Giving Up Expectations

Debbie Cato

Genesis 12:1-4 and John 3:1-17

Peace Presbyterian Church

May 31, 2015

Giving up Expectations

When Jessica was 7 or 8 years old, she planned her wedding. She was going to get married in our church and our minister, Pastor Sheryl would do the ceremony. Her wedding would be in June. She would have 3 bridesmaids who would wear pink dresses. She also chose the music that would play at her wedding – all her favorite songs. Everything was planned and written out for the day when she got married. She was very excited as she told me about her plans. Everything would be the way she expected it to be.

I listened attentively, enjoying every detail of her plans. When she finished, I innocently asked her one question. “Jessica,” I asked. “What if your husband wants a different song than you want?”

She looked at me, just a little shocked that I would suggest such a thing and then without flinching, she said, “Then, I won’t marry him. I’ll get a different husband.”

Those were her expectations. The place. The minister. The month. The colors. The music. And if her husband-to-be didn’t like it? If he did not meet her expectations, she wouldn’t marry him! Even at 7 years old, Jessica had expectations.

You may not have planned your wedding down to the minute detail at the age of 7 like my daughter did, but I would guess that each of us had expectations of what our life would be like. I would also guess that not too can of us would say that our lives turned out exactly like we expected. I for one never expected to be in a violent marriage and I certainly never expected to be a single parent.

I imagine you had expectations when God called me to be your pastor. Expectations of what I would be like; how I would lead the church. I imagine you had expectations of what our ministry together would look like; expectations of how and what I might learn about the health of this church; the direction we would head. I suspect some of those expectations have been met, but many have not. I know that some of you are disappointed; you are unhappy with me as your pastor. You don’t agree with the direction your session and I sense God is leading us. You expect things to remain the same.

Whether we are 7 years old or 70 years old; we all have expectations.

Look at Abram. Abram and his wife Sarai lived in Haran. Abram was 75 years old. Abram was a wealthy man. He had done well for himself. He had many possessions, large herds, and many people who worked for him. They had no children because Sarai was barren but his nephew Lot was part of their family and Abram’s life was full. At 75 years old, Abram probably expected to live out his life with his wife Sarai, at their home in Haran, doing what they had always done.

And then suddenly, one day, the completely unexpected happens to Abram. God speaks to him. God speaks to him and says, “Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Not what Abram expected. I doubt it was what Sarai expected. She was 75 years old too! I’m sure there were some conversations between Abram and his wife about their pending move. But, they let go of their own expectations for their lives; expectations for their future. Abram, soon to be renamed Abraham by God, follows God's call to leave his homeland and travel to the place God promises to his descendants, even though he and Sarai didn't know how it would all work out.

Throughout Scripture we see people whose expectations get thrown in their face. I wonder if Moses expected the journey out of Egypt to take 40 years? I wonder if the Israelites expected to see their beloved City destroyed? I wonder if teen-aged Mary expected to become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Christ Child; the Messiah?

And then there’s this man Nicodemus whom we are introduced to in the Gospel of John. Nicodemus; a Pharisee. Think about what you know about the Pharisees. They weren’t big fans of Jesus, were they? And yet, Nicodemus, a member of the Pharisees is intrigued with Jesus. He wants to spend time with him. Nicodemus is a man who wants to know more. He is a man of standing and authority – a member of the ruling council.

Nicodemus has a big stake in the established religious order that Jesus so openly and drastically attacks by his actions and his words. And yet, Nicodemus comes to Jesus because he wants to know more. He risks a lot to come see Jesus. Nicodemus is curious, but cautious. He comes at night so that no one would see him.

Nicodemus comes to Jesus and he says, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." He has expectations of who this Jesus is. He has expectations of what this Jesus will say.

But Jesus doesn’t reply the way Nicodemus expects he will. Jesus doesn’t praise Nicodemus for believing in the signs that Jesus brings; for believing that Jesus is a teacher sent from God. Jesus doesn’t engage Nicodemus in a religious discussion as the Pharisees might hold in the temple. Instead, Jesus response completely bewilders Nicodemus. He doesn’t understand. It’s outside his sphere of knowledge. It doesn’t meet his expectations. Three times Nicodemus says, “How can this be?”

Jesus says, “I’m not what you expect, Nicodemus. I’m about new life. I’m about God doing a new thing. God has acted out of love – reaching out to the unlovely and the unloveable. God’s love is known to you because he has given me; His only Son so that whoever believes might have life. It’s not what you expect.”

Nicodemus expects something from Jesus but instead, Jesus tells him something unexpected; something new. Jesus tells him about grace. Grace isn’t something that the Pharisees and the keepers of the law know about.

No wonder that when Nicodemus talks to Jesus, he has a hard time understanding. He’s used to thinking in terms of religious laws. Grace is  something entirely new. It’s nothing he’s heard of before. It’s outside his range of understanding. It doesn’t meet his expectations. It’s better!

Perhaps God has something very different planned for this church; for our ministry together than what you… or I, might be expecting. Perhaps God has something better planned! Maybe God doesn't intend for everything to stay the same. Maybe God doesn't intend for us to become so inward focused that when the last person dies, the doors are locked. Maybe the Holy Spirit wants to breathe new life into this church. Maybe we need to give up our expectations and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us and in this church. After all, it is Christ’s church. It doesn’t belong to us. No matter what we do, God will do the work that God has planned in the way that God has planned to do it.

Of course the risk is that it won’t meet your expectations; that it won’t meet my expectations. The risk is, it might be different. But just like God’s plans for Abram when he gave up his expectations; just like Mary when she gave up her expectations, and just like Nicodemus when he gave up His expectations and learned about God’s grace and love for the world; we may discover that God’s expectations are far greater and far grander for His Kingdom than ours could ever be.

Sometimes we just can’t know what’s going on or what’s coming next. God doesn't guarantee any specific future. But we can trust that God will be with us through whatever circumstances we face and that God will work through us to bring about His kingdom.

Do You Recognize This Church?

Rev. Debra Cato
Peace Presbyterian Church
Acts 2:41-47 Pentecost Sunday
May 24, 2015

Do You Recognize This Church?

All those who welcomed Peter’s message that day were baptized. The Greek translates this as “gladly received.” All those who gladly received Peter's message that day were baptized. Three thousand. Three thousand persons believed and were baptized. Three thousand persons from the crowd that had gathered. Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome ¹¹ (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arab. Three thousand people who did not speak the same language heard and believed. Three thousand people from different cultures; different environments; different backgrounds. Three thousand new believers joined the 120, devoting themselves to the apostles teaching; devoting themselves to spending time with one another; breaking bread together; praying.

The Holy Spirit breathed new life into these people and immediately three thousand new believers embodied the gospel. The Holy Spirit filled them with a longing to learn more about this new way of being; this hope in Jesus the Christ. Filled with the Holy Spirit these new believers yearned to be in community with other believers. Filled with new life, three thousand new believers earnestly prayed together. They praised and worshiped God in all that they did. We are told that they were filled with great joy; that they had generous hearts – hearts of humility and simplicity. They stood out from the world around them and their joy and fervor for the Lord was attractive. So attractive that day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

The number of believers grew exponentially. It did not matter that they were from different nations. It did not matter that they spoke different languages; had different customs; different traditions. The Holy Spirit made them one. The Holy Spirit turned this diverse group of individuals into the Body of Christ.

They wanted to go beyond what they learned from Peter’s sermon; from the words that first convicted them. So the new believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings. They wanted to know the implications and applications of the good news beyond the new church. They persevered in learning more about Jesus and they attached themselves to those called to teach. They spent time together so that they could learn from one another. They wanted to share the good news they were coming to understand with others. They wanted to know what this sudden transformation meant for their everyday lives back home. They wanted to understand what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

What does being filled with the Holy Spirit mean for you;
for your everyday life? For the life of this church?

The Holy Spirit produced Koinonia in and through the new believers. Koinonia is a Greek word that primarily means fellowship. It means sharing in common with one another. Koinonia means communion. Here in Acts 2 is the first of 20 occurrences of the word Koinonia in the New Testament. Twenty times Koinonia is taught in the Epistles; the Letters of the New Testament. Koinonia and the Community of Believers goes hand in hand.

Koinonia means more than having coffee together after church and catching up with friends. It means inviting people in – those who are strangers and those who are different than us. It means putting others before ourselves. It means everyone's needs are met. It means a deep communion with others.

     What would true Koinonia look like here at Peace Presbyterian? 

             How might it change our life as a Community of Believers?

                      Who might we be excluding that we should including?

We learn that after that first day of Pentecost, ^“All the believers were together and had everything in common. When someone had a need, they sold what they had to help the person out. No one was allowed to be in need among them. We are told that every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. Together they learned and they prayed and they grew in their faith. The Believers from Jerusalem opened up their homes and welcomed the out-of-towners in. They broke bread and ate together not because they were good friends but because they were brothers and sisters in Christ.

They loved and supported one another. Everyone was included – no one was left out. They challenged behaviors that did not fit in their new life. They encouraged one another to grow and be transformed. They laughed and cried together. They appreciated their differences and worked through challenges, knowing that it was Christ that brought them together. It was Christ they had in common. They prayed together. This was a different kind of community. A community empowered by the Holy Spirit. Because of this, “outsiders” noticed the sense of true community in the believers and they were drawn to it. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

How are we doing? How are we doing in our worship; in our fellowship and care for one another? How do we do welcoming newcomers to our church and to the faith? How is the prayer life of this church? Is our church held in high regard in the larger community? Would the community even notice if we closed our doors?

“How could this be?” you might be thinking. How could these very diverse believers pool their resources so that they could care for each other? How could they spend all their time in worship, in learning, in fellowship, in prayer? How could they break bread with glad and generous hearts? How could these believers behave in ways that strengthened the church and helped it grow? How could they behave in such a way that great numbers continued to be attracted to the truth?

Luke tells us that they prayed together. They prayed for good and generous hearts. They prayed for wisdom and guidance and strength. They prayed for one another; not just surface prayers but prayers for well-being; that God would guide them and lift them up. They prayed for their community, for the work of the apostles. They remembered to whom they belonged. They remembered that it was only through the power of the Holy Spirit that their own lives had been transformed. And one result of all their prayers was that they had “the goodwill for all the people.” Goodwill even for those who had not yet embraced Christianity. The community of Christians was a bright spot in the community.

How are we doing? Do you spend time in prayer? Do you pray for the church, for people in the church? Do you pray that God would continue to stretch and grow your faith? Do you pray that you would be open to the moving of the Holy Spirit? While the church has a primary responsibility to help us in our life of faith, we as individual Christians always have a responsibility to our church to help it be a place where the things Peter outlined — the preaching of repentance, baptism, and seeking the Holy Spirit — happen. The church, with our help, should also ensure that the practices of the early converts — worship, fellowship, caring for one another, common goals in mission and ministry, an active prayer life among the membership, a thorough Christian education for newcomers and members alike are carried out.

You can't help but notice that a fundamental element of Pentecost is astonishment. Our God is a God of astonishment. Think about the disciples – the first apostles of the church. No one expected anything more from them: after Jesus' death they were a small, insignificant group from Galilee. But then, an unexpected event happened that astounded a crowd of people. They were astounded because each of them heard the disciples speaking in their own tongues, telling of the great works of God. Only minutes before, they were cowardly, but now they speak with courage and candor, with the freedom of the Holy Spirit. And when Peter opened his mouth and preached the first sermon, three thousand people believed.

How does the Spirit of God astonish you? How does it astonish us? How are we alive and astounding the community around us?

Jews from all the nations of the world were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost that day; to commemorate the day that God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai. But the God of Moses is always on the move. He is always doing something different. And so The Holy Spirit surprised them that morning.

The Holy Spirit anointed three thousand unsuspecting people. The passage from Acts 2 says, "Without warning... It filled the whole building... the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks." They didn't look for the Spirit. It came upon them without warning. As a result, their lives were forever changed. They became believers and they were baptized. But that wasn’t the end of the story. The Holy Spirit changed them; it transformed them. And so they stayed behind. These new believers from every nation stayed in Jerusalem and they devoted them-selves to the apostles teaching, to fellowship and breaking bread with one another; and to prayer.

These early believers had a deep sense of awe. They were inspired by the evidence of God’s power and presence through the many signs and wonders He was performing through the apostles. They knew that their Lord was still with them. They knew that He was powerfully at work among them.

What about you? Do you have a deep sense of awe for the presence and power of God around us? Do you believe that the Lord is still with work? Working through us? Do you believe that the Holy Spirit might be about to astound us? To surprise us? To do something new in and through us?

Friends, we have the gift of the very presence of Christ, living within us – as individual believers and as the Body of Christ. Although we may not see tongues of fire or hear violent winds or begin speaking in foreign languages during our worship service this morning, the power of the Holy Spirit has been given to us as the body of Christ. Do you believe this? Do you trust this is so?

Let’s walk in confidence and truth and live into what it means to be His Church; to be followers of Christ; filled with His Spirit. And may we trust and believe that God’s Spirit will give us the same boldness and courage that was given to the disciples and believers on that first Pentecost, over 2,000 years ago as we continue to be witnesses to the good news to the ends of the earth.

Let us pray: Holy Loving God. Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for this reminder of that first Day of Pentecost and the power and might that came upon the early church. Help us to remember that we – your Church today, have this same power, this same truth, this same presence. Transform us into all that you have called us and want us to be. In your Son’s Holy name we pray. AMEN.

Redefining Love

Reverend Debbie Cato

John 15:9-17

Peace Presbyterian Church

Sixth Sunday of Easter

May 10, 2015

Redefining Love

Back in the 1960’s, there was a great Beatles song – “All You Need is Love.”

                           All you need is love, love; Love is all you need.

The 60’s were a turbulent time and the answer – at least from the young people, was that the answer to the world’s problems was an enthusiastic embrace of love – love would make all the problems go away. All we had to do was love one another. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

This idea of easy love is not supported in today’s Gospel lesson. Yes, Jesus certainly praises love. In fact, He commands us to love. He tells us that love is a gift from God, an excellence of character. Jesus says that love is not something we do or something we feel. Love is a way of life. But nothing Jesus says justifies love as some naïve ideal; some simple idea of “let’s just all get along.” In fact, Jesus gives us the opposite impression; He gives us the impression that loving one another is hard. When Jesus commands us to love, he says we are to “love one another as I have loved you.” Love one another as I have loved you.

You see, he doesn’t just say “love one another,” does he? He complicates things tremendously when He tells us; when He commands us, to “love one another as I has loved you.” Love one another as Jesus has loved you.

When I work with a young couple through pre-marital counseling, it's interesting to learn what they think is essentials for a good marriage. They are still at the stage in their relationship where they are goo-goo eyed; flooded with love for one another. Often, they imagine their marriage as a perfect replication of their dating; a passionate love not yet tested with the realities of day to day life. They believe that their love is so strong that nothing will change it. Part of my role as a pre-marital counselor is to help them see some reality and develop the tools to maneuver the ups and downs of life together.

When it' time to plan their wedding ceremony it's not unusual for couples to want to use 1 Corinthians 13 – the “love passage.”

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is
not proud. ⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

This is a beautiful passage because it reads like a poem. It's romantic. But I always tell couples that as lovely as it is; as beautiful as the words are; it is a hard passage to live out.

The kind of love Paul is talking about is not the kind of love that is about you. It is not self-serving. Jesus' kind of love is concerned about the good of the other person rather than your own good; your own comfort; your own needs. It puts the other person's interests before your own. Jesus' idea of love does not attempt to control or manipulate or dominate or possess the other person.

You see, the problem us English speaking people have is that we have one word for love and so it’s hard for us to really understand what this passage teaches. We say that we love God, we love our spouse, our children, our families, and our friends. We say that we love chocolate or coffee or lemon meringue pie. We love a joke, a certain restaurant, or our job. But I do not love a joke in the same way that I love chocolate or in the same way I love my daughters. And the way that I love God is different than all of those. Yet the word love is the only word we have that communicates that we really, really like something or that something is really, really important to us!

In Greek, the language that this passage was originally written in, there are multiple words for love that convey a different intensity or depth of feeling. There is one word for the kind of love that you have for friends and there is another word for love that expresses the romantic love or physical attraction that is felt between a couple. And then there’s agape – the Greek word for love that is used to describe the way that Christ loves us. It is this word – agape – that is used in this scripture passage describing the kind of love that a husband is to have for his wife and the kind of love a wife is to have for her husband. It is the kind of love we are to have for one another.

When we remember that Christ loved us so much that he died on the cross for the sins of the world, we begin to understand that the love of Christ is complete sacrificial love. It’s a love that isn’t based on what we do or who we are – after all Christ died on the cross to save a bunch of sinners.

And it’s this kind of love – agape love that’s used in our passage from John this morning to describe the kind of love we are to have for one another. The kind of love Christ has for us. It is more than just a feeling of euphoria, it’s a deep disciplined habit of care and concern for one another that is deeply woven into our lives in such a way that we might even find ourselves called to die for it.¹ It is complete sacrificial love.

How can we possibly love in this way? It’s impossible, we say. “We” gets in the way of sacrificial, perfect love. If we truly could love one another as Christ has loved us, there would be no divorce; there would be no broken relationships; there would be no pain and injustice; there would be no hatred; no racism. There would be no war. No murder; no violence. “How is this kind of love possible?” we ask. Sacrificial love does not come easily.

And of course the answer is; it’s not possible. At least not on our own. It is only possible through Christ. It’s only possible because Christ loves us in this way. And through the love of Christ; out of this huge well of divine love, we can draw in the love we need as we move out with our much tinier containers into a love-starved world. We do not have the resources of love we need within ourselves. But in our spirit-filled hearts and minds and souls, we can constantly draw from this deep well of Christ’s love in us.²  A love that never ends.

Jesus is commanding us to pass on the same undeserved love you have experienced and continue to experience each and every day from Jesus to the (perhaps) undeserving but hurting people around you. Jesus gave up his life for his friends – in fact, for the whole hurting world – including his enemies. Jesus now asks us to give up our lives for our friends, and for the hurting and sometimes enemy world around us.

In his commentary on today’s text, Dale Bruner said, “The inhaling of an undeserved divine love for ourselves and the exhaling of our all-too-human

but still well-intended love for others, is the breathing exercise that all disciples must try to practice every day.”³ I like that. We breathe in the undeserved love from God for ourselves each and every minutes of each and every day. As disciples, we are called to breathe out that same undeserved love on others. Breathe in the love of God for us. Breathe out the love of God from us to others. God in. God out. Breathe in. Breathe out. God in. God out.

And how is this love expressed? How does the world see our love for Christ? The same way that Christ shows his love to us – a high bar indeed.  We must transform the love of Christ into a joyous existence; bearing good fruits and dwelling in a loving, accepting, united community. Love will become a transforming power more than a superficial and emotional expression. We begin “loving our enemies; doing good to those who hate us; blessing those who curse us; praying for those who abuse us.”⁴ We feed the hungry, heal the sick, comfort those who struggle and those in pain. We fight for justice for the oppressed. We do the things that Jesus was about.

In our gospel lesson this week, Jesus speaks of his extreme love for us. He calls us His friends. He says that He makes known to us everything that He hears from God. How does thinking of Christ as your friend and lover – or your Lord and Master – affect your daily living? How does it affect our priorities? How does it affect our interactions with one another?

We will have to draw from the deep well of God’s love for us in order to love

one another and to love our neighbors well enough to transform our little corner of God's Kingdom. I think this is what Jesus is talking about when he commands his disciples – when he commands you and me - to “love one another as he has loved us” and to “go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.”

Let’s be prayerful about how we can live out of the depths of God’s undeserving love. Amen.

1 Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 2. P498.

2 Bruner, Frederick Dale. The Gospel of John, A Commentary. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids. P888. Paraphrased.

3 Ibid. P889.

4 Luke 6:27-28

Ageless Wisdom

Reverend Debbie Cato

Psalm 71 & Matthew 20:1-16

Peace Presbyterian Church

Fifth Sunday of Easter – Older Adult Sunday

May 3, 2015

Ageless Wisdom

Our denomination recognizes this Sunday as the beginning of Older Adult Week and so today we are both thinking about and honoring the “older adults” in our church family. The deacons decided we would consider those who are 90 years young and above as our “older adults.” I hope we did not leave anyone out. Your long life deserves recognition. We have five individuals who are in their nineties – Pauline, Jack, Dorys, Mary, and Charlie. And of course Ralph - who is closer to 101 than he is to 100. There are a number of people under 90 who are missing on Sunday mornings; no longer able to get to church because of health problems. And in the last year, we have said good-bye to Phyllis, Bernice, and Pat.

You are the ones I think of when I read Jesus' story about laborers getting the same pay whether they had worked for the whole day or had worked just an hour. You are the ones who remind me of the men in Jesus' parable who labored all day long.

Some of you were founding members of this church. Some were here when this sanctuary was built. You helped build the Sunday school building; the fellowship building. Some of you painted the rooms; made the valances hanging over the windows. You planted the rhododendrons and the azaleas. The rose bushes. I'm willing to guess that you were the Sunday School teachers and the elders and the deacons. You worked the garage sales. In the life of this church, you have labored for many years. Some of you may have come to Peace later – after being founding members in other churches. Serving in other congregations.

And now others have come along who haven’t worked as hard or as long as you have. We have different ideas; new ways of doing church. And it’s hard.  We are the ones that the landowner hired later in the day. God called us to this church decades after you built it; and grew it; and loved on it. And the idea that those of us called here later receive the same as those who have always been here stings. But that’s the way God’s church works. That’s the way the church survives the generations.

Psalm 71:17-18 say:

     “O God, from my youth you have taught me,
          and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

               So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me,

                     until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come.”

“Until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come.” You have had experiences that some of us never will. We lack your years of experiencing being on this journey of faith. You have wisdom to share. Experiences to teach. You have stories of God’s faithfulness to tell.

It’s too easy to think that when your physical strength fails or your energy is less or your hearing is gone; when your bones ache, that your usefulness diminishes; perhaps life even loses its meaning. But God does not love us for what we can do for him, or for our usefulness in society. God loves you because you are you. He created you in his image. He knows your name.  He calls you his beloved child. You have a purpose until you take your final breath.

You had a vigorous youth and now a reflective older age. Your long life is proof of God’s faithfulness. You are a testimony that following Christ is a life-long journey. You know that it is a journey whose road takes you through highs and lows. It takes you down paths that make it easy to believe; easy to trust; easy to see God's blessings around every turn.  At other times your journey probably felt like involuntary detours; taking you on uncharted roads full of potholes and curves and dangers that you didn't anticipate; that you didn't plan for; that you certainly did not want. And, as you hit the bumps and came up to an unexpected curve, your faith may have faltered. You wondered if you could really trust God. You stopped believing.

This is the journey of faith. It is not easy. It is not smooth. This journey of faith wavers between strong and weak. It's why faith is a journey and not a destination. You have walked it for many years. We would love to hear these stories – they would help us along our own journey. You can teach us. You can proclaim God’s might to the generations to come. To us.

Whenever I read this Psalm, I always think of my Grandma Potter. Many of you know that I grew up in a very small, rural town in southwest Minnesota. I was the sixth of nine children. My parents had a traditional marriage – Dad worked and earned the money and Mom “just stayed home.” Mom “just” stayed home with the kids. She was a perfectionist so she cleaned, and cleaned, and cleaned. Our house always looked perfect – even with 9 children.

What Mom didn't have was time to do was just sit and do things with us. We never baked cookies together (it made a mess), we never did crafts (yep– messy). She never just sat and talked with us or read books to us. Mom didn't have time or, I think, the inclination.

My Grandma and Papa Potter lived 3 or 4 blocks from us. We walked past their house to school in the morning and then again on the way home. They lived on the same block as the Methodist church we attended. I would go to Grandma's house every chance I got. I would spend the night in one of Grandma's big four-poster beds, upstairs by myself, as often as I could. Grandma's house was always messy, but Grandma had time to just talk.

She had a candy drawer in the kitchen and we were always invited to take a piece of candy out of the drawer. We were also allowed to have Mountain Dew. Grandma taught me to knit. She loved to do crafts. One time we melted a whole bunch of crayons and some wax and we made candles. It made a terrible mess but we had so much fun! We would go up into the attic and sit and look at trunk after trunk of Grandma's old pictures and she would tell me about her childhood and her parents and coming to the United States. She would teach me about the “old country”. We would sit for hours and look at those pictures.

Grandma would also read the Bible with me. She knew that I loved Jesus – even as a little girl. We would read Scripture passages and she would talk about them and she would explain them to me. She always told me how much Jesus loved me – just the way I was. When I was 9, Grandma bought me a thick Bible story book that still sits on my bookshelf.

Psalm 71:17-18 say:

     “O God, from my youth you have taught me,
           and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

                 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me,

                       until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come.”

Grandma grew up going to church. Her parents were church-goers, of course unlike now; everyone went to church on Sunday mornings in those days. And at least with me, Grandma took “proclaiming your might to all the generations to come” seriously. She never seemed to grow weary of telling me about Jesus. She loved to hear me read from the Bible story book she gave me. She never grew tired of telling me about the stories Jesus told and she never tired of telling me that God loved me. I don't know if Grandma did this with any of my other siblings but she spent time with me. I needed her.

I look around this sanctuary on Sunday mornings and in different ways, several of you remind me of my Grandma Potter. I imagine you spending time with your grandchildren and great grandchildren. I imagine you telling them stories, showing them pictures, making messes. Maybe you even tell them about God. Tell them about his faithfulness. Tell them how much he loves them.

I loved my Grandma Potter. She was a huge influence in my life. She was the one who gave me the love and attention and encouragement that I needed. She nurtured me. I still love to do crafts. I still knit. I still love old pictures. I love Jesus. And like Grandma, I would rather talk than clean, so my house is always a little messy too.

Much of who I am is because of Grandma. I absolutely believe that my faith came from her faith. What a gift she gave me. What a legacy she left behind. I like to think she’s proud of what I’m doing with my life.

God promises that he will not forsake us – even to old age and gray hairs. You Pauline; you Dorys and Mary; you Roger and Charlie and Ralph: you stand as witnesses before us of what a life of faith looks like. You are proof that God is faithful throughout the journey that he calls us to; faithful in the good times and the hard times. While the world is changing all around you and even life in this church is changing, you know by experience that God is with you; that God is with us.

What do you want your legacy to be here at Peace Presbyterian Church? What can your role be as we work and pray and follow where we think God is leading us today? Leading us to keep this church alive; to keep it open; to keep it a place of welcome and peace and worship and faith?

You may not know this but you remain an important part of the life of this congregation. We need you. You are loved by God and you are loved by us. Thank you for building this church that we now have the privilege of attending. Praise Be to God!