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Pastor Eric Fjeldal's August 2010 Sunday Sermons
Pastor Eric's sermons are presented here in reverse chronological order...in other words, the most recent sermons are at the top of the list, working backwards through time.
August 15th:"Then and Today"
Hebrew 12: 1-2
Taking our faith seriously can be challenging. I’m not talking about a nominal, social, safe belief in God that so many profess. I’m talking about something deeper; something those of us who gather week after week seek as we work at really putting our trust and faith in God. Those of us who try to be more open as we strive to journey more fully with God; allowing our faith to guide our worldview and truly impact the way we see the world.
David Gray writes about such a journey and its impact.
It is not easy being a Christian today.
Defining oneself by one’s beliefs and faith can be challenging socially.
Friends may not understand. Relatives may look with concern.
Colleagues may ask why we are willing to give up some of the earthly goods
for the sake of something or someone that is difficult to see or experience.
(Feasting on the Word, Cycle C, Vol. 3, pg. 352)
Each of us can relate to this, for we all have family members who sometimes wonder why our faith is so important to us. We also have colleagues who question why we go to church and are so involved in our Church. They reason that religion is a good idea provided we don’t take it too far or too seriously.
Because we experience such reactions, some among us may believe that living one’s faith is more difficult today than ever before. It may be more complex, but we are not the first to the struggle with our faith and being faithful. As the book of Hebrews reminds us, people have f
struggle against indifference, apathy or mockery of the faith.
fight or speak out against injustice in the world.
feel the angst that comes with trying to be faithful.
struggle and make the hard choices faith requires.
wrestle with trying to make the faith relevant to those they meet.
overcome feelings of betrayal because their faith did not save them from some crisis.
overcome suffering and life’s unfairness without losing hope.
This is what it means to run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
In Christ, we can address the tensions brought about by faithfulness because despite people of faith’s track record of abandoning God, we follow a God who does not abandon us in times of trouble. (David Gray, Feasting on the Word, Cycle C, Vol. 3, pg. 352). We abandon God not so much because we break God’s rules, nor is it because of a deficit of good intentions and good will. It is more a failure of imagination; an inability to find peaceful solutions to the world’s injustice. (Jonathan Shelley, Feasting on the Word, Cycle C, Vol. 3 pg. 354)
Commenting on this use of sin in this passage from Hebrews, Shelley writes these words.
Thus sin takes the more “passive” form of despair, apathy, servility,
the refusal to accept my responsibility to God and neighbor and to God’s future.
Is it the case that this more passive form of sin is the bigger temptation for the community of Hebrews?
Might it also be the case that this is the sin of 21st century affluent First-World Christians?
We can easily accommodate ourselves to the structures and institutions of power and privilege.
We eagerly volunteer for work in soup kitchens and other agencies to assist those living in poverty,
but we despair of real structural change, realizing just how difficult it is and what it may cost us.
(Feasting on the Word, pg. 356)
Understanding or at least struggling with this interpretation of sin and our reluctance to truly respond in faith and solidarity with the marginalized allows us to Jesus and our relationship with him differently, more fully. It can become a relationship in which our understanding of who Jesus is broadens; one in which:
Jesus’ suffering and death are presented, not as a sacrifice for sin,
but as entering his solidarity with all persons,
having endured shame, brutal suffering and death,
Jesus, therefore, can identify with the marginalized band of Christians;
for that reason they (and we) should look to Jesus
“the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”
(Shelley, Feasting on the Word, Cycle C, Vol. 3, pg. 356)
What follows is the invitation for us to embrace our solidarity, with Jesus to be sure, and also with those whose lives we touch, directly and indirectly; in other words the world. Part of living in the 21st century is recognizing that for better and for worse our actions do have far reaching impact on our world.
Seeing Jesus in this light can change the direction of our faith journey. It makes this journey more present and forward looking; as we focus, not on what Jesus did for us, but what God offers us in the now. What God offers is the promise to journey with us. David Gray says it this way:
God wants us to depend on God for our salvation.
Faith in this passage is not about our trusting ourselves.
Trust is outwardly focused.
We trust the God who stayed true to our ancestors in faith
and will stay true to us.
(Feasting on the Word, pg. 354)
This message of whom and what we can trust is very different from the one proclaimed by the world; our culture. This different message is what makes faith and faithfulness difficult. However if we let it, this message also gives us a renewed sense and definition of hope; one that is tied to what God has and continues to do. This message makes it possible for us to see not only what is, but also what could be, if only we put our faith in God.
The promise is if we let it, this message allows us to hear that call to endurance, as one that goes deeper than just getting by or just making it through. It is a call that says our relationship with God is not to be some afterthought, but rather the relationship upon which all other relationships are made possible. It is the relationship that enables us to look to the future with God’s hope; a hope born of faith and trust, not in what we do, but what God does.
If we can see our relationship with God in this way, we will see that taking our faith seriously, while being challenging is also rewarding. It opens us to the possibility of what can be as it empowers us to do it anyway, regardless of who does or doesn’t understand. Amen.
August 8th: "Open Your Eyes"
Luke 12: 32-40
The hymn we just sang, "Open My Eyes That I May See" is a great hymn. It is easy to sing, the words are hopeful; the one problem is the words of this hymn have it backwards. While we can "silently wait", something which is becoming increasingly difficult to do in our culture, we cannot expect God to open our eyes. We need to do that. In the same way we need to open our ears, mouths and hearts; and this is one of the messages found in today's scripture passage. Luke writes, "It is God's good pleasure to give us the kingdom"; not because we have earned it, because it is God’s nature to offer it. God offers it all the time. Glimpses abound all around as God continually reveals the love, hope and grace that can transform our lives and world.
To see it; to experience the kingdom we have to be looking for it. It has to be our priority, what we treasure; for as the scripture says "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." We invest in what we value; for what we value drives our interest, energy and passion. This is why this morning's parable calls for us to be alert, to watch; that we might overcome the fear and impatience that is such a part of our lives and begin to know more fully the beauty and joy that is God's gift. Audrey West writes:
The message of this passage is not "Be ready so that you will avoid punishment,"
but rather, "Be ready so that you will receive blessing." After all those who are
ready when the Master returns will be the recipients of a heavenly feast.
(Audrey West, Feasting on the Word, Year C, Vol. 3 pg.336)
By being attentive, we open ourselves to receive the blessing.
This morning’s passage gives us the two extremes of attentiveness. On the one hand we have the servants dressed for action with lamps lit. You can feel their attentiveness, their high energy. On the other hand we have the owner of the house who needed to know the exact hour so that he might be ready. He needed to have all of the information. The first extreme leaves us exhausted. We all know one cannot maintain that high vigilance forever. The second extreme closes us off to life’s serendipitous moments. Thankfully there is an alternative. David Schlafter describes it this way:
Being “on high alert” and being “asleep at the wheel” are not our only alternatives.
We can focus our anticipation, our watchful waiting, in ways that are neither fixated
nor fuzzy. We can systematically cultivate tacit awareness, peripheral vision. There
is a difference between being “the lookout” and being “on the lookout.” We can sit
loose to what we are naturally disposed (or have become conditioned) to look for
(“Seek this out; look out for that- no matter what!”). Rather, we can “position ourselves
to be surprised.” (Feasting on the Word, Cycle C, Vol. 3 pg. 339)
We cannot position ourselves until or unless we let go of our unnecessary and unimportant busyness, worry, fear and anxiety. We may say we don’t treasure these things, yet we hold onto them. They distract us, keep us afraid and they claim our heart.
The message is clear God’s kingdom is about abundance, not scarcity. It is about letting go of and not holding on to, about generosity and not hoarding; because “neither receiving nor sharing is possible when hands are grasped and fingers clenched.” (David Schlafer, pg. 337) This is why part of waiting is: surrendering control; making our peace with the unexpected nature of God’s kingdom; and the reality that God’s kingdom is presented to us and all people, not as compensation or achievement, but as a gift; one that turns our expectations upside down. Accepting this eases much of our anxiety.
As people who are used to making things happen and getting it done, the natural question is: “If God offers the kingdom as a gift, then what is our role? What are we to do?” Richard Foster in a book Freedom of Simplicity urges us to:
"still every motion that is not rooted in the kingdom. Strip away all excess
baggage and trappings until you have come into the stark reality of the kingdom of God.
Let go of all distractions until you are driven into the Core."
This means we need to work at putting our trust in God above all else. While we may still sing, "open my eyes that I may see"; we need to do what we can to open our eyes, ears, mouths and hearts that we may learn to live with an eye toward God. Some of the ways we can do this include:
truly worshipping God; counting the ways we are blessed; being thankful;
being slow to quarrel; looking for the good; suspending suspicion; be trusting;
encouraging others; showing loyalty in word and deed;
nourishing a grateful attitude; keeping a promise; finding the time;
not harboring a grudge; listening; apologizing if we are wrong;
be forgiving; be understanding; be slow to envy;
thinking first of someone else; showing appreciation;
being kind; laughing more; being gentle;
waging war against prejudice, sexism and any other kind of "ism"
that threatens another person; decrying complacency;
taking pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth;
making every day a thanksgiving; speaking our gratitude;
speaking it again; speaking it still again;
speaking it still once more…
In so doing we will not just see life for the gift it is. We will also see "how God places in our hand the wonderful key"; namely opportunities to catch a glimpse of a kingdom that turns our expectations upside down and calls us to share God's love with those whose lives we touch, in ways we recognize and ways we have yet to discover.
August 1st: "It's A Balancing Act"
Luke 12: 13-21
If we allow it, this parable can trigger a number of responses:
defensiveness and anger, as we seek to defend and justify our lifestyle by pointing
out the ways we are benevolent and charitable.
guilt, because we are all a little greedy, and like what we have. We also are all guilty
of comparing what we have to what others have and know we could be doing more to
alleviate the suffering that exists in our world.
gratitude, because we know that we not as selfish as some.
thankfulness, because we have some awareness of what faithfulness is all about.
Then there are the questions this parable raises.
How much is enough? How much do we really need?
How much is really necessary? What criteria are we to use to help define what is necessary?
I don’t believe the goal of this passage is for us to feel guilty about material needs. I believe it is to invite us to develop a richness toward God. Richness toward God is not the same as being more spiritual. There are plenty of “spiritual people” whose focus is still on them. They believe that God has blessed them and that they are entitled to what God has blessed them with regardless of what others have or don’t have. As Rev. Michael Lindvall, Pastor at the Brick Presbyterian Church, in New York City wrote in the July 13, 2010 edition of Christian Century; “Materialism is not exactly the problem nor is spirituality exactly the answer. (pg. 11)
The issue is one of greed and the appetite of greed.
Greed takes many forms in the sense that it has many objects. It can covet money, fame, sex,
compliments, power, etc. But the appetite of greed is always the same: it eats yet remains hungry. The person cannot be satisfied by the acquisition of the desired objects. They always need more; but when they get more, this more is not enough. So they pursue again. Greed is an endless search for more that always leaves the searcher experiencing lack rather than fulfillment.
(John Shea, The Relentless Widow, Liturgical press, pg. 215)
Greed dominates when we use material things to fill the void in our soul. Again, quoting Michael Lindvall:
We acquire things, but then quickly tire of the things that seemed so important when
first obtained. We replace rather than repair because we have such fickle romances
with other things. he real soul danger is not exactly in liking things too much, nor in
owning them, nor in caring for them well. The soul danger lies in the insatiable longing to
acquire new things one after another, more and more things, as if getting them somehow
proves our worth in comparison with others, as if the having of them can fill the emptiness.
It’s this insatiable drive to acquire stuff rather than the stuff itself that’s the problem.
The belief that stuff will make us happy is the mantra of our culture; and the constant bombardment of this mantra makes it easy to forget:
It matters not how much we own: the cars, the house, the cash.
What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash. (Linda Ellis "The Dash")
This insatiable desire to acquire more is what makes the rich man foolish.
This morning's parable paints a vivid image of the dangers of wealth for its own sake.
Those who have possessions in abundance risk the sin of greed: "enough" is never enough, "more" is only to be hoarded, and “I, me and mine” matter more than anybody else.
Greed is a problem primarily because its focus on the self keeps people from being
"rich toward God" and rich toward others. The human propensity toward greed stands in
striking contrast to God’s providential care for rich and poor alike, as well as the Lukan
theme of appropriate stewardship of one's possessions.
(Audrey West, Feasting on the Word, Year C, Vol. 3 pg. 310)
The appetite of greed makes appropriate stewardship impossible because appropriate stewardship includes giving glory to God and care for neighbor.
To be sure, saving for future material needs is one component of proper stewardship
of God's bounty. Appropriate concern for the future is balanced, however, with the
injunction to give glory to God and to care for one’s neighbor, to provide for the poor and marginalized, for those without access to the world’s wealth or even the basic
needs of survival. The man in the parable demonstrates neither of these twin aspects of stewardship – return to God and care for neighbor – mainly because he has become so
focused on himself that he has forgotten both the God who caused the earth’s bounty and
the neighbor without access to that bounty.
(Audrey West, Feasting on the Word, Year C, Vol. 3, pg 312)
It is helpful and important to remember that the writer of Luke/Acts, like all the Gospel writers, has an agenda. He has a specific story to tell; a specific point to be made, and the Gospel is put together mindful of this agenda. The stories are laid out to make a point. David Schlafer reminds us: “Money matters to Luke’s Jesus that is undeniable, yet more is involved here than how much one manages to make or bank. The issue is not so much investments and dividends as it is distractions.
(David Schlafer, Feasting on the Word, Year C, Vol. 3 pg.315)
The message is clear; distractions get in the way of a right relationship with God. They prevent us from cultivating a "richness toward God."
What does it mean to be a people who are "rich toward God?"
Being rich toward God entails using our resources for the benefit of one's neighbor in need,
as the Samaritan did (Luke 10:25-37).
Being rich toward God includes intentionally listening to Jesus' word, as Mary did (10:38-42).
Being rich toward consists of prayerfully trusting that God will provide for the needs of life
(11:1-13; 12:22-31).
(Richard Carlson, Feasting on the Word, Cycle C, Vol. 3, pg. 315)
Jesus words; "Take care! Be on guard against all kinds of greed." remind us that we all struggle with greed and its appetite. We are all guilty of trying the fill the void with things, accolades and approval. I don’t believe this is something we can overcome, because we all struggle with needing and wanting things, accolades and approval. At best what we do is learn to live with the reality of this struggle. Doing so is a balancing act.
Developing and nurturing a "richness toward God" helps with this balancing act. When we nurture our relationship with God we are reminded of the things that truly matter, as we seek to fill the void within in a healthy, loving, healing way. When we succeed we experience a fulfillment and peace that material things and accolades cannot offer.
There can be no denying it, we live in a material world; and it is in this world that we are called to nurture our relationship with God as we seek to develop a "richness toward God." How do we nurture this relationship and develop this richness toward God? I'm not sure there is one right way to do this which is why it is a balancing act.
One thing I have discovered is the defensiveness, anger and guilt have a way of diminishing and the sense of gratitude and thankfulness have a way of increasing when we become more honest about what we want and why we want it.
