather (cold, heat, downpours, and so on)
    • Emotional vulnerability –> rejection, judgments of others, unsolicited hostility
      • “Wake up” experience –> pp. 63-64
      • “We Have a Policy” experience –> pp. 122-123
      • “Locked church” experience –> pp. 104-105
  • None of that sounds very comfortable, does it? Granted, Mike and Sam didn’t embark on their journey for the comfort of it. Quite the opposite. They didn’t have to live on the streets. There were families and loved ones and warm, comfortable homes waiting for them. This was an experience that Mike and Sam chose because they wanted to find out if they could truly let go of everything but their faith. And that’s the thing about vulnerability, isn’t it? It is scary and uncomfortable because in order to become vulnerable, we have to let go of all those things that keep us feeling sure and certain and secure, leaving us totally open to … whatever.
    • And yet, that’s exactly what Jesus is asking of us in this passage from Luke’s gospel this morning. Jesus is calling us to open our hands, our hearts, and our lives, and to release all of those things that insulate us – those things that keep us feeling safe and comfortable – to be totally open to being Jesus’ disciples … whatever that may bring.
      • Children’s sermon e.g.s –> can’t accept God’s love, God’s mission, God’s grace if we’re clinging too tightly to other things
        • Physical things, yes – text: None of you can become my disciples if you do not give up all your possessions.[3]
        • But Jesus is also talking about more than just the physical comforts that we surround ourselves with.
          • Gr. “possessions” = connotations of entire being (“exist,” “be present”) –> So Jesus is declaring that, if we want to be his disciples, we must give of our whole selves – all that we have and all that we are.
          • Implies emotional things, too –> this is where that uncomfortable family part comes in – text: Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.[4]
            • Scholar – important distinction: “Hate” does not mean anger or hostility. It indicates that if there is a conflict, one’s response to the demands of discipleship must take precedence over even the most sacred of human relationships. There is no duty higher than commitment to Jesus and to being his disciple.[5] –> So Jesus isn’t calling for us to truly hate our families in the sense we understand the word today. Phew! And while that distinction makes this passage a little bit more palatable, it’s still uncomfortable. Jesus is calling us to put our devotion to God above all other loyalties in our lives.
            • E.g. of this: Katie Davis[6]
              • Moved to Uganda in 2007 (age 19) to teach kindergarten at orphanage –> Katie left everything she knew behind – her family, her friends and her boyfriend, her culture, even her own language – to answer God’s call in a place that God had laid on her heart. She was making herself truly vulnerable for the sake of spreading the gospel message of God’s love.
              • Now: runs non-profit organization (still from Uganda) called Amazima Ministries International, provides meals to 1200 children per week, initiated self-sustaining vocational program for women, adopted 13 young orphaned girls –> Imagine how the lives of all of those people in Uganda would’ve been different if Katie had run away from her vulnerability instead of following Christ.
• In his forward to Under the Overpass, pastor, church planter, and Christian author Francis Chan said, “Sacrifice promotes believability.”[7] This short but powerful phrase certainly describes Mike and Sam’s journey on the streets, but I think it can also speaks to why it’s important for us to open ourselves up to God despite that uncomfortable feeling of vulnerability: only when we are truly open can we experience genuine discipleship.
  • Sacrifice promotes believability –> Vulnerability, our sacrifice of comfort, promotes the dedication necessary for discipleship
    • This is what Jesus is talking about in the 2 mini-parables that we encountered today – the man contemplating building the tower, and the king contemplating going to war. In these stories, Jesus is asking us to consider the cost of discipleship in all its struggles and vulnerability before committing ourselves.
      • Not asking for perfection – another scholar: Jesus was not asking for a guarantee of complete fidelity in advance. If he had, no one would qualify to be a disciple. Through these parables, Jesus was simply calling for each person who would be a disciple to consider in advance what the commitment required.[8]
• So why do we even consider discipleship in the first place? I mean, we don’t like being uncomfortable. We don’t like being vulnerable. What keeps us coming back to God instead of turning elsewhere?
  • Have to remember that discipleship = not always scariness and discomfort –> grace in vulnerability as well
    • See e.g.s of power of faith in vulnerability in Under the Overpass –> despite adverse situations, Mike and Sam continued to share their faith with anyone who asked about it
      • Story of Tiffany (only person to take them to dinner in the whole 5 mos.)
      • Story from pp. 110-111 (“Amazing Grace”)
  • Vulnerability also opens us up to recognize God’s unconditional love and acceptance –> seen in passage from Psalm 139
    • Now, most passages that speak of God’s creative and redemptive love in the Old Testament speak of the multitudes – the nation of Israel, “all God’s people,” etc. – but this psalm is special. In this psalm, we hear words of how God lovingly and tenderly created each and every one of us as individuals.
      • Individual creation = theme throughout but especially clear in v. 14: I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
        • Heb. in psalm is complex because it’s poetry, but woven into phrasing = word for “being distinct” –> God made us each individually, lovingly, and uniquely.
        • Scholar gets to the heart of how this affects our discipleship: The presence of such love invites both fierce loyalty and sweet surrender.[9] –> “Fierce loyalty and sweet surrender” … two things that require true vulnerability. You see, we can trust God with the openness of our fiercest loyalty and the vulnerability of our sweetest surrender because we know that God loves us. Always. And we know that God cares for us. Always.
          • Children’s sermon: kids knew I wouldn’t put anything scary or harmful in their open hands because they trust me – know I would never hurt them –> This is how we can be with God.
            • Trust infuses vulnerability with the power of faith
• So here’s my question for you this morning: How is God calling you to be vulnerable? Where is God asking you to open your hands, your heart, or your life? Amen.

Sometimes I look around our house and wonder, “Where in the world did all this stuff come from?!”

 When you’re pregnant, people who have already had kids warn you that babies come with a lot of stuff. And you hear it … but there’s something about it that just doesn’t register. You think to yourself, “Sure, they may come with a lot of stuff, but it’s small stuff, right? Babies are small, so their stuff can’t be that big.” And then you have a baby shower or two, and you’re so excited by all the adorable things and the fun things and the useful-looking things that you don’t stop and think, “Hey, I’ve gotta fit all these things into my house.”

 Four months into being a mom of twin boys, let me tell you something: Babies come with A LOT of stuff.

 Is it fun stuff? Yes. Is it useful stuff? You bet! Is it cute stuff? Oh, yeah. But it still amazes me how much stuff these two little beings have generated in such a short amount of time!

 And I will admit that the challenge some days is not letting the stuff get in the way of enjoying our wonderful boys. I have learned that there will always be laundry to do. There will always be things to pick up. There will always be bottles to wash and other things around the house that we could be doing. But most importantly, Luke and Ian will always need our care and our love. And if we don’t give it to them, who will? The laundry, the cleaning up, and all the other menial tasks of the day can wait.

 And this concept is not so different from our faith, is it? There will always be things that need to be done. If you’re a “to do” list maker like I am, you know that there’s something about a “to do” list (or maybe in your house it’s a “honey do” list … we have one of those, too!) that never gets shorter. I think it’s some as-yet-undiscovered law of the universe – the length of the “to do” list cannot be shorter than 3 items.

There will always be something else that we can do, something else that we should do, even something else that we want to do before we focus on our relationship with God. We know that God will always be there, so we put off reading Scripture or prayer or outreach until we have “more time.” But remember the words of Scripture:

 “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matt. 6:33-34)

 We have to learn to stop and intentionally make the time for our faith. We have to consciously choose to do those things that will nourish our souls – pray, read God’s word, come and worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We have to strive for the kingdom of God and God’s justice because if we don’t, who will? All of the menial tasks of our lives can wait while we pause each and every day to give our time and our hearts first and foremost to God.

 Blessings,

• You know, there are kids all around the world doing some truly amazing things.
  • Arti Verma –10-yr-old girl –> challenged caste system in her village in India
    • Amazing that she challenged centuries-old system at all
    • Even more amazing because she’s a girl
  • Abdul Maqeet – eco conscious little boy in United Arab Emirates
    • Attended 75 workshops around the world in 3 yrs.
    • Makes paper bags out of newspapers and distributes them to cut down on plastic bag usage
  • Kylie Trawick –13-yr-old girl –> hiking Appalachian Trail for hunger awareness
    • App. Trail = 2180 miles from Georgia to Maine
    • 4000 lbs. of food raised for her local food shelf
    • Hiking since early May – should return home TODAY!
  • Dozens of stories like this on kidsareheroes.org –> stories of kids who are changing the world one paper bag, can of food, and village at a time. They aren’t letting anything get in their way, especially not something as trivial as their age. They’re just doing what needs to be done to make the world a better place.
    • Able to do this because of openness in children – open to dreaming big and trying new things, open to being instruments for change
    • This morning, I want us to think about what it might look like to translate this openness to our faith because when we have that child-like faith, God can do amazing things through us.
• 3 elements to child-like faith seen in today’s Scriptures
  • Trust –> children on Kids Are Heroes website have trust in goodness of others, trust in their willingness to help
    • See element in OT passage –> Jeremiah = trust in goodness of God, in God’s willingness to help people once again
      • Jeremiah = tasked with delivering the Word of God to the people of God –> And this was no small task. He was called to deliver a serious word for a serious time. Jeremiah certainly wasn’t the first prophet to the nations of Israel and Judah, so he knew what kind of reputation prophets usually got. He knew that the lives they lived were difficult ones full of rejection, isolation, and sometimes even worse.
        • Later, Jeremiah’s own life was threatened because of the message God has given him to deliver
        • Yet Jeremiah trusts God.
          • Partly inspired by assurance from God’s own mouth – text: “You shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am going with you to deliver you, says the Lord.”[1]
          • Heb – “with you” = more like “I am going before you” –> God is promising Jeremiah that even though God knows Jeremiah will face struggles because of his calling, God is willing to shoulder the brunt of those struggles for him.
            • Scholar connects this to our lives: If we can see our own vulnerability in Jeremiah’s, if we can hear our own reluctance in his protests, maybe we can also take to heart God’s assurance that the one who calls will also sustain.[2] –> God called Jeremiah, and Jeremiah trusted in God to sustain him in that call – in the actions that would be required of him to carry out God’s mission. And God calls us, too, to all sorts of different missions each and every day.
              • Not always easy, but same promise extends to us: God will sustain if we trust enough to follow
  • Exuberance –> Kids are Heroes children have exuberant spirits, an enthusiasm for their cause and giant hearts for those whose lives they touch
    • See in NT passage, specifically in young woman’s reaction to healing – text: When he laid hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.[3] –> Don’t you just love picturing this scene? This woman who’s been bent over for 18 years suddenly stands up straight. And what’s her first reaction? She begins praising God!
      • I imagine her leaping and dancing and running in wide, swooping arcs through the crowd as she shouts out praises at the top of her voice … maybe with a “woo hoo!” thrown in every once in a while for good measure.
      • Displays unbridled exuberance for part she has been chosen to play in God’s mission –> can only guess at what she did next
        • Enthusiastically told her family about what Jesus had done for her –> maybe told her friends who told their friends and families and so on, like a ripple in a pond.
  • Humility –> Kids are Heroes children aren’t doing amazing things for the glory or the news coverage, not doing them to be heroes or make it onto the website – doing amazing things because they see a need and they want to fill it
    • See humility in both passages – Jeremiah: Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.”[4] –> In this plea, we can hear Jeremiah’s reluctance about this call – fear, timidity, and uncertainty.
      • Not happy prophecies that Jeremiah was doling out
        • Declares kingdoms of Israel and Judah have both broken covenant with God
        • Threatens exile for the people if they don’t return to God
        • And in the face of this weighty charge, Jeremiah makes it clear that he feels unworthy of such a task. “I am only a boy. This task is too big for me. It’s too demanding. It’s too significant. I can’t do this on my own. I am only a boy.” In voicing this, Jeremiah shows humility, upholding the importance of the message God had given him over his own importance.
    • Also see humility in woman mentioned in gospel passage –> Scripture tells us Jesus called out to her
      • Now, this is an abnormal occurrence when it comes to people’s healing encounters with Jesus in the gospels. Most of the time, it’s others who call out to Jesus for their healing. They approach him and ask to be made clean. Even the woman who had been hemorrhaging for years sought Jesus out when she reached out and touched the hem of his cloak. But not the woman we read about today.  
        • No doubt she’s in need of healing – Lk’s description: a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight.[5] –> And yet despite this serious physical need, she doesn’t approach Jesus. The woman in today’s story must’ve known that she was near Jesus and must’ve heard the stories about his other healings, but still, she didn’t seek him out.
          • Lk: When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.”[6]
          •  I don’t know about you, but I see humility in this.
            • Maybe she didn’t ask because she didn’t think she was worthy
            • Maybe she didn’t ask because she thought there were people who needed it more
• When we come to God with that child-like faith – a faith full of trust, exuberance, and humility – we give God an opening to do wonderful things through us.
  • Encouraged in OT passage – God’s words to Jeremiah: See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.[7] –> That’s a pretty amazing list – “to pluck up and pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant” – all things God is promising to do through the child Jeremiah.
    • Sounds like lack of restrictions felt by kids who end up heroes –> Those kids all have the strength and the courage and the creative energy to do the amazing things that they do because they believe they can do it. No one’s told them that they can’t.
      • Imagine how different the world would be if some other people had succumbed to “can’t.”
        • E.g.s – world
          • Michelangelo’s painting of the Sistine Chapel – over 5000 sq. ft.
          • Building of the Notre Dame cathedral – took 87 years to build
          • E.g.s – Scripture
            • Esther = simple young girl from the country made a queen because of her beauty – ended up saving her people from planned genocide
            • King David = just a shepherd kid from the hills before he slay the giant Goliath and was anointed king over Israel by prophet Samuel
            • Scholar: In biblical and contemporary experience the call of God is often counter to what passes for common human wisdom. God often calls unlikely people in unlikely times and circumstances – or so it seems, when measured in commonly accepted human terms.[8] –> Somewhere along the line, as we grow from children into adults, we lose that assurance. Somewhere along the line, we hear, “No. You won’t. You shouldn’t. You can’t.” And we begin to believe it, forgetting that God does call unlikely people to do amazingly unlikely things … if we’re willing to follow and believe.
• Lyrics from Jars of Clay’s song “Faith Like a Child” – They say that love can heal the broken. They say that hope can make you see. They say that love can find a Savior if you would follow and believe with faith like a child.[9] –> And it’s true. So I guess the better question is this: When we allow ourselves to embrace that child-like faith, what can’t God do through us? Amen.

This is the sermon from Aug. 25, 2013. I apologize for the lateness in posting. 🙂

• Water is a funny thing.
  • It’s powerful.
    • Colorado River continues to carve out Grand Canyon, arguably one of the most beautiful and magnificent natural sites in America
    • Niagara Falls hurls 150,00 gal/sec down on the American side and 600,000 gal/sec down on the Canadian side
  • Water is also soothing.
    • Looking out over a smooth lake with steam rising gently and quietly into the morning sky
    • Sounds of a brook splashing & bubbling between its rocky banks
  • But on the flip side, water can also be destructive.
    • Dec. 2004 – Tsunami killed over 230,000 people in 14 countries in SE Asia
    • Aug. 2005 – Hurricane Katrina killed almost 2,000 people and put 80% of New Orleans under 20 feet of water
  • It’s an interesting paradox, isn’t it? We need water – the earth is 71% water, our bodies are 60% water! – but too much of it can be seriously devastating. I find it intriguing, then, that the two covenants we’re talking about today – covenants made between God and the people that God loves – are expressed through water.
• Like our need for water, these covenants are essential, and God made them with us for our well-being and restoration.
  • See covenant for well-being in waters of the flood
  • See covenant for restoration in waters of baptism
• 1^st: Covenant of well-being –> Let’s talk about the flood.
  • Story we all know well – First, we learn the charming side of the story.
    • Coloring sheets in Sunday school
      • Giant boat
      • Menagerie of smiling animals
      • A smiling man with a long white beard
      • Big, beautiful rainbow in the background
  • It’s only later, when we’re older, that we learn about the darker side of the flood
    • Things on earth had gone terribly wrong, to the point where Genesis tells us that all the thoughts and inclinations of the human heart were full of evil, and God actually regretted creating humankind.[1]
      • Humanity’s saving grace = Noah, a righteous man with an upright heart
      • And so the waters came – Gen: The waters swelled above the mountains, covering them … God blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, human beings and animals and creeping things and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth.[2]
        • By the waters of the flood, God was trying to save humanity and the world – all of creation – from the fear and hopelessness caused by sin.
  • And though the waters did come, they didn’t stay forever. After 40 days of flooding and ~5½ months of floating, we come to our passage for today, a passage that stresses how much God wants to take care of God’s people.
    • In passage, God uses phrase “establish my covenant” 3 times –> woven throughout: beginning, middle and end of passage
      • v. 9: “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants …”
      • v. 11: “I establish my covenant with you …”
      • v. 17: “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh on earth.”
    • Rest of the passage makes it clear that like water, this covenant is essential for all
      • Special Heb. word: hinneh –> This is an attention-grabbing word (“truly,” “behold!” or, as one of my seminary professors liked to translate it, “Shazaam!”). As with this line from Genesis, it’s not always directly translated in Hebrew, but those who read it in that original language would’ve known that whatever followed this distinctive word was critically important. So what follows this “hinneh” in our passage for today? I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you[3]
        • Hinneh = covenant is important, something worthy of serious, undivided attention –> God wants to make sure that we pay close attention to these words. This declaration of a covenant with “you and your descendants” not only promises God’s care, it also implies longevity. It implies that God has a vested interest not just in the well-being of Noah and his immediate family but also in the well-being of all those who came after … including us.
• Next: Covenant of restoration –> From the waters of the flood to the waters of baptism …
  • Our New Testament passage is pretty clear – Peter: Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. … And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you – not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ[4]
    • You see, Christ draws us to God through the waters of baptism, restoring a relationship which is as essential to our spiritual health as water is to our physical health.
      • So essential that we impart this blessing and this drawing-in on our children when they are just babies
        • Mark them for Christ
        • Welcome them into the family of faith –> provide them with an introduction to faith
          • Scholar: Above all, baptism enacts the power of Jesus Christ, who … has the ability to bring us to God. … 1 Peter calls us again to the utter seriousness of the sacrament – the mystery of faith conjoined with the mystery of Christ, gifts that lie too deep for words.[5]
  • Through our baptism, we are called to live into this gift, this mystery – NT text today describes Christ as being “alive in the Spirit”[6]
    • Now usually, with a passage like this, we want guidance – step-by-step instructions on what we actually need to do to be “alive in the Spirit.”
      • Out of luck – no explicit instructions
      • We each come to God with different circumstances, different joys and pains, and different gifts, so the ways that we can live into the mystery of Christ – the ways in which we become “alive in the Spirit” – will look different for each of us.
• However, there is one thing that we all share – one particularly less-than-desirable habit: rebellion. –> NT passage speaks of those who “in former times did not obey”[7]
  • Now, Peter talks about Jesus making a proclamation to the people who perished during Noah’s flood. But we know as well as anybody that those people were not the only ones in all of history to have disobeyed God.
    • Countless examples found within the Bible
    • Countless examples found within our own day-to-day lives
      • Sometimes we just can’t act as though we are alive in the Spirit because we’re being held back by something – fear, confusion, doubt, anger, resentment, prejudice … for whatever reason, we don’t obey the firm but gentle pull of God on our hearts. We can’t respond to the thirst our souls have for God’s refreshing and renewing presence.
    • Fortunately, God is stronger – more patient, more forgiving, and more willing – than we could ever hope to be. Time and time again throughout the millennia, the power of both these covenants – the one for our well-being and the one for our restoration – have been tested, but they outlast all because of the strength of God’s love. –> proof is in Peter’s words: God waited patiently[8]
      • Gr = words for “waited eagerly” + “patiently” –> waiting like little kids wait with hands folded in their laps, trying to sit nicely but just can’t quite keep still – wiggling, twitching, squirming
        • This is certainly remarkable in and of itself – that God would wait for us – but even more remarkable considering that even in the midst of saving Noah and his family, even in the midst of establishing the covenant of baptism in the waters of the Jordan, God knew the people would fall again. –> just prior to OT passage today: the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth”[9]
          • Scholar: God’s internal musings make clear that God makes this move with eyes wide open, regarding human possibilities for evil; God remains a realist. But God cares so much for creation and its potential that God determines to take a new direction.[10] –> God recognized the pervasiveness of sin as well as our own weakness, so God gave us a new direction – a pure direction –  in the grace and salvation of Christ.
  • God waits for us, not calmly and quietly but with an eager anticipation. Even when we rebel and disobey, even when we feel far away from God or when we feel like we want to be far away from God, all God wants is to be near us … and deep down, we know that’s what we want, too. It’s kind of like our bodies’ need for water. We know we’re supposed to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, but do we? Probably not. We quench our thirst with anything but that essential element that our bodies truly crave. We test how far our bodies can go without it. But when we finally take that long-desired drink of nice, cold, clear, refreshing water, we wonder why we waited so long.
    • Reminds me of our niece and nephews taking baths – When they have to stop what they’re doing – stop playing or coloring or watching a movie or whatever – they don’t want to take a bath. –> Eileen’s solution: “in & out baths” (explain)
      • The funny thing is, once they get in that water, the kids’ “in and out bath” usually turns into a good, long, warm, cleansing soak because they’re having so much fun. And when you think about it, are we really so different in our relationship with God? Sometimes, we want to focus on doing our own thing, but when we are reminded of the love and acceptance that God has for us, we decide we want to luxuriate in the warmth and security of that love and the refreshment and renewal that we find in God’s arms. That’s why God made those covenants with us – promises of well-being and restoration that are inextricably and intimately connected to water. By the waters of the flood, God says to us, “I will not forget you,” and through the waters of baptism, God says to us, “I will not abandon you.” Amen.

• New trend in fitness competitions: Tough Mudder
  • Wildly popular
    • 1,000,000+ entrants worldwide
    • Held in …
      • At least 29 states
      • Countries including:
        • Canada
        • Mexico
        • South Africa
  • Description of course –> “Probably the toughest event on the planet.”®
    • 10-12 mile run
    • Designed by British Special Forces
    • 25 Obstacles
      • Fire, ice water, 12-foot wall, cargo net, balance beam, underground tunnels, ascending/descending monkey bars, electric shock (10,000 volts)
    • Only 78% entrants complete
    • There’s even a “World’s Toughest Mudder” –> 24 hours on the course to complete as many laps/obstacles as you can
  • Believe it or not, the “running” part of a Tough Mudder is the easy part. Now, it’s one thing to choose to tackle something like this – a series of obstacles designed to test your strength and endurance. But what about when life throws obstacles like that at us? What about those challenges we face on a day-to-day basis that test us in ways we’d rather avoid?
    • Test our patience
    • Test our spirit
    • Test our resolve
• Find acknowledgement of obstacles/tough times in Scriptures
  • NT – pretty explicit: Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented … They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.[1] –> Destitute, persecuted, and tormented … There are Christians all around the world today who continue to live in situations in which their faith makes them a target.
    • Voice of the Martyrs map – at least 64 countries around the world categorized as either “restricted” (countries where government policies/laws prevent Christians from practicing openly – e.g. China) or “hostile” (countries where governments try to protect Christians but they are victimized anyway – e.g. Chiapas, Mexico)[2]
    • Admittedly, it’s difficult for us here in America to understand these kinds of hurdles. For us, it’s safe to participate in our faith, but there’s no question that we face trials of our own, too. –> we suffer …
      • Loss of a loved one –> void that creates in our lives
      • Broken relationships –> loss of trust, shattered bond
      • Health crises –> things that weaken our physical, mental, and emotional strength
      • Personal failings/disappointments –> things we wish we could change about ourselves, that make us second guess ourselves
  • The Hebrews passage speaks to our struggle with these obstacles, too. –> text: Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.[3]
    • Gr. “run the race” = “make progress in the struggle” –> This could be any sort of issue that we’re dealing with – anything that’s causing us to slip, to stumble, to feel beat down and left behind. This could be any sort of struggle that causes us to cry out to God for help.
  • Ps speaks to this sort of struggle –> words of Ps used to cry out to God:
    • Hear the pain in struggle description of treatment of the vine: The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it. Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down.[4]
      • Vine = people of Israel
      • The people are struggling. They’re hurt. They feel devastated and abandoned – left to face all the challenges of the world alone. And these words give voice to a feeling that we don’t often acknowledge. Somewhere along the line, we learn that we’re not allowed to question God. We’re not allowed to express how hurt or confused or lost we feel. In our heads, we’re supposed to always remember that God has our backs, so we think our hearts are never supposed to waiver, never supposed to feel unsure. But that sort of attitude is an obstacle in and of itself.
        • Illusion of perfection/“having it all together” = dangerous to our mental, emotional, spiritual health
      • Psalm gives us a way to deal with imperfection and chaos of life – a way to bring it before God – by actually acknowledging it
        • Healthier than pretending it doesn’t exist
        • Think of it this way: How can you figure out how to get around an obstacle if you don’t look at it?
          • Compare to running Tough Mudder with eyes closed —> can’t see the obstacles, can’t follow the path
        • Scholar: The belief that God is in some way confronted in suffering and death as well as prosperity and life is a remarkable affirmation.[5] –> You see, even though the Israelites found themselves in a terrible position – a position in which they had been conquered and by yet another foreign nation – they knew that God was with them. Yes, they were struggling with their faith. Yes, they were struggling with their identity as God’s people. They were even questioning where God was in the midst of their struggle. But they also brought that struggle before God – before the only One who could give them refuge, peace, strength, and courage to forge on ahead.
• Constancy of God’s presence visible in both OT and NT
  • Ps recalls God’s presence facing past obstacles: You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.[6]
    • Heb. “cleared” = not just haphazard hacking away at weeds and underbrush –> This word can mean “pay attention to,” “concern oneself with,” or “worry about,” so in making a place for the Israelites after leading them out of slavery in Egypt, God was acting with care and concern. There was intent. There was purpose. There was attentiveness. God was genuinely invested in the life of Israel.
  • Also see evidence of God being there in the past in passage from Heb – recounts history of many great Scriptural stories
    • Exodus from Egypt and parting of the Red Sea
    • Battle of Jericho
    • Triumphs of the judges – text: Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel and the prophets – who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.[7] –> all of these = ways in which God has been with the people
      • Lifted them up
      • Gave them strength
      • Bolstered their spirits and their faith
      • The people mentioned in this passage all turned to God at one time or another. Were they perfect in their faith? Of course not. No one is.
        • People mentioned were full of flaws
          • Samson – vanity
          • David – lust, pride
          • Gideon – full of doubts, testing God
          • But God still came to the aid of each of them when they needed God most.
        • Thankfully, there is no prerequisite for calling out to God.
• And that’s the bottom line here: No matter what obstacles we’re facing, no matter whether or not we feel “up to the challenge,” God is with us in the midst of those struggles.
  • When I spoke about the Tough Mudder earlier, I called it a “fitness competition.” But I guess that designation isn’t entirely accurate. You do get an entrant’s number to wear on your shirt, and there is a timer at the finish line. But running a Tough Mudder is more about making it through the obstacles and helping each other than it is about the timer at the end.
    • Description from website: Tough Mudders are team players who make sure no one gets left behind.[8] –> expresses same attitude that God has toward us – God will never leave us behind to try to conquer an obstacle alone.
  • This is why we know that even when we feel lost and abandoned in the face of our struggles as the Israelites did, we are never truly alone.
    • From Ps: But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we might be saved.[9]
      • Scholar connects these ancient words to our faith today: In an act of faith and hope not unlike that of Psalm 80, the followers of Jesus dare to affirm that in Jesus the light of God shines and that through Jesus we are restored and have life. Like those who prayed Psalm 80 so long ago, Christians dare to see and expect the reign of God where others see only chaos and expect nothing.[10] –> You see, it’s not that as Christians, we’re going to avoid struggles altogether. Everyone experiences times in their lives when things are hard – times when we find our paths blocked by a seemingly-insurmountable obstacle. But as Christians, we know that our strength, our hope, and our ultimate end all lie in the same place: the grace given to us by Christ.
  • This is also the hope that we find in the Hebrews passage.
    • Text: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.[11]
      • Hope and courage in the way Jesus faced ultimate obstacle of the cross – “disregarding its shame” –> Jesus  faced the cross knowing it would be a struggle. Through faith, knowing God is with us, we can face our obstacles, too.
      • Scholar (assurance): Faith allows people to see beyond what is right in front of them, their daily problems, to see what God is doing in their midst, to see what God has done throughout the ages, and to see the future joy God has in store for us.[12] –> Notice the way that statement ends: “the future joy God has in store for us.” People who run a Tough Mudder aren’t worried about time. Their goal isn’t the perfect race or the fastest finish. People who run a Tough Mudder know that the experience is as much about helping others get through the obstacles as it is about getting through the obstacles themselves.
        • From Tough Mudder website: Tough Mudder is all about taking on the obstacles in your life and the enormous sense of accomplishment that you feel when you overcome them. –> slightly altered: Faith is all about taking on the obstacles in your life and the enormous sense of unity you feel when you face them with God. Amen.

• Being a new mom of twins, there are a lot of things that I’ve learned in the past 3 months.
  • Best way to get stains out of just about everything
  • Always always always know location of at least 3 different burp clothes
  • Prioritize what needs to get done now & what can get done in about 18 years
  • And one of the most important things that I’ve learned is the value of a good nap! Sleep, my friends, is a beautiful thing. Or maybe I should say “re-learned.”
    • Naps = big part of our lives as young children, but too soon, we start to lose our appreciation for naps
      • Anyone who’s cared for young children can tell you how important “nap time” can be
        • E.g.s from wedding
      • Nap time = enforced in kindergarten, but then hit 1^st grade – too cool for napping (very sad day)
      • And then we go all the way through elementary school and high school not appreciating the true beauty that is the nap.
    • Rediscover glory of the nap somewhat in college
      • I’d be willing to bet that you could step onto any campus at just about any time of day and find people spread out on any available surface, padded or not.
    • But even those naps were nothing compared to the length and importance of the naps we’ve learned to take as new parents.
  • And what is it about naps that make them so fabulous? –> refreshing
    • Allow our bodies to take a break from all the chaos around us
    • Allow us to lay down not only ourselves but our burdens, too
    • Now, I know this may sound odd, but God’s love is the most amazing nap you will ever take in your entire life. Seriously!
      • Allows us refuge from chaos around us
      • Allows us to lay our burdens down
      • Ultimately refreshing
      • Actually, God’s love is better than any nap you’ll ever take because it’s unconditional, and it’s available anytime – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
• See this in Scriptures for this morning –> renewing nature of God’s love
  • Unconditional –> Think about it …
    • Conditions required to take a nap
      • Comfortable position
      • Semi-quiet
      • Semi-darkness
    • But our relationship with God is more open than that.
      • Come to God anywhere
      • Come to God under any circumstances
      • Come to God just as we are –> see especially in Ps
        • Once again, people of Israel have been less-than-perfect – text: But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.[1] –> Time and again throughout their history, Israel turned from God to follow after other idols, other gods, and other cultures. Time and again God called after them, desiring nothing greater than their return. And time and again, when they found themselves in trouble, Israel returned to God. And God welcomed them back with loving, forgiving arms.
          • Scholar: Psalm 81 suggests that even in the absence of the people’s choice to listen to and to follow God, they are still “my people.” The people will live finally by grace, by God’s compassion and willingness to forgive.[2]
    • Not so different from our lives –> all sorts of things distract us: money, job, other obligations, stress, others’ expectations, and that unconditional love of God extends to us, too.
      • Part of that unconditional love = willingness to shoulder our burdens for us
        • Ps: I relieved your shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket.[3]
        • Matt: Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.[4]
      • There is no extent to which God will not go for us. There is no burden that is too heavy for God to bear, no task too great for God to accomplish on our behalf.
        • Ps speaks to this: I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.[5] –> Remember, this was no small task for God.
          • Spoke to Moses in burning bush
          • 10 plagues to convince Pharaoh
          • Pillar of cloud & fire to lead Israelites through desert
          • Parting the Red Sea for Israelites & wiping out Pharaoh’s army
          • Dealing with Israelites’ complaints in the wilderness
          • Saga that takes 40 long chapters in Exod. –> But God did all these things for the people of Israel because God loved them. Bringing them out of slavery into the promised land was a labor of love.
    • God’s greatest labor of love = Jesus Christ –> God loved us so much that God sent Jesus – God’s only son – to carry out that promise of unconditional love, in all its beauty and pain, all its agony and glory.
      • Phil: He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.[6]
      • God knew our sins were going to weigh heavy on Jesus’ head – that he was going to have to accept many horrible things for our sake even though Christ himself was sinless. And yet, God’s only son came to earth anyway, to bring us that unconditional love and to teach us to share it with one another.
• The other thing that makes God’s love even better than a nap is availability. God’s love is a part of our lives 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
  • As much as we’d love to, can’t just take a nap anytime we want to –> various demands on our time
    • Appointments
    • Work obligations
    • Family commitments
  • But no matter what, we can always find refuge when we call out to God.
    • Find this reassurance in gospel – text: Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.[7] –> no time frame, no caveats, no questions asked
    • See constancy and care in Ps: In distress you called, and I rescued you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. O that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! … I would feed you with the finest of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.[8] –> God is promising to provide for the people of Israel – to lead them and care for them and give them fulfillment if they would only follow God. And God makes that same promise for us. “O that my people would listen to me, that you all – you, sitting there at the Goodhue County Fair – o, that you would listen to me and follow my guidance.”
    • Experience refuge in “real life” all the time
      • Everyday cases of God being available at all times
        • Dealing with things at work –> seek patience, energy, creativity
        • A safe trip home on a dark road or a snowy night
      • Extreme cases
        • Story from “Voice of the Martyrs”
• Think back to the naps you took as a child, or think about the times that you’ve watched your own children, grandchildren, siblings, or whoever while they slept.
  • Describe way Ian and Luke sleep
  • There’s an innocence there because children know that, even as they sleep, they’re safe. They know that there’s always someone there to protect them – someone that was there when they closed their eyes and will still be there to care for them when they open their eyes again. Our faith in God coupled with God’s love for us is like that.
• As I was preparing this sermon, I was listening to a lot of the praise music that I have specifically in search of lyrics that had to do with rest. I was afraid that I wasn’t going to find what I was looking for.
  • Lots of praise music is upbeat
  • On the contrary, I found more songs than I could fit into a dozen sermons on resting in God. But one song stuck out among all the rest. I’m going to leave you with the lyrics of that song.
    • You’re right where you have always been. Take me back to the place that I once knew as a little child. Constantly, the eyes of God watched over me. Oh, I want to be in the place that I once knew as a little child – fall into the bed of faith prepared for me. I will rest in you. I will rest in you. I will rest in you.[9] Amen.