ps from ps:For those of you who attend St. Paul’s with regularity, you may or may not have noticed that the worship leader the past two weeks was a tad older than usual, but still bore the last name Biegner. Very thankful for Biegner – Chick Version that covered for me as I experienced some super fun Covid and migraine issues these past couple weeks.
With that said, I have two sermons that I prepped and never preached. So this Sunday I will preach three sermons and the service will be most likely 90 minutes. Just kidding! Talk about disincentive eh??
Side note: as we started to return to a more normal worship pattern this year, I realized that my preaching in church had become a bit shorter. I used to preach for 12-13 minutes each service. But once Covid hit and I had to adjust for a 30-minute TV Church format, I slimmed them down to 8-9 minutes. I shared that with Michelle one evening and told her I should probably start to lengthen my sermons back out in church. She subtly and gracefully said: “Has anyone asked you to lengthen your sermons back out?”
I reflectively paused. I understood. They are still 8-9 minutes.
But this week, I’m ready. With multiple messages! Maybe during the Children’s Time, I’ll have them pick one out of a hat?!
It’s rare that I’m ready with multiple options. Sort of exciting.
Are you ready with multiple options? Are you excited about those options? Are you ready to preach?
In John’s gospel (one of the potential sermon texts) Jesus shares that classic instruction for the disciples: “Love one another as I have loved you.” And he does that in a context of just recently washing their feet and pointing them to focus on the least, little, lonely, lost and left behind.
What does your sermon looks like for that verse? And I DON’T mean from some dude rambling on for 8-9 minutes in a monologue in front of church! I mean what does YOUR sermon look like? A sermon is merely an interpretation, explanation and connection of a text to the reality of the moment. If that is the case, what does your sermon look like?
What does your foot washing-like service in the world look like today? What illustrations and connection points do you have and will you live out in today’s moment? How will you interpret God’s love for the world to those you interact with? Will your actions and presence explain a risen Lord and Savior today, maybe without even using words? And might you just have multiple sermons to preach?
See, I can’t preach a sermon from two weeks ago. Can’t even use the one from last week. Because the moment changed. The world changed. The opportunities change. The ability to love changes.
But what is consistent in all of it, in every week, is a God who invites us ALL to preach. Interpret. Explain. Show. Illustrate. Connect. Be in God’s moment. All to love our neighbors.
ps from ps:Very thankful to Mary Wolf, who once again this Lenten season wrote and posted daily a devotional reflection. Next week, we will add a visual component to Monday through Saturday to those lessons. You can find those on our FB page or YouTube page each day.
Here is the Holy Week schedule for both St. Paul’s and Amherst Lutheran churches:
Holy Week Schedule: Palm Weekend: Saturday, April 9th: 5:00 pm Service at Amherst Lutheran Church Sunday, April 10th: 10:00 am Service at St. Paul’s Maundy Thursday, April 14th: 6:30 pm “Dinner Church” (Pot-luck with Communion) at St. Paul’s Good Friday: April 15th: 12:00 pm Service at Amherst Lutheran Church 7:00 pm Service at St. Paul’s Easter Sunday: April 17th: 6:00 am Sunrise Service at St. Paul’s 10:00 am Worship Service at St. Paul’s; 10:00 am at Amherst
Please take part in as many offerings as you can. See you at the cross!
ps from ps: A priest, a Levite and a Samaritan walked into a bar. No wait, they walked down a road.
At least, that’s what the story in Luke 11 tells us. Three different people walking down the same road seeing the same hurting person. Three people – two church types and one culturally outcast by the church. And only one helps out. And splicer alert – it’s not the church guys.
The story is called the Good Samaritan. But I could come up with a few other names:
“Two dopes and one good human” “Strike two for the church; home run for unchurched” “Why did the Samaritan cross the road? To get to the other side and love someone”
OK, let’s just go back to the Good Samaritan as the title.
I’m hoping you know this story. (You can read the whole thing HERE for review or if you’ve never read it.). But more importantly than remembering the story, I’m hoping you are living the story. Crossing the road. Allowing yourself to be “moved with pity.” Showing mercy.
It’s not easy crossing the road. I know I have found myself saying: There are too many things going wrong on the other side of the road! Too many needs. Too many bleeding and beaten. Too many homeless in 716. Too many needing meals. Too many. Too many. Maybe you have said/thought/felt this too? It can stifle us from crossing the road. Our pity and mercy can get overwhelmed.
But maybe that was going on in this story too. We only hear about the one beat up guy? But maybe there were dozens? Maybe those dozens were next to a bunch of lepers? Who were next to the hungry? Next to the outcast?
And yet this one dude still crossed and changed someone’s life. Maybe saved it.
I want to invite you to cross the road with me today. Whatever road you’re on. I will tell you when you look over there, it might seem overwhelming. But can we just focus on one life? Start with one today? Show that mercy and grace one person at a time?
St. Paul’s will begin crossing the road as a church in the days ahead. We are ready to launch the St. Paul’s Resettlement Mission. This Sunday in worship, I want to invite you to be a part of the conversation, prayer, learning and “road crossing.” As a community and partnered with another church and agency, we will begin helping a family resettle in 716 through the blessing we have of an empty Olin House. Come this Sunday or join in the live stream to hear more about that new venture.
But even before we gather, look across the road this week. As a loved, blessed child of God, allow the view of one or more in need move you with empathy and drive you forward with mercy. May each of us be the next one to cross that road.
Lord, help me have the strength and mercy to cross the road Amen
Went out for a run last week instead of the mind-numbing hotel treadmill. Went over to the Tow Path along the Cuyahoga River south of Cleveland. Partly cloudy, light breeze and next to the moving waters. Already a better decision. Run plan – 25 minutes out and 25 minutes back. Easy flat run.
Wasn’t planning on turning right.
Then .4 miles into the run I came to a sign letting me know the Hemlock Creek Trail went to the right. Never heard of it and didn’t expect it. I looked back toward the Tow Path, which was straight and easy for at least another 2 miles. Then I looked at the Hemlock Creek Trail, which I could only see about .2 miles of. However the sign spoke of a winding creek, a waterfall and scenic Hemlock trees.
So I turned right.
For the first mile, I found a great winding trail that took me over railroad tracks and bridges, with a couple little stops to stretch and take in the rapids of the creeks.
But then on the second mile, the 7% and 9% grade signs arrived. Hills. Steep ones. Wasn’t thrilled, but I slowed down, walked when I needed to and made it to the waterfall. As I doubled back, I got to enjoy the fruits of my labor that my 9% grades were now downhills. That was pretty fantastic and on my phone app, made me look like a very talented and fast runner. Although in live time, probably looked a little spastic.
That day, I got to experience something I’ve never seen or done because I turned right. And my run was better for it.
As you launch into your day today or contemplate tomorrow, maybe there’s a super easy safe option or maybe there’s a little nicer straight and easy path? Or…. maybe there’ll be an opportunity, a slight risk, a new option, a potential to see something different, a call to “Follow Me” or step out of a boat or Go to all people…if you just turn right? I can’t promise there won’t be steeps grades on that path, but I can tell you that if you slow down, you’ll conquer them! You’ll enjoy the way back.
Enjoy your “run” today and don’t forget to consider that “turn right.”
Lord, thanks for the invitations to turn right. Amen
ps from ps: How many times have I done it? Indoors. Outdoors. Trees. Bushes. Flowers.
How many times have I tried transplanting some live plant/flower/tree and watched it wilt/wither/die?
How many times have I given up too early? Not been patient enough? Not been careful enough? Not given it one more chance? Not had enough fertilizer?
Luckily, our Gardener plants with care, gives it another shot and is full of sh…..manure!
He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it.” – Luke 13:1-9
That’s our Gardener! He responded after the land owner wanted to give up on us. Toss us away. But not this Gardener. One more shot.
This story is preceded by that same Gardener inviting us into a life of repentance. Change. Returning. Turning directions back to One who is full of nutrients and manure for us! The good stuff. The rich stuff. The best stuff.
That’s our Gardener.
What can we do this week to help the process? How can we return? How can we make space and room for the great ….manure…that the Gardener has to offer?
Let’s not give up. Let’s not throw in the towel. Let’s not settle for death.
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