"Embody Christ, Choose to be a Lowly Servant," Philippians 2:1-13 Weaved with Genesis 3

My sermon from Sunday, September 28, weaved two stories together... Enjoy this narrative approach to this particular message. Again, this art is from http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-search.pl I know several of my faithful readers told me about their appreciation of that link in my last post. :)

It's quiet, and he has a choice. He can smell the flowers blooming in the garden. The fragrance of orchids and lillies and lilacs and roses fills his nostrils... and it smells good. He can see the large brown trunks, beaming up into the sky with large green leaves and juicy fruit hanging of each branch... and it looks good. He feels the grass between his toes on the ground... and it feels good. The wind blows through the orchard and whips through his hair, breaking the silence... and it sounds good. But he still has a choice. And she's standing there, blinking her eyes, holding something out for him.

Again, another man has a choice. He feels the dirt path between his toes on the road... and it does not feel good. He smells the sewer of human waste in the streets flowing past him... and it does not smell good. He sees prositutes walk around him, lepers crying, the blind begging... and it does not look good. The wind blows through the town, giving him chills... and it does not feel good. But this second man, has a choice too. And the people are standing around him, blinking their eyes, wondering what he will choose.

The first man, standing about to make a choice, reaches out his hand to the woman. He takes the fruit she offers him. And all the sudden- EVERYTHING changes. He was disobedient. He chose himself. He chose what he wanted over what God wanted. He wanted to be like his God. He wanted to rule himself and control his future, be who he wanted to be. He was human, made in God's image, and yet he exalted himself. He became disobedient, seeking life forever... and now he would die.

The second man, standing, about to make a choice, reaches out his hand. He takes the prositute, the leper, and the begger in his hand. And all the sudden- EVERYTHING changes. He was obedient. He chose God. He chose what God wanted, over how he felt... over the "not good" experienced around him. He let God rule him, he allowed God to lead him into a future, even when it involved suffering. For he knew God could make the human more than a human could ever make themself. He was God, but did not seek to be exalted. He was found in human form, and humbled himself. He became obedient, and became a servant to all... and although he would die, he would truly live.

The first man, made a choice to be disobedient. He was made in the image of God and yet in his attempt to be like God, he exploited. He demoralized. He hurt. And God was saddened. God condemned him to suffering. So that everyone would curse. And the good smell, the good sounds, the good touch, the good sight... would now be seperated from God. All of creation was now seperated from the good God. And no tongue would confess to Adam's greatness... but he would only receive condemnation.

The second man, made a choice to be obedient. He was God, and in his choice, he did not think being equal to God was something to use for his own benefit. He gave up. He denied himself. He touched the untouchable. And God was pleased, exalting him, giving him a name above every name. So at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend and every tongue confess, "Jesus Christ is Lord."

Adam and Christ... Quite the difference. One chose himself over God. The other chooses God over himself. One disobeyed God, the other obeyed God even to the point of death. One was shamed. The other was exalted. Christ becomes a model for all of us of who we should be. And Adam, of whom we should not.

Much of what I said is an echo of the passage in Philippians 2:1-11. And this passage is a continuation of what we talked about last week in Philippians chapter 1. Paul continues to talk to the Philippians about living a life that brings honor to the good news of Christ Jesus.

Paul gives the Philippians a series of 4 questions about their life in Christ: 1) Does being in Christ strengthen you? In other words, does a relationship with Christ make you stronger than if you were alone? 2) Does the love of Christ comfort you? In other words, when you are hurting, when you are suffering... does the love of Christ console you? 3) Do you share in the same spirit of Christ? In other words, do you have the same spirit Christ has, a spirit that strenthens those around you and gives comfort to others? 4) Do you have the same mercy and kindness as Christ? In other words, do you give others the same mercy and kindness Christ gives you? And when someone mistreats you (as we know Christ was mistreated), do you still extend mercy and kindness?

And if you can answer yes to any of these questions, Paul says- make me happy by doing 7 things: 1) Have the same thoughts. 2) Share in the same love. 3) Have one mind and one purpose. 4) Do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. 5) Humble yourself. 6) Give more honor to others than yourself. 7) Be interested in others lives.

Those are pretty and flowery words, and all. But what in the world does that mean? It makes your head spin and you want to fall asleep listening (or reading) those 7 things we should do. But Paul is brilliant... because he not only tells us what we should do, but he also gives us a beautiful example of how we are to BE LIKE Christ. We are to follow the ultimate model given to us, in Christ Jesus.

For if we go back to the first man, and his choice. We see a disaster. Because we see that his story. His sad, sad story... is really our story.

And we desperately need an example so we can remedy our story. So we can rememdy our choice. Our story where we were the ones who reached out our hand and took the frut. Our story where we were the ones who so desperatly wanted to be a god. Our story where we were the ones who wanted to exalt ourselves and make a great name for ourself. Our story where we strut our stuff, hoping to be as great as we fake to everyone around us.

Adam's story. Is our story. We are that first man, who made the wrong choice, who disobeyed, who was condemned.

And so Paul brilliantly tells us about another man, a man who was not like Adam or us. This man did not think strutting his Godly self for everyone to honor him was something he should do. Now that's crazy! If I had an extra talent that could get me attention, wouldn't I do it?

But wait... this man, gave up his place with God and made himself nothing. That is even crazier! You could be a God among men... and you chose to be nothing?!

But wait... this man, became a servant, humbled himself. Became a slave. Are you nuts? You could be treated like a King, not a King's servant!

But wait... and this man, was obedient to God, even to death. Woah! Stop this craziness! Obedience to die. That's a little extreme. I'm trying to live longer by being the best, the most important, the wealthiest, the most gorgeous...

But wait. This man truly lived.

(silence)

The war of the two stories silences.

The war of the 2 men, about to make choices, falls silent.

There's only love. There's only mercy. Your sins are gone, without a trace. There's nothing left now. There's only grace. And then I played the song "Only Grace" by Matthew West. And I had them think throughout the song... who's story is most like your story? The first man who made a choice, a disobedient choice? Or the second man, who made a choice to be obedient, even to death?

There's only grace. There's only love. Our two stories of Adam and Christ have silenced.

The dirt has washed away, and now it's clear. There's only grace. There's only love. There's only mercy and believe me, it's enough. Your sins are gone, without a trace. There's nothing left, there's only grace.

And now you have a new life! A life where you are to act like this Christ. And Paul says, follow the model of Christ. Be like Christ. Do what Christ did.

.... Because now...

You're the one standing there, with a choice. You can smell the fragrance of the fall breeze. It's almost October. You can see the interior of this worship bulding... wooden arches of an A-frame, a table before you that reads "This Do in Remembrance of Me." You can feel the hard, wooden pew beneath you... and perhaps a cushion. You can see the community of faith around you... and we're standing there, blinking our eyes, waiting to see what you will choose.

Will you take the hand of the prostitute, the leper, the beggar in your hand?

Will you be obedient and chose God over yourself or how you feel?

Will you humble yourself, become obedient... even if it means death?

Will you be a servant to all?

Will you follow the example of this Christ, the one who is very different than you or Adam?

What happened yesterday, has disappeared. The dirt has washed away and now it's clear. There's only grace. There's only love. There's only mercy and believe me, it's enough.

Choose to be like the example Christ left for us. Choose this strange way of living where you allow yourself to become meaningless and give up your claim and right to anything. Choose this strange and ironic way of living where you deny yourself, put others above yourself, and become a servant. Choose this strange, ironic, and astonishing way of living where you give up what you want, become obedient to the Father, even to death, and care for others.

As we stand there, blinking our eyes to see what you will choose, choose to embody this Christ. Choose to become Christ's hands, feet, mouth, and more by being like him, and being a lowly servant.

Prayer: Dear Lord God, again we come before you and cry out to you. We know our story is the story of Adam. We are disconnected from you because of our disobedient choice and we know it. We feel it in our bones. Thank you for giving us Christ, someone who chose to be obedient, someone who lived this strange, ironic, and astonishing way- different from a what a whole world of Adams has ever known or experienced. Show us how to make choices like Christ did. Show us how to become meaningless so that you might make us something. Show us how to put others above ourself and be a servant. Your church wants to make the right choices. Show us how and then give us the strength and the guts to do it. We love you. And we bow our knee and confess together, "Jesus Christ is Lord." Amen.

Philippians 1:21-27 & Jonah 4, "Embody Christ in Self-Giving Love... Even While Suffering"

This morning I preached from Philippians and weaved the story of Jonah in with the story of Paul in prison. I must give Mike Yost, a dear friend from seminary now pastoring in Alaska, credit for much of my processing through the story of Jonah. He allowed me to take a peek at his rough, rough, rough draft. It was beyond brilliant and inspired some of what you'll see in the story of Jonah here. This picture is from http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-search.pl (this is a wonderful resource, in their words this is a site, for "scholars, students, pastors, and religious educators" to be "used for educational and/or religious non-profit purposes") so be sure to bookmark this one.

The story of Jonah (as in Jonah and the whale) is a fascinating story. This guy is so upset with some people in Nineveh, hates them so much, gossips about them so much, says bad things about them so much... that when God saves the people of Nineveh, Jonah gets really mad.

The Ninevites and Israelites like each other about as much as KU and Missouri... The Ninevites didn't like Israel anymore than the Israelites liked them.

We see the Old Testament story play out for us like this... God calls Jonah to save the people of Nineveh. They are sinning and God cares about them. Jonah runs away from God's call, a large fish eats him, he chills out in a big fish's stomach for awhile, gets spewed back out on land, and decides THEN, after this nasty situation, that perhaps he should answer God's call. It's quite humorous really. Quite the comedic writing.

And then, after the people of Nineveh repent and God saves them... Jonah is livid. He is mad at God for acting consistantly with God's character! Jonah is angry that God showed mercy. For God is a God who loves without boundries. God is a God who refuses to draw a line in the sand and say "I won't love you because of... (fill in the blank)." God is a God who does not hate anyone, who does not say bad things about people... who loves people enough to see the divine image in them, even when things go wrong... and they choose themselves (and what they want) over what God wants... God still loves.

But Jonah, is not acting like God. Jonah was being very judgmental. Something tough happened to him (if you consider being inside of a fish tough). He was suffering, smelling nastiness (I'm sure), and in the midst of how Jonah FELT, he did not want to reflect God's character. He was so focused on his own pain, his own feelings, that he was mad at God for acting... in God's character.

And can we blame him really? He was mad at people who were known for being ruthless... and I know a lot of good Christians who are angry with people groups for acting ruthless... Jonah is frustrated that such ruthless people could possibly be let off God's hook. It's just not fair!

And how God deals with Jonah, is truly facinating. I call this "Jonah and the Plant." It doesn't quite roll off the tongue the same as "Jonah and the Whale" but still a great story. In Jonah, chapter 4, God has a little plant grow up beside Jonah and this is after he's already been spewed from the fish's mouth and Nineveh's already repented. Jonah's sitting down on the east side of the city to watch what happens and he makes a shelter for himself... when this plant grows up beside him and gives him shade, making him very comfortable. And as the sun rises the next day, God has a worm attack this wonderful shade that brings Jonah comfort... and the plant withers and dies. And Jonah is livid, even more angry. He's weak and as the sun is burning up Jonah's head and as he's suffering from heat stroke, God says to Jonah, "Do you think its right for you to be angry about the plant" (NCV)? And Jonah says, "UM. Yes. I'm dying here in the heat!" I told my people at this point, we can honestly say Jonah was being slightly dramatic and could be labeled our drama queen... they laughed.

But God says to Jonah... you don't get it. I wanted you to see the love I have for humanity... in the same way you had love for this mere, little, pathetic plant here. In other words, God says, I'm trying to show you how I have a love for humanity in your experience of feeling loss from this plant. And God says something like... don't you think I should show concern (in the same way you felt concern for this plant) towards a great city filled with thousands of people I created?!

And the story of Jonah ends like that... with God saying, DON'T YOU SEE MY CHARACTER, and Jonah, please, reflect that character... no matter how you feel, no matter if you're suffering with the sun on your head... no matter what, care about people like I do. Because God defines fairness so much differently than Jonah did... or we do. We think fairness is trying to get the best deal for a particular party... but God defines fairness as showing mercy to ALL people, even our enemies like Nineveh.

And the strangest thing about the ending of Jonah is we never know how Jonah responds to God's call to reflect God's character. The story just ends, almost abruptly... as if to flip it on us... like God was talking to us, about God's character, through the story of Jonah.

I think Jonah was acting much like the people of Philippians... angry, and acting in a way very different than Christ's self-emptying, self-giving mercy.

When Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians, he was sitting in prison, suffering immensly... certainly the prisons in those days were as miserable as being inside of a fish! :) And he speaks to the church in Philippi, in the midst of extreme suffering. He's the one suffering... and he speaks to a people who are acting like Jonah... people who (according to Philippians) were perhaps not living in a way that "brings honor to the good news of Christ."

Philippians 1:21-27 almost seem to echo a phrase from last week's sermon on Joseph. Joseph tells his brothers, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good..." And here Paul says, my body might die, or worse, I might have to keep living... (in other words, of anything evil or bad the world could hit me with... or that could happen to me, God is going to use it for good). Because if I die, Paul says, then I get to be with Christ. But if I live, it will advance the things that really matter, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No matter what happens, Paul writes, that God is able to use it for good.

This passage teaches us a lot about Paul's character. His character was a reflection of God's own character... of self-emptying, self-giving love and mercy. And whereas Jonah saw God's character of love for people he hated (and was angry), Paul reflects God's character even when he's suffering.

A person's character is their very being, who they ARE. Character is not something you have. You might HAVE a dollar in your pocket, but you don't have character in your pocket. You might HAVE a button on your shirt, but you don't have character on your shirt (although I did have a gentleman wear a tie with characters ON it which made everyone laugh). Character is about your being, who you ARE. Who you really are. There's a huge difference between having and being. Character is about BEING. (*Note that modern consumerism and globalization has taught us we should focus on having but this message is about how we, the Church, must focus on who we are over what we have. If you want to read further on the topic of consumerism's affect on the Church's ability to love, see my paper presented at the Wesleyan Theological Society in 2006 on the Wynkoop Center's website: http://www.wynkoopcenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=87 ).

However, if character, is about who we ARE (our very being) then we can learn 3 things from our scripture passages today about hardship, pain, and suffering showing a person's real character (or showing who they really are). We know Paul was suffering horribly in prison, and yet he still reflected the character of God.

1. Hardship, pain, and suffering show our true character and help us see if we are a person of integrity or not. Paul was certainly suffering on the dirt floor of that prison but Paul cared more about others than he did himself, even though he was suffering. He said, even though I want to die- so I can be with Christ... I realize that living is what you need. And since you need me to live, that settles it, that's more important.

Even though Paul was suffering, he put others above himself. He embodied Christ, in self-giving love. I don't know about you, but there have been a few times where I was suffering and I cared more about myself than anyone else's needs. Kind of like Jonah's head suffering in the sun and being angry- I've done that. When the heat is on us... whether in prison like Paul or the sun like Jonah... who we really are (our true character) comes out and shows if we are a person of integrity or not (and if we reflect the character of God or not).

Paul had incredible depth and truly reflected the character of God to be able to say he would do whatever, even in suffering, if it would advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This passage in Philippians teaches us about how hardship, pain, and suffering shows a person's real character to help us (first) see if we are a person of integrity or not, and second:

2. Hardship, pain, and suffering either buffs a reputation or it destroys a reputation. When we are suffering and we are hurting so badly, our true character comes out for everyone else to see. It's hard to fake who you really are when you are suffering.

And I don't know about you, but seeing Paul suffer and put the Philppians before himself, impresses me. And watching Jonah suffer and put his own need for shade above a WHOLE city of people... does not impress me.

But Paul, chooses to EMBODY Christ, in self-giving love. He ACTS like Christ would act. He becomes Christ's body (embodies Christ). In that moment, he becomes Christ's body (Christ's hands, Christ's feet, Christ's mouth, and so forth) to the people with whom he comes in contact.

And Paul teaches us a great lesson here... because as long as we are still breathing. As long as we still have a body... and we're still following Christ, we are EMBODYING Christ.

No matter how much we are suffering.

No matter what horrible things happen to us.

No matter how we feel about the people of Nineveh.

No matter how we feel about someone next to us or the people around us.

No matter how sick we feel.

No matter how tired we are.

No matter how hot the sun is.

No matter how hurt we are.

WE ARE EMBODYING CHRIST to those around us. No matter how bad it gets, we are Christ's body to the world around us. We EMBODY Christ.

What kind of a reputation do you want to have in suffering? Do you want to be a person who only embodies Christ when things are going well? Or do you want to be the kind of person who impresses, makes you swing your head around and say... "Wow, that person embodies Christ, acts like Christ, gives mercy like Christ... EVEN when things are horrible for them?"

This passage in Philippians teaches us about how hardship, pain, and suffering shows a person's real character to help us (first) see if we are a person of integrity or not, (second) either buffs a reputation or destroys it, and third:

3. Hardship, pain, and suffering serve as an example to others.

Paul's actions to choose others over himself was a great example to the Philippians and us. The God we follow is a God who chose the people of Nineveh (even when Jonah would not have chosen them). The God we follow became human, in Jesus Christ, and poured his life out for others. And Paul, was a reflection of the God who choose the sinner (in Nineveh) and Paul was a follower of this God/man who poured himself out in others (even to the point of death). Paul was a great example to the Philippians and us.

I know a family here in Wichita, a woman by the name of Chris. Her sister died and she was suffering greatly from her loss. She and her husband had already raised kids... and in the midst of their suffering, they took her sister's 3 kids in their home. That's 3 more mouths to feed and 3 more medical bills to pay... 3 more of a whole lot... to take on in the middle of suffering. Chris, is quite the example to all of us, of someone who cares for others, in the midst of suffering. And the best part of this story, is I don't think Chris or her husband can imagine their lives without these kids. The gave of themself in self-giving love, embodied Christ to these kids, and their lives have been touched by it.

What kind of an example are you leaving... in your suffering? Are you the kind of person who embodies Christ in self-giving love... even in suffering?

Because the truth is, when is the world most convinced to follow this Jesus Christ we talk about? It's when a person embodies Christ and lives a life of integrity... even in suffering. When they choose to EMBODY Christ (be Christ's body, hands, feet, mouth, and so forth), even when they are suffering. It makes us snap our heads around and say, "Woah. That person IS something special." And notice... IS not HAS... because when a person is transformed by Christ, they ARE truly amazing.

So today I want to challenge you-- as I wrap up this sermon, I want you to think and reflect on WHO YOU ARE (as one transformed by experiencing this Jesus we call Lord).

1. Are you more like Jonah? And you get angry over a plant because you're really mad that God has acted consistantly with God's character--and shows mercy and fairness in a way you would not show mercy and fairness?

Are you more like Jonah and you get so irritated by the little things-- like a worm, that you don't reflect God's character because you just don't FEEL like it?

2. Or are you like Paul, or you WANT to be like Paul... where hardship, pain, and suffering shows you have incredible integrity. And when things get tough for you-- when you're trapped in some sort of a prison-- you embody Christ, in self-giving love?

Are you like Paul (or want to be like Paul) where you are so close to God's own character-- you reflect this character and are an example to all?

May God give us the mercy and grace... to be so transformed in our character that when we are suffering immensely in the belly of a fish or on the dirt floor of a prison, we reflect God's chracter... and we EMBODY (be Christ's hands and feet on earth) in self-giving love.

Closing Prayer: God of all mercy and grace... the one who extends mercy in ways we do not always think are fair. We ask that you would use this message today to transform us all. May you reveal to each us us today, how you want to use your Word, the Scriptures, to change who we ARE, to change our characters to be more like you. Help us to see the people of Nineveh in the way you see them. Teach us how to have your eyes of mercy and not judge others or draw lines in the sand. Help us to be people of integrity, even in suffering... that the world may look at us, your Church, and snap their heads around... because even when we are hurting, sick, tired, and the sun is beaming down on our heads... we act like you and we reflect your character. Amen.

Putting God above our Hurt Feelings So We Can FORGIVE, Genesis 50:15-21

Tomorrow morning I am preaching on forgiveness and it is really hard on me. I believe I will admit to my congregation I am preaching this sermon to myself. Because when we are hurt really bad we want to be angry and not forgive.

And if anyone has the right to be angry and not forgive the wrongs done to them, it's... Cinderella. I mean, think about this poor girl. Her sisters take away the love of her life. Her evil step-mother makes her scrub floors. Cinderella's life is pretty bad.

And look for a moment at the modern remake of this story "Cinderella Story" with Hilary Duff. We see this poor girl crying because her Dad died. We see her scrubbing the floors and wiping hair out of her face with her pruney, soap stained fingers... We see her falling on her face wearing the roller skates her step-mother makes her wear... and we see her sob as she reads a fake rejection letter from Princeton that her horrible, evil step-mother maliciously wrote to torment her. If anyone in the whole world has the right to be angry and not forgive the wrongs done to them, it's Cinderella.

Although, if anyone in the world has the right to be angry and not forgive the wrongs done to them... maybe it's Joseph. Think about this poor guy in scripture. His evil, non step-brothers are jealous of his sweet multi-colored coat from the Gap and make fun of him. Then, his brothers come up with a plot to KILL him... and throw him in a well. And then, if that's not enough, Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery. He loses his home, his family, his pets, everything he knows... because his stupid brothers SELL him. If anyone in the whole world has the right to be angry and not forgive the wrongs done to them... it's this guy. And Cinderella... and you, and me.

But what do these two characters do, those who have every right in the world not to forgive? What do they do? Does Cinderella hold eternal bitterness in her heart? Does she talk to her friends about how evil and pathetic her step family is? Does she gossip endlessly to prove she is the best? Does she say, "I'll admit to forgiveness, but in my heart I will never trust them again?" And what about Joeseph? Does he ignore the wrongs done to him, pretend like his brothers never existed? Does he compartmentalize things and file it away, repressing the torment of his past? Does he try to control everyone else in his life so they won't hurt him like his brothers? Did he stand up and rub in their faces how awesome he was compared to the little boy they threw in the well? No. Neither of the stories play out like this!

In the 2004, 94 minute remake of Cinderella, Sam (the Cinderella character), after suffering about as much pain as a person can take without being hooked up to an IV in a hospital, goes to the person who hurt her the most and says, "Even though I have no family, no job, and no money for college... it's you I feel sorry for." In other words she says, because I believe in myself and I know who I am, you're the one with the problem. You're the one who this is eating away... not me. She realizes who has the problem and this is the first step in forgiveness. Even the world knows this! It made it into a movie. Because sometimes taking responsibility for the problem hinders forgiveness... and really it's the other person for whom you should feel sorry. For the one who does extreme damage is really destroying themselves.

Like Cinderella, fill in the blank. "Even though you took ______________ from me" or "Even though you hurt me when you did_______________," it's you for whom I feel sorry. It's you who's being damaged.

And Joseph, he's on our list of people who have every right in the world not to forgive and yet he does some amazing things:

1. First, he leaves the righting of wrongs to God. Joseph does not point out all the evil his brothers did to him, he lets God do the convicting. And when we leave the righting of wrongs to God... it means we must give a few things up.

A. We must give up our need to tell everyone the truth and vindicate ourselves. When someone wrongs us, the first thing we want to do is vindicate ourselves. We want desperately to tell people the truth and proclaim the right story for everyone. When someone or a group of someone's hurt us deeply, our fallen (sinful) instinct is to preserve our reputation and set them strait. Joseph does not do this. He leaves the righting of wrongs to God.

If you have ever needed to know how to give up what you want for God or wondered what you could give up for God, perhaps you should be giving up your need to set the record strait. Giving up your need to "set the record strait" is by far, one of the hardest things to give up... but true, Christ-like attitudes require we do this. If you really want to be a follower of Christ, you need to lay down your right to vindicate yourself (to set the record strait) and let God vindicate you. God can do a better job of setting the record strait than you can anyway. So leave the righting of wrongs to God. Put God's Church, God's Kingdom, God's plan above a need to set the record strait.

B. When we let go of righting our wrongs we have to let go of our need to tell the right story and we also need to give up our pain, our hurt, our self-doubt, & our weakness. We need to give God the pain, the lack of strength. We need to admit we can't do it-- we can't control all these emotions and this pain. Give it all to God. Use the pain and hurt as a way to remember we are human, we are not God and we so desperately need God to come help us. Sometimes when someone hurts us, we cling to that pain. We want to hold onto it because we don't want to let anyone hurt us like that again. But in the end, we have a choice: Hold onto the pain or give it up for the sake of God's Church? Put God's Church, God's Kingdom, God's plans above your pain and hurt.

C. When we let go of righting our wrongs we have to let go of our need to tell the right story, give up our pain and hurt to God, and... we need to be strong enough to let other people think we are weak. Nothing is more difficult than letting go of your right to show everyone how strong you are. But true strength comes from being strong enough to allow others to actually think you're weak. If you have ever needed to know how to give up what you want for God or wondered what you could give up for God, perhaps you should be giving up your desire to show everyone how strong you are. And I know, giving up a desire to show everyone how strong you are is one of the hardest things in the world to do. But if you're working hard to prove how strong you are, who has the control? You or God? Put God's Church, God's Kingdom, God's plans above your need to prove you're not weak.

2. Joseph, the one who has the right not to forgive if anyone has the right, does some amazing things. First, he leaves the righting of wrongs to God. And second, he sees God's plan and providence... even in human evil. Joseph could have said, "you meant to harm me and you are evil." But this is not what he said. He does not call them his evil step-brothers. Joseph says, "you meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good" (NCV). That takes a lot of guts Joseph, I'm impressed. To be able to look at the people who wronged you, who did extreme damage and say, "yeah it was evil. You were the one with the problem... but God is bigger than human's selfishness." And to be able to see where God takes the nastiest, ugliest, most disgusting sins and turn it into something beautiful, is a great gift. It is like seeing a pile of trash (waste dripping in gooey nastiness) into art. We need to have eyes that see a God who can take "nothing" (lifeless, hopeless, gooey trash) and turn it into something.

This reminds me of the story of Maria Chapman (the 5 year old daughter of the Christian artist and song writer, Stephen Curtis Chapman). She was hit by a car in their driveway and tragically died. That's trash, if I ever saw it. There's nothing more disgusting than thinking of a child's death. That is horrible trash. And yet, God has taken this trash and made something beautiful out of it. Maria was adopted and the organization she was adopted through has (so far) received over $700,000 dollars of donations in her memory. God took the most horrendous trash and breathed life. Like Joseph, we need to see God's plan and providence for us, even in human evil as bad as death... especially when that human evil effects us. We must put God's Church, God's Kingdom, and God's plan above the desire to focus on the trash over art.

3. Joseph, the one who has the right not to forgive, if anyone has the right does some amazing things. First, he leaves the righting of wrongs to God. Second, he sees God's plan and providence even in human evil, and third, he repays evil with forgiveness. Joseph's brothers torment him and what does he do? He forgives! He could have repaid their evil with more evil. He could have continued torturing them for the rest of their lives (he was the one who held the power now). Instead, Joseph chooses to act like God would want him to act. No matter how hurt he was by his brothers, he still forgave them. Put God's Church, God's Kingdom, God's plans above your hurt and pain to forgive.

When we do these three things (leave the righting of wrongs to God, see God's plan and providence in human evil, and repay evil with forgiveness) we act like the Church of Jesus Christ. We are choosing what God wants over what we want.

Taking the high road is one of the hardest things anyone could ever do. Choosing to be a person of Jesus Christ, no matter how hurt you are or regardless of how you FEEL is one of the most difficult things a person can do. But you're the Church... this is how we are to act. This is who we were meant to be! People who FORGIVE, EVEN WHEN WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT IN THE WORLD NOT TO FORGIVE.

We are the Church. We are to love others. And we are to LOVE WITHOUT BOUNDRIES. We cannot draw a line in the sand and say, "I'm not going to love you" or "I'm not going to love you enough to forgive you." We are the Church... and if the world will ever know they are in need of a loving God, then the Church actually needs to ACT like the Church. We want the world to look at the Church and say (in the words of Stanley Hauerwas' prayer), "Huh, see how they love one another?" We want the world to say, "those Christian people forgive when there is NO reason to forgive" and "if anyone in the world has the right not to forgive, it was that Christian... and I saw that Christian forgive!" We are to love others enough... to forgive them.

And if you want to step in the right direction, it's okay to pray "God, I am unable to act like you want me to act right now... but keep working on me. I want to forgive them but I can't just yet." And it's okay to pray, "Take that inkling and make it more. Transform me so that I can forgive as you forgive... take my crushed spirit and enable me to do more than I could imagine and truly forgive someone who hurt me so deeply." And it's okay to pray, "I want to be like you. But I can't, you're going to have to do it for me. Help me to put your Church over myself, even when I hurt." Because before long, God will answer that prayer and work in your heart. But you have to start somewhere... if you can't forgive just yet, ask God to start changing your heart so you can forgive.

Again, no one needs this sermon more than I do. I have been seriously wounded lately and it's not fair. If I was to have an altar call, I would have to be the first one down there. And so I pray... God help us to be enabled to forgive.

My pastoral prayer to end the service will be something along the lines of..."God of all grace and mercy... help us to extend mercy, even when we don't feel like it. Teach us how to love people who have hurt us so deeply we can't breathe. We don't really want to extend mercy to people we don't think deserve it... but we know you're a God who asks us to extend mercy to everyone, regardless of their skintone, the way they look, the way they talk... You're a God who asks us to extend mercy to everyone... regardless of the way they want to make us feel about ourselves, the way they act, or even the way they have hurt us. And so we give to you all we are and all we really think... take our inkling and help us to forgive. Help us to choose your Church and your Kingdom over our own pain. Because your plan for creation is so much greater than how we feel. Take our feelings and use them to enable your creation purposes. You choose us to be your people, your covenant community, full of faults and all... to be more than the sum of our hurt feelings. Amen."

Remembering A God Who Remembers Us, Exodus 12:1-14

Though I would not highly recommend the movie "50 First Dates," this is the illustration that works best with a point I want to make this week. The movie is about a young man, named Henry, who is a vet in Hawaii (so he gets to hang out with cool animals like seals all day long). And he meets Lucy, an art teacher, in a cafe one morning and he absolutely adores her. They hit it off and it seems like the beginning of a great relationship.

Except, the next time Henry sees Lucy, she has no idea who he is, as if they never met. Lucy was involved in a serious car accident with a cow and her short-term memory cannot conform to long-term memories. So anything that happened after October 13, 2002 (the date of her accident), she cannot remember after she goes to sleep at night.

Lucy's Father and brother work hard to help her relive every day as if it was October 13, 2002. They reprint newspapers so every day she reads the paper as if it was that day. They celebrate her Father's birthday over and over, day after day, year after year, so she does not know about her tragedy every day.

The entire movie is about the tragedy of memory loss but every single day is also about remembering, an acting out, of the same day over and over again. Every single day brings a past event into the present.

And as I was actually preaching this message last Sunday, I described for my congregation fries... the kind you pray in line for when you're in the drive through. The kind that's so hot you can barely touch them and have salt dripping down them.... and then I asked them if they could relive that moment in their head... and if it could bring the past event of eating those amazing fries into the present. They laughed... and I'm guessing that meant "Yes! And... hurry up and finish preaching, we're hungry now!"

Then I talked about remembering... and how it is so much more than an exercise of the brain or so much more than simply thinking about an event. Remembering brings a past event into the present and participates in that event. And like a story Mike Fraley tells... it is as if your spouse (dear friend, child, whatever) were to have a birthday and they said, "Did you remember my birthday?" And perhaps you were to say, "Why yes. Yes indeed. I did in fact see your birthday on my calendar and remembered it. Goodbye. I must go now." DID YOU REALLY REMEMBER? Of course not. Remembering also involves action. You must participate in the remembering of the birthday. You should say "Happy Birthday," get them a gift, or something!

This scripture passage, from Exodus, teaches us how to properly remember a God who remembers us. How to bring a past event into the present. The Israelites were really good at remembering the Exodus event in the Passover Festival and this passage is a description of that first Passover... when God brought them out, liberated them from the bondage of slavery in Egypt.

I read this passage (Exodus 12:1-14) for my congregation Sunday and then said something along the lines of... "much of this passage sounds pleasant, doesn't it? Blood on the door frames, that's a nice mental picture. Or inner parts of a lamb... mmm, when's dinner. That's what I want for my Sunday meal... lamb inner organs!" They laughed and I think lost their desire for those fries!

But then I talked about the symbolism of the blood being the life of the animal (Lev 17:11) and how this was a meal to be eaten in God's presence a a sacred meal. And how every time the people ate this meal from now on... they were to REMEMBER the blood, the being dressed and ready to go, the communion with Yahweh. And they were to do more than just remember it... they were to bring the past event into the present.

And then I talked about the connections between the Passover and Communion (which we celebrated together Sunday morning following the sermon). Passover marked a new creation, verse two of this passage says, "this month will be the beginning of months," quite literally... this Passover event marks a new creation, a new year.

Creation has been fallen for a long time. Creation has been choosing itself over the Creator for a long time. But the Passover marks a new creation, a new opportunity to choose the Creator, a new month, a new year, and this is exciting! Communion is just as exciting. Communion shows us the body and blood of a person who actually did choose the Creator over himself... who quite literally LIVED OUT the new creation.

God gave us a human and divine person all wrapped up in one who could actually live as creation was intended. Who didn't mess up creation's purposes all the time. And communion not only remembers Passover as marking a new creation but also allows us to touch the bread, taste the elements, and smell the juice... as we see the body and blood of Jesus who lived out the new creation.

Passover was to be a festival, a party, that reminds us of God's redemptive deeds and plans, what God wanted to do. Communion is a physical act that reminds us of God's redemptive deeds and plans, what God wants to do. God has very different ideas than we do. God gives up life willingly... who spills blood, who lays down everything, who gives up his rightful place, who denies himself. Communion reminds us of God's plans and how they are very different than our self-preservation plans.

And Passover was when God took the people of Israel out of slavery and gave them a NEW LAND. This new land is very significant. God created the earth, the land, and it became corrupt. Think about the flood, what did it do? It cleansed the land. But the people still did not quite get it. Then fast forward to the people of Israel living in Egypt... having their hands dirty for hours every day in bricks... no labor laws, no required 15 minute breaks... and God hears their cries and says, "go to your houses, get a lamb, roast it with its guts, put some life blood on the door, get ready to leave, because I'm taking you to A NEW LAND. And this time, in this land, I want you to live as I intended for you to live! I want you to be who you're meant to be in this new land!"

Very loudly I shouted to the congreation this next part: Communion, is just as great because it builds on the Passover event! YOU ARE THE CHURCH! The community gathered are to be a piece of how creation was intended before sin, before we started choosing ourselves over God. You are to live how God wants you to live! You are more than just on a new land... you are a NEW PEOPLE, a royal priesthood! You ARE the new creation in Christ!

And then I wrapped up by saying the Passover event helped the people of Israel remember the story of God. If you were an Israelite, you didn't forget it. In fact the whole calendar of the Jewish people revolved around the Exodus event. And Communion also reminds us of the story of God. We cannot forget it when we come to the table. In fact, our whole calendar revolves around Christ's birth, death, and resurrection.

And then I invited them to partake of communion... together as a community, as the Church, the people of God today who bring the past event of the cross into the present by ACTING like the Christ they see before them. BEING the new creation. Participate in the event of the cross by acting like the Christ who lays down his life, by being a person who gives up what they want for what God wants.