Tell Us a Story

Rev.Debbie Cato

Peace Presbyterian Church

Matthew 13:31-33; 44-52

July 27, 2014

Tell Us a Story

Good Morning. My name is Debbie and I'm addicted to books. I am an avid reader. I have always loved to read. I actually taught myself to read before I started kindergarten. When I was in the 2^nd grade, they put me in a 5^th grade reading class – I think mostly because I was being rude to my classmates because they read too slow for my liking. I was bored with the easy books we had to read in the second grade. I had already been getting in trouble in 1^st grade. “Run, Spot, Run.” Really?

When I was pregnant with Jessica – my oldest daughter, some of my friends gave me children's books for baby gifts. I actually sat in a rocking chair and read to Jessica before she was born! I sat and read to her when she was an infant. When she started crawling, I could say, “Go get your fluffy squirrel book or go get “Goodnight Moon”,” and she would crawl to the bookshelf, look through her books, and bring the right book. And of course, I read to Tracy when she was an infant too. I would hold Tracy in one arm and 2-year old Jessica would sit on my lap and we would all read together. I loved it when they learned to read and they would read to me. Or – we would take turns reading. We are a reading family.

We always read before bed. They smelled fresh and yummy after their baths and we would cuddle up and read a book together. Sometimes they wanted to hear a story. “Tell us a story, mommy.” they would say. And so I would conjure up my imagination and tell them a story before tucking them in for the night.

It seems that Jesus loved to tell stories, too. Much of his teaching, was about the Kingdom of God and he taught in the form of stories, or parables. Parables by definition are short snipets – almost riddles usually taken from everyday life. Parables are not necessarily realistic. They often have elements that shock; they frequently cause the hearer to pass judgment on the events in the story; and they require a similar judgment about religious matters. Often the parables require us to completely reverse the way we think. Jesus' parables always cause us to pause. Think about it – the despised Samaritan is a neighbor; the tax collector, not the Pharisee, is righteous. Many times, the parables are just plain hard to understand. They are confusing!

Scholars don't agree on the exact number of parables in the gospels. Some say 30; some 40; some say even 65. because of different definitions of parables. But for our needs, we can agree that when Jesus was teaching the disciples about the Kingdom of God, he used a lot of parables! In our passage from Matthew this morning there are 5 parables! Five parables in 12 verses! In fact – we jumped into the middle of chapter 13 and Jesus has already told 2 parables to the crowds!

So now, Jesus puts before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

He follows this with a story about baking bread, plowing a field, finding pearls, and fishing. Ordinary things. Ordinary people. No kings, military generals, princesses, or incredible adventures. I wonder if the crowds were disappointed. Perhaps even the disciples. Perhaps you are disappointed with Jesus' stories; with his descriptions of the kingdom of heaven. They certainly aren’t very exciting. Very grandiose.

We call God “Lord” and “King.” We talk about him and think about him as being sovereign over all the universe; creator of all that is and was and will ever be. Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son and our Lord and Savior rose from the dead and ascended and exalted in the highest heaven. And yet the stories Jesus tells of his kingdom of that very heaven are down to earth, literally. They are common stories about ordinary people – a tenant farmer, a housewife, fisher-folks – doing everyday things. This is hardly an exalted vision of God's realm.

Of course, this is the whole point! “The kingdom of God is like” the most common things in human life. Like Jesus himself, this everyday world embodies the sacred meeting of divine and human; if only we have the eyes to see and the ears to hear.¹

The grain of mustard seed – the smallest of all seeds, can grow in a weedy patch to become the largest of all the bushes and offer shelter to many birds. A small amount of yeast can grow flour into bread enough to feed a town. The priceless pearl, a small thing, has value far greater than everything we own. A great treasure, unexpectedly found in the field of your life, will require every-thing you have. And the full fishnet, teeming with both life and trash, will best be sorted on shore, so bring it all in.

Each of these tales requires everything. And yet each requires just one thing. The price for the treasures of God is everything we have. Everything we are. And the prize, the treasure, is only one thing – one thing that must be seen and named and taken and prized. And none of them would get you a round of applause in your choosing. Most of them would get you rolled eyes, some mocking, and the name 'fool.'

After all, who in their right mind would sell their farm for something they found in a field? Who would be wasting all their yeast to make three barrelsful of flour into bread for strangers? To be planting mustard instead of fig trees or olive groves? And as for that fish net? Any fool can see the old boots, broken bottles and other trash should be thrown back in so you can cast your net again.

I've continued to feel burdened by what's happening in the world. I can't stop thinking about the children - all the innocent children. The way they are being treated is the same as saying they are worthless; they are just trash.

A United Nations school in Palestine was bombed on Thursday – full of children. Three boys in Israel were killed, just for spite, a few weeks ago. And then a Palestinian boy was tortured and killed for revenge. Four little Palestinian boys were bombed on a beach, in an Israeli military operation. Collateral damage is the military term for this.

And here on our own border, some 57,000 children have arrived without parents or passports or permission to enter. They are seen as an economic threat by many, as the enemy by some, as a humanitarian crisis by others. One state has called up 1,000 National Guard troops to protect their border from these intruders.

Coming from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras it is likely that these intruders – these children have all been baptized, making them brothers and sisters of every Christian in the world. Very likely, because of their poverty, none of them has been vaccinated against diseases. All may be malnourished. It is likely none of them speaks more than a few words of English. I can't imagine how frightened they must be.

A missile ended the lives of 81 children flying in an airplane to vacations, flying home, to see loved ones – heading somewhere good, somewhere exciting.

In a parable similar to the choosing-the-kingdom ones in our passage, Jesus told one about a man who was beaten on the Jericho road. He says that a priest and the lawyer saw a problem and a nuisance and they both passed by without stopping. But a Samaritan, when he saw the beaten man, saw a pearl; a treasure. And so he took everything he had and he paid for the life of this man. Which of these men, asks Jesus, made the right choice in the eyes of God?

The hand of God is in this. Not a single story or teaching of Jesus, about the kingdom or God's love, comes to my mind that excuses what is happening around the world; what is happening to these innocent children. Not a single story or teaching of Jesus, about the kingdom or God's love comes to my mind that would let us say “Go away,” to the children that are crossing our border to escape gangs and violence and sure death.

All the stories I hear and read, all Jesus' parables say: shelter, feed, cherish them as prizes. Pull them all in and sort it all out later. The stories say, “Do not forget to welcome the stranger, for thereby some have entertained angels.” The stories say, “The Children (the Meek) shall inherit the earth.” The stories say, “Whatever you have done for the least of these, you have done for me.” All the stories say to make yourself available to God.²

So what does this mean for us? How should we respond? I find myself very overwhelmed? I feel helpless. There are so many children. They are so far away. I don't live in the Middle East or even along the border. The needs are so great. I haven't heard of a tangible way to help. I pray for the children. Often and fervently. It doesn't feel like enough.

Maybe we can't help those children. But we can help the children that cross our path. Here in North Eugene. We welcome middle schoolers on Wednesday nights. We give them a safe place to gather and feel welcome and be themselves. We hope they feel loved when they come here. We are collecting school supplies for Spring Creek Elementary School. We are helping children have what they need to be successful in school; to feel good about themselves; to learn and grow. We participate in the Snack Pack program that benefits children here whose families struggle with hunger.

Right now, it still doesn't feel like enough. There are children dying. I feel desperate. My heart is burdened and breaking. I don't know what to do. And then, as I prayed and worked on this sermon, I remembered a story.

A young boy is walking along a beach that is covered with starfish. As he walks along, he picks up one starfish at a time and he tosses it back into the ocean so that it doesn't dry out and die. He walks, picks up a starfish, tosses it in the water and walks on. Picks up another, tosses it in, and walks on. He continues to do this and an old man down the beach is watching him do this. Finally, when the young boy gets close to the old man, he says to him, “You're never going to save all those starfish, you know. There are way to many of them. Most of them are going to dry up and die. Why bother?” The young boy looks up and smiles at him and says, “ Yah, I know. But it matters for this one.” and he throws the starfish he's holding into the ocean.

We can't – and we won't save everyone. In fact, God doesn't expect us to. He does expect us to respond to the needs in front of us. I think he wants our hearts to break over the evil and brokenness of the world. But if we let it overwhelm us, it will paralyze us. We won't do anything because we will think it won't make a difference. It won't be enough. The problem is too big.

There are needs right here in our community. Pearls and treasurers waiting for us to discover right here; right now. God wants us to plant the mustard seeds . As small as they might be, he will grow the crops and reap the harvests. He wants our effort. He wants our faithfulness. He wants our everything.

What do Jesus' stories say? Things that most folks consider insignificant, or even junk, are precious to God and likely to require a lot from you and me. What pearls and treasurers are hidden right here, waiting for you to find if you are willing to look? Waiting for us to find if we are willing to look?

May His Kingdom come on earth, as it is in Heaven. Amen.

1Feasting on the Word, Year A Volume 3. Page 286.

2 "Treasures," Nancy Rockwell, The Bite in the Apple, 2014.

A Series on "A Faith Well Lived"

This is a five-week sermon series I just preached using Ecclesiastes and Hebrews.  May you it both challenge you and give you hope.

Rev Debbie Cato

Ecclesiastes and Hebrews

Peace Presbyterian Church

June 22 – July 20, 2014

A Series on A Faith Well Lived

Week 1:  The Question of the Ages

On Monday, rarely seen twin tornados touched down in Pilger, Nebraska completely decimating most of the town.   The survivors of the 378 resident town hunkered down in the dairy's large cooler while the double twisters flattened their only bank; their church; their school. Their neighborhoods and homes are gone; their grocery store and other businesses no longer exist.  Two people, including a 5 year old girl were killed.  Nineteen beloved residents were hospitalized. The people are stunned. Everything is gone.  Everything. How do they begin to rebuild?

CNN reports that in the 18 months since the horrendous school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, there have been 16 similar shootings at schools and universities around the country.  That’s one every five weeks.  Parents are asking why.  Why their kids?  Is there no place their children are safe?

A colleague told me about a 42 year old woman he's counseling.  Her mother died of breast cancer and two months later her husband of 17 years, a Methodist minister, announced that he wants a divorce.  She is in crisis.  Her whole life is upside down.  Nothing makes sense to her.  She is questioning her faith.  Why, God?

In the few months that I’ve been your pastor, I’ve been hearing and discerning that as a family of believers you’ve faced some losses together.  It feels like there may be some unresolved grief for some of you lingering in this church family.  You’ve had people leave you; pastor's leave you.  Some have left well and some have not.  I sense there may be some leftover hurt; maybe some anger; some sadness.  I’m not a mind reader but I would imagine that some of you may be asking questions like; Why did this happen?  Why did they leave?  Did we do something wrong?

Many of you are facing personal crises.  Difficult health problems.  Family situations.  Life transitions.   Perhaps you are crying out to God; Where are you?  What is the meaning of this? 

Crises cause hard questions don’t they?

When life is good our grandest questions usually revolve around how we will spend our paychecks or where our vacation will be this year or what we’re going to eat for dinner tonight.

But when a crisis hits, the questions get a lot harder.  When we encounter the tough tests of terminal illness or death or divorce or financial hardship or broken relationships of any kind, suddenly our hands shoot skyward looking for answers.  Why is this happening to me?  What did I do to deserve this?  What is the meaning of life? 

For some of us, we’ve been in crisis too many times.  Others might claim they’ve never really been in crisis; life has been pretty smooth.  But frankly, you can’t live without experiencing the lows; you can’t love without experiencing loss and pain.  Life is a roller coaster ride.

During these times of crises, when the questions get hard and the answers don’t come easily, we demand an experienced teacher.  But our search falls short when we turn to day-time talk shows or religious gurus or our friends or even our parents and certainly when we rely on ourselves.

What teacher can we turn to with life’s deepest questions?

Meet Qoheleth.  He’s been answering questions for over three thousand years.  We know the writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes not by name but by the title Qoheleth;, translated as preacher or teacher.  It comes as no surprise that the preacher is not only a king but is no other than “the son of David,” King Solomon.  After all, it was Solomon who, having asked God for the gift of wisdom, received it so abundantly that he “surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt.”  It was Solomon who “composed three thousand proverbs;  his songs number a thousand & five.”  It was to hear Solomon’s wisdom that “People came from all the nations. The Queen of Sheba was one of his visitors who exclaimed to him, “Your wisdom and prosperity far surpass the report that I had heard.” 1 Kings 10:7

The book of Ecclesiastes is about the issues of life.  The preacher in Ecclesiastes, is in search of life’s meaning. But just as we do, the preacher begins by looking at it through world eyes; limited by human knowledge; limited by human wisdom.  Even though the preacher has incredible worldly wisdom, he is still looking for the meaning of life with limited human knowledge and he realizes that everything is meaningless – or as we read this morning … all is vanity. 

Life on its own doesn’t have any ultimate profit.   We come into the world naked and we leave the world naked.  In the end, everything we work for is gone. We don’t get a reward for all we’ve done on earth.  When it’s over, it’s over.  Life doesn’t reward us.  We all get old and sick and die. That’s it.   The story doesn’t change.  Generations come and generations go.  Humans just keep repeating the same errors.  Everything has existed for ages.  Nothing is new.  The preacher asks if anyone can tell us something that will give us meaning on earth. 

In verse 12, Q0heleth says,  “I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem,  ¹³ applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all

that is done under heaven;”   I searched for the best way to live and found that life is full of grief; it’s like striving after the wind.  You can’t fix life; it’s painful.  The more you know, the more you shake your head.  The more wisdom you have; the more pain you feel. 

At first glance, Ecclesiastes paints a grim picture.  But when crises hit and we start asking the hard questions; when we start asking why this is happening;  when we are trying to under-standing the meaning of something tragic in our life; when we are asking why me; in many ways we are saying much the same thing the preacher is saying, “Vanity, vanity.  It’s all vanity.”  Why, why, why?

Few of us want to admit the truth of what Ecclesiastes has to say; maybe because we need to believe there’s more to it.  But the truth is, on its own life is meaningless.  Solomon, the man who surpasses all human wisdom; the preacher of Ecclesiastes, is searching for something which will have eternal value. There must be something more.  To find it, we need to look beyond ourselves. All human work and all other things are meaningless if there is no God.   This is what the preacher discovers; that humans are powerless.  Yet God has a design and purpose for all things. He is the giver of all life.

And that’s where we have to turn when the questions are hard; when we are faced with things that don’t make sense; when we are experiencing pain and grief that defies human explanation.  Only in and through God can we find meaning for the circumstances in our life.  Our God is a God of compassion and grace and hope.  God does have a plan.

God loved us so much that he became flesh and came and lived among us.  He became human.  He felt pain; he felt grief; he felt disappointment and fear.  He suffered torture and was hung on a cross, suffering on our behalf.  He died, was buried and three days later he rose from the dead.  And because Christ defeated death, everyone who believes in him and calls him Lord and Savior is saved from death and is promised eternal life – that’s our reward.  This is the meaning we are looking for. 

And there’s more.  Jesus ascended to heaven where he sits at the right hand of God the Father where he intercedes on our behalf.  Jesus Christ, the Son of God prays for us.  Jesus Christ, God who took on flesh and bones; who suffered on our behalf; who felt pain and betrayal and wept; who knows how we feel; prays for us.  He weeps for us.  This is the meaning we are looking for.

The preacher is right.   Life without God is meaningless.  I’ve always said that I don’t know how people who don’t know Jesus make it through the sludge of life.  How do people who don’t know Jesus find hope in times of hopelessness?  Aren’t you glad that you don’t have to find out?

We know that this life isn’t all there is. We know it isn’t all in vain; it isn’t all meaningless.  Everything we go through – the blessings and the tragedies; the joy and the pain; all bring us closer to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Every part of our journey here on earth is part of the refining fire that God uses to mold us into the person he wants us to be.  And we know that we are promised that if we are faithful, our reward will be in heaven.  

          May His Kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven.  Amen.

Week 2:  The Problem of Life with God

A piano has 52 white keys and 46 black keys – 88 keys in total.  Played together, they make beautiful music.  Gloria Patri' – Glory to the Father has 4 flats – or for those of you who don't read music, it uses 4 black keys to make it sound beautiful.  Let me play a bit of “Glory Be to the Father” ? 

Now, imagine playing a piano – or hearing a song played on the piano, without the black keys.  After all, the black keys are all the sharps and flats.  By themselves, they sound harsh.   Here….. Liz – let me play a few lines just using the black keys.

It’s doesn’t sound like much, does it?  What if we decided that since the black keys sound harsh, we wouldn't use them.  What if we didn’t use the black keys at all? Listen to “Glory Be to The Father” using just the white keys. 

As you discovered, a song played with just the white keys falls flat.  Without a doubt, music needs both white and black keys to make the notes into beautiful music. 

Imagine life without pain.  No drunk drivers inching over the double yellow lines.  No cancer slithering through the body.  No tornadoes ripping up homes.  If life were a song, wouldn’t that be better?

Last week, we heard Solomon’s critique of life without God.  "Meaningless.  It’s all meaningless,"  Solomon concluded.  Life is not meant to be lived without God.  Without God, there is despair.  Human beings cannot find meaning in life within themselves.  Solomon, the wisest of the wise, concludes that only in and through God, is there meaning.   It is God who gives meaning to life.

So does this mean that with God there's no despair; no pain; no heart-break?  Does this mean that with God everything that happens in our life is good?  That life with God makes sense?

Well, I don’t know about you, but I find there are problems with life with God.  My life with God has not been without despair.  It has not been without pain.  It has not been without heartbreak.  Things have happened in my life which have not made sense.  I will be the first to admit that I have had huge crises of faith.  Times when my despair was so deep and so strong that I found myself crying out, “Where are you God?  Where are you?”  No.  Life with God is not without problems.

But Qoheleth, the preacher, reminds us that our God is sovereign.  God ordains even the times.  He has appointed a time for everything.  Qoheleth says:  “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”   ^“2 A time to be born and a time to die... ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh …  a time to mourn and a time to dance …”

God is sovereign over all things; even time.  He is in control.  And life with God means that life will have ups and downs; it will have twists and turns.  

On August 17, 1985 I had a miscarriage.  I was 13 weeks pregnant and I lost my baby.  My husband and I had tried to get pregnant for  2 years.  I still remember the day in early June when we learned we were pregnant.  We immediately called my parents to tell them the news.  I was so excited.  We told Paul’s parents.  We told our friends.  We had wanted a baby for two years and finally we were going to have one.  And by the end of my first trimester I knew how the baby’s room was going to be decorated; the colors we would use; I had bought the material to make my baby’s crib bumper and blanket; and I was in love.  I was in love with my baby.  And then, suddenly, with no warning, I lost the baby.  It was a time of great mourning; a time of tremendous grief for me.  I experienced a kind of emotional pain I had never experienced before.  It was one of the lowest points in my life.  It forever changed me.

A year later, God used the loss of my baby to draw me back into a relationship with him.  I had become disillusioned with  my faith in high school and hadn’t been to church in 10 years. I had walked away from God. But God found me in the wilderness of my grief and drew me back to him.  It transformed me.

     “There is ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh …  a time to mourn and a time to dance …”

What are the things that have shaped you?  That have drawn you closer to Christ?  Are they the good times; or the pain?

I am not glad that I lost my baby.  I would never want to go through that again.  Nor would I want to relive the terror and abuse my daughters – born after my miscarriage - and I lived through years later at the hands of my husband.  Or any of the other difficult, painful times I’ve experienced.  I will never be glad these things happened.  But these are the things that have shaped me and transformed me into who I am today. Because of the experiences that I’ve had, I’m equipped to be used by God in unique situations.  That’s life with God.  God uses the hard times; the bad things for good.  As Paul wrote to the church in Rome:

Romans 8:28   ²⁸ And we know that in all things God works

for the good of those who love him, who have been called

according to his purpose.

None of us want to go through the bad things; the hard times.  But they are the things that shape us.  We wonder how they fit into eternity.  Our hearts cry, out, “Why, Lord, why?”  But he doesn’t tell us.  There are things in our life with God that we can’t and won’t understand. Our life with God will have twists and turns in it.   The worst things can sometimes turn out to be the best things. 

The worst event in history was Christ’s crucifixion on the cross and yet Christ’s crucifixion was also the most wonderful event in history.  God, by his own hand, predestined that this would take place.  It was his way to save a world that was – and continues to be overcome with sin.  God has the last chapter in mind from the very beginning.  We are supposed to trust and know that God has compassion. 

For as we read in Hebrews:  “ ¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.  ¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.”

God sees all and God knows all.  God is sovereign.  He is in control – even when it doesn’t seem like it.  And Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior is our high priest, sitting at the right hand of God intercessing on our behalf.   This is our comfort.  This is our hope.  This is what we can hold onto when there isn’t anything else to hold onto.

What we don’t understand isn’t meant to alienate us from God but to  help us understand just how sovereign God is.  It is meant to help us be in awe of the God of the universe who ordains even time.  For as the preacher tells us,  “¹⁴ everything God does will endure forever.”

So what are we supposed to do?  Verse 12 tells us that there is something that people can do right now.  No matter what is going on in our life, Qoheleth tells us that

 “¹²there is nothing better for people than to be happy and

do good while they live.  ¹³ That everyone may find satisfaction

in all his work-- this is the gift of God. 

You may not understand what is happening in your life, but you can still enjoy life;  it is a gift from God.  There is nothing better to do than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime. There is nothing better to do than to be grateful for what is good – for even when things are bad, there is still good in our life and for that we must rejoice. 

            My blessing journal -

Why can’t the Master Conductor just leave out the harsh notes?  God has a symphony planned for us.  He knows that only white keys are boring.  Only black keys are troublesome.  But when He masterfully intermingles the black and the white, ah…. Then the music really starts.  The music of our life with God.  And God has a finale planned that will exceed our expectations.

May His Kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven.  Amen.

Week 3:  When Bad is Better

There are a lot of misconceptions about Christians. One of them is that being a Christian is easy. After all, if you are a Christian, you have God on your side – right? We just pray for what we want and we get it!   Christians must always be happy; never have problems; never go through hard times! When something bad happens, we can just pray, and God fixes it – doesn’t He?

When I prayed and thought about how to help you think about and recognize that you may have some left-over grief and anger and other feelings from pastoral relationships that ended, I turned to Ecclesiastes because Ecclesiastes is about the issues of life and it doesn’t beat around the bush. Qoheleth, the preacher, is in search of the meaning of life and I’m guessing that like me, you are trying to understand the meaning of situations in your life– past and present that don't make sense.

The wisdom of Ecclesiastes has already reminded us that without God there is no meaning. Meaningless, meaningless … life without God is absolutely meaningless.  Or like the preacher of Ecclesiastees says - “Vanity, vanity.  All is just vanity.”  And yet while it is only through God that we find meaning in life, we were reminded last week that even life with God is not without problems! Life with God is not without despair.  Even with God in our lives, good things and bad things happen.  We can find comfort in the reminder that God has appointed “a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. “A time to be born and a time to die... a time to weep and a time to laugh … a time to mourn and a time to dance”

We can find comfort in the reminder that God is sovereign over all things; even time. He is in control. Life with God means that life will still have ups and downs; it will have twists and turns; it will have hardships; but eventually we will find some meaning to even the hard times, the difficulties in our life.

Hardship is inevitable and today, in Ecclesiastes 7, the preacher teaches us that we need to get the right perspective on our hardships – hardship is not the worst thing for us. Great!  Just what we want to hear! Hardship is not the worst thing for us!

Certainly no one signs up for classes in pain and suffering. Few of us add trials to our to-do lists; to our bucket lists. Even though no one campaigns looking for adversities, we also should not run away from our problems. When we run from our struggles we may end up running from the very thing God wants to use to shape us into His image. As the preacher says in verse 14:

“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.”

Think about how you raised your children. What happened if you gave them everything they wanted when they wanted it – besides making them really like you?! First, they expect that they will always get what they want. Right?! Second, they don’t learn to work for what they want. Third, they don’t learn to appreciate anything. They become spoiled and self-centered and materialistic and the list goes on.  But most importantly, they don't learn how to work through problems; they don't learn what to do when things go wrong; when things don't work out; when the unexpected happens.  They don't learn coping skills and they miss out on opportunities to grow and learn.

We know that children need chores and discipline and consequences. This is what teaches children responsibility. These are the things that shape children. This is what builds character. God our Father is wiser than any of the rest of us parents. He wants what’s best for His children. He knows that we have to struggle. He knows that it’s the struggles that make us learn and grow; it’s the things in life that threaten to beat us up, that are also the things that strengthen us and give us wisdom. C.S. Lewis said that pain makes us grow up.  Pain makes us grow up.  Isn’t that the truth.

            Qoheleth says, don’t get mad when things happen that you don’t like!

These are the things that shape you. Trials drive us to our knees. When do you pray more often then when you are in need?  Trials reveal that God is God and we are not. Trials make you trust. Trials prove you. They purify you. They perfect you. Trials bring you to the end of yourself and to the beginning of the Almighty God. Let me say that again:  Trials bring you to the end of yourself and to the beginning of the Almighty God. 

Our life journey is about knowing God and that’s what our struggles do. They bring us closer to God. They may seem break us. But they can be the turning point of our life. And that’s why sometimes, bad is better.

You see, we want happiness but God wants greatness in us. He wants us to become closer to who He created us to be – and He created us in His image. Without the searing heat from the Potter’s kiln we’re only a useless lump of clay. But through the fire of our trials God molds us and shapes us and transforms us. And so, as the preacher says:  14 “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider that God has made the one as well as the other.”

I do not believe that God causes our pain.  But God doesn’t remove our pain when it comes.  He doesn’t stop our struggles, because just as we know our own children must struggle to learn and grow and mature and become all that they can be, God knows that sometimes bad is better. But here’s the beauty of it all. Not only is God sovereign, but God is a God of grace and we don’t have to manage the bad times on our own. We are not alone. God is always with us. He weeps with us because He loves us. For as we read in Hebrews this morning, even Jesus, the Son of God, learned obedience from what he suffered. (Hebrews 5:8)

There was a man who found a cocoon of a rare butterfly. It was quite the find because the butterfly that would come out of the cocoon would be larger than most butterflies and multi-colored – beautiful colors: red and orange and yellow; even a bit of purple and some brilliant blues.

The man was so excited! He waited and waited for the cocoon to hatch and finally one day he saw the butterfly begin to emerge from the cocoon. Ever so slowly he watched as the butterfly began eating away at the cocoon – just one small corner to start. The next morning a little bit more was eaten away and the man began to get impatient. By afternoon he just couldn’t wait any longer for that beautiful butterfly to emerge, he was so excited. He couldn’t bear to watch the butterfly struggling to get out of the cocoon. So he decided to help. Very carefully so that he wouldn’t hurt the butterfly, he broke open the cocoon and to his excitement, the butterfly emerged. But he was shocked to see that the butterfly was covered in mucous and was unable to fly. Before he knew what was happening, a mocking bird swooped down and ate the butterfly.

What the man didn’t understand is that the way God created the butterfly, it has to struggle to get out of the cocoon so that all the mucous rubs off in the process.   Then, when the butterfly emerges, it's wings are dry and it can immediately fly and be protected from predators like birds. When the man took away the struggle, he took away the butterflies ability to survive.

Like the butterfly, struggles are necessary for our survival. They are part of life. None of us is above bad times. And when they do come, we aren’t righteous enough to criticize God; to question why. And we certainly aren’t righteous enough to get angry at God. Even Solomon, the wisest of them all could not figure out the Almighty; could not understand all that God does and why. For only God is righteous. Only God is sovereign.

So when it comes down to it, I think we just have to trust that sometimes bad is better, knowing that God loves us and God is in control.  God is with us in the good and in the bad.

            May His Kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven. Amen.

Week 4:  Do the Right Thing

I found a theme song to go with Ecclesiastes!  I don’t know what Qoheleth the preacher would think about this but I think it’s perfect!  How many of you like country music?  I mean – really old country music?  Do you remember Lynn Anderson?  Lynn was often on the Lawrence Welk show and growing up, we watched the Lawrence Welk show every Sunday night.   I have formed a quartet to do this little number for you.  We will be putting out our first CD very soon so we will just be doing a little teaser for you.  Come on, up!  We call ourselves, “The Four Gals”

            

            I beg your pardon,

            I never promised you a rose garden.

            Along with the sunshine,

            There’s gotta be a little rain sometimes.

            When you take you gotta give so

            Live and let live or let go

            I beg your pardon

            I never promised you a rose garden…..

What do you think?!  Sounds like Ecclesiastes?!  Along with the sunshine, there’s gotta be a little rain sometimes… yah?

Qoheleth’s been teaching us that life is meaningless without God and even with God there are problems. None of us is protected from times of struggle; times of pain; times of difficulty.  But, we aren’t supposed to let the hard times separate us from God; we shouldn’t try to make deals with God or change God.  We must trust God no matter what; we should rest in God; find comfort in God.  In fact, last week we learned that it’s our perspective on hard times that needs to change; that sometimes bad is actually better.  We were reminded that it is the hard times, the struggles and challenges that shape us and transform us into who God created us to be.  ¹⁴ “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider that God has made the one as well as the other.”

       “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden.

            Along with the sunshine,  There’s gotta be a little rain sometimes.”

Today we come to the part in Ecclesiastes that begins to answer the question:  “How do we live in a world that we can’t control?”  How do we live in a world that we can’t control? 

Knowing that hardship happens; that struggles and crises are a part of life, how do we live?  Qoheleth says that no matter what life is handing us; whether it’s good or bad, we are to do the right thing. Do the right thing.  That’s today’s lesson from Ecclesiastes.  Another easy lesson, my friends!

Watergate.  Lewinsky.  Enron.  BP Oil.   Ever notice how one mistake can define a legacy?  One mistake can define who or what we are forever.  One mistake can undo a whole lot of good.  But the truly wise person recognizes that if you are really honest, it’s seldom ever just one mistake.  Just as the tip of an iceberg is actually sitting on a huge under-water mountain, public scandals are built on a mountain of private sins.  One person wisely noted:  “Sow a thought and you reap a deed.  Sow a deed and you reap a habit.  Sow a habit and you reap a lifestyle.  Sow a lifestyle and you reap a destiny.”  Another words, if you think about something long enough, you’ll do it.  If you do something often enough, it will become a habit.  If you cultivate a habit, pretty soon it becomes your lifestyle;  it becomes who you are.   So whether you are thinking good things or thinking bad things; think them often enough and they become who you are.  Think positive things or negative things; they become who you are.  What kind of thoughts are you cultivating? 

Little choices will define a long-term legacy for good or for evil.  C.S. Lewis once said, “With every choice you make, you are either becoming more of a heaven-like creature or more of a hell-like creature.”  The great Green Bay Packer coach Vice Lombardi said, “The quality of a persons’s life is in direct proportion to their excellent choices.” 

It’s when no one is looking; when there is no one to impress that our true character comes out.  When nobody will know if we do the right thing or whether we’re honest or kind or godly or just.  When nobody will know if you choose good or evil; right or wrong, is when the real you and the real me comes out.   So it begs the question, who are we when no one is looking?  Who are you when no one is looking?  Who are you behind closed doors  When you aren’t trying to impress anyone?  What thoughts are you sowing?  What habits are you forming?  What destiny are you building?  Are you one person when others are around and someone else when you’re in private?  (of course, God is always watching!)  Are you one person when times are good and another person when times are bad?

Ecclesiastes teaches us that when bad times come – as they surely will, it doesn’t give us an excuse to violate the Word of God; to sin.  After all, God will ultimately prevail.  No matter what is going on in our lives we must hold fast.  We must say, “I will do the right thing because God is still God.  I will do the right thing because it is what God would have me do.  I am going to trust that God will be about His purposes.”  For verse six says, ⁶ “There is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a person's misery weighs heavily upon them.”  When evil is out there, you do the right thing – always.  God will deal with what God needs to deal with.  Chuck Swindoll once said, “God created time, man created watches.”  We must trust God for His timing.  We are in God’s hands.  We have to take life as it comes, the good and the bad and no matter what, we must do the right thing. 

Do you think you would live differently today if you knew for certain that you were going to die next week?  In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, bitter old Scrooge needed a glimpse of his death before he changed his miserable ways.  What will it take before we start living the life God intended for us?  What will it take before we start doing the right things?

Death is not up for discussion.  It is on our calendar.  But only God knows what day is circled.  The irony is we all know we’re going to die, so we must ask: will that fact change the way we live today?  Should it matter if I’m going to die tomorrow or in 20 years?  How can I move toward living well now rather than later?  The truth is, later never lasts as long as we think it will.

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon shows us that one key to a life well lived is simply doing the right thing over a long period of time.  We hurt fewer people that way; we have fewer regrets that way; we feel more fulfilled that way; and we live more like God intended us to live because we are better witnesses to the good news of Jesus Christ each and every day.

The truth is, even when we don’t do the right things, because of the grace and mercy of the Almighty God, we are forgiven.  As we read in Hebrews this morning, because

²¹ “we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us

draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of

faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience ...

 ²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he

who promised is faithful.  ²⁴ And let us consider how we may

spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”  (Hebrews 10:21-24)   

There is great encouragement and hope in that passage.  In this life, we will never always do the right thing.  We are human and we will make mistakes. We will sin. We will do the wrong thing.  And when we do, the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ will wash over us and we will be forgiven.  

For He who promised is faithful.  God is always faithful.  We can count on that. Thanks Be to God.  That is our encouragement and our hope.

But there is also tremendous responsibility.  Verse 24 says, “let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”  As brothers and sisters in Christ, there is a level of responsibility to help one another.  To be good examples.  Good role models.  Good witnesses.  Good friends.  There is tremendous responsibility to treat one another well. To show love and respect and kindness to one another in a world that isn’t always loving and kind and respectful.  To forgive first.  To reach out first.   To do the right thing.

For as Qoheleth teaches, we don’t know what awaits us.  We don’t know what tomorrow will bring or even if tomorrow will come.  So today, we must appreciate today.  We must take advantage of the gift of each day and do the right thing.  It may be all we have.

Each day is a new day, a gift from God.  A new opportunity to live for God.  As A.A. Milne wrote in the great classic Winnie the Pooh:

 “What day is it?” asked Pooh.

“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.

“My favorite day,” said Pooh.

May His Kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven.  Amen.

Week 5:  A Faith Well Lived

We have spent the last four weeks in the Book of Ecclesiastes; four weeks gleaning wisdom about the issues of life.  My hope was that Solomon’s wisdom and honesty about the trials and challenges of life would help us as we navigate some of the historical challenges and conflict and grief and patterns that I’ve observed in my short time here at Peace.  I hoped that perhaps the teachings in Ecclesiastes would help us examine our own hearts and our own part in the things that are holding this church hostage.  I hoped that perhaps the bitterness and blame that I’ve witnessed would be freed so that we might move forward into the future that God is calling us to move into.  I also know that many of you are facing personal challenges and crises that are causing you to ask difficult questions.  My prayer was that Qoheleth’s teaching that God is sovereign and in control during both the good and the bad times would encourage us and bring us hope and cause us to respond to the challenges we face with dignity and faithfulness and love.  That continues to be my prayer.

Today, we finish this series on Ecclesiastes.  We skipped some chapters  and I encourage you to read those on your own.  Like the rest of Ecclesiastes, they too are filled with nuggets of wisdom.  This morning in Chapter 12, we get to the last words from Qoheleth.  The preacher is starting his final speech.  What does he say is the key to a faith well lived?   

Imagine paying an expert about your financial situation and after four intense sessions, you go back home and decide your shoebox is still the best place for your money.

Imagine going to cooking classes by Paula Dean and the first meal you fix when you get home is Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

Imagine taking golf lessons from Tiger Woods and when you go back to the driving range you mutter to yourself, “I think my backswing is just fine.”

For the four weeks, we’ve been meeting with the wisest man in all of human history.  He has taught us the principles for a faith well lived.  Yet if all we do is go back to our regular routines, our old habits, and perspectives, or old ways of being, we will have traded timeless wisdom for temporary folly.

Our time here on earth and our walk with God will only be fruitful if we apply the wisdom found in these pages of scripture.  It may require changing our attitudes and patterns of behavior.  It may require adjusting old habits and ways of thinking and being.  If we want, we can make it through life without much work, but living well; being healthy; living a faith-filled life takes work; it takes intentionality.

How will you leave our study of Ecclesiastes?  Will it stay buried in your Bible never to be thought of again?   Or will you have the courage to pin the principles on the mirror of your heart so you see them daily?  It won’t happen without God’s Spirit working through you.  As we approach this last session, be praying for those one or two key nuggets that you will treasure and immediately apply to your life; to our life together.  As we listen to Qoheleth for the last time, grab onto whatever teachings – however hard, your heart is telling you that you need to incorporate to change your attitude or your behavior to end unhealthy patterns and conflict in this church.  What needs to change to move forward into health and hopefulness?

After searching far and wide, after studying and contemplating all the knowledge of the lands, Solomon came to appreciate that all of life is completely meaningless without God.  King Solomon had wealth.  He had notoriety.  He had power and influence.  And King Solomon had wisdom – he was the wisest person in the world.  God gave him wisdom because Solomon asked for it.  And it was this wisdom, that caused Solomon to come to realize that life on its' own is  meaningless.  “Vanity.  It's all vanity,” Solomon proclaimed.  Only God gives meaning to life. 

Yet we learned that life with God is not without problems either!  Life with God is full of twists and turns; hardships and crises.  But God is sovereign and God is in control. God uses the difficult times; the crises in our lives to shape us, to drive us to our knees and draw us closer to him.  When we look back and examine our lives, we realize that it is the struggles that transform us, not the easy times.  We can find comfort knowing that God ordains even the time…  “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:  ² a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…  ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…”  (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 )

Ecclesiastes teaches us that whether we are weeping or laughing, mourning or dancing we must trust God and do the right thing; act the right way; behave the right way; treat one another the right way.  Isn’t that what faith is all about?  Trusting and believing when the odds say otherwise.  It’s easy to have faith when things are going well; when the answers are right in front of us; when the road is smooth; when we're getting our way.  But when we hit a fork in the road; when life slaps us in the face; when we get the rug pulled from under us; that’s when the true strength of our faith shows through.

We read from Hebrews 11 this morning – sometimes called “The Faith Hall of Fame that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  (Hebrews 11:1)   Sure of what we hope for and certain what we do not  see.  Qoheleth would add to that definition and say that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see – no matter what our circumstances are; whether times are good or times are bad.

The author of Hebrews gives us example after example of the great heroes of faith – names we recognize.  Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Moses.  David, Samuel, the prophets.  Heroes because they believed God without seeing what He promised.  Heroes because they obeyed God out of sheer trust.  Let’s look at Abraham.

One day the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.’ (Gen 12:1)

What exactly was God asking of him?  Did Abram know his destination?  Did he realize he was beginning a journey to the Holy Land or was he walking without any specific destination?  Notice that God did not give Abram any information about where he was going besides to the ‘land that I will show you’ yet Abram obeyed God.  He left his extended family and his life behind.  What  motivated him to make that leap?  Did Abram receive some sort of guarantee that the life he would lead would be more fulfilling than what he was leaving?  What inspired Abram to not only hear God’s command, but respond?  

Abram was human. I’m sure he had misgivings. I'm sure he had fears; doubts. But Abram didn’t let his fears and doubts outweigh his trust in God.  He still obeyed.  He took his memories of his homeland and the life he left behind with him and he left. He trusted God.  He stepped out and went.  He had faith.    “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

I see parallels between Abraham’s story and what’s happening in the life of this church.  God is asking us to step out without knowing where we are going. 

You had a pastor who was here for a long time and he was beloved by you. You had a history together.  You shared your lives with him.  His departure was sudden and unexpected.  Some of you were deeply saddened.  Some of you felt betrayed.  Some felt angry.  All these feelings are normal – normal expressions of grief.

You had an interim pastor who was here for two years.  She brought energy and life.   You did some new things. New members joined the church.  Liz left to serve another church and you were sad to see her go.  Some felt betrayed.  Some felt angry.  You loved her.  These are all normal expressions of grief.

The Scottish Festival has a long history here at Peace.   Some people are passionate that the festival is an important part of the ministry of this church.  Some people are equally passionate that it should not be a part of this church.  Emotions on both sides are strong. This event caused incredible conflict and inappropriate, hurtful behavior – from people on both sides!  Emotions are high. There is years of unresolved conflict.

Some of you are holding onto other hurts; other conflicts from years ago – not wanting to let go.  It's like a cancer coursing through the life blood of this church.  Unhealthy patterns of being in community that need to be changed if we are truly going to be a place of shalom for all people.

Here we are today.  God called me here to this place to journey with you now.  He is calling us to follow him together.  It's hard to move forward when the pain and grief and conflict of the past sucks out the joy of the future.  My hope in preaching this series is to begin the working through; to get past the past; to begin to intentionally think about what is important and what isn’t important; to intentionally think about how to live right; how to do the right thing; how to disagree in ways that are loving and respectful rather than hurtful and shameful.  Only then, can we put the past behind and move forward.

And then we have a week like this week.  Images of young children lying on concrete floors, packed like sardines in detention centers, being sent back to horrors we can't imagine.   “Bring the children to me,” Jesus said.  “Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me,” Jesus said.  Fighting in the Gaza Strip takes on new propotions.  There are 41 wars around the world, I read.  An airplane is shot down by a missile, killing 295 innocent people, including 81 children.  My heart is breaking.  What are we to do in times like this?  What is the meaning of all this?

God is calling us to trust him – in the good and the bad times; the easy and the hard days.  God is calling us to faith – “to be sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see.”

As for the final words from Qoheleth and what he says is the key to a faith well lived?  He tells us, ¹³ “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments,  for this is the whole duty of humans.  ¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14  

You see, Solomon with all his wisdom, discovered that a meaningful life is all about life with God – a faith well lived. No matter what's happening – in our personal lives; in our church; in the world – we are to focus on God.  We are to have faith.  We are to fear God & keep his commandments.  Simply put: obey God.  Simply put but certainly a challenge to do.

Hundreds of years after Qoheleth, when the author wrote Hebrews to encourage the growing Christian community, he made a list of the great ancestors of faith who trusted God and stepped out in faith “being sure of  what they hoped for and certain of what they did not see.”  Heroes not because they were perfect, but heroes because they were human and still managed to have incredible faith in spite of their fears and doubts and mis-steps.  Heroes, because in the midst of their circumstances, they remembered to praise the Lord.

There’s a story that I think Qoheleth would like that goes like this: 

A young man goes to see his rabbi.  “Rabbi,” he asks, “you told us a story – something to do with praise?”  The rabbi responds, “Yes, it is thus:  when you get some good news, you thank the Lord, and when you get some bad news, you praise the Lord.”  “Of course,” replies the man, “I should have remembered.  But Rabbi, how do you actually know which is the good news and which is the bad news?”  The rabbi smiled.  “You are wise, my son.  So just to be on the safe side, always thank the Lord.”

May each of you praise the Lord in all circumstances, may you be faithful and trust the LORD – for He is sovereign and He is good.  I pray that you look forward to the journey as much as I do.  May we have a faith well lived. 

And May His Kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven.  Amen.