Sermon #10 @ St. Paris UMC (8.30.09)

Pastor Dave Kepple

Text: Mark 7:1-8; 14-15; 21-23

Title: “An Inside Job”

Date: Aug. 30, 2009 (13th Sunday after Pentecost)

Internet Link for primary scripture text used in this sermon:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%207:1-8;%2014-15;%2021-23%20&version=NIV

This is an old, old book.
But through the power of the Holy Spirit, it is alive in our hearts – and our minds – this morning, this very day.
When I was in seminary, I once had a professor of Christian history – a wonderful man named Jim Nelson – who compared the words of the Bible to freeze-dried coffee.
I know that sounds a little odd, but actually I think it makes a lot of sense.
Dr. Nelson said this book contains within it a living, breathing Truth – the Word of God.
But just as freeze-dried coffee only becomes what it is fully meant to be when piping hot water is added to it, so, too, the wonders and treasures of the Bible can only be fully experienced when the Holy Spirit is added.
When we read and hear these words, with the Holy Spirit alive in our hearts, it can change everything about our understanding and appreciation of God’s Word for us today.
There’s a chemical reaction – or more precisely a spiritual reaction – that occurs when these ancient words are liquified and brought to life by the Holy Spirit within us. Suddenly, we can smell the sweet aroma of the gospel – the good news of God’s love, mercy and grace. This is one of the many blessings of our faith. God speaks to us anew.
So this book – and these words of the Master which we just heard – have a message for us today. Can we discern it? Can we hear Him speaking to us?
Some of this story from Mark’s gospel seems strange to us – this discussion of rituals and tradition. How can we relate to it in the here and now?
I need your help. Actually, I think we all need God’s help, as we try to sort this out together. Would you bow your heads and pray with me, for a moment, as we invite the Spirit of Truth to illuminate our hearts and minds? Let us pray. . . .

Let's take a moment and set the scene in and around Mark 7.
Jesus is still operating in his home region – Galilee – in the northern part of Israel. But his reputation is growing rapidly. King Herod has gotten curious about this fellow from Nazareth who is attracting so much attention. An enormous stir is caused when Jesus feeds 5,000 people -- gathered in a remote area to hear him teach – with just five loaves and two fish.
As chapter 7 opens, we are told that a group of Pharisees and legal scholars has come all the way from Jerusalem to investigate Jesus.
The Pharisees don’t come off very well in the New Testament. You can almost imagine people hissing at the mention of their name, when this story was first told in the early Christian communities.
Jesus, who shows kindness and concern for all people – especially the lowliest of the low – reserves his harshest words for the Pharisees and other religious leaders, such as the scribes and teachers of the law. At different times in the gospels, he calls them a bunch of snakes. He says they’re like whitewashed tombs, and that a fresh coat of paint can’t cover up the death and decay that lies underneath.
Often, Jesus says, these religious leaders are hypocrites – phonies. They talk a good game, but inside their hearts are far from the LORD. They claim to be godly men, but the truth is they’ve made an idol out of self-righteous, man-made rules and traditions that have nothing to do with the commands of God.
A good example is the controversy in today’s lesson. The Pharisees are appalled that the disciples of Jesus were eating without the ceremonial handwashing – one of many traditions which devout Jews practiced to set them apart from the pagans all around them. By failing to do this, according to the Pharisees, the Lord’s disciples allowed themselves to become “unclean,” or in the words of some other translations, they were defiled.
To say that someone was unclean was basically to say they weren’t fit to worship God.
I don’t suppose we have any traditions like that today . . . Or do we?
Do we need to have people look good on the outside before they can come to this house to worship?
I’m very pleased by the fact our church makes a point of inviting people to dress for worship in a way that makes them comfortable. “Casual is OK if you so desire,” the bulletin states.
I decided to test that myself earlier this month, as some of you may have noticed. For two straight Sundays, I came to preach wearing jeans and a T-shirt. I’m happy to say no one asked me to leave!
But I have to admit I felt a little self-conscious. I knew I wasn’t doing anything wrong, but I did have a sense that I was going against the grain of longstanding tradition, perhaps violating some unwritten, unspoken rules.
And if that’s the case, then I’m glad I did – because I don’t know of anything in scripture that says we have to impress God – as if we could -- with how good we look on the outside. And I’m pretty sure there’s nothing in the Bible that says we need to impress each other, as brothers and sisters in Christ, with how good we look on the outside.
Now don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing inherently wrong with dressing up for church – if you so desire. I do own a couple suits – and have even been known to wear one now and then. I even have some priestly robes hanging downstairs in the choir closet.
One of them is a dazzling white robe – I sometimes wear it on Easter or Christmas Eve, just to accentuate the joy and magnitude of the occasion.
I’ve even thought of wearing that robe for Rachel and Nick’s wedding in a couple of weeks. But I don’t want to upstage the bride!
Yes, I can look the part of a United Methodist pastor (whatever that is supposed to be in the 21 century). But you know what? If I’m not “right with God” in my own heart, then none of it matters.
In Mark 7, Jesus says the Pharisees have it all wrong. They’ve put too much emphasis on human tradition, while distancing themselves from the commands of God. They have distanced themselves, in other words, from the things God actually cares about.
And as Jesus would say later, the commands of God aren’t all that complicated. They don’t involve rigid adherence to 745 rules and rituals layered on top of the Mosaic Law.
As a matter of fact, Jesus says elsewhere, the commands of God come down to this: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matt. 22:37) And “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:39) The entire Law – and all the godly teaching of the ancient prophets – hang on these two commands, according to Jesus.
After criticizing the Pharisees, Jesus turns his attention to the crowd and continues his teaching. He tells them nothing from the outside has the power to defile a person – to make them “unclean.”
Rather, the things that make us unclean . . . the things that erode our relationship with God . . . the things that eclipse the sunlight of the Spirit in our lives – all are generated from within people. These dark shadowy thoughts are born in our hearts – which means they come from the core of our being. It here that all of us, most desperately, need the touch of His saving grace.
It turns out salvation is an inside job.
This was foreshadowed in the Old Testament, by the Prophet Jeremiah, who prophesied:
“The time is coming,” declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. (Jer. 31:31) . . . This is the covenant I will make . . . I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.” (Jer. 31:33)
Elsewhere, Israel’s King David – having committed adultery, and then murder and having lied repeatedly – acknowledged in his sinful brokenness that all the evil he committed had come from inside.
In Psalm 51, the repentant king cried out in prayer:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Ps. 51:10)
And as David goes on to say: “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
So there’s the heart of the matter.
It’s what’s inside of us – in our hearts – that determines who we really are.
Did you notice Jesus quoted from another prophet -- Isaiah -- when he criticized the Pharisees as hypocrites? Jesus cited Isaiah’s words, saying: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain.” (Isaiah 29:13)
That passage reminds me of a disturbing quote from Brennan Manning, the author of The Ragamuffin Gospel.
Manning states that “the greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

Friends, Jesus doesn’t call us to be successful. Jesus calls us to be faithful.
Jesus doesn’t care so much if we talk the talk. (I suspect the Lord would rather “see a sermon” than hear one any day.)
Jesus wants us to walk the walk.
And the journey of faithfulness begins in our own hearts.
The basic question for all of us today is this:
Do we have Jesus in our hearts?
Have we welcomed Jesus into our hearts, to be the Lord of our lives?
Is Christ the center of our lives – our interior lives – and do we try to operate on that basis every single day – with God’s help?
It could be that some of us here today look pretty good on the outside, but may be struggling on the inside. We may be feeling far removed from God’s presence. Perhaps we feel embarrassed or ashamed by some of the things we’re carrying around in our hearts – things that make us feel “unclean.”
If so, we have come to the right place.
God is still in the business of forgiving – and renewing. If we are feeling lost, disconnected, confused, hopeless . . . if we are feeling discouraged because we keep thinking things or doing things that are “unclean” in the sight of God, then help is just a prayer away.
For God wants nothing more than for us to turn to Him in humility, and ask Him from the core of our being:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Ps. 51:10)
The Church of Jesus Christ isn’t a hotel for saints. It’s a hospital for sinners.
The Divine Physician is always ready, willing and able to touch us with His healing grace, if we ask Him.
But he likes to be asked.
What about you? Will you ask him today?
Will you give your heart to Jesus?
Oh, and by the way – for those who think this is a nice message, a good sermon, for those folks who need it . . . I’d like to close by saying – just maybe – this one is especially for you!
Amen.

Sermon #9 @ St. Paris UMC (8.23.09)

Pastor Dave Kepple

Text: John 3:14-21 and Numbers 21:4-9

Title: “Look Up and Live!”

Date: Aug. 23, 2009 (12th Sunday after Pentecost)

Internet LinkS for primary scripture texts used in this sermon:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2021:4-9&version=31

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203:14-21;&version=31;

Today’s gospel lesson includes what is probably the best-known – and perhaps the most-treasured – verse in all of scripture: John 3:16 -- “For God so loved the world . . .”
It is so well known and beloved precisely because it captures the good news of God’s love and saving grace (in other words, the gospel) – in miniature form.
We like this verse, and the one that comes after it, too – John 3:17, where it states that “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
This is all good news – no wonder we like it! But we also need to consider the other parts of this gospel lesson, too – or we might miss something important.
The passage I read for you grows out of a conversation Jesus is having with a curious Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus. You may remember that Nicodemus, not wanting to be seen associating with Jesus, comes to him after night has fallen. Nicodemus wants to learn more about this remarkable rabbi who has been performing such miraculous signs.
So Jesus receives Nicodemus, and teaches him that no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again . . . indeed, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
Not surprisingly, Nicodemus finds all this somewhat confusing. But make no mistake about it, he is hanging on Jesus’ every word . . . every life-giving word. He wants to understand. He wants to see this Kingdom which Jesus speaks of.
And from this conversation, Jesus segways into the part of John 3 which I read, starting at verse 14. Here Jesus alludes to this creepy Old Testament story about these killer snakes, taken from the Book of Numbers.
Jesus is harkening back to that 40-year period in which Moses and the Israelites were in the wilderness, trying to make it to the Promised Land. And as usual, the Israelites were muttering and complaining and grumbling, and they said to Moses:
“Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! Blah-blah-blah . . .”
It’s the same-old same-old. As they did so often, the Israelites were unable to see the Big Picture, and what God was doing to lead them into the place he was preparing for them. They were unable to recall the genuine suffering and anguish they knew as slaves back in Egypt. All they could focus on were the temporary hardships of life in the desert, and their “gratitude tank” was running on empty.
(I’m glad we never do that!)
Anyway, they evidently caught the LORD on a bad day, because He wasn’t in the mood for it. As much as the Most High God loved these people – the ones whom he had called into covenant relationship through their Father Abraham – the LORD could not abide their faithless hearts.
So God did something that I personally would rather He had not done. He sent venomous snakes among the Israelites, and those vipers bit people, and a great number of the Israelites died as a result.
After this fierce judgment by Yahweh, the hearts and minds of the people quickly turned to repentance. You might say they had an attitude adjustment. I suppose being overrun with poisonous snakes could have that effect. In any event, they came to their leader, Moses, and acknowledged their sinfulness in speaking against the LORD and against Moses. They begged Moses to intervene on their behalf with a prayer, and Moses did just that.
And so the LORD, in his mercy – because He is a loving God, and He is good all the time – provided a way out for His people. The LORD told Moses to forge a snake and lift it up on a pole. God told Moses that anyone who had been bitten could look at the bronze snake, and they would live. In other words, they would experience salvation. Though they were in the throes of dying, they would receive the gift of life.
And Moses did exactly what God told him to do, and it worked. Those Israelites who were perishing from the bite of the poison snakes could look up at the snake of bronze which Moses hoisted, and they were spared. Their health was restored. Their very lives were renewed. I suppose it was a little like being born again, in some ways. They had a new lease on life.
That’s a cool story, isn’t it? I mean, I could do without the snakes, but I like the part about God giving the people another chance – even though they didn’t deserve it. God overlooked their sin and in His mercy, he saved them.
And this is the story to which Jesus points in John 3, when he tells Nicodemus that “just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.”
But why? What was the reason for this extraordinary sacrifice?
Verse 15 supplies the answer: “That everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
Bible scholar Richard Donovan notes there are a number of parallels between the Moses story and the story of Christ. (1)
First, the people were in danger of death because of their sin. (2) And really, there are no two ways about it. Left untreated, sin is fatal. Whether in the Sinai desert of ages past, or the wilderness of life in the 21st century, sin will take us down. Sin will separate us from the God who loves us, and it will drag us away into darkness – eternal darkness – unless . . .
Unless we receive the antidote.
The second parallel Donovan cites between the Moses story and the story of Christ is that in both cases, it is God that provides “the agent of salvation” – the bronze snake in the first story, and the Son of Man in the second. (3) Just as the bronze snake which Moses forged was the antidote for the people’s sin in the Book of Numbers, so the Son of Man is the antidote for our sins.
Third, Donovan points out that in both cases, the source of salvation was lifted up. (4)
In the Old Testament story, it was that bronze snake which God instructed Moses to raise up on pole. In the New Testament, it was the very Son of God of himself, lifted upon the cross of Calvary.
Finally, Donovan notes, the people are ultimately saved by looking at – or believing in – “God’s agent of salvation.” (5)
That bronze serpent served a purpose out in the desert, and it did save many people who were dying – the ones who had the faith to look up at the snake, to look up and live. But that little scene in the desert 3,400 years ago was only a warm-up act. God’s greatest and final act of salvation was yet to come – in the person of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son.
And so we come to the heart of the matter – that God loves this world so much, that he loves everyone so very much – that he is not content to let us die in our sins. He has sent His Son – Jesus – to be the antidote that restores our souls.
It’s when we look up to Christ on that cross and acknowledge our sins, profess our faith in His saving grace, and believe in the promise of the Resurrection, that we are set free from the law of sin and death.
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:17)
God longs to give us this salvation. In fact, he already has given it to us – but he will not force us to accept it. For in his great love, the LORD also created us with the gift of free will. If we are to turn to Him, it must be of our own volition, or not at all. The Lord God doesn’t take hostages.
As John’s gospel continues in verse 18: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
Those are definitely words of judgment – but here’s the kicker. We are the ones who render the judgment on our own lives.
As Rudolf Bultmann, a German theologian, put it: “Unbelief, by shutting the door on God’s love, turns his love into judgment.” (6)
Many others echo this view.
For instance, Bible scholar F.F. Bruce, who wrote that “the separation between those who accept his forgiveness and those who refuse it is inevitable; but the latter are self-judged. The responsibility for their self-judgment cannot be laid at the door of ‘the Savior of the world.’ ” (7)
New Testament professor Andrew T. Lincoln adds that the way people respond to Jesus “constitutes their judgment.” In other words, our judgment on Jesus is at the same time a judgment on ourselves. (8)
And finally, there’s Maxie Dunnam, the well-known United Methodist pastor who now serves as chancellor of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky.
In his book “Living the Psalms,” Dunnam tells us that the amazing truth of John 3:16 is no less than this: “That there is a place in God’s heart that only you can fill!” (9)
If we personalize that for a moment, it means:
There is a place in God’s heart that only Peggy Caudill can fill.
There is a place in God’s heart that only Rose Ann Zerkle can fill.
There is a place in God’s heart that only Weston Bloomfield can fill.
And so on . . . and so on.
Dunnam says he doesn’t “know of a more exhilarating truth” than this.
He goes on: “If you love someone, you need that someone to return that love, don’t you? Sure you do! So it is with God.
“God loves you and needs your love,” Dunnam adds. “God will not allow death to destroy you. If you are forever separated from God, it will be your choice, not God’s.” (10)
Every last one of us of has been attacked by the deadly toxin of sin. As human beings, there isn’t one of us immune to this life-draining poison.
But God has provided the perfect antidote in the person of Jesus Christ, the One who died for our sins.
And all we have to do is believe.
All we have to do is place our faith in Christ, and his redemptive power. God will not only restore us and make us whole. He will grant us eternal life.
Not because we deserve it. But because He loves us.
Remember: “In God’s heart, there is a place that only you can fill.”
So what will your choice be?
Will you look up at that man on the cross -- the One who laid down His life for you and for me?
Will you look up and live?

______________________________________

1. Richard N. Donovan, Sermon Exegesis, John 3:14-21.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. D. Moody Smith Jr., Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: John (Nashville: Abingdon, 1999)
7. F.F. Bruce, The Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983).
8. Andrew T. Lincoln, Black’s New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to John (London: Continuum, 2005).
9. Maxie Dunnam, “Living in the Psalms: A Confidence for All Seasons.”
10. Ibid.

Sermon #8 @ St. Paris UMC (8.16.09)

Pastor Dave Kepple

Text: Mark 5:1-20

Title: “Life in the Tombs”

Date: Aug. 16, 2009 (11th Sunday after Pentecost)

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer." -- Ps. 19:14 (adapted)

Internet Link for primary scripture texts used in this sermon:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/index.php?search=Mark%205:1-20&version=31&interface=print

For many years -- before I became a pastor -- I worked as a newspaper reporter and a columnist for the Dayton Daily News.
But please don’t hold that against me!
Back then, I found some of my best work came when I wrote about things I had a strong personal interest in -- something that came from the heart.
They say ‘write what you know’ . . . and for better or worse, I know myself pretty well.
In fact, when I stand up here each Sunday and preach to you, I am often -- if not always -- preaching to myself at the same time. Some of you probably have caught on to that. You see, we're all in this together.
This morning, in preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I feel led to touch on something very close to my heart; something that has pressed on my family for many years -- and especially since April of 2001.
What I want to talk about is the subject of mental illness, in general, and of our son Scott's mental illness, in particular.
When Janet and I met with the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee for an introduction back in March, we were very open with the committee about some of the trials we have faced – and continue to cope with – as we care for our son. Today we wish to share that openness with all of you.
I realize that mental illness is a very difficult thing to understand. I want to help you, hopefully, to understand a little bit better, while considering all these things in the light of Jesus and His amazing grace.
Please know this is not intended as a “pity party” for the pastor and his family. It is, however, something God has placed on my heart – something I’ve been thinking about for weeks. In fact, I asked for Scott’s blessing to address this topic – and some of his story – from the pulpit, and he gave me the go-ahead.
There's a lot of ignorance surrounding the topic of mental illness, both in society in general, and certainly within the Church (which is to say, all churches). The level of understanding is much better than it used to be, but we still have a lot to learn. I know Janet and I have learned a lot since April 4, 2001.
That is the day that our son Scott -- frightened, confused -- at times almost catatonic -- was admitted to Miami Valley Hospital in the midst of a psychotic episode. At the time, he was 21 years old.
It wasn't that all this was entirely new to us. Scott had suffered with severe emotional problems since he was 11 years old, and we'd been through the wringer with psychiatrists and psychologists, multiple hospitalizations, substance abuse problems, legal problems, probation officers, special education and IEPs, and so on. But the extent of Scott's mental illness took a quantum leap on April 4, 2001 -- and our lives were changed forever that day.
He was later diagnosed as having paranoid schizophrenia, a disease of the mind – of the brain. There is no cure for schizophrenia, but its symptoms can be managed – to varying degrees -- with medication. Scott has now been fully disabled for many years. Two psychiatrists who have treated him say his is the worst case of schizophrenia they’ve personally dealt with.
So why the Gospel passage from Mark, about this poor man Jesus encounters in the land of the Gerasenes, this bizarre character who dwells among the tombs?
God led me to choose this lesson for today, for some reason. I'm not sure why. It's not like I believe that Scott is a victim of demonic possession, as the tomb-dweller so clearly seems to be. Of course, like all of us, Scott has his share of soul-sickness. But I've learned enough about mental illness to know that what's going on with Scott is not any type of demonic possession -- because mental illnesses have a physical cause.
Like heart disease and diabetes, mental illness is a legitimate medical illness, one that involves a disorder in the brain. Schizophrenia, for example, is a brain disorder that robs people of their ability to think clearly and logically. The symptoms range from social withdrawal to hallucinations and delusions.
So -- again -- what does Mark 5:1-20 have to do with all this?
I guess it comes down to this.
I'm still waiting for the miracle of healing to come.
I'm still waiting for the pigs to carry this awful thing away from my son, and take it over some cliff, where this great evil can be buried in the bottom of the sea. I'm waiting for that part of the story where the man who lived in the tombs is quietly sitting with Jesus, dressed, "and in his right mind."
And I know the miracle -- the one Janet and I and so many others have prayed for, for such a long time -- this miracle of healing may never come this side of heaven, just as the healing does not always come as we pray for those stricken with cancer, or those stricken with Alzheimer's Disease, or any number of other illnesses.

At our former church, someone once asked: "Who ministers to the minister? Who ministers to you? When something bad happens in our lives, we go to see you. Who do you go to?"
Good question! . . . . One thing I did for a while involved meeting with a ‘spiritual director’ -- that is, a Christian friend who helped me remain open to the movement of the Holy Spirit in my life.
On one occasion, I remember talking to this spiritual guide a short time after Scott had been hospitalized for the third time within a few months. My friend asked me a few questions, such as:
What do you do with all this?
How do you handle it?
Where is God in all this?

That last one is really the key question -- where is God in all this?
It’s something I have continued to ponder and reflect upon over the years.
And I have long-since concluded that God has been and is present in a number of ways, even in the midst of the madness.
God has been present to Janet and I, to all of us, through the love and support of other Christians. In being open with the folks at our former church -- in allowing them to minister to us -- we experienced God's tender mercies. My former parishioners allowed us to be "real," to be authentic, and that is a wonderful a gift. And because we are “all in this together,” that is something I trust we can do here as well.
Indeed, the people in Saint Paris have already begun to follow suit.
As a result of our introductory meeting with the PPRC, someone passed along word that Lawnwood Commons – right here in town – might have an open apartment for which Scott could qualify. That eventually worked out, and we are so thankful that he is living just a half-mile away from us, in a safe place where he is able to have a measure of independence, and we can get some “space,” too!
Now Scott’s appearance can be a little off-putting if you don’t know him – but he’s really a “gentle giant.” He’s a big, burly guy, with long hair and a bushy beard, and his clothing tends to be on the haggard side. But that hasn’t stopped people here from reaching out to him, in kindness and friendship. People like Helen Ann Bishop, who made a point of striking up conversations with Scott during our first days here in town. And people like Bill Slutz, who’s made a couple stops over at Lawnwood Commons to see Scott. Thank you so much.
Yes, God has been with us through this journey, and as usual, He has been working in mysterious ways.
It turns out there were other folks at our previous church who were coping – in one way or another – with mental illness -- either in their own lives, or in the lives of their loved ones. By talking about this difficult subject ourselves, it seemed to make it easier for them to speak openly and honestly about their own struggles.
One of those church members – whose adult daughter has a severe mental illness – has since become a volunteer leader with the “Family to Family” program of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. This is a significant ministry in and of itself.
God also has allowed us to take part in some workshops and meetings which aim to help the religious community – in other words, church people and their leaders – gain a better understanding of the issues and challenges that affect those with mental illness, and their loved ones. At one such session in Cincinnati, I had to chance to speak not only as a clergyman, but more importantly, as the parent of one who is mentally ill.
The Lord also has been present in helping me realize that no matter what happens or what we may go through, I continue to love Scott with all my heart. And I can see in that a sign of God's unconditional love for each of us. If I can yet feel this way about Scott who, frankly, has caused us much grief and sorrow over the years, then how much more dependable must be God's love for all of us, even though we surely have grieved Him beyond measure at times.
God also has used this to remind me that people with mental illness do not choose to have this disease. They are confused and frightened by the things they must contend with, and many have no support system such as Scott has. They and their families must deal not only with the illness itself, but with the feelings of shame and embarrassment that come with it, and the fear of being rejected by those around them.
Think about it. How often have you seen a mentally ill person on TV or in the movies portrayed as anything other than unmedicated, homeless, or violently criminal? In reality, it's a myth that people with a severe mental illness are as a group much more violent than people in general. More often, they are frightened, confused and despairing.
Nevertheless, in our culture, the mentally ill truly are among the outcasts of society, the "marginalized," living in the tombs.
In other words, they are among those whom Jesus Christ has given us a special call to love and care for. Remember? It's found in the 25th chapter of Matthew, where Jesus speaks of separating the sheep and the goats. You know the story:
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "

I've got one last story to share with you.
Back in 1996, I travelled to the Philippines and spent two weeks there, in the Far East, as part of a requirement my seminary had for a "transcultural experience." And while we were there, we spent one day going to a region that had been devastated by the eruption of a volcano -- Mount Pinatubo -- a few years before. Many people's loved ones had been killed when the volcano erupted. Entire villages were wiped out -- literally buried in soot and ash. People lost their livelihood, their schools, their churches -- everything was wiped out.
In the midst of this scene, the government had established refugee camps for those displaced by the volcano and its aftermath. We visited one of these camps -- really just a collection of wooden shacks all jammed together -- and right there in the midst of the camp was a United Methodist church. This church didn't have a roof or any windows -- but there was a blue tarp overhead to try to keep the rain out.
As we spoke to the pastor of that refugee congregation about all that the people there had endured, the words he said in reply hit home with all of us in a powerful way. As he considered the devastation and the suffering of his people, he said: "There is a blessing in this somewhere. It's up to us to find it."

Indeed, there is a blessing in this somewhere.
It is up to us to find it.

We are not without hope -- you and me, all of us together -- as we search for the blessing in the midst of whatever circumstances we may be facing in life.
Because of Jesus Christ, there is hope for those who live "in the tombs" -- and for their families.
Jesus said: "In this world you will have trouble -- but take heart! I have overcome the world."
Thanks be to God!

Sermon #7 @ St. Paris UMC (8.9.09)

Pastor Dave Kepple

Text: Exodus 33:12-23

Title: “Glory Days”

Date: Aug. 9, 2009 (10th Sunday after Pentecost)

Internet Link for primary scripture text used in this sermon:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/index.php?search=Exodus%2033:12-23&version=31&interface=print


"Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power and love,
our God is an awesome God."

I’m sure many of you are familiar with those words, which are the chorus of Rich Mullins' great praise hymn, Awesome God.
"Awesome" is, indeed, a very appropriate word to use in reference to God.
But in some ways, awesome is a word that began to lose its meaning a few years back. It has long since become an easy and over-used catchword for anything that people find exciting or amazing, or just plain cool.
Such as:
“That was an awesome home run Joey Votto hit the other day!”
Or:
“I saw this really awesome show at the county fair! Can you believe Elvis Presley came to Urbana?!”
Or:
“That ice cream sundae was awesome!”
Or maybe even:
“Man, the pastor had a really awesome message last Sunday! . . .”

Of course, "awesome" is derived from the word awe, and awe is a word with a very specific meaning. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, "awe" is an emotion variously combining dread, veneration and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime. So, if you keep that understanding in mind, "awesome" probably is not the best description for something that -- while maybe terrific in a lot of ways -- may not be a big deal in the overall scheme of things.
God, however, IS a big deal in the overall scheme of things. Rich Mullins had it right, in using "awesome" to refer to God. And our Old Testament lesson today, taken from Exodus, presents a vivid declaration of the truly awesome nature of God.
Now, I like the Old Testament a lot. It is a treasure chest of God's truth and wisdom, great stories, wonderful poetry, all recorded by our older brothers in the faith -- the ancient Hebrews. There is no question that the persona of God IS awesome in the Old Testament. Of course, God is awesome in the New Testament, too, and especially in the Person and Presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But for the most part, God operates with a different style in the pages of the New Testament. You might say He is more subtle!
There's nothing subtle about God in the Old Testament. And nobody knew that better than Moses.

Today's lesson from Exodus 33 makes it clear that God is awesome -- that God's greatness, God's splendor and God's power are beyond anything we can imagine. To set this in context, we need to drop back to Exodus 32, where the Israelites had betrayed God. You probably remember the story.
Moses was up on the mountain with God, when the people grew impatient and began badgering Aaron, until finally they all sinned by building an idol -- a golden calf -- which they worshipped as their God, instead of the LORD.
God was ready to destroy these foolish people of His, but Moses talked him out of it, and they were spared. Still, the episode ends with a terrible strain between God and the people of Israel.
So it is that in Exodus 33 their leader, Moses, goes again to the LORD in prayer. He is struggling with the weight of his leadership burden, and he needs some reassurance. Remember, Moses was very unsure of himself from the get-go, from the time God first tapped him on the shoulder at the burning bush. And now Moses surely feels a strong sense of discouragement, after the debacle with the golden calf.
So he asks God, "If I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight." And the LORD reassures Moses, saying, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Moses is reassured that in this struggle of leading the people, he does not go alone, but can continue to rely upon the presence of the LORD. But Moses doesn't stop there. Like some of his great Hebrew ancestors, men such as Abraham and Jacob, Moses is adept in the art of bargaining with God.
So Moses continues his prayer, saying to the LORD: "Show me your glory."
God responds by offering to pass by Moses in some fashion, and proclaim before Moses the mysterious name -- YHWH -- 'I am that I am' . . . as he had previously revealed at the burning bush.
God also goes on to say something that I find very intriguing, when he says: "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." This statement is a powerful reminder that God is God -- and that we are not God! I don't know about you, but I need that reminder, from time to time -- that it is God who sits in the seat of judgment -- not yours truly -- and that He will show grace and mercy as He sees fit.
Anyway, the Lord continues with Moses, warning him -- "You cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live." So the Lord arranges a place for Moses to stand near Him, a cleft in the rock where Moses will be safe while the glory of the Lord passes by.
"I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by," the LORD tells Moses, in what sounds like a very loving, protective manner. Only after I have passed by, the LORD says, will I take my hand away, and then you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen."
And so it is that God (at least partially) grants this last request of Moses, to show Moses the glory of the LORD.

Is there any word for this demonstration of God's glory, other than awesome?
Of course, this is only one of many, many scriptural examples of God's awesome power and glory, starting with the beginning itself -- the Creation -- in Genesis 1.

Now do you want to hear something really awesome?
Your very being is stamped with His divine image!
That's right -- when you get up to start your day, and you have "morning mouth" and your hair is all messed up, and you take that first bleary-eyed glimpse in the bathroom mirror, you are looking at a creature who was made in the image of God! At that moment, you may not feel like you could possibly reflect the glory of God, but that is exactly what you and I are called to do.
It's stated quite clearly, again in the first chapter of Genesis, where it is written:

"So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them." (Gen. 1:27)

Would you agree that is awesome?
But listen, I've got something even more awesome to tell you.
This same God, our Creator, became a human creature himself and dwelt among us as flesh and blood for 33 years, surrendering his godly powers -- and ultimately his life -- so that he might save us. He did all this through his Son, Jesus, in whom the human race was finally given what was denied Moses -- the opportunity to see the face of God.
And isn't it interesting that throughout the four Gospels, and all of the New Testament, there is not one word of description about the face of Jesus? God has kind of left it open to our imagination, hasn't he? . . . at least for now.
But there's one more thing I need to tell you, and in some ways, it's the most awesome part of all!
This same God who created the universe and everything in it . . .
This same God who led the Israelites through the wilderness to the promised land, and who revealed a portion of his glory unto Moses . . .
This same God who became one of us and who died for us, to cover our endless sins in the cleansing blood of the Lamb . . .
This very same God lives within us today, when we place our faith in Christ, and trust in the power of the Holy Spirit.
And not only that, but this same God is counting on all of us -- weak, earthen vessels that we are -- to reveal His glory to the world. We are created in His image, we have been saved by His love, and God wants us to bear that image in all our mundane existence.
Because the truth is there is no part of our existence that should ever be mundane or routine, when we remember that we are bearing the image of God wherever we go, whether it's across the street or around the world. As Christians, we are in a very special way called to reveal His glory to the world.
Christ has chosen you and you and me – ALL OF US -- to make His glory known to others.
And THAT is truly awesome.

Friends, I don't care whether you are 8 years old or 88, these are our glory days -- today, and everyday. This is our turn, in the great mystery of life, to reflect His glory, His hope, and above all His love to a world that yearns for freedom from slavery . . . a world that yearns for God's truth.

"Our God is an awesome God.
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power and love,
our God is an awesome God."

May we embrace that great reality, and make it part of who we are every day of our lives.
Let us never forget that our God is an awesome God.
Amen.

Heckaman's Travels :-)

Our new district superintendent, Rev. Chris Heckaman, is regularly visiting churches throughout the district for worship. Here's a link to his latest blog entry, which has a brief summary of his recent visit to Nation Chapel UMC. Sounds like a lot of great things happening there in the name of Jesus!

http://miamivalleyds.blogspot.com/2009/08/church-visit-making-most-of-what-youve.html

Sermon #6 @ St. Paris UMC (8.2.09)

Pastor Dave Kepple

Text: John 19:1-6a, 16-19, 23-25, 28-30 and Mark 14:32-42

Title: “This Table”

Date: Aug. 2, 2009 (9th Sunday after Pentecost)

Internet Link for primary scripture texts used in this sermon:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2019:1-6a,%2016-19,%2023-25,%2028-30&version=31

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2014:32-36;&version=31;


A homily leading into Holy Communion . . .

OK, it’s confession time.
I’m not going to ask you to raise your hand, but I am wondering –
How many of you winced a little when you got here today, and saw the Communion elements on the table?
Maybe you quietly thought to yourself, “Oh, great! It’s gonna be a long one today.”
I guess we might call this an “eat-your-peas” mentality toward the Sacrament of Holy Communion. We know it’s good for us, but we might not be all that excited about it. In fact, there may be times we’d just as soon avoid it.
I understand. I’ve been there myself. In the past, there have been times I thought the very same thing.
But somewhere along the way – and it’s been a few years now -- God opened my mind and changed my heart about receiving the Lord’s Supper. You could say my attitude has been adjusted.
I’ve gone from “eating my peas” to feasting with the Lord of Life.
At times, I’ve come to the table feeling discouraged, and I felt my spirits lifted by the assurance of His presence.
I’ve also come with joy to the table, only to feel that joy magnified by the sure knowledge that the Living Christ is with us, through the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the cup.
This table . . .
This table is a place where we can come and silently lay our burdens at the foot of the cross, even as we receive the bread of life -- and the cup of salvation.
This table is also a place where we can rekindle the fire of our “first love” for Jesus Christ, and make a new beginning in our walk with the Lord.
For today, for just a few moments, these gifts of grain and the fruit of the vine can become the center of our universe, as we draw close to the Living God – and He draws close to us.
J. Ellsworth Kalas, professor at Asbury Theological Seminary, writes of this experience with a sense of wonder in his book, “New Testament Stories from the Back Side.”
Kalas writes:
“There is, after all, no table like it. This table reaches from that upper room in Jerusalem all the way through the cathedrals in Europe and America, to the place where you will next take the sacrament.
“This table is revered in mud hut churches in Africa, where people speak the sacred words in languages you and I have never heard. It has often been set up, in crude fashion, in the darkest pits of confinement, where people imprisoned for their faith in Christ have saved a fragment of bread and a spoonful of water just so they can say, “His body. His blood.” And they do it with a triumph that shakes the dungeon walls.”
Dr. Kalas continues: “I ponder that once, long ago, there was a table where 13 men sat. Who could have imagined that night that . . . hundreds of millions would sit at the same table, two millennia later, everywhere on this planet. And someone will say, “The body of our Lord. The blood of Christ, shed for you. And in that moment, eternity will break in upon human souls.
“At a common piece of furniture called a table, you and I will eat a crumb of bread, we will drink from a cup, and for that moment, all of the company of heaven will observe in splendid awe. Such a table! Such a table!” (1)

Friends, we gather at this table to remember Christ’s sacrifice for us – just as He instructed: “Do this in remembrance of me.”

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not complicated.
The Word became flesh in Jesus -- God's only Son -- and God made the ultimate sacrifice to defeat the power of sin and death. Jesus was raised to life on the Third Day by the Power of God, and He will come again in glory to complete the establishment of His Kingdom.
You know, even that complicates things more than necessary. We can simplify things even further. How about this: Jesus died for our sins. That is the Gospel, and it is Good News for all of us -- since all of us are born with a genetic predisposition to sin.
Keep it simple.
It doesn't get much more simple than a bookmark I picked up at the Family Christian Store not long ago. The message printed on this bookmark may only be one sentence, but it is a sermon in itself. The bookmark states: "It was not the nails that held Christ to the cross, but His love for you and me."
Think about that for a moment. . . .

Jesus allowed himself to be sacrificed for us. He made that surrender during his terrible moments in the Garden of Gethsemane. He made that surrender -- not easily -- but he made it, knowing full well the suffering he would endure. In the 19th chapter of John, we heard just some of the physical trauma the Lord sustained in His passion.
But it was finally His utter and total separation from the Father, as Jesus took on the sins of the world, that nearly broke His spirit. It was in the midst of that absolute desolation that Jesus cried out in despair, using the words of the 22nd Psalm: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" . . .
Remember, "It was not the nails that held Christ to the cross, but His love for you and me." . . .
It is this same point which Christian author Max Lucado makes in his best-selling book, He Chose The Nails. God did not have to make this sacrifice of his Son. Nor did Jesus have to follow through on the will of his Father. The sacrifice on the cross is a gift, freely given.

And evidently, it was important to Jesus that his followers remember this sacrifice, and remember it often. . . .
The Sacrament of Holy Communion is that sacred moment in the life of the Church when we remember this sacrifice Jesus made for each one of us. By eating bread and drinking from the cup, as he instructed, we reflect on this outpouring of God's grace in Christ Jesus. We experience anew the presence of the Risen Lord, and look forward to his coming in final victory.
When you come up here in a few minutes to receive the elements -- or when you receive them where you are seated -- I invite you to use all the senses you have at your command. Feel the soft texture of the bread in your fingers. Notice the sharp, sweet scent of the grape juice in the cup. See the cross on the altar through the eyes of faith. Taste and see that the Lord is good.
It would be well to pause and listen, too. And, as Max Lucado says, perchance you will hear Him whisper:
"I did it just for you." (2)
______________________________________

1. J. Ellsworth Kalas, “New Testament Stories from the Back Side,” Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2000.
2. Max Lucado, “He Chose the Nails,” Thomas Nelson Inc., 2000.