Always Reforming - Sermon for Reformation Sunday

Always Reforming

Reformation Sunday

October 30, 2022

Christ, Preston, MN

John 8.31-36

Five hundred and five years ago Martin Luther nailed 95 theses, or propositions for debate, to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. That was the mode of argumentation before the internet and social media. Like now, his posting drew a flurry of activity. Chief among Luther’s quibbles with the Institutional Church was the selling of indulgences, or certificates of grace, that purportedly would hasten a loved one’s journey to heaven. That was something Luther felt should be free since grace is, well, free. Luther wasn’t the first to argue against this and other perceived abuses, but a confluence of events pushed him and the issues to the fore. The Reformation would change the church, society and even the government permanently.

Along the way, Luther would translate the Bible into the tongue of the people, coincidentally solidifying the German language. In doing so, Luther would make the Bible accessible for anyone who could read. He would also produce other widely read tracts, all fueled by the technological innovation of the day: Gutenberg’s printing press that made mass production possible. Also along the way, he insisted on four “solas” or “onlys:” Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, and Scripture alone. In short, we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone as revealed in Scripture, which is our sole authority, and this is not of our doing but a free gift from God.

The institutional church was not happy with Luther and attempted to shut him down. But Luther at his trial, asked to be proved wrong from Scripture, uttering the famous words, “Here I stand, I can do no other.” The actions of Luther and other reformers led them to be called “Protestants,” a name that embraced them as they embraced it and would be welcomed by many. Though not Luther’s desire, the formation of not just one but many new churches. Still, Luther’s overriding concern was the truth shown in Scripture, that we are made right with God by faith apart from our own works, and that the truth of this shall be known and set us free.

It is tempting to think of the Reformation as a past event, albeit an important one, merely an artifact of history. But I would argue, and I think Luther would agree, that we shouldn’t just celebrate the Reformation but also embody it, much like we embody the Incarnation of Christmas and the dying and rising of Easter. We tend to think of freedom as being able to do whatever we want. But the witness of Scripture is that we are not only freed from the brokenness of sin, death, and the power of evil but also freed for a new life. Luther in his essay, Freedom of a Christian says it this way: “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.”

Here’s what I think the bottom line is: God has a mission to love and bless the world, to bring people back into relationship with him, and for that mission, God has a church, like Christ Lutheran Church. We need to acknowledge that we don’t always get that right, that God’s grace often gets muted, if not obliterated. The church of the Reformation is always reforming because God is always on the move and because each generation is in a different place and time. So, the Good News of Jesus Christ’s love for everyone, which never changes, is declared in new ways so that people can hear it in their own language.

My Siblings in Christ, as you prepare for your next settled pastor, you have a wonderful opportunity to discern what that means for Christ Lutheran Church in Preston, MN in 2022 and beyond. That can be daunting, but today we remember and celebrate that we are an ordinary people who have an extraordinary God, a God whose love has set us free. Thanks be to God. Amen.

My sermons often preach a little differently than written and you can find the video here.

True Humility - Sermon for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost Year C

True Humility

Pentecost 20C – Lectionary 30

Christ, Preston, MN

October 23, 2022

Luke 18.9-14

In 1980, singer and songwriter Mac Davis released an album, “It’s Hard to Be Humble.” The title song on that album quickly rose in popularity, both in America and abroad. The opening lines are so iconic they’re indelibly etched in our minds:

Oh, Lord, it's hard to be humble

When you're perfect in every way

I can't wait to look in the mirror

'Cause I get better lookin' each day

For some reason, the song struck a chord (pardon the pun) with people around the world. And if this song is now stuck in your head for the rest of the day, you’re welcome.

The opening line to Davis’s song might be a fitting summary of our gospel reading today from Luke. At first, the parable Jesus tells seems straightforward: don’t be like the self-righteous Pharisee. Last week, we heard one example of prayer from the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge. Today we hear two more kinds of prayer, the tax collector who beats his breast over being sinful and the Pharisee who congratulates God for not making him like the tax collector. And Jesus’ pronouncement at the end also looks clear: don’t exalt yourself or else you’ll get yours.

But I think Jesus has set this parable as something of a trap, but not in the sense of “gotcha.” Jesus uses two stock characters in this parable as examples that we see often in Luke: the despised tax collector who was a Jewish citizen but also a collaborator with the Roman occupying forces; and the Pharisee, a religious leader whom Jesus unfairly portrays as an uptight, rigid observer of the law. The trap comes when our reaction is to identify with the tax collector: “Thank God I’m not like the Pharisee!”

The infamous words of former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir seem appropriate: “Don’t be so humble; you’re not that great.” This is where Mac Davis speaks a small amount of truth: it is indeed hard to be humble. We don’t know why the tax collector and the Pharisee come to the temple that day nor do we know what happens to them afterward. Does the tax collector ever change his ways? Does the Pharisee get a lesson in humility sometime? We don’t know, and perhaps that’s the point: they aren’t the focus of the parable, God’s mercy and grace are.

Luther Seminary Professor Emeritus of Church History James Nestingen tells a story about an experience his father had while he was in seminary. On returning to campus on a Sunday evening and running into a classmate, the classmate said to the elder Nestingen, “I had a good day today. I didn’t sin.” Nestingen’s father replied, “It was good of you to give Jesus the day off.” If we aren’t careful, we can engage in a humility contest, which defeats the purpose. Nestingen’s father had a point: whatever ability we have to follow the way of Jesus comes from God and God alone.

So, what brings you to Christ Lutheran Church today? Why are you here? I’m hoping that you are here because this is a safe place for you to be vulnerable and admit your need for God's mercy and grace. I hope it’s a place where you don’t have to pretend to be something you are not, for whatever reason you might think so. Even more so, I hope it’s a place where you will hear God’s unconditional love, mercy, and grace for you no matter what your situation in life. My siblings in Christ, you are worthy of love and belonging through Jesus’ justifying action. That’s true humility. Amen.

My sermons often preach a little differently than written and you can find the video here.

Do Not Be Afraid

Pentecost 19C Lectionary 29

October 16, 2022

Christ, Preston, MN

Luke 18.1-8; Genesis 32.22-31

I think that one of the hardest questions in the life of faith is why, if there exists a loving God, there is evil in the world. As Rabbi Kushner said in his famous book,  why “bad things happen to good people.” For those of you playing Theological Bingo at home, this is known as the problem of theodicy. Perhaps a similarly difficult question and even related to theodicy, is why God rarely answers our prayers and often remains silent. That was a struggle for the Apostle Paul who wrestled with his infamous “thorn in the flesh.” Paul asked God to remove that unknown affliction, but God remained silent. I’m guessing that many of you have similar experiences regarding illnesses, jobs, relationships and many other difficulties.

“Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.” Notice the word, “then,” which means our text for today follows something else. If we were to go back to the end of chapter 17, we’d hear Jesus talking about the coming kingdom of God, including the mysterious claim, “the kingdom of God is within you.” Why is this important? Well, it’s helpful to know that Luke writes to his community about 50 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. He writes to people who have experienced the temple’s destruction and wonder where God is in all of this confusion. They have expected Jesus’ return and are losing heart as they see what’s happening around them.

I would also guess that most of us spend little time wondering why Jesus hasn’t come back. Even so, we do wonder from time to time where God is in the world and we see little of Jesus’ presence. We might even be tempted to see God exactly like the unjust judge: vindictive and uncaring. But it’s as if Jesus is reading our minds because he quickly says that God is not like that. And because parables are provocative, (they provoke our thinking), we can entertain the idea that perhaps God is more like the widow who works on our hard hearts. Maybe prayer is designed to change us more than it is supposed to change God.

Dr. Samantha Meints and Rev. Dr. Marta Illueca are leading a research project that will help identify the types of prayer that are most helpful for folks with chronic pain. In doing so, they can better help people better cope with their pain. One of their initial findings is striking. When people pray for God to take away their pain, there is little or no benefit. But when they ask God for help to bear the pain, they are better able to cope with the pain. Prayer changes us.

When we lose heart in our prayer life, we become tired, despondent, and resigned to our situation. We lose our sense of purpose and get cranky. But when we pray like the widow, we have a purpose and clarity about what we are to be, and we are changed in the process. Praying with heart wears down our inner judge and makes us open to what God is doing in our lives. In the Genesis reading, Jacob wrestles with God until he receives a blessing, and he is changed forever, signified in his name change to Israel, one who strives with God. As Debie Thomas notes, God delights in those who dare to strive with him, because in doing so they keep hold of God tightly.

We’re in an uncertain time now, post-pandemic. You have said good-bye to your pastor, wondering what the future holds. Maybe some of you are even afraid that God won’t show up. My siblings in Christ, do not lose heart. Continue wrestling with God, expecting a blessing in return. Amen.

My sermons often preach a little differently than written and you can find the video here.