4-wheeling is serious business |
One of Amanda's more unusual hobbies is knife throwing! |
Evangeline is always the star! |
Beautiful setting! |
4-wheeling is serious business |
One of Amanda's more unusual hobbies is knife throwing! |
Evangeline is always the star! |
Beautiful setting! |
Presented to Trinity United Methodist Church
June 27, 2021
video link: https://youtu.be/_ivRylUn6_E
Ephesians 4:1-7; 11-16; 32*
Today's scripture selection from Ephesians is one of my favorites. The Letter to the Ephesians is thought to have been written in Paul's name in about AD 62. Paul had expressed the same idea in several of his earlier letters, beginning about a decade before in his letter to the Galatians, and then in Philippians, Romans and 1 Corinthians. Each of these earlier letters has been authenticated as written by Paul himself. So we know that this was an important theme that Paul returned to repeatedly in his preaching and teaching.
I think that Paul must have written so often and so consistently about unity and diversity because he was trying to hold together very diverse faith communities, made up of people from many different backgrounds and all walks of life. In Galatians 3:26-28, he writes, “You are all God's children through faith in Christ Jesus. All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” If I were to try to paraphrase this in contemporary terms, I might say “there is neither white, nor black nor brown; there is neither rich nor poor, white collar nor laborer, nor is there male and female and lesbian and bisexual and gay and trans nor any other, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Take a minute and look around at the people here this morning. What do you see? What I see are some similarities, but many differences. I see young and old, male and female, some with family, some single, some dressed casually, some dressed formally, a few in uniforms, no two alike. I see similarities, too. Fair skin, lots of gray hair. There are also differences and similarities among us that aren't visible. I know you all well enough to know that there are conservative thinkers and liberal thinkers present today, but I can't tell that just by looking. In fact, I may have already offended some of you, but I hope you'll stick with me for the next few minutes. We all share in common a commitment to Trinity United Methodist Church as demonstrated by our regular presence and participation here, by physically and financially supporting the church, and even by joining in virtual worship.
What I have to say this morning is that our differences are just as important to the vitality of our community of believers as are the values we hold in common. Unity is not the same as Uniformity.
Let's take our musicians as an example of the critical balance between unity and uniformity. Our choir members along with Warren, Cindy and Walter wear matching choir robes and stoles, a uniform. Why is that? That uniform appearance keeps us from focusing on them as individuals and lets us see them as a harmonious group. And harmonious is the key word. Within the group, each singer performs their own part – the bass, the tenor, the alto, the soprano. Together they produce a whole that is more beautiful than if everyone sang the same part. I'm not a musical expert, but I think it is important that they all usually sing the same melody and try to sing in the same key. I don't know how to do that!That's why I'm not in the choir. And Walter and Cindy at piano and organ, each produce their own sound. They don't play the same notes or just single notes. They play beautiful, chords composed different notes which all together produce a harmonious whole. Again, it is best they are both playing the same melody and key as the choir is singing. You get the point. It is the differences that make the whole richer and more beautiful, as long as there is a unity of purpose and spirit.
I regret to see that in our popular culture, differences are now seen more as threats than as assets. I first encountered the term “cocooning” in the late eighties. It was, and still is, used to refer to the trend of families retreating within their own homes and small social circles in response to the stresses of life. The person who coined the term described it as “building a shell of safety around oneself and one's family.” Self-contained communities grew during this time, like our own Tellico Village as places of safety, security and comforting sameness.
Then terrorists attacks on Sept 11, 2001, further shattered an already shaky sense of safety and security felt by so many. The trend of retreating into our safe places further accelerated as Internet connectivity became almost universal and bigger and better TVs made stay-at-home entertainment more appealing. The simultaneous rise of cable TV news and social media means that instead of receiving a broad spectrum of information and opinion, people can now tailor their information to reinforce their pre-conceived notions.
The result is that, whether we intended to or not, we all buried deeper into our cocoons, our comfort zones. Then came the pandemic. By forcing us to isolate ourselves, the pandemic just made things worse. We have been taught over these past decades, and especially in the last few years, to fear the “other.” It is not a left or right, liberal or conservative thing. We can see it all across the spectrum of society. We can even see it in the church. We talk diversity, but we don't practice it much. And often we are reluctant to express views that we think aren't in the mainstream of our group because we fear backlash. Again, this cuts across the whole spectrum of thought.
But is it really necessary for us all be alike, to think alike, in order to have unity. You and I may not think just alike. I hope not. If we do, then I have nothing to learn from you. One of the spiritual thinkers that I read is Fr. Richard Rohr., a Franciscan. I was attracted to him by the name of his organization, The Center for Action and Contemplation. He teaches, “Unity, in fact, is the reconciliation of differences, and those differences must be maintained. We must actually distinguish things and separate them, usually at a cost to ourselves, before we can spiritually unite them....The great wisdom of the Pentecost is the recognition through the Spirit of an underlying unity amidst the many differences.”
I stand here today to celebrate our differences and promote unity, not uniformity. We grow when we are willing to hear new ideas or think about old ideas in a new way. One of the things I like about our little faith community here at Trinity, is that we have found ways to work together without having to agree on everything. Like a family. Wouldn't it be boring if we all looked alike or thought alike. If we all had the same talent or gift, how could society, much less the church, survive. I hope that we can all learn to celebrate our differences, and not be afraid of them. I mean both secular differences and theological differences. In our Trinity family, we've done a pretty good job of agreeing on the main thing, represented by the cross which is in the center of our vision, and agreeing to disagree about other things.
Paul reminds us again and again that our differences are ok. In fact, they are necessary. In order to have a beautiful, harmonious whole, we need lots of different people, each playing their unique part. All the gifts of the spirit are needed to make our church function: preaching and teaching, evangelism and mission. If I were to use contemporary roles, I would add administration and media, visitation and kitchen work, property maintenance and musical offerings. All the different parts are needed to make the whole. The same is true about our thoughts, ideas, opinions and beliefs. We need all our different thoughts and ideas and opinions, expressed with love, in order to grow into whole body of Christ.
Let me emphasize the point that we not each doing our own things in our own way for our own glory. In our highly individualized culture, it is easy to think that we can develop personal spirituality and personal holiness without the messiness of getting involved with a very imperfect church. It is important for us to develop our own personal spirituality, and to grow personally in faith and knowledge. But that is not enough to unite us as the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12:7, Paul adds: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. If we desire unity for our community, if we want our community to thrive and grow, we must work toward a wholeness that is more than just personal holiness. As Fr. Rohr puts it, “As an individual, I participate in that wholeness that is holiness.. It is not my private holiness, it's our connectedness together.” I'm just one part of the whole body of Christ. I need the connection of our church family in order to participate whole body of Christ; in order to participate in the holy wholeness to which Jesus invites us. Going back to our choir metaphor, we each do our own thing, not for our own glory, but as a part of the harmonious whole.
And Paul gives us the key in which to sing: One Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all and in all. God has given his grace to each one of us measured out by the gift that is given by Christ....By speaking the truth with LOVE, let's grow in every way into Christ, who is the head. The whole body grows in him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does its part.
Uniformity cannot lead us to unity and wholeness. Wholeness requires unity and unity requires the recognition of, and reconciliation of, our differences. The 4th chapter of Ephesians ends with these familiar and beautiful words which I learned as a child in the King James: “be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” I encourage you to go a step further with me, not just forgiving each other our differences, but celebrating them as essential elements in building our faith in order that we may become the whole holy body of Christ. In the name of Jesus who embraces us all. AMEN
*Bible Reference (CEB):
Ephesians 4: 1-7; 11-16; 32
Therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord, I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God. Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love, and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together. You are one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all. God has given his grace to each one of us measured out by the gift that is given by Christ.
He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. His purpose was to equip God's people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of God's Son. God's goal is for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ. As a result, we aren't supposed to be infants any longer who can be tossed and blown around by every wind that comes from teaching with deceitful scheming and the tricks people play to deliberately mislead others. Instead, by speaking the truth with love, let's grow in every way into Christ, who is the head. The whole body grows from him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does its part.
Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other, in the same way God forgave you in Christ.
Monday, June 21 - Home and baking day
Short but tricky par 3 |
Good Drive |
Three beautiful young golfers. I think they had a good day! |
Scenic Course |
This ravine got both girls. You better not miss the green here! |
Another difficult approach |
Amanda got the silver medal for 2nd |
Joseph, Jesus' Earthly Father
presented to Trinity UMC
June 20, 2021
Luke 2:21-24; 39-51
video link: https://youtu.be/vGRmc8v_7Tc
On the Saturday night before Mother's Day, it occurred to me that I would also have the privilege of speaking to you on Father's Day. Here we are – honoring our fathers and forefathers and the father-figures in our lives. Thank you for honoring your fathers with a mission gift and the UMW honors all fathers with the flower arrangement today. I can say a lot about motherhood because I am a mother. But I think that being a father is more complicated and a sometimes thankless task. In my growing up years in the 50s and 60s, a father was expected to go out to work, but not necessarily to be involved with raising the children except to meet out discipline. Many men of that day were not comfortable with the emotional aspects of fathering. Or maybe it was just my dad. I never doubted his love, and because I was a girl, I got hugs along with the discipline and high expectations. Maybe you had similar experiences. With each generation, I see men becoming more comfortable with the multi-task of parenting and I'm glad for it.
On that Saturday night before Mother's Day, I thought that I would like to talk about a Biblical father that we don't know much about – Joseph, Jesus' Earthly Father. There are just a few verses in Matthew and Luke that mention Joseph. From them we can glean some important clues, but facts are few. If you know me, you know I like to deal in facts, so this is a departure for me. I thank Bob Maroney for reading the longest and most revealing of these selections.
Let's take a quick, chronological survey of what we know.
The gospel of Matthew, which was written for a Jewish audience, begins with a genealogy of Jesus to prove that Jesus was a direct descendent of King David, because the true Messiah was to be of the “house and lineage of David.” Matthew 1:16-17: “Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Christ. So there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen generations from the exile to Babylon to the Christ. Luke also gives a genealogy which links Joseph to David, although through a different son of David. The lineage explains the trip to Bethlehem. Luke's is presumed to be actually the lineage of Mary because of the reference to Heli. Luke 3:23 “Jesus was about 30 years old when he began his ministry. People supposed that he was the son of Joseph, son of Heli. Heli probably refers to Mary's father or grandfather. The point of both accounts is to establish Jesus as the true Messiah, and Joseph as “somebody” in his heritage.
In the birth story told in Luke, Joseph is described as a righteous man who was betrothed to Mary. Now most scholars believe that Joseph was much older than Mary. Some even suggest he was elderly, or that he never lived as a normal husband to Mary, but there is no evidence for that. Later we learn that Jesus had four brothers and at least two sisters, We know that he was righteous and merciful, because he obeyed God's charge for him and accepted Mary as his wife. You know, Nazareth was a small town and there must have been a scandal when Mary came up pregnant. By marrying her, Joseph accepted the responsibility, claiming Jesus as his son and took on whatever “tongue-wagging” there might have been. So he was also courageous.
From the verses that Bob read for us this morning (Luke 2:21-24; 39-51), we learn that Joseph was poor because he could only afford the minimum offering of two young birds at the time of Jesus dedication. From those same verses we learn that Joseph was a faithful and observant Jew. He and Mary made the trip to Jerusalem to the temple for the ritual cleansing and presentation, and again for the required festival celebrations. The journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem was about 4 days walk, so the trip was always a significant undertaking. The last time Joseph appears in the record was for the Passover Festival when Jesus was about 12 years old. From that passage we also learn that Jesus was able to carry on in-depth conversations with the elders about scripture. This suggest that Jesus was being educated, probably in the local synagogue school, and that Joseph, though poor, provided him that opportunity.
When Jesus began his ministry at age 30, we presume that Joseph had died. The gospels give several references to Mary and to the brothers and sisters of Jesus. The two most notable references are John 6:42 when the grumbling crowd asked “Isn't this Jesus, Joseph's son, whose mother and father we know? How can he now say that he came down from heaven.” And again in Matthew 13:53-56 when Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth and taught in the synagogue. The people said, “Where did he get this wisdom? Where did he get the power to work miracles? Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother named Mary? Aren't James, Joseph, Simon and Judas his brothers? And his sisters, aren't they here with us? Where did this man get all this?” In other words, who does he think he is. Jesus and his family were well known in their hometown.
From these meager clues, we can learn something about the kind of father Joseph was. First and foremost, God chose him to be the earthly father of God's own son. That must be the highest possible compliment and a sign of God's favor. It was also the most awesome responsibility. Joseph had the right pedigree. He was a faithful Jew who obeyed God and kept the commandments and observed all the required traditions of Judaism. He was kind and merciful. He was a tekton, which is usually translated as carpenter but could also refer to stone masons and other craftsmen. He was a laborer of the working class, not the ruling or priestly class.
We don't know anything about Joseph or Jesus between the story of the 12 year-old Jesus at the temple and the 30 year old Jesus. From the clues and from scholarship on the history and practices of that time, we can make some educated guesses. Most likely, Joseph trained his sons in his trade. Nazareth was a small town and very poor. It is not likely that he had enough work there to support a family. But just about 4 miles away, set high on a hill, was the growing metropolis of Sephora where Herod was building a summer palace. The city was expanding, so there would have been plenty of work for Joseph and his sons there. We can imagine Jesus making the trek to work with Joseph, learning from him along the way as well as at the work site. Carpentry and masonry require patience and attention to detail as well as physical strength and stamina. We can imagine Joseph patiently teaching Jesus practical skills and life lessons as they worked side by side.
We can imagine that Joseph was present for a good portion of Jesus' formative years; that he not only taught him building trade skills, but modeled the kinds of behaviors that we see in the adult Jesus – love, compassion, knowledge and a sharp wit. Psychological research confirms, and I quote, “children who have an involved father are more likely to be emotionally secure, be confident to explore their surroundings, and, as they grow older, have better social connections.” Research studies on the impact of a father in the home show that children who have a close relationship with their father are twice as likely to enter college, 75% less likely to have a child in their teens, 80% less likely to be incarcerated and half as likely to suffer depression. Furthermore, children with a loving, involved father are much more likely to have successful adult relationships. We can certainly say that Jesus exhibited the characteristics associated with a positive home life.
It is presumed that Joseph died at some point before Jesus began his public ministry because he never makes an appearance as does Mary and Jesus' brothers and sisters. Probably Jesus had to step up to support his mother and siblings. Perhaps he worked as a builder, carpenter, stone mason until his brothers were old enough to support the family, perhaps until his sisters married. Perhaps that is why he didn't start his ministry until age 30, a time when most young men would marry. Perhaps during this time Jesus continued his study of the scriptures, but quietly, privately. His neighbors didn't seem to be aware that he possessed any special gifts or knowledge.
Psychology also confirms that our view of God and our relationship with God is affected by how we related to our father. If a dad is caring, patient and involved, we are likely to see God as having those same traits. The opposite can also be true. If a father is harsh, absent or overly demanding, we may see God as distant and demanding.
Jesus never referred directly to his earthly father, but we can imagine what Joseph was like by hearing how Jesus referred to God. Jesus unfailingly referred to God as His Father. He unfailingly described God as loving and merciful, patient and kind, just and forgiving. His teachings made clear that what God wanted from us was love in return for the love he showed us. Jesus explained that we show that love by loving one another. He must have experienced some of this kind of love in his own home with his earthly father.
I thought about using the Parable of the Prodigal Son as today's text. You know the story. It is about a father's love. The father loved his son so much, that when the son asked for his inheritance in advance, the father gave it to him, knowing that it wasn't best for the son. When the lost son returned, repentant, the father welcomed him with joy. The father's love never wavered. I like to think that Jesus experienced that kind of unwavering love from his earthly father. The story also reminds us that if we have a broken relationship with our father, it can be mended and relationship can be restored.
We know from our own experience that no earthly father, no matter how good, is perfect. Even Joseph. I recently read an essay by Ruth Graham. In it, she tells that she has had a difficult time believing that God had time for her. She thought of God as being off, busy with someone else, meeting other needs – like her own father Billy Graham had too often been. She knew her father loved her, but she wanted the attention of a daddy who was there for her, for her special occasions and times of need. She felt “fatherless.” And she viewed God as being like her famous father -distant, absent. In a sense, she felt fatherless. In the essay, she goes on to point out that there are many causes of “fatherlessness.” Death, Divorce, Abandonment, Abuse, Absence.
But she reminds us that, like another author said, “God is not our daddy.” God is not necessarily like our earthly father. If we had a less that ideal father, or an absent father, that we may have a distorted view of God. Only by acknowledging this can we come into a more meaningful relationship with God. If this feels like you, no matter your age, and if you are interested in pursuing this, you might want to read the book that Ruth Graham was introducing with her essay. It is “God Distorted: How Your Earthly Father Affects Your Perception of God and Why It Matters,” by John Bishop. Disclaimer: I haven't read the whole book – just the introductory essay.) Another Disclaimer: Today I have been using Father imagery to refer to God. That is how I grew up thinking, and that is still common to think of God using male father imagery. However, as a mature adult, I know longer think of God just a male father figure. I think of God more universally and without gender reference. For me it is just as true to say Mother God, or Friend God Counselor God.
A few weeks ago, Pastor Kristie talked to us about the “Spirit of Adoption.” She reminded us that when one is adopted they become in every sense child and parent. We certainly see in Joseph that “Spirit of Adoption” by which Joseph fully adopted Jesus as his son, He is not only presumed to be the father of Jesus by everyone who knew him, but is, in every sense, Jesus' earthly father. Evidence suggests Joseph must have been a very good and loving father. But even he was not perfect because he was a human being and none of us regular human beings are perfect. We shouldn't fret if we didn't have the ideal father, or if we can't be a perfect parent. We just do the best we can. I want to acknowledge that a father-figure or mentor can play a critical role in the absence of a father.
We also see in Jesus' language that He considers himself the fully adopted son of God, his heavenly Father. In his ministry, Jesus emphasized the God relationship over and above earthly relationships. He taught that we are all brothers and sisters as the adopted children of God. Through the spirit of adoption, we can claim a perfect father in God. One who is unfailingly loving and merciful, patient and kind, just and forgiving.
Thanks be to God, our heavenly Father. AMEN and AMEN
Monday, June 14
Today was all about Amanda. She had a 12:30 tee time at Egwani Farms Golf course in Alcoa, the first day of a 2-day tournament. Bill went along and drove the RV. She likes to get there in time to warm up for at least half an hour. The weather forecast was for a 90-degree day, so we definitely wanted to rent a cart. Even with the little bit of shade offered by the cart, it was VERY HOT. Amanda had some good shots and a few less successful. The other two girls in her group were about the same.
Beautiful sunny hot day on the back nine |
Amanda getting her score |
One okra row is almost weeded, the other is not. What a difference! |
I hope the green beans will recover from deer and weeding. |