The Good Fight - Sermon for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost Year C

The Good Fight

Pentecost 16C (Lectionary 26)

September 25, 2022

Good Shepherd, Wells, MN

1 Timothy 6.6-19

In a conversation the other day, Bob told me about Frank, the person that hired him for a position he held for several decades. He told me how Frank was far more than a boss or supervisor to him. As the years passed, Frank not only became a mentor to Bob, but also a second father to him. Most of us who have been grateful for a similar relationship understand just how important they are. Charlie was an associate pastor at the very large church where I did my internship. He was not my supervisor, but was a mentor. I still recall the first Sunday I preached, live on the radio and knowing there were several current and former pastors in attendance. I was nervous, even at 40 years old, but Charlie simply said, “They need to hear the Gospel, too.” I’ll never forget that. The support, encouragement, and even constructive criticism mentors give are crucial for our growth as persons.

That’s the same kind of relationship that “Paul” has with “Timothy” in our reading today. Though most scholars agree that the Apostle Paul did not write this letter and that it was written much later than he could have written it, that doesn’t negate the letter’s power and importance for us today. Timothy is a young person of faith, probably in a leadership role in his congregation. They are beset by false teachers who are leading them away from the faith, distracting them from the gospel. As you can conclude from today’s reading, one issue Paul counters is that being a person of faith results in wealth. Unfortunately, that version of the so-called “Prosperity Gospel” is still alive today.  Those who seek to follow the way of Jesus know better. And if you really need more convincing about the both dangers of wealth and its responsibilities, look more closely at today’s Gospel reading in Luke 16 about the rich man and Lazarus.

But, what struck me about the reading from 1 Timothy was the encouragement Paul gives to Timothy here near the end of the letter, to “fight the good fight of faith” and to “take hold of the eternal life, to which you have been called.” I’ve thought long and hard about what final things I might say to you on this, my last Sunday. Now, I don’t want to be arrogant in thinking that my words will be memorialized for all time, but I do want to leave you with some final thoughts as we both enter the next phase of our lives.

First, some of you have expressed your concern regarding your future. You see the effects of the pandemic on attendance and giving, wondering if you see the handwriting on the wall to close the church. To be clear, you are nowhere near that point to be even thinking about closing. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is blessed with many things: a fine staff who love Jesus and are serving faithfully; strong leadership; vital ministry teams who are doing God’s mission and ministry; and a welcoming, accessible facility open to congregation and community alike.

Second, I know that you are anxious because you don’t have a settled pastor in the wings. Your leadership is working with the synod on a bridge pastor and they’re hopeful one will begin soon. I truly believe that this is a great call in a terrific community and that a pastor will want to come here This week, I found myself correcting myself. In order to be pastoral, I began to say to people, “You’ll be fine.” That is, until I realized that sounded condescending and not exactly true. You see, I need to add, “You are already fine.” You are God’s beloved to whom God has given great gifts. You are fine.

In a little while, we will share a “Litany of Farewell.” But I want to end by saying “Thank you” for embracing me as your interim pastor, for the privilege of walking along beside you during the most important times of your lives. Whatever you think I’ve done for you, know that you have enriched my life in so many ways. And though I am no longer your pastor, I will pray for you and hold you in my heart. So, siblings in Christ, fight the good fight of faith and take hold of the life God has given you. Amen.

My written sermons often preach differently "live." To watch the video, click here.

Well Played - Sermon for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost Year C

Well Played

Pentecost 15C (Lectionary 25)

September 18, 2022

Good Shepherd, Wells, MN

Luke 16.1-13

Today’s parable about the Dishonest Manager, the Rich Man, and the dangers of wealth is a hard one to work with, mostly because it is so confusing. Next week we will encounter a different kind of hard parable, hard because we know exactly what it is saying, and we don’t like it. As an aside, I know that preachers sometimes use these parables to ask for money. I’ll not use the parable to ask you for money, but when I’m done you might wish I had. Remember, as we dive into this parable, it is helpful to recall that parables are not puzzles to solve but rather mysteries to be entered. We don’t open them up as much as they open us to the ways of God’s kingdom.

Typically, I would suggest a single avenue in the exploration of a parable.  But today, as I am inspired by the deal making of the Dishonest Manager I am feeling more like Monty Hall of “Let’s Make a Deal” game show fame. Just as Monty would ask a player to choose Door #1, Door #2, or Door #3, I’m going to suggest three different ways to understand the parable and invite you to explore each possibility. But beware: you might find stinkers behind all of them that will challenge your way of being and don’t seem like a grand prize.

Behind Door #1, we grapple with the parable itself at face value, one directed to the disciples. The Dishonest Manager has his livelihood threatened because he’s been playing fast and loose with his master’s property and so he’s in a bind. After some thinking, he slashes the amount of debt with the hopes of currying favor with those whose debt he has forgiven. The Rich Man unexpectedly praises the Dishonest Manager, in effect saying, “Well played!” Then Jesus tells the disciples they should be as shrewd in the world as the “children of this age.” Unfortunately, Jesus doesn’t tell them how to do that. A motto for this interpretation of the parable might be, “In God we trust, all others pay cash.”

Door #2 is a totally different take on the parable and is one I initially dismissed, but reconsidered after attending text study with my colleagues this past week. It suggests that the Dishonest Manager is Jesus who comes and provides forgiveness for the debts owed to God. This interpretation helps explain the context of the parable, which follows the Parable of the Lost Son (also known as the Prodigal Son) who squanders his father’s property. The Lost Son is not fed in his need, but then receives his father’s forgiveness when he returns home. This “Door” also provides a bridge to next week’s parable about the Rich Man and Lazarus and further explains why the religious leaders get so upset with Jesus. As you can see, it makes the Rich Man to be God who also says to his Son, “Well played!”

Door #3 bypasses the parable to focus on the wisdom sayings that Luke has clearly added to it at the end. But this door also has its own downside. Though we are okay with the commonsense advice about trusting people (or not), and we also understand we are to serve only God, this Door contains a challenge for us. As St. Augustine is reportedly to have said, God gave us people to love and money to use; the problem comes when we confuse the two. It’s painful to admit that we have confused the two at times. There are times we’ve been used and there are times when we have used others, when we’ve loved money more than we have loved people.

Perhaps that brings us back to Door #2, where Jesus offers God’s forgiveness and riches to us. And perhaps that forgiveness that we receive today in Jesus’ body and blood, the bread and wine of Holy Communion, strengthens us to continually serve God, figuring out ways to be in the world and not of it, which brings us back to Door #1. So, maybe all three doors (and whatever others you see) lead us back to the same place, the heart of God who sent Jesus to give us what we need to be God’s loving, living, presence in the world. Well played, God, well played. Amen.

My written sermons often preach differently "live." To watch the video, click here.

Precious Love - Sermon for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost Year C

Precious Love

Pentecost 14C (Lectionary 24)

September 11, 2022

Good Shepherd, Wells, MN

Luke 15.1-10

Today’s Gospel story with the parables of the lost sheep and coins (along with the Lost Son that we heard during Lent) can stir up some emotions and strong reactions in us, especially as we think about various kinds of “lostness” in our lives and in the world. That’s certainly true for me. I was one of those young people who fled the church post-Confirmation. For me, I looked around the church, listened to my dad’s experience of being shunned by a congregation, and decided that I didn’t want to belong in church anymore. I had a crisis of faith, though it didn’t seem like a crisis at the moment. In regards to the Gospel reading today, I certainly wasn’t a religious leader, but many could legitimately think of me as a “sinner.”

These parables are so powerful because we can read ourselves and God into different places in them. It’s important to remember that parables aren’t puzzles to be solved but rather mysteries to be entered. We aren’t to open them up as much as they are intended to open us up to God and God’s ways. So, as I endeavor to unpack these parables, please realize that there are many other avenues to pursue for interpretation.

What has stood out for me this week is that, if we ascribe the shepherd and woman to God, how precious everyone is in God’s sight. This is true whether they be Pharisee, scribe, tax collector or sinner. God is a seeker who will not give up until everyone is back in a relationship with God. Nobody is outside of God’s love. All of us are worth looking for, regardless of what we think of ourselves or of others. Henri Nouwen, Roman Catholic writer has said this: “We are not loved because we are precious, but we are precious because we are loved.” Take a moment to reread that sentence and think about it.

But, what about that notion of repentance, how does that fit into this interpretation? We tend to think of repentance as something we do that’s a prerequisite for God’s love and favor. But that’s not Luke’s sense at all. Rather, repentance is about being brought back into a relationship with God at God’s initiative. Repentance is not a moral bar to clear, but rather a response to God’s overwhelming love, mercy, and grace. In other words, repentance is a gift from God that restores our relationship to God and to each other.

One consequence of this reading of the parable is that if we want to find God, one place that God is to be found is among the lost. Whether that’s in the wilderness, the dark corners of our world, or with those on the margins of society, that’s where we’ll find God. Additionally, God will also be found with the heartbroken, the disenchanted, or smug and self-righteous as well. In Luke’s Gospel especially, God’s concern is for those on the outside, those often spurned by society. So, if we want to know where to find God, one place is among those whom we consider lost.

I think this has huge implications for how we are to “be church” in this time of post-pandemic recovery. Good Shepherd, like most churches, is wondering how to get people back and involved, trying to reboot ministries, and experiencing volunteer burnout among those who have kept the home fires burning throughout. The good news is that it’s God who does the heavy lifting in this. Our job is to simply invite people into an experience with God and let God do the work. That was my experience as I was loved back into the church. A colleague at work invited me to her young adult group at church.

What ever lostness you are experiencing, know that you are worthy of love and belonging, that you are precious to God because you are loved by a God who will never let you go. Amen.

My written sermons often preach differently "live." To watch the video, click here.

The Way to Go - Sermon for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Year C

The Way to Go

Pentecost 13C (Lectionary 23)

September 4, 2022

Good Shepherd, Wells, MN

Luke 14.25-33

There’s a “thing” blowing up the Internet called “Quiet Quitting,” that’s being leveled against young adults. It describes the phenomenon that the younger generations won’t do anything more in their work than the basic job requirements. It says that they refuse to go above and beyond the bare minimum to get the job done. Now, the younger people are saying they refuse to be exploited and that they want proper life-work balance. Furthermore, that they are not defined by their jobs and frankly that the older generation needs to get real about work. The older generation replies that they need to get over themselves and their sense of entitlement. Of course, those of us who have lived long enough realize there is nothing new under the sun. The generations have been bickering back and forth since Adam and Eve, including the nature of work.

Now, if Luke was writing his Gospel now, he might have Jesus accuse some Christians of “Quiet Quitting.” We have observed this summer that Luke’s Jesus is provocative. He is constantly challenging our understanding of who is in the kingdom of God, what the kingdom looks like, and what it means to follow the Way of Jesus. Just prior to today’s reading, one that the lectionary skips over, Jesus has delivered a pointed warning to the religious leaders of his day for ignoring God’s invitation into the kingdom. Through a parable, he opens the kingdom up to anyone and everyone, especially those deemed unworthy. Today, in the interest of transparency, Jesus reminds all of them what that kingdom life entails.

It is true Jesus uses hyperbole, or exaggerated speech, but that makes his words no less forceful for us. But it is also true that none of us has the resources to follow Jesus on our own. Also, Jesus is not saying, “If you give up all these things, then you can follow me.” Rather, Jesus is saying, “Because you have followed me, therefore this is how your life will be different. In other words, there are consequences to following the Way of Jesus. Following Jesus will have an impact on your life, and, I might add, that if your life isn’t different then you aren’t following Jesus and his death was unnecessary.

At Wednesday’s night worship, which is more informal and conversational, we offered some instances when we “Quiet Quit” as Christians and fail to follow Jesus. One person mentioned when we fail to be kind to someone who is unkind to us, especially when that person is a family member. Another said we don’t follow Jesus when we judge others without knowing them. A third said we aren’t going the Way of Jesus when we fail to speak up when someone misuses the Lord’s name. I added that we aren’t following Jesus when being a Democrat or Republican is more important than the Way of Jesus, when we identify ourselves as followers of Trump or Biden, not Jesus.

It’s ironic that “Quiet Quitting” has become such a kerfuffle as we celebrate Labor Day tomorrow, a time when we pay tribute to the accomplishments of American workers, which are many, to the development of our country. But perhaps this is a good thing, because it reminds us that although we are not defined by our work, it is through our vocations (or callings) where following the Way of Jesus makes an impact. Whether that vocation is as employee, employer, parent, grandparent, retiree, pastor, parishioner, teacher or student, how you do your work flows directly from your relationship with Jesus Christ as you follow him. Next week, we’ll hear good news about how God will go to great lengths to keep us following him. Meanwhile, Jesus knows this isn’t easy and it’s why he continues to give of himself to strengthen us. As you come forward to receive his body and blood in the bread and wine, know it’s the way to go and there is no other. Amen.

My written sermons often preach differently "live." To watch the video, click here.

Not Seeing Is Believing - Sermon for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost Year C

Not Seeing Is Believing

Pentecost 11C Lectionary 21

August 21, 2022

Good Shepherd, Wells, MN

Hebrews 12.18-29

A few months back, someone asked me why we were using the Nicene Creed in worship instead of the Apostles’ Creed. I explained that there are certain seasons of the church year where one or the other is suggested and I tend to follow that practice. (By the way, did you know there is a third creed, the Athanasian Creed? It was generally reserved for Holy Trinity Sunday and was in the old green hymnal, the LBW. If you can find a copy and read it and you’ll see why it’s not used much anymore.) As you know, the Nicene Creed is longer than the Apostles’ Creed as it develops in more detail each of the three articles. Since the question I’ve been meditating on the Nicene Creed, especially the First Article, “We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.”

In addition to stressing that God has created everything, I’m struck by the inclusion of “unseen” in the. No doubt the creedal authors wanted to emphasize otherworldly things, such as angels and other heavenly beings, but I think there is more to it than that. (Could they have foreseen atoms, molecules and black holes?) In any case, the unseen things is something the writer of Hebrews would be comfortable with as we see in our lesson today. There’s a lot going on in the reading that looks confusing, so let’s step back a minute and parse it out. As a review, this is the last in a three-part mini-sermon on Hebrews (I should have stopped at two), the un-letter written by not-Paul. Hebrews is most likely a sermon or series of sermons written by a second generation apostle to a people going through hard times.

Because members are falling away due to stress, the difficulties are threatening the health of the community. So, the preacher goes through an extended explanation of how Jesus is the Christ and why this makes a difference in their lives, both individually and collectively. In the previous two weeks, the author digs deeply into the nature of faith, telling us that what we do follows from what we believe. The preacher then offers up examples of great faith from the Old Testament to encourage the listeners. This “great cloud of witnesses,” as the writer calls them, cheers them on as they run their own races. Therefore, the community of faith is urged to endure with perseverance as it follows Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

In today’s text, the author shifts from exhorting the community to endurance and perseverance to exhorting the community to holiness and worship. The preacher does so by comparing Israel’s experience at Mt. Sinai with what he calls Mt. Zion, God’s living city. In the former, God’s people didn’t listen to God’s voice, partly because it was so terrifying, but also because they were tempted to chase after gods of their own making. But, Hebrews says, the situation has changed now, that something they can’t see is more real and important. Whereas what was before could be seen and shaken, what is offered now is unseen but is also unshakable. So, the author inspires the community of faith to give thanks, encouraging them to worship with reverence and awe.

A parishioner stopped by the pastor’s house to tell the pastor that he wouldn’t see him in worship any more. The pastor invited the parishioner to sit down in front of the fire in the fireplace and just listened as the parishioner gave him the usual litany of complaints. When the parishioner was finished, the pastor didn’t say anything but instead got up and with the fireplace tongs, removed one of the glowing embers from the rest, setting it to the side, and then sat down again, watching the newly removed ember. Slowly, the ember turned from hot and glowing to cold and dark. Presently, the parishioner said, “I understand, I’ll be in church Sunday” and left. The pastor returned the ember to the fire where it began to burn brightly once more.

I love seeing the “glowing embers” of Good Shepherd who gather both for worship and after worship on Sundays and Wednesdays. Whether you know it or not, you are catching heat from each other, building community. This is not easy in today’s world and if you are worshiping with us online, please know that I’m not criticizing you for not being here in person. This has been difficult post-pandemic, but it is so important as Hebrews reminds us. We need to figure out creative ways to continue to keep connected. One way we strengthen that connection is through the sacrament of Holy Communion, where Jesus shows up in, with, and under the bread and wine, and where we come to the table by faith, for faith. For God is maker of all that is, seen and unseen and for that we give thanks with reverence and awe. Amen.

My written sermons often preach differently "live." To watch the video, click here.

For All the Saints - Sermon for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost Year C

 For All the Saints

Pentecost 10C (Lect. 20)

August 14, 2022

Good Shepherd, Wells, MN

Hebrews 11.29-12.2

Faith is not for the faint of heart. 

Last week I told you about how my Grandpa Johnson was forced out of a business that he owned and operated by his two brothers, packing up from Rice Lake, WI and heading all the way to Spokane, WA. He was a very strong Christian, a man of deep faith and rather than fight his brothers he turned his other cheek westward. I didn’t know Grandpa very well growing up because we lived so far away, but I knew him well enough then and through stories in later years to respect him deeply. He’s a role model and person of faith. Even so, I don’t think I could have done what he did.

We are in the second of a three-part mini-series from Hebrews the un-letter written by not-Paul. The book of Hebrews doesn’t have the format of a biblical letter. Instead, it is most likely a sermon or series of sermons, it does a deep dive into faith and the Christian life. What we believe impacts what we do and what we do flows out of what we believe. In chapter 11, the preacher expounds a virtual Hall of Fame of the faithful, a Who’s Who of biblical characters. The aim is to tell his parishioners (and us) that we can endure suffering for our faith just like them. But my reaction is the opposite: I can’t do that! I can’t be like those people. It’s like telling me, a hacker golfer, to be like professional golfers Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, or Arnold Palmer. No way.

But when we examine the list more closely, we realize that many, if not all of them, had feet of clay. They were “mixed bags” who were not even close to perfect. By faith, the Israelites who crossed over the Red Sea constantly complained, one reason it took them 40 years to enter the Promised Land. Though a woman of faith, Rahab was a prostitute. Gideon tested God not only once but twice before he would accept God’s commission. Barak, an army general in a highly patriarchal society, refused to do anything without the prophetess and judge Deborah. Samson was manipulated several times by Delilah and literally had blinders where she was concerned.  Jephthah sacrificed his daughter through an ill-advised oath. David, a man after God’s own heart, impregnated a married woman and had her husband killed to have her for himself. The great prophet Samuel raised two conniving sons. The list goes on.

When I realized this about this great “Hall of Shame” (Scripture is brutally honest at times), I thought about this list differently. I began to think of those in my life that I would include in my “great cloud of witnesses” who may not have been perfect but who strengthened my faith. There’s a biology teacher, Mr. Michel, who taught me that the human body is a miraculous wonder and it’s okay to be nerdy about it. There is Gerry, who was a second mom and loved this Lutheran Scandinavian boy despite being Irish Catholic herself. Then there’s Michelle, a former colleague who taught me how to be gracious in difficult conversations, something I’m still learning. I’ve also learned much from Mr. Rogers, the children’s television host, who has reminded me to be fully present with people. What more should I say? Time would fail me to tell of many others.

So, who would be in your “Hall of Fame,” your “Great Cloud of Witnesses?” Who has helped you grow in faith in Jesus Christ? Maybe it’s a family member, co-worker, friend, or even a pastor. It could be someone who cuts your hair or bags your groceries. Maybe they are dead or maybe they are still alive. Whoever it is, I’m inviting you to come forward and light a candle in their memory as thanksgiving for their faithful witness. After everyone has done so, I’ll say a prayer and we’ll sing the Hymn of the Day, “For All the Saints.” But one last thing: as you light the candle in memory of those special people and give thanks for their witness, ask God that you might be that witness for someone else to be included in their Great Cloud of Witnesses, cheering them on.

Feel free to pause and light a candle here.

Let us pray. Good and gracious God, we give thanks for those who have strengthened us in our faith, to enable us to live the life you are calling us to live. Help us be witnesses to the great love you have shown us in your Son, Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, so that we may live. Amen.

“For All the Saints”

1 For all the saints who from their labors rest,

who thee by faith before the world confessed,

thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

3 Oh, blest communion, fellowship divine,

we feebly struggle, they in glory shine;

yet all are one in thee, for all are thine.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

5 The golden evening brightens in the west;

soon, soon to faithful servants cometh rest;

sweet is the calm of paradise the blest.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

7 From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast,

through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,

singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Text: William W. How, 1823-1897

My written sermons often preach differently "live." To watch the video, click here.

Faithful Restlessness - Sermon for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost Year C

Faithful Restlessness

Pentecost 9C - Lectionary 19

August 7, 2022

Good Shepherd, Wells, MN

Hebrews 11.1-3, 8-16

My grandpa Johnson owned and operated a milk can re-tinning business in Rice Lake, WI back in the early 1900s. When World War II started, he transformed it into a truck body business, which continued after the war. (Those Schwan's trucks you see all over the place were made by my grandpa’s business.) Business was so good that he brought his two brothers into the business, but it didn’t work out. They were forcing him out of the business and, as a strong Christian he turned the other cheek. He and grandma packed up six of their eight children and headed west to start a new life. The family story that is told says he would have gone all the way to the Pacific Ocean but at Spokane, WA, grandma said, “No farther.”

I thought about my grandpa and grandma, their stepping out in faith to begin a new life, as I worked with the text from Hebrews that lifts up the story of Abraham and Sarah’s faith. This is the first of three sermons on successive texts in Hebrews, a most unusual book. Hebrews is not a letter as it claims, because it doesn’t contain the usual elements that New Testament letters contain. And it probably was not written by the Apostle Paul for the same reason. Most likely it was written by a second generation apostle. Hebrews may be a sermon or collection of sermons because it appears to be a theological treatise on Jesus as the Christ followed by exhortations to Christian living.

In today’s text and following, the author unpacks the meaning of faith in Jesus Christ and how important that is for how we live as followers of Jesus. In other words, what we do flows out of what we believe. Faith is not something that comes out of nowhere; it is really real. But neither is it timeless, unchanging doctrines that we can check off a list. Faith is dynamic because it is in the final analysis about a living, loving relationship with a God who is perfectly faithful to us. Faith gives rise to hope and it is that which hope rests upon. But hope also nourishes the faith upon which it depends.

In the example of Abraham and Sarah, and by extension my Grandma and Grandpa Johnson, faithful people set out for new places because God has stirred up in them faithful restlessness. Our God is an active God who is continually on the move and propels us to attempt bold things. This faithful restlessness makes us willing to stretch our imaginations, to dream of possibilities even in the midst of seemingly impossible situations, and to see life in the midst of barrenness.

This isn’t as impossible as it sounds, for we all have stepped out in faith, not knowing what will happen or where we’ll end up. By faith we go to school hoping for a career that we’ll love, not knowing where we’ll end up. By faith we fall in love and get married trusting we’ll spend our lives together. By faith we start a family not knowing what kind of future they’ll have. By faith my wife married me thinking she got a businessman for a husband and ended up with a pastor. 

Back in the 1800s two immigrant Lutheran congregations were started in Wells, one German and the other Norwegian, not knowing what the future would bring. Those two congregations came together in 1963, stepping out in faithful restlessness to do something that was very unusual at the time. Germans and Norwegians; who would have thought?

So, what faithful restlessness is God stirring up in you today, the good people of Good Shepherd? The Wednesday night folk suggested these things. Maybe God is calling you to faithful restlessness to grow by welcoming people from our community who don’t look like you. Perhaps God is prodding you to help members and the community make connections with each other in a time of disconnectedness. Finally, perhaps God is stirring you to (gasp!) remodel the sanctuary, turning the pews, so you can feel more like a community. Abraham and Sarah, my Grandma and Grandpa Johnson, and your forebears in the faith were stirred up. What do you think, people of Good Shepherd, where is God stirring up faithful restlessness to follow him? Amen.

My written sermons often preach differently "live." To watch the video, click here.