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“Into the Wilderness” 

First Sunday in Lent 

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“Into the Wilderness”

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:9-12

9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted[g] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Sermon Text

“Immediately, the Spirit drove him into the wilderness...” There is a sense of urgency in this text, and as matter of fact, throughout the gospel. The apostle Mark uses the word euthus (immediately) 42 times to describe the rapid movements of formation within Jesus’ ministry: “immediately, as Jesus was coming up from the water...” “immediately, the blind man received his sight back...” “immediately, first thing in the morning, Jesus was delivered to Pontius Pilate...”

According to the narrative of the apostle Mark, there is no time to second guess. There is no time to rest or center yourself before your next action. Therefore, it makes sense that Jesus wouldn't get any time to pack a bag before leaving for the wilderness - what about water or his favorite snacks? No. Jesus doesn’t even get the opportunity to say goodbye to his loved ones before disappearing for forty days - wouldn’t his family be worried?

Urgency - that is the only thing Jesus is given by the Holy Spirit before he is driven into the wilderness.

Back in 2007, there was a great flood that affected the southern states of Mexico. This flood included the state of Tabasco - more than 80% of its territory was under water. My mom's youngest sister, Zareth and her family - my dear uncle Moises and two beloved cousins Juan and Aron, lived in the capital of Tabasco. Fortunately, they fled the state right

before the flooding affected major highways. After hearing the news regarding the amount of rain that was expected for their area, they rushed into their home and grabbed whatever they could so that they would immediately leave for a safer place - they came to us up in the mountains of Veracruz. They lost almost everything in this horrible flood - they didn’t have time to pack their favorite clothes or precious memories; they didn’t have time to check-in with their neighbors; they didn’t have time to worry about anything else but their safety... they had been driven into a different kind of wilderness as they escaped this flood.

This is the kind of urgency I imagine when Jesus is led into the wilderness. And there has to be a sense of urgency and impulse because the wilderness is not a place that we particularly want to go to. It is very difficult to leave behind the commodities of our lives. It takes a great deal of conviction to leave that which is precious, familiar, and loved for something that is unknown.

If you love camping, you know rather well that trying to convince someone who doesn’t like camping to go camping with you is almost an impossible task. In order to win this challenge, you have to make a lot of accommodations for them. They probably want plenty of snacks, several power banks to plug in their phones or iPads, many kinds of bug repellents, comfortable sleeping bags with pillows, and even a wifi hotspot so that they can upload their “wilderness” photos on social media. But after making all these accommodations for them, you ask yourself: “is this even camping?” “Is this even worth the effort?”

That is why we fear the wilderness. This is a place that only welcomes what is really necessary. We are not allowed to bring the extravagant ways of the outside world nor the excessive methods that we use to protect ourselves from what is unknown. It is so hard to choose to go into the wilderness. Therefore, writer Sarah Parsons (in her book: A Clearing Season) reminds us that, “Jesus story alerts us to a helpful bit of information at the outset of a wilderness venture: we don’t have to want to enter the wilderness; we just have to go.”

We just have to go because we never know what we will find in this wilderness.

We tend to associate the wilderness with the desert - sand, rocks, and maybe a couple of palm trees. To be fair, that is the context in which Jesus experienced his wilderness. But in reality the wilderness is all around us. The wilderness most certainly includes those areas or locations that haven’t yet been influenced by the corrupted ways of humankind. Perhaps it is a patch of land in your neighborhood where grass, flowers, trees, and creatures all live in harmony. They grow together and sing a song of joy with the wind. Perhaps it is the bottom of a local lake or river where mysterious fish and creatures know each other very well despite the lack of light. Perhaps it is the area of town that you have never visited before because it looks so different from where you live. Perhaps it is the area deep, really deep within your soul that you have never encountered before.

Yes. The wilderness can be presented to us through any of these places within our lives. Therefore, it is hard to guess what kinds of wonderful things we will find unless we go.

During my last year in Seminary, I had the great opportunity to travel to Israel and the West Bank. While we were visiting the Greek Orthodox Monastery on the mount the Temptation - supposedly the location in which Jesus experienced the wilderness and temptations - we asked one of the priests why he had chosen to live alone in the middle of the desert. His answer still echoes in my mind today: “we are never really alone, we live with creatures, with the rocks of this mountain and its plants; we live with birds and those who come to visit, we live with God and with each other.”

We are never really alone... that is a great reminder as we go into the wilderness. Even Jesus wasn’t alone when he was driven into his wilderness. He was with wild animals - which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the animal, right? But in my opinion, this reference signals the fact that we are called to acknowledge creation as co-participants of this journey. All that has been created is rather necessary for us to experience the fullness of wilderness. There is life already existing in the wilderness. And we must open our minds to the possibility of being transformed by those who share their ways of life with us.

Jesus was also with Angels who “attended” him. These are the people who are willing to go with us into the wilderness to help us find how God is speaking to us. People who care for us by sharing a meal when we are hungry, offering us a hug when the day is

hard, and praying for us when we are overwhelmed by uncertainty. We all have these angels in our lives - even if we don’t really know it.

And most importantly, the Holy Spirit was within Jesus. Some Biblical translations write that the Holy Spirit descended onto Jesus. But the most accurate text in Greek expresses that the Holy Spirit descended into Jesus. Even if we feel afraid and alone as we embark our journey into the wilderness, we must remember that God is not “distant from us” or even “next to us”, but within us - driving us into the unknown with great boldness, plentiful nourishment, and unending love.

Now, you might be probably asking, what could actually happen after 40 days in the wilderness? Well, Moses came back with Ten Commandments to guide the people of Israel towards the land flowing with milk and honey. The prophet Elijah came back with conviction on how to lead the people of Israel and stand against its wicked leadership. Jesus came back with power and authority to defy the evil voices in the world by sharing grace and offering redemption.

Are you ready to see what could happen to you after 40 days in the wilderness? Are you being driven by the Holy Spirit to explore the unknown? Friends, If you are... let us begin this journey immediately.

Amen.

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Palm Sunday Liturgy 2020

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“Becoming Complete”

Scripture Text: 2 Corinthians 13:13-14

Back when I was in High School, as we approached the end of the school year, our campus minister would invite students to engage in the yearly practice of writing letters to our future selves. After writing these letters, he would collect them and store them in a secret cabinet within the campus ministry house. Then the following year, maybe 14 months later, during the first convocation of the school year, our campus minister would give those letters back to us so that we could read them and remind ourselves of the things we had hoped to accomplish that previous year and to also remind ourselves of the dreams we had regarding who we wanted to become. 

I believe such practice was a powerful exercise for growth and formation. Those letters were not very difficult to write. You see, at that point in life I had very specific high school dreams like getting better grades, making the varsity soccer team, or getting along with my roommate. And as I look back, those dreams and hopes seem a bit simple now. Maybe it’s because life seemed much less complicated back then. However, there was one section within the letter that I have always struggled with - the closing statement or farewell. 

What kind of farewell should I write to myself? What should I tell myself? 

The advice that I received from my classmates and campus minister was to simply write words of encouragement - an invitation to keep going and a brief reminder that all will be okay once again. But choosing the right words for this farewell always proved to be quite difficult.  

My first question for you tonight is: what words of encouragement would you write to yourself as a farewell address? Meaning that if you were writing a letter to your future self, what would be your closing statement or farewell? 

Take a couple of minutes to write this down. 

Our Scripture reading for tonight is exactly that - a farewell address from the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth. But this unique farewell address is only found in Paul’s second official letter to this church. Corinth was a church that faced many problems. They didn’t know how to get along with each other. They struggled to welcome the stranger into their community. They had divisions regarding theology and which truth from which apostle they needed to follow and believe. As a result, Paul’s letters to this church were a bit harsh and rather demanding. Ultimately, he wanted to make sure that they would thrive as a community of love and fellowship by seeing each other as part of the body of Christ in the world. 

So, as we approach the end of the second letter, from chapters 10 to 13 we encounter what is known as “Paul’s painful letter.” This section contains the most vulnerable and emotional words from the apostle Paul. He is trying to make a defense regarding his legitimacy as an apostle of God while also sharing all of his pains, trials, and grief that had been part of his ministry. Surprisingly, it is within this painful letter that Paul writes one of the most beautiful and encouraging words of farewell.  

This farewell address is also fascinating because it has been adapted and expressed in so many different ways by various Biblical translations. 

I would like to pay close attention to verse 11 - or the introductory statement of Paul’s farewell address. I have chosen three translations that best represent the variety of words. 

The New American Standard Bible translates: “11 Finally, brethren, [i]rejoice, [j]be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

The New Living Translation writes: “11 Dear brothers and sisters,[c] I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.”

And my favorite translation comes from the Amplified Bible: “11 Finally, brethren, farewell (rejoice)! Be strengthened (perfected, completed, made what you ought to be); be encouraged and consoled and comforted; be of the same [agreeable] mind one with another; live in peace, and [then] the God of love [Who is the Source of affection, goodwill, love, and benevolence toward men] and the Author and Promoter of peace will be with you.”

The Amplified Bible provides the possible definitions for a word that has more than one simple meaning.

Based on the differences in these translations, what is the word or phrase that stood out for you the most? It could be a word that changed every time or one that remained the same. 

For me, it was the phrase “be made complete.” It changes in every translation and each definition provides a very different meaning, expressing a very different message. 

This phrase comes from the Greek Katartizo, which in its simplest form means to complete or to mend that which is broken. 

He doesn’t tell the church of Corinth “be perfect” or “be holy” or “be fulfilled” or “be satisfied.”  No. He simply kindly tells them katartizo, become complete (be made complete). 

Isn’t that interesting?

If we take a moment to think about it, it does make sense. He is saying farewell to a church that is on the verge of separation. A group of people that doesn’t seem to agree with each other. A community in which relationships appear to be broken. 

So, Paul invites them to become complete…  

but... what does it really mean to become complete? 

If we look at a puzzle, it means that all the pieces are put back together to make the puzzle whole once again. Or if we think about time, it means that a moment or event has come to an end. Or if we think about duties and work, it means that we have finished that which we were supposed to do. 

But, what about ourselves? How do we become complete as people? 

That one seems to be a bit more difficult to explain. I think it is easier to explain what it is not. Becoming complete doesn’t mean that we are fulfilled or satisfied with how things are today. It doesn’t mean that we are perfect and do not make mistakes anymore. It doesn’t mean that we have reached the status of holy and don’t need repentance anymore. 

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. 

When I first imagined “becoming complete” this was the first thing that came to my mind. Kintsugi represents how each one of us is a pottery vessel. We come in different shapes and colors due to our maker’s imagination. But at one point or another, we break and the potter begins to put our pieces back together. And our scars remain there as part of the work of art that we are. 

That is becoming complete… 

It is a process; it is a proclamation of hope; it is the acknowledgement that we have been broken but with God’s help we are placing all the pieces together. Becoming complete implies that God is not done with us yet - we still have purpose. God continues to create something new within us so that we may become who we have always meant to be.

Nonetheless, becoming complete also takes place outside ourselves. It includes encouraging others, comforting the friend, the neighbor, and the stranger. Being at peace with people that we like and the people that we don’t like as much. And most importantly, it means that we continue to believe that God of love and peace is with us every step of the way - even in our brokenness. 

Paul’s farewell address to the Corinthians is also for us today. It reminds us of the things that are truly important in life. And it invites us to continue to become complete in our daily lives. It is a hard process - painful sometimes. That is the moment in which we must believe that the God of peace and love is with us. 

So, if you could write a farewell address to yourself or a word of encouragement, what would it be?

Write it on the back of your puzzle piece. 

And if you could choose a word or phrase of encouragement for others, what would it be? 

Share it with your neighbor as part of the benediction later in the service. 

Amen. 

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Sermon: Becoming Complete

Together @5 Evening Service  Scripture Text: 2 Corinthians 13:13-15

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Welcome - Liturgy Sample July 19, 2019.

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Sacrament of Holy Communion - Liturgy Sample Jan 12, 2020.

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Call to Confession Liturgy Sample Jan 12, 2020

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“Do good people need confession?”

October 27, 2019. Reformation Sunday.  Scripture Text: Luke 18:9-14. 

“Do good people need confession?” I came across this article online from the Jesuit Magazine “America.” It was published back in 2002, but surprisingly it speaks a truth that is so relevant today.

Professor Vacek from the Jesuit School of Theology is the person responsible for this article. He opens this writing with some dark humor by stating the following: “More than one perplexed priest has asked me: ‘What should I do when people come to confession and say they have nothing to confess?’ It used to be that when people had not been to confession in years, they would offer a lengthy list of sins. Or longtime sinners would say, "You name it, Father; I’ve done it." Now, surprisingly often, people who have not received this sacrament in 5, 10 or even 20 years say that they cannot think of any sins to confess.”  

Isn’t that so interesting?

While I truly find such statement fascinating, it also worries me... if we have reached the point in society in which we cannot think of anything to confess, then it shows how we, as people, have become so disconnected from goodness that it’s now more difficult to notice the ordinary ways in which we do wrong in this world.

As the article continues, professor Vacek answers the posted question in a provocative way. Do good people need confession? Spoiler alert, the answer is yes. Yes, because there is no such thing as “good people.” I am aware that his answer is somewhat crude and bit pessimistic. But within this gloomy response I think we can find hope. Professor Vacek says that “good people” need confession because at the end of the day, just like the people we consider or label “bad people”, we have also fallen short of who we are meant to be as God’s people. Therefore, in some way or another we all have sinned against God and neighbor.  

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we all need confession.

Confession provides us with an opportunity – the opportunity to reflect on ourselves, our actions, our words, our thoughts and discover that we have made mistakes. We are not perfect. And that’s okay because we are not meant to be perfect. Most importantly, within this opportunity for self-reflection, we also open up our lives and welcome God’s grace into the fullness of who we are. In confession we recognize that we can only be restored and made whole, not by our own efforts, but through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us transforming us.

Nonetheless, confession also provides a very dangerous opportunity – the opportunity to claim ourselves as “good” or “better” than anyone else. This self-proclamation can only occur under a shroud of self-deception. And as Professor Vacek writes, “self-deception is a very clever way to avoid guilt.”

Perhaps it was guilt what the Pharisee was avoiding, hiding, as he was praying at the Temple.

In this parable from Jesus as presented in the gospel according to Luke we read of a Pharisee and a tax collector. For this parable Jesus chooses very opposite people. People who would simply not get along even if they were the only ones left behind on a deserted island. I do not have to provide you with an example that is current to our time. I’m sure you’re already thinking about two types of people who seem very opposite nowadays.

Why wouldn’t they get along? Well… On one hand, you have someone who is committed to obeying the law of Moses – living a life that reflected the teachings of the Torah in a way that portrayed God’s favor upon their lives unlike everyone else. And on the other hand, you have someone who is committed to the law of the Roman empire – living a life that upheld the Roman interests above the well-being of other people.  

While these two characters seem to be extremely opposite, I think they both share something in common – they are only concerned about their own lives. Their actions, their words, their morals and reasonings only focused on what was best for them. Selfishness was their common ground.

So, when the two of them come to the Temple to pray and worship God, you may expect them both to at least say something about how they are sorry for being so selfish. You hope they say something about how their concern for their own well-being has led them to ignore everyone else. But only one of them does. And it is not the one who would seem most likely to do it.

The Pharisee’s failure to ask for mercy in his prayer is not necessarily the problem. If we read carefully, we realize that he is actually giving thanks to God. He is grateful for God’s blessings upon his life. Perhaps if he had ended his prayer right here, he would have been justified just like the tax collector. Instead, he decides to turn to his neighbor and unfairly assume that this person, the opposite of him, had situated himself beyond God’s grace and God’s mercy.

The problem this parable presents so powerfully is how our human nature is constantly guided by self-deception and therefore assumes the belief that we know better than God. We want to believe that we have the authority to say who can receive mercy. And as a consequence, we undertake the responsibility to dispense it as we see most fitting.  

Self-deception is the most dangerous form of confession.

It takes a lot of skill. It requires that we find the right excuses to convince ourselves that we are something other than who we actually are. To deceive ourselves, first we must realize that which is wrong. And once we find such darkness, we begin to find all the possible excuses to not turn on the light. Our vision becomes selective and as we turn to the other, we blame them for our own mistakes. Self-deception is not the same as innocence or ignorance. Self-deception knows the truth but chooses to label it as a lie or inconvenient. Philosopher and theologian Soren Kierkegaard expressed that “self-deception is the refusal to commit [one’s self] to a belief because of the pain of that commitment…”

So, that makes me wonder, what kind of pain was the Pharisee carrying to the Temple? What kind of brokenness was he bringing to God that morning? Was his guilt so heavy and so painful that he decided to look at someone’s else instead?

And it is because of this pain – the pain to acknowledge who he really was – that the Pharisee doesn’t receive justification.

When we turn to our neighbor and begin to cast out judgment as if we were the ultimate judge, we must pause and ask ourselves, what kind of pain and guilt am I trying to avoid? And do I have the courage to let God’s grace shine a light on my darkness?

Perhaps that is why the tax collector was justified. His prayer of confession may seem rather simple, “God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.” Yet, within this simple prayer he expresses very complex thoughts. Within this prayer the tax collector gathers the courage to see the pain he has caused not only to other people, but also to himself and therefore acknowledges that is only God who can offer him grace, forgiveness, and restoration.

As a tax collector, it is very likely that he witnessed many injustices and did not do anything about them. It is very likely that he took money from poor families that was meant to buy food for that day. It is very likely that he sent innocent people to jail for not paying ridiculous taxes. It is very likely that he had caused so much pain to others by following the hostile rules of the land.

That is quite a lot of guilt to bring to the Temple. That is a heavy burden to carry. And most likely, the tax collector could no longer carry it, so he comes to the Temple – the place where he knows he can let go of this burden.

Unexpectedly, in his prayer, the tax collector does not mention the fact the he will stop sinning. He does not make the promise of “I will not do it again.” His mouth does not utter any claims for the future. His prayer only focuses on the here and now as informed by his past.

When we find the courage to see who we are today and the journey that has brought us to this place, we will refrain from finding excuses or aspirations about who we can be tomorrow. When we find the courage to see and examine the pain that we have caused to ourselves and to others, we will stop creating such pain.

If we have the courage to see the pain we have caused when we broke someone’s heart; when we said uncaring words to our friend; when we acted with anger against our parents; when we ignored the person in need in our commute to work; when we lied and created malice…  only then, we will stop creating such pain in this world.

But that burden is heavy. All of that pain and guilt is heavy. So, come to the Temple. Come to the place where God is meeting you today. Come and say a prayer. Come and let go of this heavy burden. Place it on God’s hands, “God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.”

And let God’s grace shine God’s light on you.  

Amen.

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“Come and Stay at my Home”

Scripture Text: Acts 16:9-15

I wish I had more of Lydia’s conviction.

This modest dealer of purple dye, worshiper of God, recently baptized, and faithful listener of God’s Word exemplifies the kind of conviction we must have when welcoming the stranger into our intimate spaces.

We all have these intimate spaces. They are the places in which we find shelter and protection, warmth and love, creativity and discernment. These intimate spaces are so unique because they are carefully selected based on personalities and what we like the most. Perhaps it is your office space at work; or the corner with all the windows in the public library; or your man-cave in the basement of your house; or your favorite state park in the country; or even your most beloved pew here at the church.

These intimate spaces represent the location in which we feel most alive. We visit these places because we need to be reminded of all the goodness that is around us - of all the goodness that God has given us through these tangible experiences. And because of this encounter with goodness, positivity, and peace in these spaces, we are able let our guards down and be who we really are. We don’t have to act in a certain way or meet the expectations of society by trying to be something that we are not. In these intimate spaces we have the freedom to simply be ourselves - that person that we have always meant to be.

In these spaces, we have the freedom to enjoy the moment and savor God’s goodness in our lives.

That is why they are so important to us. That’s why we give a tremendous emotional value to these intimate spaces.  

I have only been in Indianapolis for about ten months, so I am still trying to find this intimate space within the city. I have a couple of choices in mind: I really enjoy running in the West Clay neighborhood around all those lakes and pretty green areas; but I also really like writing sermons on my desk at home since it faces this big window allowing me to see the birds that come and chat on the trees.

But the place that I remember the most growing-up was actually during my time in High School. I went to a Presbyterian boarding school down south in the Texas valley, and as a boarding school, of course I was required to share a room with at least one more guy and that room would be connected to another room through a bathroom.

Obviously there was no sense of privacy at this school.

And as an introvert I needed to have an intimate space just for me; a place where I could retreat and find goodness again. As someone who loves nature and wildlife, the stables at the school became that place for me. And yes, of course we had a ranch inside the school - it’s Texas!

At first, no one wanted to work there with the animals because it was too hard and too messy - so, it was just me and a couple of other guys. I was able to just be myself and enjoy the goodness of the space.

But then, during my second year, the school announced that if you helped taking care of the animals, you’d get a stipend. Naturally, this meant that a lot more students now wanted to work at the ranch. It became crowded; it became louder; it became obnoxious and tiresome. My favorite place was ruined. This intimate space now belonged to a whole bunch of strangers - other students that I didn’t even know or didn’t like very much.

I wish I had known how to have Lydia’s conviction.

I wish I would’ve had this sense of sharing and welcoming other students into this space that was so dear and special to me. I wish I had known how to be better.

Right there is the main issue about our intimate spaces: we don’t really know how to welcome others into these places. Since these spaces are so dear to us and contain so many pieces of who we are, we become unwilling to open up and share them with others. It is really hard to share an intimate space with someone else - and that even includes the people that we know and love.

Perhaps this race weekend you are welcoming old friends or family members at your home. After all, this is the most important weekend in Indianapolis, right? Such visits bring us joy and excitement. We get to do fun things, eat delicious food, and have a great time creating new memories.  For those days, you are willing to open your home, provide them with a nice place to sleep, cook them meals, and share with them many of your favorite things.

They are your friends. They are your family. Of course you want to be hospitable to them. You want to offer as much comfort and warmth as we can. And of all that is great for the two or three nights that they are staying with you.

Unfortunately, this conviction starts to fade away as the days go by. After spending some quality with friends and family, we start realize that perhaps it is time us or them to go back home. When differences begin to rise, this great time together starts to transform into a somewhat uncomfortable and stressful situation. It may seem that we are great at being hospitable and welcoming but only for a little while. In the long run, our likes and dislikes get in the way of harmony and fellowship.

That shows how hard it is to share intimate spaces - how hard it is to be vulnerable and friendly even with the people that we love. It is hard to open up ourselves for more than just a moment.

We want to be hospitable. We want offer a great welcoming experience to our friends and family. We want to share this piece of who we are with them because we love them. But what about the people that we don’t really like? Or the people we don’t really know?

Perhaps we don’t have the same conviction towards them.

Perhaps we need more of Lydia’s conviction.

A few years ago, my grandfather invited one of his first-year seminary students to stay at our house for the summer break. This student was an orphan. He didn’t have any family close by and did not have any plans for the summer. He was kind of worried about where he was going to stay for those couple of months. So, my grandfather offered him a place to stay and a place where he could have a meal. Of course, my grandfather didn’t really ask us about how we felt about that invitation. One morning he just showed up with this student and told us about his plan great for the summer. And surely, we were caught by surprise.

As you can imagine, at first it was very, very difficult. We didn’t really know what he liked or disliked. We didn’t know what kind of food he preferred or how friendly he would be. He was a stranger in our home. But after the first couple of weeks, once we started to know each other better by sharing stories, we began to create a friendship - my whole family and him. We would watch movies together. We would play soccer with other kids from the block. He would help us in the garden and even share with us some of his cooking with us.

After a few weeks, he was no longer a stranger, but rather a familiar guest.

My grandfather had that kind of conviction - Lydia’s conviction. He knew that hospitality meant extending to strangers a quality of kindness usually reserved for friends and family. He welcomed him into our home not based on how much he knew him or based on how much he liked him as a student or as a person. My grandfather welcomed him because he was faithful to God’s calling. Like Lydia, he knew that worshipping God included sharing his most valuable, his most favorite, his most intimate space - which on this case was his home.  

But to have that kind of conviction, it takes courage.

Lydia welcomed Paul and his disciples into her most intimate space. She trusted them despite the fact that Christianity was being persecuted by the Empire. She offered them a place to stay in a foreign land despite the fact that she was just a dealer of purple dye. She could have hesitated about the credentials or the personalities of Paul and his people. But she chose not to. Instead, she remained faithful to God’s calling.  

She extended to strangers a quality of kindness usually reserved for friends and family.

Here at Second Presbyterian Church, we have chosen to have Lydia’s conviction and courage as we welcome the stranger into this intimate space. Through our participation in the Interfaith Hospitality Network, we are able to open our facilities for a week four times a year to families who don’t have a home. As a church, we don’t really know much about these people before they come and stay us. Yet, we offer such kindness and such warmth welcome to each person. We provide them with various delicious meals - mostly cooked by our volunteers. We try our best to get to know them during our daily encounters - while driving the van in the morning or when staying overnight. We play with the young ones even if it is snowing outside - I have been a witness to that.

We offer the same quality of kindness usually reserved for friends and family. As part of a community of faith, we know how to welcome the stranger into this our intimate spaces. We have witnessed such hospitality through this church or through other people. We are aware that part of our calling as Christians is to extend kindness and goodness to all people.  

But, are we, individually capable of sharing our intimate spaces with strangers?

Do we have the conviction to share our intimate spaces with all people, even those that we don’t really know much about or those that we don’t like as much?

I hope each one of us holds on to Lydia’s conviction. The conviction to open up our homes regardless of the inconvenience. To share our desk at work with the coworker that we are not friends with. To invite other people go hiking to our favorite state park even if we don’t get to hike as much as we wanted.

The conviction to listen to each other’s stories without any prejudice or hostility. To say hi and show kindness to the new family sitting next to us in the pew this morning. To welcome all despite our differences, backgrounds, race, and personal agendas.

So, are we ready to show that kind of conviction? Are we ready to say: “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home” AMEN

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“A Journey Towards Belonging”

Jeremiah 2:4-8, 13 & Hebrews 11:29-35a, 39-12:2

A couple of weeks ago, I came across this very interesting video from Business Insider on the YouTube platform. It was about how the “I Spy” books were made. I hope you are familiar with these books. But if you are not, let me explain them to you briefly.

Much like the “Where’s Waldo?” series, these books present different riddles that you are supposed to find within the artwork on a page. What makes these books a little different from others is the great variety of items the author uses as part of the riddles – it can be animals, numbers, specific toys, cars, tools, people, colors… you name it. So, in theory, these books present more challenging riddles since there is a universe of possibilities for choosing the riddle items.  

Photographer Walter Wick is the person responsible for making the images for these books. In the video he explains how the first thing he does is to choose a theme – a school day, or a day at a playground, or a day at the forest, and so on. Then, based on that theme he would build the image sets. Building these sets requires a lot of precision and therefore takes several weeks to complete – he has to make sure the colors match, or that the items are well placed, or that the set is neither too crowded nor missing anything. The most fascinating part about all of this is that he hides the riddle items as he builds these sets.   I always imagined that perhaps the riddle items were placed first and then the set was developed, or that the set was built in the first place and then the items were hidden at last. But it’s nothing like that. The rationale behind this method, Wick expresses, is so that he also participates in the process of finding the riddle items once the image set is completed. In order to find the items, he explains, one must look at the “bigger picture” while not forgetting to narrow one’s vision into every single corner of the image set.  

This is a complex mental exercise.

Keeping a perspective that allows for a wide range of vision while still focusing on every single detail seems to be a rather impossible task. And sure, in children’s books like “I Spy”, we are taught that we are kind of capable of finding these hidden riddle items.  

But what about finding the not so fully visible things in life – like, God’s presence?  

I truly enjoyed learning about these “I Spy” books because, I think, the process through which they are made provides us with a vivid example of God’s creative process within our lives. I can imagine God sitting in front of a white canvas surrounded by many shelves containing all the possibilities of the universe. Then, God proceeds to choose a theme for our lives. And so God starts to pick items, places, and people to fill these image sets – to fill the life we are meant to live.

Most importantly, as God creates this beautiful image sets, God also places and hides certain riddle items to remind us that God is indeed the author of life and ever present with us. The funny thing is that these riddle items come in a great variety of ways – places, moments, prayers, and people. Remember, there is a universe of possibilities. And just like in the “I Spy” books, in order to find God’s presence in our lives and within this world, we have to expand our vision and look at the “bigger picture” – beyond what is in front of us – while also narrowing our eyesight to the very details of our ordinary routines.  

But that is a complex mental and spiritual exercise.

And it is even more challenging when we experience times of great distress, uncertainty, or when we are overwhelmed by all the turmoil around us.   Such were the social conditions under which the prophet Jeremiah provided counsel to the people of Judah – the southern kingdom of Israel. During this time, there were great conflicts in the land. The Egyptian empire was moving north in efforts to win territory against the Assyrians coming from the east. But a bigger threat was north of Judah – the Babylonian empire. They had already captured the Northern kingdom of the people of Israel, so there was nothing except time between Judah and Babylon.    

This rather small kingdom could not fight against any of these world powers. They knew the end was near; it was just a matter of time. There was a crisis in the land. So, Judah was overwhelmed by these feelings of hopelessness, desperation, and anger. And such feelings were so great that led the people of Judah to question God’s presence in their lives. These hard times pushed the people of Judah to stop seeking God’s presence and instead rely on their own wisdom and their own integrity.

The people of Judah decided to abandon their faith. They had decided to surrender to the chaos by forsaking the stories of faith of their ancestors. They ignored the promises God had made with Abraham; the miracles God had shown through Moses, and Joshua, the Judges and kings; and the protection and faithfulness God had demonstrated time and time again throughout their lives.

All of those things seemed forgotten. As a consequence, they chose to cut deals with Assyrians and Egyptians while also providing offerings and bribes to symbolize their commitment to them. They surrendered their own money and resources and even worshipped the idols of Babylon to demonstrate their alliance.

Judah had given up its identity as God’s beloved people. Judah had traded the faith stories of their ancestors and the promises God had made with them for selfish protection based on their own selfish prerogatives.   This is why the prophet Jeremiah offers a powerful prophetic word. Judah needed to be reminded of God’s faithfulness and the love God had shown towards them. They needed to be reminded that God had been always present all the way back from Abraham and Sarah to their current reality. The prophet Jeremiah encouraged them to see the larger story of faith while also paying attention to the small, sometimes invisible ways through which God was still working right at that moment.

It is already hard enough to find God’s presence within our lives and within our common realities within the ordinary. Therefore, it is even more challenging to find God’s presence when life is so overwhelmed by stress, anger, or hopelessness.

When our eyes are no longer fixed on God’s faithfulness and God’s promises, our vision begins to wander, pushing us to ignore the stories of faith from ages past. When our trust in God begins to tremble, it becomes more difficult to find God’s presence in our midst. When our faith is being questioned by selfishness, it becomes extremely hard to place our faith story within the greater story of faith.

Finding the not so visible presence of God is a complex mental and spiritual exercise.

Growing up, I sometimes encountered “I Spy” riddles that were too hard for me. In those cases, it would take me a long time to find each of the hidden items, so I would get frustrated which would lead me to give up, become angry, and walk away. Perhaps on those occasions my mind was too distracted to really pay attention to the details or perhaps I wasn’t looking as well as I should have been.  

But it was during those times that my mom would come and sit next to me. She would remind me to be more patient and take my time – there is no rush! And then she would also remind me that the riddle items were really there. I needed to trust the maker of the image set.   So, how can we find the presence of God?

I think, by keeping a perspective that allows for a wide range of vision – always looking at the larger story of faith – while still focusing on every little detail within our own faith stories.

But that still is a complex mental and spiritual exercise…  

This upcoming year here at Second Presbyterian Church we are embracing the theme of belonging. We will be studying and reflecting on what it means to belong to God and how such relationship informs us of our belonging to one another.

The presence of God manifests through different moments, places, and people. Remember, there is a universe of possibilities. Therefore, we must understand that God is present in the totality of the human experience. God uses all kinds of different people to show us that God is indeed here with us. God expresses God’s attentive love to us in all sorts of places, like this church, in our homes, in the streets, in shelters and hospitals, and natural parks. God holds our hands in difficult moments and God laughs with us when happiness abounds in our lives. God is always present. God has always been present. And God will remain present.

So, when we finally understand that God is present in every person, in every moment, and in every place in some form or another, then we will realize that we all do belong together.

But coming to this realization doesn’t happen in the blink of an eye. It is a journey – a journey towards belonging. My invitation for you this morning is this: let us begin this journey together. So, find a comfortable space – here in your pew or your favorite couch; open up your own “I Spy” book to your current page; read the riddle that God has given you; and begin searching for the presence of God. But before you begin, let us remember three essential things: Number 1: Faith. Have some faith in God and place your trust in the Maker. And do not forget the faith stores of our ancestors. Always remember God’s promises and realize that your faith story belongs in the greater story of faith. Number 2: Patience. Just like in the “I Spy” books, it takes a little time to find God’s presence. God is not hidden from us. Rather, we must really pay attention to the details of life and the lives of others. God is working, don’t give up to the selfishness of this world. And number 3: Friends. When you struggle to find God and begin to become angry or frustrated or hopeless, don’t act against people. Rather, let people help you find God’s presence. We all belong together in this great story of faith. Remember, there is a universe of possibilities through which God shows up.  

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run together with perseverance this race, this journey marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Amen.

[revjasielhern-blog]

[revjasielhern-blog]

“Is there a Prophet in the Land?”

Scripture Text: 2 Kings 5

We all have something to say. We want to speak our truths and bear witness to who we are. Everyone can say something about almost anything. For instance, we all know that one person who always has an opinion or something to say about every single little thing - the news, the latest TV show, the economy, public education, etc…  And the most annoying part about this is how they love to let you know at every chance they get. Every single time. But whether their words have some value or not, well, that’s part of our discernment. 

We all have something to say. But it is in the way we say it - that includes the words we choose, the kind of message we give and credentials, and the truthfulness of our statements - that people listen to what we have to say. If there is a big tree in the forest and falls down, but there is no one to witness it - no one heard it, no one saw it - did the tree really fall? This question also applies to the words we say. If we say something but no one is there to listen - to witness it - did we really say something? 

As we examine our current situation in the country, we might realize that there is a tremendous increase in people saying things about everything. With social media and the now various forms of communication, there is always someone saying something, giving an opinion, casting judgement, and creating information about pretty much everything. Therefore, it has become incredibly difficult to listen. Words have lost their value. Even if a person has something worth sharing, those words might get lost within the chaos of all the noises that surround us. Especially because some noises are louder than others - some people have the means and power to be louder. 

So, how can our voices be heard? If we have something to say that is worth sharing, how can we find a way to say it so that other people will listen to it? 

Well, if you happen to be a politician, that’s not hard at all. Last week we were given the opportunity to hear what the democratic candidates for the presidency had to say about their political platforms. During this debate, these candidates said so many things, some of those things were interesting and productive, but other things were shameful and absurd. Nevertheless, many people across the country listened to what they had to say because they are in that position of power. If you happen to be a top executive in a big corporation like Facebook or Google, chances are, whatever you have to say will indeed be listened to by others. But if you happen to be a teacher, a regular worker within a business, a farmer, a mother or father, chances are that what you have to say will not be really listened to… 

And if you happen to be unemployed, a person with special needs, a veteran, a person of color, a person from another country, or someone living in a detained facility on the Texas border, it is very likely that whatever you have to say will be completely ignored. Words have lost their value because we value people differently. 

That is the situation in which we live. We all have something to say. But not all of us have the same opportunity to have our voices be heard. We all have the talent to say something, but many of the words we say are simply ignored. 

The Old Testament reading for this morning gives us a powerful story about people and their struggle to have their voices be heard. 

The first main character introduced in the story is the commander of Aram’s Army, Naaman. Aram was located in the part that is now Syria east of the sea of Galilee. Based on the story, we know that Israel and Aram had conflicts in which Aram prevailed under the leadership of commander Naaman. He is the loudest voice in this story given his socioeconomic position. He has power and richness in the land; he has authority over the Aramean armies; he has dominance over the other kingdoms of the area - including Israel. Most likely, he was the second most powerful man in the land. But despite this power and authority, Naaman finds himself ill from one of the most awful conditions during that time - leprosy. Therefore, he needed to find a cure for this suffering, and it may seem that what he was looking for he couldn’t find in his homeland. His power, richness, and authority could not heal him. 

And this is the point when we encounter, in my opinion, the most important character - the servant girl from Israel. She had been captured by the Arameans during one of the raids. She had been separated from her family and culture. She had been given an unfair and miserable reality. She was a servant in the house of Naaman, her voice didn’t matter. She had come from the enemy country across the river. She looked different; she worshipped a different god; she celebrated different holidays and festivals. Of course her voice didn't have any value. And most importantly, she didn’t have to do anything for the one who had captured her and made her life miserable. Yet, she chose kindness over hate - she offered a word worth sharing, a message of healing and forgiveness, a hint of hope. 

It is only because of the words she spoke that this story came into existence. The most insignificant voice became the most important one - the one worth sharing. She told Naaman’s wife to go see the prophet in Samaria so that Naaman could be finally healed. 

And so he went. Naaman, surprisingly actually, listened to what the girl had to say and proceeded into his quest for healing. After a not so great encounter with the King of Israel, Naaman gets a word about where to find the “prophet of the land.” This is when the prophet Elisha gets introduced into the story. Naaman is told to go wash seven times in the waters of the Jordan River. But he doesn’t like that idea, and he doesn’t like the fact that Elisha couldn’t even tell him that in person. Naama questions the credentials and the authority of the words of Elisha. Who is this person to tell what to do? Why should I listen to an ordinary person from another land to go do something that seems useless and foolish?

 Of course, this commander, a figure of power, demanded attention and answers right away. He wasn’t playing around.  Of course, it was hard for Naaman to swallow his pride and privilege and hear the words of this prophet from another land who worshipped another god who lived in the margins of society. 

But in order to find healing, Naaman needed to strip away from all these superficial things and selfish assumptions. He needed to hear the extraordinary God of Israel working through ordinary people. 

So, He finally listened, he went and did as he was told. 

And this is the turn around of the story. 

Naaman is healed and realizes that there is only one God in the land - that is the God of Israel. He now wants to worship God and offer the very best of what he has and who he is. He even takes some soil from Israel to place it in Aram as a shrine for worship. This is a powerful transformation - a radical change. And it was only possible by listening to the voices of ordinary people - the people living in the margins of his society. 

But now we encounter Gehazi, a man of God who served with Elisha. I think this is the saddest part of this story. Or at least the most disappointing. The person who is supposed to be close to God, the one is serving alongside Elisha, this person is the one who has the wicked thought; the one who falls from grace. Gehazi thought that Naaman got away with too much compassion, so he decides to trick him into at least getting some fortunes from him. His words are the most hurtful because they speak lies. His words now become the loudest because he thinks he is too smart - he can deceive Elisha, Naaman, and even God. This man of God speaks lies and they are listened to. And this situation reminds me of the quote: “every lie we tell incurs a debt with the truth, sooner than later that debt is paid.” And that is exactly what happens. Gehazi’s words had a tremendous cost and such cost was paid by becoming ill himself. He becomes the man with leprosy as the story comes to an end. 

We all have something to say, but not everyone is listened to. We all have the talent to say words, but every word we say has a cost. Everyone has a voice, but some voices are louder than others. So, how can our voices be heard? 

There are plenty of Naaman’s in this land. People with power and authority that are ultimately broken and therefore seeking healing and restoration. People who choose to act with selfishness and hatred. People whose voices are so loud that silence the voice of others.

There are many people facing the situation of the servant girl. People from other cultures and backgrounds, separated from their families and friends, who are enduring very harsh conditions. People whose voices have been ignored for a long time. People who remain in the margins not being paid attention to. People who despite their misery continue to act with kindness and without hatred. 

There are many fellow Christians like Gehazi. People who say they worship God, but rather give into wicked thoughts. People who say one thing and act the opposite way. People who think that offering healing and forgiveness to others different from us should not be a thing. 

But what about people like Elisha? Are there people in this land who are willing to offer a prophetic word? Is there anyone in our midst who can offer a word of healing or restoration? Is there a prophet in this land? 

I truly hope so. I hope there is someone willing to say something that is worth sharing. I hope there is someone who is not afraid to speak up and question the wrongs that we see in this land. I hope there is someone whose voice offers freedom and equality for all. Our voices will be heard no matter what when we offer a prophetic word; when we speak the truth; when we faithfully proclaim the good news of the gospel in every time and place. 

 Friends, there's one reason we're supposed to be here and that is to say something so people want to hear.

So, is there a prophet in this land? I hope we all can say AMEN.