Prayers of the People - Epiphany

Prayers of the People,

Prayed during worship on the Third Sunday After Epiphany, Jan 23, 2022.

As Jesus was filled with the power of the Spirit,

we pray, O God, that your Spirit would be present with us now,

pour out on us, that which we yearn for: abiding presence and reconciling love—

the Spirit of empowerment, and the Spirit of peace.

May the Spirit of affirmation speak a claiming word

on all who are uncertain of themselves, 

who live in doubt, haunted by mistakes, shrouded in fear, 

who lack confidence that they too may be loved.

Fill everyone who has been told there’s something wrong with them, or false, or broken, or sinful,

fill them all with your Spirit of Affirmation—baptize them with grace. 

Remind them of their true identity: we are all children of God.

May the Spirit of empowerment lift up the lowly,

all who have failed, been beaten down, held back, left behind,

all who sit in sack cloth, on the ash heap of grief,

or who sit in reservation as opportunities pass them by,

Empower and uplift lowly souls to be the kind of souls

who confidently serve the common good, lift them up

who bring their creativity to solve problems, lift them up

Who bring forward their ingenuity to help address the issues of our day. Lift them up!

Empower every scientists who is studying COVID-19, testing and searching for clues and data and results to help our world move forward with less illness and less suffering and better medicine. Increase their knowledge and use them to help us all.

Empower our doctors and nurses, the epidemiologists, cardiologists, anesthesiologists,  who are at work today, or tonight or this week, to be clear-minded and confident as they attempt to be healers for those who need healing, as they fight for this side of life.

Empower, Spirit of God, the corners of the earth that for too long have been marginalized, and need lifting up—the places and peoples we long ago deemed to be in darkness, impoverished, amplify their voices and lift up their lives for the fresh perspective they bring to advanced society, for the diversities they offer, may we in West, be open to receive their gifts from the east, the south, and the north.

May the Spirit of peace descend upon us like a dove.

Fluttering amongst us, settling amongst us, like pure love released on a wedding day,

May the Spirit of peace descend upon the world like a dove:

Peace in Grand Haven

Peace in the streets of Chicago

Peace in the mountains of Tibet

Peace in Venezuela and Columbia and Mexico,

Peace where civil war rises and divides—in wartorn Ethiopia and Syria,

Peace in Yemen and Libya, 

Peace where war knocks on the door in Ukraine and Russia,

Peace where wild fires burn and tidal waves destroy.

Send your Spirit like a dove to descend upon the world.

And finally, Dear Jesus,

may your Spirit anoint this church,

may your Spirit anoint every person here today, 

to have ears opened and eyes widened ,

To witness the Word Made Flesh,

The One who reads Isaiah aloud:

Good News to the Poor, release to the captives, recovery, freedom, and Jubilee…

The One who preaches:

Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing…

And the One in whose name we are bold to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

And the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

-Written by Pastor Matt Schmidt

Let the Prophets Proclaim Psalm 15

After silence, let the prophets speak:

Isaiah.

Amos.

Jeremiah.

Micah.

Then Psalm 15.

Who shall gather in the Presence of God?

What should worship do to our hearts?

In the 8th Century, B.C., before society collapsed, Isaiah son of Amoz prophesied. Isaiah was from the inner circles of Jerusalem. But he preached from God’s own lips against the inner circles of Jerusalem, and the sinful nation of Israel, why? Because maybe…they would come to church, and hear Isaiah’s sermon, and change their ways, and return to God. The leaders of the city and God’s people had rejected a key aspect of God’s covenant: that God blessed them through Abraham to be a blessing to all nations. Blessed to be a blessing. To watch out for the weak, to take care of the most vulnerable in society, the widows and orphans and aliens. Instead, the leaders were corrupt. Injustice was rampant. The poor got poorer and the weak, weaker. Don’t get me wrong, these hypocrites would come to worship, they would offer the right sacrifices according to the scriptures, they loved a good festival, but it was lip service, it was a sham, worship wasn’t transforming their hearts and making them serve others better. Worship was just for their own gain. Like the person who visits a church today wondering, “Will I be fed?” “I hope I like the music” “Will the Pastor tell another funny story about his cute little girls?” “I just like, need to feel like I’m forgiven”…

Meanwhile, society is crumbling, injustice is rampant, racism is on the rise, as are the sea levels, forest fires and floods, and in the face of a pandemic, many are worried about their own individual privileges. These people come to church to hear a sermon. 

So Isaiah preaches:

11What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?

says the LORD;

I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams

and the fat of fed beasts;

12When you come to appear before me,

who asked this from your hand?

Trample on my courts no more;

13bringing offerings is futile;

incense is an abomination to me.

New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation—

I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.

14Your new moons and your appointed festivals

my soul hates;

they have become a burden to me,

I am weary of bearing them.

15When you stretch out your hands,

I will hide my eyes from you;

even though you make many prayers,

I will not listen;

your hands are full of blood.

What’s the problem here? People are greedy and selfish and violent (they have blood on their hands) and they pray, but their prayers are about themselves, and they make offerings, but their offerings are about themselves. More blessing and favor for me, please. And so worship isn’t shaping society into a more just society, worship isn’t changing iniquity. So Isaiah preaches:

17cease to do evil,

learn to do good;

seek justice,

rescue the oppressed,

defend the orphan,

plead for the widow.

The prophet Isaiah preaches. Worship should be centered on God, yes, but to encounter the radiating light, the burning presence of God, should change us and help us become the kind of blessed people who bless the nations. Instead of dropping bombs, we should give aid. Worship should motivate you to help oppressed people, to defend our weakest children, to plead the cause of our poorest women in the world.

Who shall gather in the Presence of God?

What should worship do to our hearts?

In the 8th Century, B.C., before society collapsed, God raised up a shepherd from Tekoa, south of Bethlehem, who was also a sycamore tree trimmer. A man named Amos who at one point wrote a kind of funeral sermon, a dirge, a lamentation, about the rampant sin across society, about the problem of injustice, the lies, the greed, the power, the oppression, the corruption…

In this time, God hated worship, because it was lipservice. It existed to maintain the status quo, to keep the power in power, not to overturn, not change hearts, not to declare justice and inspire righteousness. Like folks today, who come to church and don’t want to hear anything too political or too disruptive, they think Rage Against the Machine is of the devil, and church music should be a sweet sounding thing that makes them feel good. Positive. Encouraging. Bug.

Amos (ch 5) preaches:

6 Seek the Lord and live,

or he will break out against the house 

of Joesph like fire,

and it will devour Bethel, with no one 

to quench it.

7Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood,

and bring righteousness to the ground!

21I hate, I despise your festivals

and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

22Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,

I will not accept them;

23Take away from me the noise of your songs;

I will not listen to the melody of your harps.

24But let justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

God hates sweet church music in worship, unless it’s the sweet sounds of the poor being lifted up, the sweet sounds of slaves being set free, the sweet sounds of justice rolling down like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. That would be a worship service. Whoa.

Who shall gather in the Presence of God?

What should worship do to our hearts?

Oh, here’s a story, about a man named Jeremiah (ch. 7) who had to stand in the gate of God’s house.

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah, you that enter these gates to worship the LORD. 3Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and let me dwell with you in this place. 4Do not trust these deceptive words: “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.”

5For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly act justly with one with another, 6if you do not oppress the illegal immigrants, the orphans, and the widows, or shed innocent blood in the place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt (Gods like money, sex, power), 7then I will dwell with you in this place…

Worship, at its best, if we change our hearts, and seek a different song, could be place of presence with the divine. Or we could come to church like hypocrites, and not talk about racial injustice or war or poverty or oppression.

Who shall gather in the Presence of God?

What should worship do to our hearts?

Micah (ch. 6), the prophet, who was especially sensitive to the social ills of his day, in his small town and in the little village where he lived, preaches:

6With what shall I come before the LORD,

and bow myself before God on high?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with valves a year old?

7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,

with ten thousands of rivers of oil?

Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression 

(no please don’t sacrifice your child)

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8He has told you, O mortal, what is good;

and what does the LORD require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

4 prophets.

Isaiah.

Amos.

Jeremiah.

Micah.

4 prophets suffering the same problem: 

People think church, worship, burnt offerings and festivals are about getting God’s favor for themselves, to further themselves, to feel good, to maintain their status. 

4 prophets who declare the truth about worship: 

It should bend your heart towards justice, 

the presence of God should shape you into one who cares about all your neighbors. 

Now, we turn to Psalm 15. Because its The Summer of Psalms.

All week long, when I read and reread Psalm 15, it sounded like a version of the 10 Commandments. Like Who Is Invited to Dinner at God’s house? Who may abide in God’s tent? Good people, honest people, righteous people, who follow the rules, which leaves out all the bad people, the dishonest and corrupt people. My protestant heart was offended by this, because I know Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Jesus undeniably had a particular heart for sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes. Jesus did much of his ministry on the margins of society. Wouldn’t Jesus, friend of sinners, invite the rule-breakers to dinner?

Then I realized Psalm 15 isn’t a version of the 10 Commandments. It’s not law, it’s liturgy. It’s not a psalm about the exclusion of some. It’s prophetic, which means it’s about changing hearts so that more goodness would spread and more peace and more justice. Psalm 15 isn’t about excluding people by rulebook. It’s prophetic liturgy. 

You see, laws are written by those in power, often to maintain order which benefits those in power. But litergy is written by artists, and prophecy is performed to evoke a response: feelings, then actions that match feelings. Psalm 15 is liturgy in line with the prophets Isaiah, Amos, Jeremiah, and Micah, who long for the Presence of God to shape us into a people of justice and compassion. Read it with me again:

Psalm 15

1O Lord, who may abide in your tent?

Who may dwell on your holy hill?

2Those who walk blamelessly,

and do what is right,

and speak the truth from their heart;

3who do not slander with their tongue, (because that would hurt others)

and do no evil to their friends (because that would hurt others)

nor take up reproach against their neighbors (because that would hurt others)

4in whose eyes the wicked are despised (because the wicked hurt others for their own gain)

but who honor those who fear the Lord;

who stand by their oath even to their hurt (because others matter more than your own gain)

5who do not lend money at interest 

(well this is a dinosaur…imagine no banks…the intention here, is that interest benefits the powerful and hurts the poor, because the poor pay the interest…imagine if God’s People everywhere wanted to develop a massive system of free money without interest for the poorest people…that would be neat)

and who do not take a bribe against the innocent (because that would hurt others).

Those who do these things

shall never be moved. 

Why shall they never be moved?

Because society would more stable,

the earth would be healthier,

the gaps and fractures in our economy would be resolved,

the gaps and fractures between neighbors would be healed,

the gaps and fractures between us and God would be no more.

Psalm 15 asks the same question the prophets ask:

Why go to be in God’s presence? And How? And Who Shall We Be After Church?

Do you go to church to be blessed, 

to seek God’s favor, 

to get answers to your own self, 

or do you go for the sake of the world, 

for the sake of others, 

that justice might flow down like the waters, 

and righteousness like an ever flowing stream.

Psalm 15 isn’t about rules. It isn’t law.

Psalm 15 is a call to worship, 

it is liturgy, it transcends any one of our lives,

it is the “rehearsal of a purpose, and a possibility” (Interpretation: Psalms)

that you might care for others,

that you might see yourself connected to those around you, even those who have wronged you,

that you might see your ancestors in today’s immigrants,

that you might see the greed in our system and call it out and change it,

that you might see the racism and work to become an anti-racist,

that you might do justice and love kindness and walk humbly with our God.

Psalm 15 transcends our lives, and asks if we hope for this kind of life, if we want this kind of life, if we might be willing to try.

May you try and when you fail, when society fails again,

May you come to know that by the grace of God,

Christ has overcome the sufferings of this world,

and faith in this grace may regenerate you, regenerate you

to try again tomorrow, 

not because it is required of you,

but because experiencing the Presence of God changes you to love others. Amen.

The Time is Now...Follow Jesus

Our first reading is Psalm 62.

The next time you feel persecuted, make this your prayer.

The next time you feel the Man come knocking, make this your prayer.

The next time sinners entice you to come with them to ambush the innocent, to take what doesn’t belong to you, to get ahead on the backs of others, make this Psalm your prayer.

The next time your portfolio grows or you come into some extra money, pray this.

The next time you feel afraid, make this your prayer.

The next time someone you trust fails you, pray this.

Psalm 62:5-12 (NRSV)

5For God alone my soul waits in silence,

for my hope is from him.

6He alone is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

7On God rests my deliverance and my honor;

my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.

8Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your heart before him;

God is refuge for us.

9Those of low estate are but a breath,

those of high estate are a delusion;

in the balances they go up;

they are together lighter than a breath.

10Put no confidence in extortion,

and set no vain hopes on robbery;

if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

11Once God has spoken;

twice have I heard this:

that power belongs to God,

12and steadfast love belongs to you,

O Lord.

Things are changing. Those who have no power, the poor, and those who have power, the rich, are but a breath, a vanity that floats away to meaninglessness. Exhale…But what is true as the world changes and overturns, is that power belongs to God, and so does steadfast love.

Our next reading is a brief selection from an ancient letter written by Paul to a church in the city of Corinth that was being torn apart by divisions. He begs them to stay united to Christ, who he argues is vastly more important than any human leader or figurehead—be it Paul or Peter or Apollos—Christ is the head of the church and Christ will return soon. In fact, he argues that Christ’s already-not-yet reign is so fully imminent that we should live today as if it’s true—no longer burdened by the problems of the world that is wasting away like sour relationships, or death, or money, or the stuff you spend your time worried about.

1 Corinthians 7:29-31 (NRSV)

29I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, 30and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, 31and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

Like the psalmist, Paul agrees that this world is changing and passing away, and things we think really matter don’t really matter because love reigns down in Jesus Christ. So you have permission to stop working that job you hate, or you can stop mourning the loss of that loved one who dwells with Christ because soon you’ll dwell with Christ and all will be well, or you can leave that relationship that hasn’t been life-giving for a long time, or you don’t need to buy the Mega Millions lottery ticket because what is money? Will currency even matter when Christ reigns supreme? Like the Psalmist, Paul is basically saying, when the world order turns over, it’s not permission to loot and steal and burn down society, hoarding gold won’t help, an upheaval of the world order isn’t permission for anarchy, instead when the present form of this world is passing away, and big changes are happening, find comfort in Christ, be patient through the changes, for the hidden reign of God is being made known and coming to it’s fullness. 

What would it look like for you to live today as if this were true? Stop being so worried, so stressed, so angry, have some faith, trust that you are going to be okay, and you don’t have to be bogged down by the matters of the world that are just silly, meaningless, and won’t matter in fullness of the kingdom of heaven. 

Paul’s genius is that he’s asking the church to be the kind of community of people that live today as if one world is ending and God’s world is beginning, which means you so much permission to stop caring about the things that are stressing you out, you are free to change, free to love, but before you get all excited and run off to rob a bank, remember that so much of society is fabricated illusion and vanity and meaningless and not eternal. So consider, who is eternal? What is everlasting? The bridge to the future is faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love. 

Now we turn to Mark’s Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 1:14-20 (NRSV)

14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

16As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” 18And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

The time is now.

The kingdom of God has come near.

Repent

and believe in the good news.

This is the message that Jesus preaches throughout the region of Galilee. 

In preaching this message, it becomes true.

The time is now. Time is fulfilled. It’s happening. The reign of God is coming near. The world is passing away and here comes a new world order. God is on the move.

Repent.

What does it mean to repent? 

Most simply, it means to turn around. Turn around. Stop going that way, the way of the world, and start going this way, the way of Christ. Find your way back to God, and discover that God has already moved to meet you right in the turning.

Why do we need to repent?

Because the time dictates the turn.

Michigan is marching down the field with 1:13 left in the third quarter. This is that bowl game from a few years ago. One end-zone is painted navy and yellow, for the Michigan Wolverines, the other end-zone is orange and blue, for the Florida Gators. Chad Henne hands the ball off to little Mike Hart, it’s a stretch play to the right. He gets a first down. Michigan lines up quickly, trips to the right, Henne shouts hike, he drops back to pass—he see’s Arrington streaking down the sideline, cornerback two steps behind, suddenly the ball is in the air, drifting to the sideline, Arrington never loses stride, contorts his body, leaps into the air, catches the football, and lands with a toe in bounds. Now we’re on the 15 yard line, heading towards the orange Gator end-zone. Michigan hands the ball off to Mike Hart, he wiggles ahead for a few yards. As Michigan lines up to run their next play, time is ticking on the clock. 4-3-2-1. They don’t get the play off. Time expires. A whistle blows. We go to commercial break. When the game resumes, it’s the fourth quarter. Both teams change directions, they flip the field. Now Michigan is heading towards the navy and yellow end-zone. If you don’t change directions, you’re playing the wrong game. Can you imagine if Henne or Hart didn’t turn around and go the opposite direction. They’d be 90 yards back the other way, standing by themselves, wondering where everyone went.

I think you know exactly what it means that the time dictates the turn.

The time is now, repent and believe the good news. Turn around and go the other direction. Stop living a meaningless, selfish life, turn around and follow Jesus, believe in the good news.

You’re walking through the airport, everyone is moving about in every direction. You’ve got your ticket to fly to New York flight 5776, departing in 30 minutes from Gate A23. Amidst the bustling energy of the airport you hear an almost angelic voice chime in: flight 5776, destination New York, will now be departing in 30 minutes from Gate B12. You stop. You look at your ticket. You turn around and hustle to gate B12, because you want to get to your destination.

Jesus begins his ministry the moment John the Baptist gets arrested. He picks up the mantel and preaches throughout Galilee, 

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

In the hearing of this announcement, may it be true. The time is now, turn around, and believe in the good news.

Jesus is walking along the shores of the sea of Galilee. He sees two brother, Simon and Andrew, in a boat just off the shore, in the middle of work, casting and hauling in their nets. Jesus interrupts with a command, 

“Follow me and I will make you fish for people…”

They say nothing. They immediately stop and leave behind what they were doing. As if a whistle blew they change without even a hesitation, and follow Jesus.

Jesus is walking along the shores of the sea of Galilee, a little further along, and he sees more fishermen. The Zebedee boys, James and John. They’re in the middle of work, mending their nets. Jesus interrupts and calls them to follow him. 

Without speaking or saying anything. 

Without asking their father’s permission. 

Without saying goodbye to their coworkers. 

Without going home to pack their bags. Immediately they leave their whole life and follow this Jesus wherever he is going. 

The time is now. 

Repent and believe the good news.

Follow Jesus.

I know you have stuff to do, work to do, projects to do. You’re right in the middle of a puzzle. You’re right in the middle of dinner. There are things you like about your life that you aren’t ready to give up. Or, you’re just too busy with your stuff and your people, but Jesus is calling, and this isn’t just for folks going into ministry. Jesus doesn’t just call pastors. Jesus is calling…fishermen, lawyers, teachers, prostitutes, IRS agents, retired folks, elderly folks, young adults, college students, teenagers, children, infants…even you. 

The time is fulfilled.

The announcement has been made.

If you want to be on the flight that goes to New York, you can’t walk to gate A23 anymore, you need to turn around and go in the opposite direction or you’ll never get to your destination.

The time is now.

Repent and believe the good news.

Follow Jesus.

Who are you following? 

Which pastors or teachers or mentors do you prefer?

Which leader do you like?

Which news network do you watch?

Which friends sway you?

Which commentators persuade you?

Which storytellers entertain you?

Which parent’s wisdom do you prefer?

Who are you following?

Forget about them.

Follow Jesus.

The time is now.

turn around, 

Jesus is calling.

Jesus is walking along the shores of the sea of Galilee, a little further along now. Two sets of brothers follow him.

Andrew whispers to Peter, “Where are we going?”

Peter responds, “I don’t know, but we’re going where he goes.”

James whispers to John, “How do we know what to do?”

John replies, “I don’t know, just try to do what he does.”

Andrew whispers to Peter, “Should we tell mom?”

Peter smiles, “I think she’ll hear about him soon enough.”

Leave your life, with no worries, and put on His life,

Follow Jesus, won’t you please.

Pray with me.

Dear Jesus, come to us again today, as you have throughout our lives and for generations, and call us to follow you. Then by your Holy Spirit, may we turn from whatever has distracted us, tempted us, wasted us, or confused us, by your Holy Spirit, turn us toward you. Amen.

To Be Known is to Know; To Be Seen to See

A Sermon by Pastor Matt Schmidt, preached on Sunday Jan. 17, 2021.

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 (NRSV)

1O LORD, you have searched me and known me.

2You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from far away.

3You search out my path and my lying down,

and are acquainted with all my ways.

4Even before a word is on my tongue,

O LORD, you know it completely.

5You hem me in, behind and before,

and lay your hand upon me.

6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is so high that I cannot attain it…

13For it was you who formed my inward parts;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your woks;

      that I know very well.

15My frame was not hidden from you,

      when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

16Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.

In your book were written 

      all the days that were formed for me,

      when none of them as yet existed.

17How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!

      how vast is the sum of them!

18I try to count them—they are more than the sand;

      I come to the end—I am still with you.

God is not aloof, God is paying close attention.

God is not hard of hearing, God listens actively and well.

God is not in a galaxy far, far away, although God is there too.

God is not separate from us, God is like a grandma who knit you like a scarf, her fingers knew exactly how to make you…you.

God is like an author, and you are a beloved character in a book already written. I really like this image, because I love books and the idea that my story is unfolding already written is both comforting and exhilarating. “I come to the end—I am still with you.”

One of my prayers is that you know whatever you’re going through, whatever difficulties or burdens or anxieties you’re struggling with, those things are not outside God’s intimate knowledge. God knows you, God sees you, God is paying close attention to you, whether you know it or not. Think of the things you think about that you don’t share with anyone. The secrets. The worries. The shame. Before your inner monologue can even name what’s going on inside you, God already knows, and God loves you through it all.

Depending on what you think about, this can be a wonderful, comforting truth, or an exposing, vulnerable, unveiling of sorts.

So…God knows how I feel when I see that person? Yea…

So…God knows what happened to me? Yes…

So…God knows how and when I’ll die? Well, yes…

So…God knows what I really think about my mother-in-law? Of course, but we don’t we all?

This psalm is doing more than just mess with your imagination, it’s also making a huge claim about self-hood and our dependency on God.

One of the greatest illusions of modernity is the “conviction that human beings are autonomous, self-determining individuals.” (Beach-Verhey, Feasting, 252). This is an illusion, a lie of pride. “Human destiny is in the hands of a gracious God.” (252).

H. Richard Niebuhr says it this way:

In religious language, the soul and God belong together; or otherwise stated, I am one within myself as I encounter the One in all actions upon me…And my response to every particular action takes the form of a response to the One that is active in it.

What he’s saying is what the psalmist is saying; we can’t be separated from God and instead of longing for separation, we should practice a trusting dependence on God.

How does the Heidelberg Catechism say it?

Question & Answer 1 - What is your only comfort in life and in death?

That I belong—body and soul, in life and in death—not to myself but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his blood has fully paid for all my sins and has completely freed me from the dominion of the devil; that he protects me so well that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that everything must fit his purpose for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

Now, let’s talk about Jesus. And what I hope you hear in our Gospel lesson today, is a collective invitation to see the One with whom your life should be inextricably linked. 

John 1:43-51 (NRSV)

43The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael and said to him “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Jesus found Philip then Philip found Nathanael. God sees us, and then we see what to do next.

On the one hand, this is a story about Jesus calling disciples. But it’s also a story about the relationship between the self and its dependency on God. 

Why does Philip follow Jesus? 

All we know is that he was found by Jesus. It’s a bit of a mystery why some of us respond to God’s calling in this life, and why some of us ignore it. I’m starting to wonder if many people simply don’t know that God knows what they don’t know God knows. We must encounter Christ and realize that he knows us. 

Why do people follow Jesus? 

Here, Philip and Nathanael seem to quite spontaneously follow. Without too much prompting, they come and see. Karl Barth calls this “the attractive power of a preexisting bond established by God’s incarnation in Jesus.” Psalm 139 would say, yea, there’s a bond between the self and God if only we’d realize it. I would say, 

to be seen is to see, 

to be known is to know. 

And God sees and knows you.

47When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49Nathanael answered, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

I wonder how it felt for Nathanael to be known by Jesus so intimately. 

Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit

Have you ever been recognized for your goodness, for your striving to tell the truth? So on one level perhaps Nathanael has some goodness that God is recognizing. But then on another level, this verse is juxtaposed with the verse before where Nathanael speaks ill of Nazareth. “Can anything good come from that town, that rotten place, that poor little meaningless place”. Not a very nice thing to say, but Jesus knows that he knows no better and greets him with the smile of grace. And then on another level, this is an ode to the ancient story of Jacob—whose name in Genesis becomes Israel. 

Jacob was known as a deceitful little brother who stole his older brother’s inheritance and blessing. Do you remember that story? Their father Isaac is old and the little brother Jacob dresses up like the big brother Esau and steals the older brother’s blessing. Quite deceitful. And rightfully so, the older brother wants to kill him. So Jacob flees, he leaves town for awhile because Esau is big and strong and angry and he wants to kill his little brother. We’ll come back to that story in a few seconds. 

So Jesus is talking with Nathanael, who is “an Israelite in whom their is no deceit”, and Nathaniel is struct by the fact that Jesus saw him in a different place and different time and knew him while he was under the fig tree (which basically means when he was a student of a different rabbi, off at school because in the ancient world the fruit of a fig tree was like the teachings of a rabbi). 

It’s like if Jesus said, yea I saw you in Mr. Bufford’s histroy class back in ’78, when you used to wear that ratty green tshirt and doodle those cartoons in your notebook. 

Whoa. You saw that? So…you know what I was writing in my diary? What about after prom…do you know about that too?

50Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

To been seen by God, and known, opens the pathway for you to see greater things. And the greater things will be…drumroll please…

Heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.

Come back with me to Jacob, the one who will be named Israel, the deceitful little brother. His older brother wants to kill him, so he has to flee, to leave his family and his friends and his home. Basically needs to enter a kind of ancient world witness protection program because Esau is gonna kill him. Can you imagine how scary that would be? To have violence knocking on your door. Can you imagine how isolating that would be? To have to go it alone for awhile, not knowing how long it would be before you could return home? Jacob is traveling, far away from home, and the sun begins to set, so he decides to stay there for the night, wherever he is. He has no pillow so he finds a stone to put under his head. He’s nowhere and without home. Homeless. And that night he dreams a very strange dream. He sees a ladder, or maybe it was a stairway set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven; and there were angels of God ascending and descending on it. And then, the LORD stood there and spoke “I am the LORD…Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.” 

Know that I am with you 

and will keep you 

wherever you go. 

Jacob is alone, afraid, and a big hairy monster wants to kill him….and yet in a dream, God says to know that I am with you. And you could argue about whether this is good news, and say what kind of God would even let this happen in the first place, or you could just know that God is with you and your story is not over yet, and God isn’t done with you yet, and someday things will be different and God will still be with you.

It’s obvious that Jacob’s ladder is the image behind what Jesus is telling Nathanael. Cue the drumroll again…but listen closer, to what exactly Jesus says,

You will see greater things than these … Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.

Instead of a ladder or stairway to heaven, that angels can use to climb up and down upon, the “upon” here is Jesus, the Son of Man.

the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.

What? Is Jesus also an extendable fiberglass object that I keep in my garage?

It's more like, Jesus is the established connection between heaven and earth. Jesus is the pathway to the good life. Jesus is the ladder, Jesus is the bridge, Jesus is the stairway to heaven, that’s a big part of what the incarnation is doing in our world. Connected us with heaven. 

But there’s another strange detail: the stairway leads in both directions. It is a mutual connection. Angels ascending and descending. This isn’t an image of everyone flowing in one direction away from this place, as if a rocket ship is launching and you better get one board or you’ll be left behind. The image is an image of mutual connection. A highway that leads in and out, up and down. 

Why? 

Because the only way to see the way is to trust that God finds you first and in being found, you trust that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, and you’re going where you’re supposed to go. God meets you and walks the road with you.

From Christmas (Emmanuel God-with-us Incarnation) to Epiphany, the message is the same: God is here. You are not alone. God is in this place. And God is with you wherever you go. And God knows who you used to be, and what happened to you back there, and God knows who you are becoming, and will guide you on your journey if you’ll do your part to have faith that God sees and hears and knows you.

Why does this matter?

I’m convinced that most conflict in our world comes about when an individual or a group of people don’t feel heard or understood. 

I remember when my future wife Hillary and I were first learning how to have a good marriage, and we went to counseling while we were engaged. We learned the tools of non-violent communication, which is a way of sharing with your partner how you feel, and what you need and what you want. And your partner listens actively, to seek to understand what you need and what you want, because if you don’t listen and don’t understand, there will be conflict. Not just about the potato salad you forgot to pick up after work, but also about bigger stuff, because the potato salad is about more than just forgetting, it’s about not feeling helped. But then you learn how to listen actively and share what you need and want and feel heard. I can’t explain how wonderful it feels to have Hillary seek to see and understand me. If I’m frustrated or bothered about something and we really practice non-violent communication, it gives oxygen to the room, it slows our breathing, we find reconciliation. 

Every time. 

Like magic. 

Because to be known is to know, 

and to be seen is to see.

Now imagine entire people groups who don’t feel seen or heard or understood and you can see why there’s so much shouting and why violence breaks out. People scream into social media because social media doesn’t listen well, Facebook doesn’t listen, it’s just a one-way shouting match. We’re like monkey throwing feces at each other and we think this is free speech. The only free speech is heard need and God hears you and knows what you truly need.

The stairway to heaven is Jesus Christ. And this is a mutual, reciprocal descending and ascending, a multi-lane highway that leads from your heart, from your soul, to God himself. The ladder is Christ, the destination is God. 

Why do some people follow Jesus? 

Because they know that they are known.

And where is my life going?

The psalmist declares: I come to the end—and I am still with you.

What is your only comfort in life and in death?

That I belong—body and soul, in life and in death—not to myself, but to my faithful savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

A Word About Power and Love

The following sermon written by Matt Schmidt and preached on Sunday Jan 10, 2021.

Mark 1:4-11 (NRSV)

4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

The beginning of Mark introduces us first to John the Baptist, then to Jesus. If all we had was Mark’s Gospel, we wouldn’t know the birth narratives of Luke and Matthew. We wouldn’t know about the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks at night when the angel appears and announces the glorious birth of a Messiah. We wouldn’t know about Mary and Joseph and all their drama. We wouldn’t know about the Epiphany of the wise men from the east who saw the star. Mark begins his version of the Jesus story with John the Baptizer mid-ministry, when his prophetic movement, quite frankly a populist movement, was in full go. And so when we meet Jesus for the first time, we’re not sure who he is according to this story, but that gets cleared up quickly because in baptism we discover his true identity. And it’s very good news for you and for me. 

My hope today is that in talking about the baptism of Jesus, you might reclaim your own baptismal identity and rediscover the power of love in your own life, and then I hope that this good news of God’s love, transmitted to you through Jesus, might help you navigate these strange times, this difficult life, the brokenness, the mess, the depravity that is so rampant.

Now, I believe human beings are endlessly complex, and that we each have our own stories that are nuanced and complicated. We suffer, we sin, each of us in different ways. I’m not sure how brokenness has crept into your life this week but I’ll bet it has. Nobody has walked into church today thinking — absolutely everything is perfect! My life is amazing! There’s nothing wrong with the world! What pandemic? What violence? I haven’t heard this news about these things—nobody is walking in to church today thinking I have no issues and no needs. 

Now, also in my old age, I’m increasingly convinced of the depravity of humanity. I don’t mean that human beings have no good, we all have a mixture of good and evil swirling about within us. But I do not think we have the capacity to completely save ourselves.

We need a savior. 

And then, we need to remember our baptism as a unifying, redefining identity of beloved belonging with this savior — a gift of grace from God so that we might know our true self as God knows us. A union with Christ.

I’m so glad you’re here today (or reading this sermon) because the gospel of the Son of God here to save us is thus announced by John the Baptist.

Here’s one thing we know about John: He lived on the edge of two places: the wilderness and the land flowing with milk and honey. Quite literally, the Jordan River divides the wilderness from the promised land. And John offered a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins in this river. So people from the promised land, the place supposed to flow with milk and honey would journey south and east, down the mountains, out from the highlands, towards the wilderness, until they reached the gateway, which was the Jordan River. And there, they would meet John. Who offered them an end-times message of repentance for the forgiveness of their sins. 

Why was this popular? 

Why were so many people drawn to these waters? 

For one, if the end is near, then you always see people making big changes in desperation. But also, I think then was similar to now, in that, there were so many forces and powers depraved that you just had to hope God would do something to save you, because that was just too overwhelming. For example, then, there were Emperors and Kings who oppressed people (sound like today?), slaves and peasants with no upward mobility (ring a bell?), an aristocratic generation of priests who ruled the Jerusalem Temple and who got rich and fat off the backs of the poor (uh…I’m sure that would never happen today). Overwhelmed, overworked, powerless people heard about this movement that anticipated the end of things as they are and then something different. So they journeyed, searching for God, willing to admit their sins, and ask for forgiveness, and hope for a fresh start. Baptism in this way is a kind of humble submission to God. You confess that you are powerless amidst these warped powers of the world and you ask to be made clean and new.

And so baptism in this place — on the edge of two places: the wilderness and the land flowing with milk and honey — is a kind of return to the Exodus Story in which the people of God understand God has covenanted to overcome empire (Egypt) and all odds (wilderness/power/obstacles) to give blessing and abundant life in the promised land, but first they must be go through it. Through the wilderness that reforms them. And so in the time of John, the people of God were being drawn back to the journey of that story, to leave the land that was supposed to flow with milk and honey, to plunge back through the wilderness, and then return to the land through the waters of the Jordan River and maybe now there’d be a little more milk and honey for them too.

Water, wilderness, milk and honey, locusts, camel hair. This story is earthy. It’s about food and money and sin and life and death and liberation and land. God’s story of redemption and promise of forgiveness is earthy—a story for here and now and you and me. 

Mark’s Gospel is only beginning, but he wants us to know that the good news of Jesus, salvation itself, is addressing the problems of this place, this earth, this life, these particular people, this particular society, even you. And so when we name that we can sense the brokenness of this place, the sin, the lies, the greed, the politics, the people today, we can expect for God’s salvation to infect this place. Which is what the incarnation, and the baptism of Jesus is doing. Infecting earth with heaven like a good disease—how about that good news amidst an actual pandemic?

So John the Baptizer grows in popularity. He’s quite successful in terms of how many people are impacted by his ministry, but do you notice that he keeps telling them the same thing: Somebody next is more powerful than I. How refreshing is it, to hear a popular, powerful public figure be humble and talk about how the next leader is going to be more powerful and more worthy…you see that John really believes that up next is the Messiah. He knows he’s not the Messiah, so he points outside himself and at God for deliverance. And as a firm foundation, he leans into the prophecies of old, that in the end times God would saturate this world with God’s Spirit. 

Listen to the old prophet Ezekiel, from chapter 36, and tell me this isn’t what John hoped for:

Thus says the Lord…24I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. 25I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27I will put my spirit within you…then you shall live in the land that I gave your ancestors; and you shall be my people and I will be your God.

Land, people, clean water, a new spirit.

Earthy stuff mixed with heavenly stuff. John believed that in the end, someone more powerful that he would come and bring with him the salvation of creation. And then this:

9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Jesus brings the good news because he is the good news. He is the one more powerful than John. And his power is love. All the energy of this text is the moment when heaven is torn apart and the Spirit descends from the Father to the Son like a dove…

 (By the way — a dove — really? Isn’t a dove like THE sign of peace and love? — Do you remember the story of Noah? That great cataclysmic flood, so much death, so much destruction, and then in the end the dove and the olive branch, proof that the waters are receding. Que the rainbows! That story is actually not about an angry god, but about humanity patiently enduring cataclysm so that God might be victorious in the promise of peace and love). 

This Jesus will bring this kind of peace, inner peace, quietness and calm. Waters can be peaceful or chaotic. This baptism in these waters mark a man named Jesus will be called Prince of Peace.

So all the energy of this text is in the heaven-torn-apart-revelation of the relationship between the Father and the Son, which we discover is a type of peace and love, like a dove. And then a voice makes it more clear: You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased. 

All the energy, the spirit of this text is in the revelation of love. 

The Father and the Son are connected to each other with love. In fact, the Son’s identity as Son or Messiah, cannot be disconnected or parsed from his identity as the Beloved One. Baptism reveals love. Baptism is about God making promises about the truth of one’s life.

And then, Jesus Christ transmits this identity to you. Jesus Christ will expend all kinds of energy throughout his life and ministry and death on a cross proving the height and depths of God’s love for you. We discover in Jesus, the true power of God is love, which means you’ll know salvation when you know God’s love for you. 

The effectiveness of Christ’s work is connected or linked or revealed or sealed upon our hearts in the waters and Spirit of our baptism.

Because the relationship between the Father and the Son is connected by love, then we can receive such a connection of love as well. All this happens in the baptism of Jesus, and thus should inform our understandings of our baptism as well!

Let me ask you this: 

How do you remember your baptism? 

I know for a fact, that many of you have been baptized. How do you remember your baptism? OR If you’ve never been baptized, then talk to me after church about why we shouldn’t baptize you as soon as we can.

For Christians, especially in reformed theology, baptism by water and Spirit (an earth and heaven baptism) is a visible sign and seal of God’s grace. It’s not an earned identity, it’s a gift of grace, a freely given identity from God to you. 

Notice the story of Jesus begins, for Mark, with God speaking words of affirmation and love towards his son. The way things begin shape how they end. Words matter. Words create identity. And the first words spoken by God of Jesus are: you are my son, the beloved. 

In baptism, we believe this same essential spirit: God chooses you, before you can even choose him. God loves you even before you can return the love. This is why our reformed tradition baptizes babies, because before they can cognitively comprehend what’s happening, God is already making promises to love them. 

God promises to love you no matter who you become, no matter where your life goes, no matter the circumstances, God loves you. Period.

But Pastor Matt, what difference does it make if God loves me?

The reason this promise of love and grace matters so much is because of the depravity so prevalent in ourselves and in our world. The love of God doesn’t condone the depravity, the love can transform the depravity. The reason Mark connects water and spirit, earth and heaven, is because of the broken world we live in and the truth that salvation and transformation is available here and now. Things have changed, things can be different, love has come.

Salvation is the power of God’s love, and this is the real power. 

This week I saw popularity as power, money as power, violence as power, look how much power that person has, look how many followers that person has, look at all that power. But that’s not power. God’s power is love. And you’ll know salvation when you know God’s love for you.

In the baptism of Jesus, heaven is torn apart and the spirit descends like a dove, who’s arrival marks peace, and an affirming identity of love is declared.

Have you noticed where the story goes from here? Immediately after Jesus is given the power of a loving connection with the Father, he is driven deeper into the wilderness to be tempted by the very other forms of power that the world seems to be concerned with: geopolitical power, popularity, physical strength. All of which he can deny because he’s the only one who can deny such temptations. And in denying himself such power, he reveals to us the true power of God: LOVE. 

This means that if you can figure out how to claim or reclaim or rediscover God’s love for you, then maybe it will begin to change your circumstances and even this world. See, we’re so deeply concerned with all the wrongs things. And what we should be concerned with is the wellbeing of all things, which begins with love.

My little baby girl Margot is one year old. And she’s a cute but fussy little one. She’s had a low-grade fever since Wednesday. Last night my wife was up every hour holding and rocking her. By two in the morning I got called in for relief. And I’m holding this fragile little warm body, and its so dark I can’t see her, but I can feel her shimmy and squirm with sadness, and when I kiss her chubby little cheeks they’re wet with tears. So much is wrong, but she is loved. She’s sick, she’s exhausted, she’s in pain, but…she is loved.

You may be sick, you may be exhausted…but you are loved.

Our world may be sick, our world may be broken…but Christ is here to show us that love is only thing that can save us now.

Hate doesn’t drive out hate. Only love can do that. -MLK

Our nation won’t heal until we learn to love our enemies.

You won’t be okay, until you learn to love yourself.

God love you.

May you stand in front of the mirror this week — don’t let the litanies of the world inform you, don’t let your mistakes haunt you, don’t be distressed about the wrinkles or saggy skin, stare deeper into your eyes and let the Word of God recreate reality, let the heavens part, and the Spirit fill your heart, and the voice declare:

you are my daughter, 

you are my son, 

the beloved, 

I’m so pleased with you, 

I affirm you, 

I support you, 

I care for you. 

Let this love come to you, and then quickly, now, share it.

Amen.

*The idea of John occupying two spaces—the wilderness and the land flowing with milk and honey is from Ted A Smith, “Homiletical Perspective”, Feasting on the Word, ed. David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor (2008, pg. 239).