Pastor's Note for March 2015 Dove Newsletter

The daffodil bulbs I planted in containers last fall are about 3 inches tall. The plum tree in my neighbors yard is in full bloom. As I drive down Irvington Drive to River Road, I see daffodils blooming and cherry trees covered in pink flowers. The smell of fresh cut grass fills the air as I walk the neighborhood. On Monday, it was 67 degrees. I love spring! But wait – it's mid-February! It's the middle of winter. (I for one was wishing for snow!)

We have had unusually warm and mild weather this winter and the flowers and trees and grass are confused. The warm air and sunshine have confused ate; to rest. The bulbs of flowers may not always redevelop when winter is cut short. This summer, we may pay the price of little rain and no snow pack by running short of water.

As much as we love the longer days with more sunlight; as much as we treasure warmer temperatures and sunshine; as much as we treasure dry days, the dark, wet days of winter serve a purpose. It keeps nature in balance; it makes the green green and our bulbs and trees and plants healthy.

Lent does that for our spiritual walk with the Lord. Many people avoid Lent and want to go straight to Easter morning. Lent is a “dark” season. It is a season of introspection and examination. Where do I need to grow with the Lord? Where do I need to change? To what do I need to confess and repent? What broken relationships do I need to heal? What is controlling my life that I have not recognized? What do I need to add to my life in order to faithfully follow Jesus? What is God asking of me?

These are the questions we ask ourselves during Lent. It's never fun, and certainly not easy to ask these kinds of questions. We don't like to see ourselves as we really are. We don't like to do uncomfortable, hard things. We are afraid God will ask something of us that we don't want to do.

But just like nature, we too need the dark days. It's during the darkness that we learn and grow the most. It's during these times that our faith is challenged and our faith deepens. Prayer, study, fasting from things that control us, meditation – these are all activities for the dark days of Lent. These are the things we are called to do as we walk to the cross with Jesus. And then – oh then! Think how glorious Easter morning will be!

I am looking forward to spending Lent with you. May God bless you as we journey together in the coming season.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Debbie

                                   See Sermon for First Sunday in Lent Below

Wilderness Training

Rev. Debbie Cato

Deuteronomy 8:2-20 and Luke 4:1-13

The Way of the Cross –Week 1

Peace Presbyterian Church

February 22, 2015

Wilderness Training

Let me set the stage: Jesus has just been publicly baptized by John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit descends upon him and a voice from heaven says, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." And then “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.”

Jesus was the Messiah, and yet He still wasn't fully prepared to begin his ministry. There was more he needed to experience and so the Holy Spirit leads him into the wilderness for testing. In his wilderness experience, Jesus faithfully resists temptations to do less than, more than, or other than what he was called to do. He relies on Scripture and He refuses to put God to the test.

These temptations – or more accurately, these tests; catch Jesus in a vulnerable condition – he’s weakened by hunger. Nearly forty days without food or water. The way Jesus’ responds to the devil’s tests clarify the nature of his work as the Son of God. His responses to the devil interpret the implications of his identity for his coming ministry.

Every time the devil offers Jesus more – more bread, more power, more protection – Jesus turns him down. All that time in the wilderness with God, gave Jesus clarity of mission, clarity of identity, and the strength he would need going forward. NO to bread, Jesus says. NO to the kingdoms; NO to the angelic bodyguards. He is full up, he says, on worshiping God and serving only him. By the end of the story, the devil still has all his bribes in his bag and Jesus is free to go.

It is important to keep in mind that a temptation often beckons us to do something that may result in good. Temptation is an indication of strength, not of weaknesses. We are not tempted to do what we cannot do, but what is within our power to do. Jesus has the power to do all the things Satan challenges him to do. Stones to bread – the hungry hope so; take political control – the oppressed hope so; leap from the temple – those longing for proof of God’s power among us hope so.

A real temptation is an offer not to fall, but to rise. The tempter in the Garden of Eden did not ask, “Do you wish to be like the devil?” but the temptation was, “Do you wish to be like God?”

We are children of God, so just like Jesus, we should expect to be driven into the wilderness; driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. We have much to learn – about ourselves and about God. While it is unlikely that we will be tested in the same way Jesus was, every Christian will be tested at points which matter most in her or his life. And like Jesus’ test in the wilderness, we too will be caught when we are the most vulnerable; when we are the weakest.

Now, we could talk about temptation – about life’s tests, until the cows come home but this morning I want to focus on where the testing takes place – the wilderness – because I have an idea that every one of us has been there before and honestly, we will go there again.

Maybe your wilderness looked like a hospital waiting room to you, or the empty loneliness of your home at night. Maybe it looked like the parking lot where you couldn’t find your car on the day you lost your job. It may even have been a kind of desert in the middle of your own chest, where you begged for a word from God; begged to hear His voice; and heard nothing but the wheezing sounds of your own breath.

Wildernesses come in so many shapes and sizes that the only way you can really tell you are in one is to look around for what you normally count on to save your life and come up empty. Instead of happiness you feel sadness; instead of peace there is fear and worry; instead of joy you are filled with dread. No food. No earthly power. No special protection – just a Bible-quoting devil and a whole bunch of sand.

Needless to say, this is not a situation many of us seek out. We don’t like being in the wilderness. We like the mountain top experiences – those times when we are happy, free of worry and fear; times when we feel God’s presence and hear his voice. In fact, most of us spend a lot of time and money trying to stay out of the wilderness; but I don’t know anyone who succeeds at that forever. Sooner or later, every one of us will get to take our own wilderness test; our own trip to the desert to discover who we really are and what our lives are really about.

I guess that could sound like bad news, but I don’t think it is. I think it is good news – because even if no one wants to go there voluntarily, and even if those of us who end up there want out as soon as possible, the wilderness is still one of the most reality-based, spirit-filled, life-changing places a person can be. Take Jesus, for instance:

How did he end up there? The Spirit led him.

What was he full of? He was full of The Holy Spirit.

What else did he live on? Nothing.

How long was he there? Weeks and weeks.

How did he feel at the end? He was famished.

What did that long, famishing stretch in the wilderness do to him? It freed him – from all devilish attempts to distract him from his true purpose, from hungry cravings for things with no power to give him life, from any illusion he might have had that God would make his choices for him. After forty days in the wilderness, Jesus not only learned to manage his appetites; he also learned to trust that the Spirit that led him into the wilderness in the first place, would lead him out again. And when he came out, he had the kind of clarity and grit he would not have found anywhere else.

It is during our wilderness experiences that we discover who we are and what we are made of. And it’s in the wilderness that we find God. Not in the chaos of our

everyday lives; not when life is good – faith is easy then! But in the wilderness; when we feel alone, when we are in crisis; when we are most afraid… there we find God.

The wisdom about the value of the wilderness is just about lost, I think – lost to popular American culture for sure and lost even to the Christian tradition that is charged with preserving it. Those of us who observe Lent may get a dose of it every year, even if it is reduced to just cutting out dessert or giving up TV. The kernel of wisdom is still there: that anyone who wants to follow Jesus all the way to the cross needs the kind of clarity and grit that is found only in the wilderness.

During the forty days of Lent; from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, Christians are invited to do without some things they are perfectly capable of having. We give them up so that we can take on some things that we would rather avoid – such as a moral inventory or a lunch date with someone we are mad at.

This season is called “Lent,” from an English word meaning “spring” – not just a reference to the crocuses pushing their way out of the ground in the season before Easter, but also to the greening of the human soul – pruned with repentance, fertilized with fasting, spritzed with self-appraisal, and mulched with prayer. Lent is about more than punishing ourselves for being human by sacrificing Hershey’s chocolate or engaging in some extreme physical exercise program. Lent is about looking inside; about making time to find the things that get in the way of our ability to enjoy a life of freedom found in trusting God and following Christ.

If you have spent a lot of time and/or money trying to acquire whatever it takes to grow your soul without seeing any new buds, then maybe a little spell in the

wilderness is worth a try – a few weeks of choosing to live on less, not more; of

practicing subtraction rather than addition – not because your regular life is bad but because you want to make sure it is your real life – the one you long to be living – which can be hard to do when you’re living in busyness.

All of us have something that keeps the pain away or at least at a tolerable level. Our brand of pain killer; our Novocain; our Valium is whatever distracts us, whatever keeps our minds occupied, whatever keeps us numb to what’s going on inside – whether it’s habits or food or drink – whatever we do that keeps us from living as a true child of God. Murder mysteries, e-mail, solitaire, reruns of old TV shows, mail order catalogs, gin martinis can all be numbing medicine. All distractions – things to reach for when a person is too tired, too sad, or too afraid to enter the wilderness of the present moment – to wonder what it’s really about or who else is in it or even what it’s trying to tell us.

The problem for most of us is that we cannot go straight from turning off the TV to hearing the still, small voice of God in the wilderness. If it worked like that, churches would be full and NBC would be out of business! What we have instead are forty whole days for finding out what life is like without the usual painkillers. This is how we learn what led us to use them in the first place. But watch out, the silence of the wilderness can be really loud. Once you turn off the television, a night can get really long. After a while you can start thinking that all of this quiet emptiness, or worst case, all this howling wilderness, is a sign of things gone horribly wrong – the devil on the loose, huge temptations, no help from the audience, God gone AWOL – not to mention your own spiritual insufficiency to deal with any of these things.

But if you remember to breathe – and pray – then nine times out of ten you can make it through your first night with no extra bread, power, or protection. You can get used to the sound of your own heart beating and whatever it is that is yipping out there. You may even be able to sleep a little and wake up happier to be alive than you can remember being for a long time. There are thirty-seven days of Lent remaining. But, don’t count. Take it one day at a time.

It would be a mistake for me to try to describe your wilderness test. Only you can do that, because only you know what devils have your number, and the kind of bribes they use to get you. All I know for sure is that a voluntary trip to the wilderness this Lent is a great way to practice getting free of those devils for life – not only because it is where you lose your appetite for things that cannot save you, but also because it is where you learn to trust the Spirit that led you there to lead you out again, ready to worship the Lord your God and serve no other all the days of your life.

God is present in the wilderness just as he is on the mountaintops. We just have to be willing to take the wilderness test and watch and listen.

Let us pray:

Redeemer God,

Emerging from the waters of baptism,

Jesus became the first citizen of your new realm.

We, who are baptized into Christ, now live under your
rule of the new covenant.

In this season of Lent, help us to practice the way of life
to which we have been called – to the way of Jesus Christ.

We pray in His name. Amen. 

Ash Wednesday - "Secret Stuff"

Rev. Debbie Cato

Matthew 6:1-21

The Way of the Cross

Peace Presbyterian Church

February 18, 2015 – Ash Wednesday

God of mercy, you promised never to break your covenant with us. Amid all the changing words of our generation, speak your eternal Word that does not change. Then may we respond to your gracious promises with faithful and obedient lives; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Secret Stuff

You may have noticed that we’ve laid a purple cloth over the communion table with a purple cloth and we've draped purple fabric over the cross. Purple is the liturgical color for Lent, symbolizing both the sovereignty of Christ and repentance from sin.

Traditionally, Lent is observed with fasting and prayer and a renewed determination to eliminate sin from our lives. It is a somber period of self -reflection, denial, preparation and penitence as we prepare for Easter, the day that Christ conquers death. Some people don’t like to observe Lent… they don’t like the somber nature of the season; they don't like the darkness; the introspection. It's more fun to go straight to Easter. Straight to the resurrection. Straight to the celebration. But how can we celebrate the resurrection if we haven’t lived through the crucifixion? How can we possibly feel the true joy of Easter morning without walking the way of the cross with Christ?

Yet, Jesus reminds us that we must be cautious. There is a right way and a wrong way to practice spiritual disciplines. He warns us that righteousness can be harmful when it becomes self-glorifying; when it becomes about us rather than about God. Jesus is talking about engaging in things like charity, prayer, and fasting in such a way that draws attention to our actions. Jesus rejects public notice.

Deep, heartfelt concern for other people is part of righteous living, but in this text, Jesus warns us against showing that concern in irresponsible ways. For example, a gift of money can certainly help people. But when it's given in an ostentatious way, the righteousness of the act is canceled out by the flashy way it was given. God knowing what we do, and why we do it must be enough. The reward for private acts of good is greater closeness with God; not public recognition.

Jesus isn't content to just talk about acts of mercy. He is also concerned with how people pray – and so he provides instructions. This is Jesus’ earliest teaching on prayer and he stresses privacy first of all. Don’t pray for show, he says. God meets us in the secret places.

We should not permit the press of life’s busyness to crowd out the need for daily fellowship with God in prayer. God is always near, yet Jesus knows that we especially draw near to God when we have privacy; when we are alone. For Jesus, prayer is not only living with a sense of God; it is an attempt to say words to God in a private conversation. We pray to a living person – to the living God. He wants to hear from us.

And Jesus says, “don’t go on and on and on.” Don't think the length of your prayer makes you more righteous. God already knows what’s on our hearts. Does this mean we don’t need to pray if God already knows? No! If the Father did not know, He would not be God! But God who already knows the situation invites us to freely come and talk with him about it. God is not a reluctant listener. We don’t have to convince him to hear us. God yearns for us come to him in prayer. But keep your prayers simple and to the point.

Look at the prayer Jesus gives us as an example. Notice that Jesus’ example is short and simple and its’ primary focus is on God -  your kingdom come; your will be done. This is how we are to pray.

And this idea of forgiveness. When you look at the Greek word that is translated as trespasses or debts, it also translates as mistake.

“For if you forgive others their mistakes, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your mistakes.”

That makes me gulp a little bit. When we say sin or trespass or debt, it’s pretty easy to distance ourselves. But mistake – we all make mistakes!

The point is, no matter how good a person we are; no matter how good a Christian we think we are – we all sin; we all make mistakes. After all, we're only human! And so is the person who hurts us; offends us. It is our responsibility to forgive because we have been forgiven. We cannot ask God to forgive our sins – our mistakes, if we have not first attempted to forgive the mistakes of others. This reminds us that forgiveness is both a tremendous spiritual privilege and a great social responsibility.

And then, Jesus gives us illustrations around piety and righteousness in our relationship with ourselves. It's tempting to subtly advertise our personal disciplines – to show how devout we are. The motive can be genuine - to be a witness and to encourage others to be more disciplined. But we have already seen that Jesus is not interested in this kind of witness. The spiritual disciplines we choose to engage with are for God’s eyes only, not for our own gain.

So as we enter into this season of Lent – this forty day period of piety and repentance let’s commit to living differently during this time; to taking an honest look at our lives. Let’s commit to deepening our relationship with God through increased prayer and study. Let’s commit to honestly examine the sin in our life and repent so that we can be forgiven. Let’s commit to generously forgiving those who have grieved us. Let’s commit to healing and restoring broken relationships. Let’s commit to being intentional about being charitable to others. Let's commit to doing all these things for an audience of one - God. Let's commit to do these things so that when Easter morning finally comes, we can look back and say quietly to ourselves:  "These last forty days have changed me. I've grown deeper with God and He has transformed me.” Amen.

 

"Changed Before Your Eyes"

Rev. Debbie Cato

2 Kings 2:1-12 and Mark 9:2-9

Peace Presbyterian Church

February 15, 2015

Changed Before Your Eyes

I was at a meeting recently when the moderator asked someone for some information - but he replied that he didn't have it. The chairperson said, “Well, I know you do because I sent it to you in an e-mail yesterday afternoon.”

The person smiled sheepishly and replied, "Oh, I didn't realize that’s what it was and so I just deleted it.”

Everyone laughed - including me - but I was struck at the time by just how normal his actions were. Often when we encounter something we don’t know or under-stand we throw it away; or at the very least - we ignore it - we put it on hold - we neglect it.

So it is with stories like those we heard from today's scripture passages -

     Many of us hear about visions of chariots of fire,

          of water being parted to reveal a path across a river,

               of a man being taken up into heaven -

                  and mentally shrug our shoulders and dismiss the matter as an idle tale.

Others hear about how Jesus was transformed on a mountaintop, that he shone as bright as the sun, how he was visited by two men - long dead, and they say to themselves that's all very nice, but what does it have to do with me. Then we go on about our lives as if these things had never happened, as if they never can or never will happen again.

I’ve preached sermons on these scripture passages before. These are typical 
passages for Transfiguration Sunday; the last Sunday before Lent. Usually I focus on the mountain top experiences we have with God and how just like Peter, we would like to stay on the mountaintop. But just as Peter and James and John learn, it’s necessary to come down off the mountain and serve in the valley below. So,we aren’t going to do go there today.

Today we are going to focus on the wonder of the whole experience. Jesus chose Peter and James and John to travel up the mountain with him and as a result, they watch as Jesus undergoes a transfiguration – a change in appearance. They witness Jesus’ appearance become overwhelmingly bright – so bright their eyes can’t take it. Peter and James and John see Moses and Elijah talking with Christ. Imagine! Two of the greatest prophets; long-dead, talking with their teacher, their friend, their Lord. Peter and James and John hear a voice boom from heaven, "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" (Mark 9:7b)

And then, just as quickly, it was over. Moses and Elijah are gone. Jesus' appearance is back to normal and they are heading back down the mountain. Same old, same old. But I doubt that Peter or James or John were the same. I doubt things were “back to normal” for them.

Peter and James and John saw the greatest prophets of old; prophets they had been raised to admire; whose teachings they revered. It was Peter and James and John who caught the vision of who Jesus was. They saw the divinity of their earthly teacher. It was Peter and James and John who heard the voice of God.

Although it was Jesus who was transfigured; Jesus whose appearance changed; it was Peter and James and John who were transformed. It was those three men who were changed by their experience. They had encountered the divine and they would never be the same again.

Most of us are convinced that our faith is about doing good things,

     about showing love and care for one another;

          about “doing” ministry.

                 And it is - this is how we are to live out our faith.

But our faith is about yearning to see God and experience his power.

     It is about being touched by His Spirit.

          It is about being moved by the voice of the Lord whispering in our ears.

Our faith is so rich - our God is so good - that it makes no sense at all to limit what is possible for us to the dry bones of what we should or shouldnot do each day. Or the dry bones of what we have done for years.

Our faith is about entertaining angels, every bit as much as it is about seeking to comfort the afflicted and to heal the sick. It is about seeing visions of a new heaven and a new earth, every bit as much as it is about seeking justice and resisting evil.

Our faith is about being refreshed by God,

     as much as it is about refreshing others in God's name.

The biggest mistake we can make in our spiritual lives is settling for less than the real thing, for a portion - instead of the whole, and all because we either do not believe in what God can do, or because we do not look at or understand what we have been given. “I didn’t realize what it was, so I ignored it. I deleted it.”

I believe the most common problem faced by members of the Church is not the fact that we spend too much time seeking spiritual visions and revelations - thereby neglecting the important truths and duties of everyday life in Christ. Rather it is the fact that we do not believe in and thus are not open to the special moments, the special touches, that only God can give us.

Some say that people have no energy for living the Christian life because they do not get fed by the church. I say, some people are out of energy because they fail to recognize the food that is before them – because they fail to take and eat what God seeks to give them.

When I lived in Washington, there was a weekly prayer meeting held at our church. Of the nine hundred or so adults that attended church every week, only about 15 or so attended the weekly prayer meeting. Those that came, sought spiritual food for their daily journey in the Lord. They found it by praying for one another and with one another and for the needs of those they love and those in the larger community.

We prayed for one another with the laying on of hands, we prayed for healings, for people to have the power to overcome grief or suffering in their lives, for others to discover what God wants them to do in a particular situation.

Finally my turn came to be prayed for – and I asked that they might pray that God would fill me with his Spirit - that he might make my faith come even more alive.

When the hands came down on my head and shoulders and the people gathered around me began to pray - I felt an energy go through my body like electricity, and I began to shake in my chair as the words of prayer washed over me, and then, in a moment of sudden silence, a word came to me very strongly - a word came straight from God - "You shall be used to do great things in my service."

To this day those words have stayed with me and shaped my thoughts, making me wonder what the greatness is - making me wonder

- is it the power and glory like that of great evangelist or theologian,

       - or is it the greatness that was revealed by Christ as he went about as

          the servant of all, stooping down even to wash his own disciple's feet?

It was a moment that fed me and still feeds me. It was a profoundly spiritual moment.

That particular prayer meeting was a turning point for me; possibly as much as the experience of Jesus and his disciples on the mount of transfiguration was a turning point - as much as Elisha crossing the Jordan with Elijah was a turning point.

Friends - I can't explain to you what a holy moment is for you; nor can I tell you just how special and sacred events come to pass. I also cannot even promise you that you will have such a moment if you only do this or that, but I will tell you this: these moments are real. They come to us most often when we put ourselves in the way of them; when we open ourselves up to letting God work in our lives.

You can't have a mountain top experience if you don't climb the mountain.

Elisha followed his teacher Elijah around the country despite Elijah telling him not to when he had his experience; he actively sought a double portion of the spirit that filled Elijah and was patient to receive it.

Peter, James, and John were obeying Jesus when they witnessed his transfiguration. They climbed the mountain with him as he went to pray.

I was seeking to be open to the Lord when I asked for prayers at that prayer meeting; when I heard God speak the message that he had chosen me for his service.

The sacred experiences that are recounted in the bible, the experiences of the divine that are recorded there, are still occur today.

Some of us catch sight of God in the beauty around us,

     some glimpse him during a close encounter with death,

           some meet him in a special way during a period of suffering,

                   others while they are praying at special gatherings or at worship.

Don't throw away those strange and mysterious experiences that have happened in your lives. Don't let go of those things that you do not understand or cannot explain. Instead, meditate on them, delight in them, and use them as a source of strength for your time of service in the valleys below. It’s through these experiences that we are transformed; that we are changed.

As the psalmist sings:

Oh how lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts!

My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the Living God. Amen

Jesus the Healer

Rev. Debbie Cato

Isaiah 40:21-31 and Mark 1:29-39

Peace Presbyterian Church

February 8, 2015

Jesus the Healer

Probably one of the more frequent questions pastors hear – or maybe I should say – one of the most frequent questions Christians ask is - “why?” I’ve been praying that God would heal me… my friend… my family member… but he isn’t answering my prayer or he didn’t answer my prayer. Why? I know God can heal people so why doesn’t he/why didn’t he heal ….. (pause) … you fill in the blank. Have you ever asked that question of God?  Have you ever thought that maybe if your faith were just a little stronger, God would answer your prayer?

In June, 2011, I traveled from Casper, Wyoming to Tacoma, Washington. Jessica was graduating with her Masters of Social Work and I had saved up enough money to be there. I was beyond excited. I had not seen the girls for almost a year and a half – sheer torture. We had plans to celebrate Jessica's graduation and then do lots of fun things – just the three of us. I could not wait to spend time with Jessica and Tracy. I felt like a little girl at Christmas.

The day after Jessica's graduation, my phone rang. My Mom had taken a sudden turn and was in the hospital here in Eugene – River Bend. She was not doing well. The next day, while I was making plans to come to Eugene, my brother called. Mom was going home under hospice care. The family was gathering together.

We got in the car and made the drive to Eugene. I arrived with much trepidation. Not only was my Mom dying, but 7 of my 8 brothers and sisters would be there. We did not get along with one another . Most of my brothers and sisters had not talked to me in nearly 20 years. I had not met many of their spouses. They did not know my daughters. What would it be like to all be together in Mom's small apartment at Williamette Oaks?

Despite my prayers, God did not heal Mom. My Mom died 4 days after I had to head back to Casper. So you can imagine that as I planned my sermon for today, these healing miracles caused me to pause.

Simon’s mother had a fever and Jesus healed her – immediately. She got up and fixed dinner as if she had never been sick. And then, after dinner, “all who were sick or possessed with demons” were brought to Jesus. He cured many and cast out demons from many.

I’ve read this passage in Mark many times but this time when I read it I caught something I hadn’t noticed before. It’s subtle but did you catch it?  “All” who were sick, all who had demons were brought to Jesus. But… “Many” were healed. Many were healed. Many. Not all. Not everyone who was sick; not everyone who was demon possessed was healed. Jesus healed some of them. Just some. He obviously had the ability to heal everyone. But he didn’t. He healed many. But not everyone.

Now let’s get a good picture of this. Jesus is just getting started in his ministry. He’s making a name for himself. People are flocking to see him. They’ve heard the news. It’s not just talk. They have seen evidence. People that were sick and invalid are miraculously healed. People that had emotional and spiritual ailments – demons as scripture calls them – are made whole. Jesus had a great thing going. He was a hero.

Maybe it got too late in the night and he didn’t have time to heal everyone.  Maybe the ones he didn’t heal that night were going to come back the next day so Jesus could heal them then. I think even more people would come the next morning, don’t you? News gets around! There’s a healer in town. Jesus had the opportunity for an encore performance. He was a big draw. Jesus could make a name for himself as a healer.

It’s certainly what his disciples expected. When they get up the next morning, they are upset because he isn’t there. They think Jesus should be ready for the crowd that will be coming back. Jesus isn’t where they think he should be. Where is he? In the Greek it says the disciples “hunted” for him. They were frantic.

But Jesus had other plans. He got up early – while it was still dark. Apparently, he didn’t want others to know he was leaving – that he was going off by himself. Away from the voices telling him what to do. Away from those who needed him. Away from the demands of the world. He wanted to be alone with God. Jesus left early in the morning by himself to go somewhere alone and pray. (pause)

"Everyone is looking for you!" the disciples tell him. I imagine the crowds were already beginning to gather. The disciples were ready for their leader to do more healing miracles. Everyone is looking for you, Jesus. Come on! It’s sort of like – “you’re on in 2 minutes”.

But after spending time alone; after spending time in prayer; with His Father, Jesus has other plans. He’s not going to do what the others expect him to do. After his early morning prayer, he chooses to move on. "Let us go somewhere else,”  Jesus says. “We need to go to the nearby villages-- so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."

True, there were more sick people in Capernaum. People who had not been healed the night before. People who needed Jesus’ healing touch. Yet Jesus moves on. (pause) “All” who were sick, all who had demons were brought to Jesus. But… “Many” were healed.

Jesus does not just heal just the physical. He heals the demon possessed – he heals the psychological and spiritual sicknesses. He brings healing and wholeness to our minds and our hearts. We are made whole in The Kingdom of God. The Good News of Jesus Christ – the good news of the Kingdom of God brings psychological, spiritual, and physical healing. Jesus’ healings brought a glimpse of the Kingdom of God to the people and communities he touched and visited. “All” who were sick, all who had demons were brought to Jesus. But… “Many” were healed.

Those four days I spent with my family were amazing. We got to know one another. We talked. We laughed. We cried together. Many old hurts were healed. Forgiven. Jesus did in fact bring healing – not physical healing to my Mom, but emotional healing to my family. Some of us became friends and are in contact with one another. What I was dreading turned out to be a time of healing and wholeness.

Where in your life do you need healing? How do you need God to bring wholeness and well-being and peace into your life? Perhaps Jesus has already brought healing into your life that you may not recognize?

Healing occurs when we can see what God intends for us – when we see the  beauty God sees in us. The apostle Paul proclaimed that in Christ we are a "new creation;" the "old has passed away;" behold, "everything has become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Jesus stays focused on God by going off alone to pray. Jesus knows what he needs to do. It isn’t what his disciples expect him to do. It isn’t what the crowds want him to do. Jesus moves on to the next village because Jesus knows his mission. Jesus doesn’t get caught up in the fanfare; the notoriety. He doesn’t get distracted.

Jesus did not come to be some healing miracle worker to draw large crowds. He is not a sorcerer who heals peoples’ aches and pains on some whim. Jesus can’t be distracted by the expectations of the crowds or even his own disciples. He has a message – a life changing message for all who listen. Jesus came to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God. Not just to one village. Not just to Capernaum. Jesus came to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God throughout Galilee.

The healing miracles that Jesus performed in Capernaum and other places through Galilee are a taste of things to come – when all creation will be restored to God’s image - when shalom will be restored to all creation. But for now, we get a taste.

Jesus’ compassionate healings underscore what the restoration of the Kingdom of God will be like – complete fulfillment of fellowship with God and the shalom of all creation – under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. With the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God, finally, all will be healed.

May we all eagerly wait with great anticipation and hope for the time when Christ will come again and the Kingdom of God is fully realized.

"Listen Up!"

Debbie Cato

Deuteronomy 18:15-20 and Mark 1:21-29

Peace Presbyterian Church

February 1, 2015

Listen Up!

Our Scripture passages today are concerned about who God’s people are listening to. That’s a good question. We are living in an age where there is more information available to us than ever before. Who are we listening to? Who are you listening to?

In Deuteronomy, the 40 year journey through the wilderness is almost over for God's people. The Promised Land is getting closer and Moses is beginning to transition out of his role as leader of the Israelites. Moses leads God’s people out of slavery in Egypt. He performs great signs and wonders in Egypt while securing the liberation of the Israelites from Pharaoh. He serves as the mediator between YHWH and the people.  Deut. 5:5 tells us that Moses “stood between the LORD and the people and spoke the words of the LORD to them”. As a prophet, Moses is unequaled.

YHWH promises His people that he will not leave them without a prophet after Moses is gone. YHWH will raise up a prophet like Moses from among them. The prophet who God calls to replace Moses will be one of them – he will be familiar with their journey; their history. He will know their story. He will know their needs; their fears; their dreams. He will speak to God on behalf of Israel and he will speak to Israel on behalf of God. Just as Moses has done, “He will stand between the LORD and the people and speak the words of the LORD to them.”

The meaning of the Hebrew root for prophet is uncertain but is most likely “one who is called” or the “one who calls.” The prophet is the moral and ethical agent who summons God's people to repentance. “You have sinned against God,” the prophet tells the people. “You must change. You must turn back. You must repent.” YHWH’s prophet holds us accountable.

YHWH’s prophet represents the single, legitimate mediator of God; whose ultimate word is one of hope and promise for the people. The prophet, who is called by YHWH, calls the community back to the covenant. YHWH’s prophet brings the presence of God when God seems absent; when we ask questions like – where and who is the God who let this happen to me? We hunger for a word from God and we want YHWH’s prophet to have a deeply personal and fervent experience with YHWH and then come back and share His word with us. A word that creates justice, brings hope, and brings God’s promise to fruition.¹ A word that has authority, is revolutionary and radical.

Jesus’ invitation to the kingdom is radical and overwhelms the very being of those he encounters. Accompanied by the four fishermen Jesus’ called to follow him, Jesus begins his “kingdom campaign.” He invites the neediest to come along; to follow him. He doesn’t notice the great ones, nor does he call those who pose as the great ones or the important ones. He comes to the desolate places, and there he summons for the kingdom those who are far away from the powerful kingdoms of the world.

Mark tells us that “they entered Capernaum.” Jesus and Simon and Andrew, James and John, have left the bank of the sea that is a fishing and calling place of the messengers of the kingdom and have come to the space of security and tradition, where the old religious teachings have been shared for ages. There in the synagogue, Jesus takes advantage of the Sabbath, the day the faithful ones meet, to teach them. Jesus’ communication style creates vitality. “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes!”

The people listening to Jesus teach are delighted to hear a new teaching. Why? What was so new about Jesus’ teachings? He teaches from the same Scriptures that the scribes taught – the Hebrew Scriptures. Why were his teachings considered revolutionary and radical?

This word – this new teaching with authority – defines Jesus. It’s the reason crowds gather around him everywhere he goes. It’s the reason the scribes and the Pharisees feel threatened by him. In Mark it’s the reason Jesus’ fame grows. He’s getting a reputation as an up-and-coming prophet, someone who speaks as “having authority.” Perhaps someone who “stands between the LORD and the people and speak the words of the LORD to them.” Quite unlike the scribes of the day who were good at quoting Scripture, but perhaps not so good at living it. Who were good at quoting Scripture but didn't live it.

But not so with Jesus. He has a “new teaching – with authority!” Jesus’ teaching; his gospel message is a healing word and action. He's passionate about the words He speaks. His words are the very fiber of His being. You might say, he practices what he preaches. He preaches God’s truth; God’s timeless promises to the people and He teaches through his actions. The ways he loves the people; the ways he respects and treats those who are considered worthless and lowly and oppressed by the rest of the world, is different. Jesus teaches through healings and miracles and exorcisms.  Even the evil spirits in possession of a man in their midst obey him. Jesus’ actions; his very being, give his teachings authority.

There’s a story about a pastor who preached an eloquent sermon one Sunday. It was brilliant and fascinating. The people in her congregation were deeply moved by it and said it was the best sermon they had ever heard. The next week that pastor preached the same sermon, and again the people were excited to hear it. But when that pastor preached the very same sermon, word for word, the third week in a row, the congregation began to wonder. Finally, one of the members, shaking the pastor’s hand after the service, with a small crowd gathered around him said, “Preacher, that was a great sermon; thoughtful, insightful, even inspiring. But some of us wanted to know why you keep preaching the same sermon again and again.” The pastor smiled and replied, “Because I haven’t seen anyone do anything about what I said.”²

The role of faithful people is to listen – not simply to hear, but to listen thoughtfully and courageously. By learning to recognize and trust God’s true word, the we learn to trust God’s own self. But unless we hear, listen, and then heed, nothing is gained. God is not obeyed without heeding His word.

Where have all the prophets gone? Where is this century’s Martin Luther King Jr.? Where are the great prophets and preachers of old who challenged the establishment and called the people to faithfulness? Why must we reach back forty years to find the voice crying in the wilderness that changed the world?³

Who are our prophets today? To whom do we listen? Whose counsel do we value?⁴ When and why did the Church stopping being the prophetic voice in the world?

Perhaps if we actually lived and acted and treated people as Jesus taught us; if we actually practiced the teachings of Jesus, the church would still be the prophetic voice of the world today? Perhaps the teachings of Jesus; our Holy Scriptures would be revered today if we lived as we believe. Or even, if we really believed what we hear. Perhaps if we stood up for justice; if we brought healing through our words and actions. Perhaps people would see vitality in our churches if people saw us as people of faith; practicing what we preach. Perhaps people would say of our churches, “they teach as one having such authority!”

We can still be that voice. The voice of Christ in a world that is sorely hurt and broken and in need of healing. A world that needs a prophetic voice. It’s not too late.

1 Feasting on the Word. Year B, Volume 1. Theological Perspective. P290, 292.

2 Feasting on the Word. Year B, Volume 1. Homiletical Perspective. P295.

3 Ibid. Pastoral Perspective. P290.

4 Homiletics. January-February 2012. Volume 24, Number 1. P 41.