Sunday, September 9, 2007

 LECTIONARY-23C     

“GOOD DEALS AND DISCIPLESHIP”            GSLC-2007

preaching text: Luke 14:25-33

Pastor Ted Niemi 

    This past summer many of you have done a fair amount of traveling. I ran across an interesting bit of information. Do you know what the most popular aspect of travel is? It is not visiting family and friends. It is not sight-seeing. It is not going to museums, art institutes or engaging in cultural pursuits. William Norman, former president and CEO of the Travel Industry Association of America once reported, “Our research has shown for years that shopping is the number one activity of people when they travel.” I wonder how many of us fit that statistic?

    I have also come to the conclusion that most people like to get good deals. Consider all the “back to school” sales and other gimmicks the stores use to get our business. With the stock market continuing to slide there has been speculation as to what good deals there may be on Wall Street. I think about the whole lure of things like E-Bay auctions on the internet ... where it’s kind of like going to a garage sale without leaving your home. Or I think of the great prices that some airlines have announced on some of their routes. Yes, most of us like to get good deals.

    Now have you noticed that some churches and preachers present the faith as though they were selling a used car? No money down! Attractive terms? Low, low monthly payments! They make it sound as if it’s really a low cost proposition.

    Our Bible reading from Luke (14:25-33) reminds us that Jesus’ call was far different than that. Jesus was not looking for a bunch of “tag-alongs” who had no depth of commitment. Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” Then Jesus goes on to tell about a man who was ridiculed, because he could not complete the building of a tower. And after talking about two kings who go to war with 30,000 soldiers, Jesus concludes by saying, “So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”

    Now, please understand, Jesus is not speaking against the family. Jesus loved children. Jesus spoke of God as our Father. When he was dying on the cross, Jesus asked one of his disciples to watch over his mother.

    The Hebrew word translated as “hate” really means to “love less.” Jesus was not anti-family, but he did want us to have a higher loyalty and allegiance. Occasionally I hear someone say, “Oh, I would really love to go to church, but my husband or wife or kids or parents aren’t interested. And so I don’t go. I decided to wait until we can go together as a family.” And when I hear words like that, I just cringe!  You don’t change someone else’s behavior by joining them. For those of you who come to worship alone, I want you to know you are doing the right thing. Your values are in order, and the chances of influencing your loved ones are infinitely greater than if you stopped worshipping. It’s a matter of priorities and commitment.

    In the San Francisco area, there is a church that shares an entry and exit street with a golf course. That street comes to a “T” intersection where a sign is posted with the word “Pray” and an arrow pointing to the right, and the word “Play” and an arrow pointing to the left. That’s not a bad way of presenting the decision before us.

    Getting back to shopping, there is a phenomenon known as “buyer’s remorse.” That occurs when a person has some second thoughts about a decision made to purchase something. Maybe as you are confronted with Jesus’ call to commitment today, some of you might be wondering to yourselves, “Am I really up to this? Do I know what I’m doing by following Jesus? Is it worth it?” If those thoughts are going through your mind today, let me assure you that rethinking is normal. Just because we find ourselves asking the questions doesn’t mean we are going to turn back. It’s an opportunity to make the right choice again. In the past here we have had a “Marriage Vow Renewal.” I know from comments many have made that it’s a powerful experience, because couples now know all of their spouses’ faults and foibles and still want to renew their vows and relationship! And that can happen in our faith relationship as well.

    So is it worth it to make following Jesus our greatest priority? Not too long ago I was with a man and his family. The man was in the final stage of his life here on this earth. He had fought a most heroic and inspirational battle against the ravages of cancer. For those of us who knew him and his family, we have had the opportunity of standing on holy ground and being in the presence of God. I can only tell you that when life comes one breath at a time, and its length is measured in days, there is nothing more important than God’s gift of faith and God’s promise that He will provide for us and those we love.

    Is it worth it to make following Jesus our greatest priority? It’s our only hope!

AMEN.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

LECTIONARY-21C

“SABBATH (What a Difference a Day Makes!)” GSLC-2007 preaching text: Luke 13:10-17

Pastor Ted Niemi 

                It’s amazing, isn’t it, what a difference a day can make! I think of events within the life of this congregation.  Yesterday morning I received a call from Penny Fey.  She told me that her sister, Shannon, had passed away.  We have been praying for Shannon for years now. While Penny was obviously in grief she also shared how there was peace now knowing that Shannon was not suffering any more.  In just one days time Shannon was delivered from having suffered for years ... to now being in Heaven with Jesus!  What a difference a day can make!

                Or I think of another event from the life of our congregation that happened yesterday.  Brandy and James were married here yesterday afternoon.  They went from all of the stresses and anxieties of planning a wedding to now celebrating the joy of their new relationship ... and promised to be together for the rest of their lives.  What a difference a day can make! 

                Isn’t is amazing the difference that a day can make?  Jesus was making this point when he healed a woman on the Sabbath.

                On another occasion he said, “Keep the Sabbath day holy … for the Sabbath was made for people – not the other way around.” In this story, he is emphasizing that the Sabbath is a day of liberation and healing. It is a day to focus on wholeness.

                For us, the text is talking about the day we call Sunday, though for Jesus and other Jews, it is a reference to what we call Saturday. In the ancient Jewish system the days of the week were known simply by their number: the first day of the week, the second day, and so on. The last day – what we call Saturday – is the only one with a name – the Sabbath.

                According to the Ten Commandments it is a holy day to the Lord: “Remember the Sabbath Day, and keep it holy,” says the Law. “Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work. … The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.” (Exodus 20)

                But in Christianity it is “the first day of the week” -- the day of the resurrection – that is significant. By the end of the first century it was called “The Lord’s Day.” The use of the name “Sunday” dates from the fourth century when the Roman state officially recognized that day as the day of Christian worship and declared it a day of rest throughout the Empire. Sunday, “The Lord’s Day,” then becomes for us a weekly celebration of Easter. What a difference a day can make.

                The word Sabbath itself means something like “STOP!” Isn’t it interesting that God gave no commandment that we should work ... but he did give this commandment to rest. Even Jesus’ adversaries, who know the Commandment about Sabbath-keeping very well, seem to understand that when they say: “There are six days on which work ought to be done. Come on one of those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath day.”

                A day of rest. It is God’s own recognition that we human beings have an absolute need for rest – and for a rest that is more than shutting down from work for a day. We need a rest that comes for an intentional use of leisure, and for restoring relationships among family and friends. But we humans have a way of distorting God’s words at times ... even words of grace. Did you know that in Puritan Massachusetts in 1630 a man was flogged for shooting a bird because it was on Sunday? That it was illegal to shave in Connecticut, to take a bath in Boston, or to hum a tune on the streets of Cicero, Illinois on Sunday?

                Why is it, do you suppose, that we human beings have the habit of taking such a good thing – a rule God gave to free us from the pressures of our everyday lives, to renew our relationships, to renew our souls in worship – why do we insist on transforming that into bad news and legalistic terms? Why do we use God’s gift as an excuse to book ourselves on a first class guilt trip?

                In the Gospel, Jesus draws a sharp contrast between two types of faith: one is guilt oriented; the other is forgiveness oriented. A guilt-oriented faith restricts and enslaves us – narrows our view of life; confuses and immobilizes us, and chokes out compassion. A faith that is oriented toward forgiveness sets us free; widens our view to embrace new opportunities; channels acts of caring, and makes us want to do something great for ourselves and other people. It keeps us accountable to one another and to God.

                That is what coming to church on Sunday is all about. Not to pick up our ticket for that guilt trip, but to discover ways of being set free. To claim God’s peace and grace. To get free of the stress, the anxiety, the conflicts and frustrations that are part of life today.

                Do you remember the origin of the Sabbath commandment? The people of Israel had spent forty years as slaves in Egypt. All they heard during those years was work, work, work. When Moses incited a slave rebellion among them, it was with the message that God wanted things to be different for God’s people. Once Moses got them out of Pharaoh’s brickyard, what did he do? He recognized their need for time off. He

gave them a day off every week. And what a difference a day can make! So, you see, in its origin the Sabbath commandment was not intended as a threat or a burden. It was not supposed to be a guilt-tripping set of regulations and restrictions. That all came later when the scholars and legislators got hold of it. In its origin and intention it was a source of joy and liberation to the praise and glory of God.

                In the 1988 Olympics there were two participants, one a Christian and the other a Jew, who vowed that one day in the week they would neither work nor compete. It was part of their spiritual discipline. Their message to the other athletes was clear and direct: “We set aside a time every week to look at and celebrate the meaning of all time and all of life. Only we, in our commitment to God, can protect that time – and we are determined that we will do this for ourselves, for God and for the people we care about.”

                And that is the truth. No one else can protect Sabbath for you. We choose each day, each week, how much of our lives we will let the demands of the world around us consume. The pressures are great to surrender it all – to work, to achievement, to competition. But the price of surrendering it all is very great. Will we, like the woman in the story, be set free on the Sabbath? It is our choice! It is a gift our God wants for us.

                What a difference a day can make!

AMEN.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

LECTIONARY-18C            

“SACRIFICE OR CONVENIENCE?”                  GSLC-2007

preaching text:  Luke 12: 13-21

Pastor Ted Niemi

        It’s good to be back with you this Sunday!  Last weekend I was in Huntington Beach visiting some friends.  It amazes me how expensive it is to live in that area of California.  We are really so fortunate to live in Fresno where homes are still affordable for many compared to the outrageous prices people will pay on the coast. 
        My friend is a surfer and the U.S. open Surfing Championship was going on so we headed down to the pier to watch.  I was astounded at the contrast of people we saw.  There were the ultra-rich, who could afford multi-million dollar homes that most of us just admire from the curb … to the homeless people who slept under the pier.  There were people who were throwing money around like it was nothing … to those who were picking through the trash cans for discarded French fries. 
        But having been in an area with such decadence ... I found myself meditating on everything going on around me and thinking about God’s attitude toward wealth.  First of all, let me say that just about every one of us is wealthy.  If the vast majority of people living throughout the world today could magically change places with us and have our lives, our lifestyles, our possessions, and our future, they would feel as if they had hit the jackpot big time!  We are wealthy.
        But note that God does not indiscriminately condemn wealthy people.  There is nothing wrong with being rich.  Consider Abraham, Sarah, and the rest of the patriarchs and matriarchs.  They had huge herds of animals and possessions.  Kings David and Solomon were the wealthiest people who ever lived if you consider the amount of resources they controlled and had at their disposal.  Yet, each one of them was very special in God’s sight. 
        And as we look to the New Testament, we see that Jesus enjoyed abundance.  I think of the wedding he was a part of in Cana.  At the reception Jesus saw to it that there was plenty of wine ... 180 gallons by John’s count.  That must have been some party!  And then there was that incident of feeding the multitudes by the sea.  Thousands of people ... and they all had as much as they wanted ... and there was enough food left over to fill 12 baskets with doggie bags!
        Our Bible reading from Luke speaks to this issue.  Jesus told a parable about a rich man.  Notice Jesus did not condemn the man for eating, drinking, and being merry ... nor even for being rich.  Rather the man was called foolish for another reason.  The writer, Frederick Buechner, has said that a parable is a little story about a big point.  And the point of the story is that the entrepreneur was planning to store more of his wealth than he needed to eat, drink, and be merry.  Consider again the words of the story.  The man says, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?”  Well, that wasn’t true!  He had barns.  His problem was that his harvest had been so great that his present storage facilities would not hold all of the grain.  So he decides, “I will do this; I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store my grain and my goods, and then I will eat, drink and be merry!”
        The point of the story is not that there is something wrong with amassing some wealth, but the man was going overboard.  He was called “foolish” because he did not recognize that his wealth could do the same for others if only it were not locked up in those bigger barns.  His sin was not that he had become wealthy, but his sin was he wanted to hoard it all.  His sin was not that he ate, drank and was merry, but his sin was he was withholding the means for others to do the same. 
        Awhile back someone asked me, “Pastor, how do you handle the pictures in the news, like the ones showing the starving mother and baby in Sudan?”  Well, let me say that is tough!  And scenes like that remind me how important it is to share what we have.  That is why, for instance, as a church we give each month to worldwide ministries that reach across our world with other congregations to make a difference.  That is why in two weeks we will be having Food for the Poor, a ministry that reaches out to the poorest in areas like the Carribean and Latin America at our worship in a couple of weeks to let us know how we can help.  That is why we encourage offerings of food to our food pantry to feed the needy in our community.  That is why our Stewardship Committee invites us to bring in items we don’t use so others who are in need here can use them.  We can only eat so much.  Our closets can hold only so many clothes.  We can only use so many things.  At some point, the challenge is to draw a line and say, “We have enough.”
        Jesus’ parable raises the question, “How am we to regard our wealth, and what are we to do with it?”  Aware of the desperate situations of so many in the world who are our brothers and sisters in Christ, we must now make a choice.  We can either feel guilty about being wealthy and get rid of our possessions as a danger to our spiritual health, or we can regard our wealth as a blessing showered upon us for no other reason than to use it wisely and for the good of all.  To see our possessions as blessings from God is to realize that we have them on loan.  We do not own them.  We only manage them.
        In 8 days we will be having Vacation Bible School here.  And I am so glad that we as a church can do this for our community.  But these kinds of ministries take resources.  Resources from people like you and me.  And I thank each of you who will be helping out.  It is so exciting to think about the faith foundations that will be built upon and the adults and children who will come to have a greater understanding of Jesus and God’s love for them!  I thank each of you for supporting our church so we can be a place that continues to Share the Love of Jesus!
        You may remember that in Old Testament times often when people came to the Temple they came with their offerings of a sacrifice.  The sacrifice was often a larger animal if you were wealthy, maybe an ox or calf.  If you were of more modest means, one would bring a bird or a smaller animal.  But the point is there was a sacrifice made ... something given up for God. 
        My father taught me and my brother about budgeting and sacrifice at a young age.  We were given $100 at the beginning of the month which was to cover our clothing, lunches at school and a modest allowance.  Out of that we were to take out an offering.  There was no specified amount that we were supposed to give ... but 10% was suggested.  The only guideline was that it was supposed to come out of what we had for our other needs.  And let me say, that was a  challenge at times!  But I am so grateful that I was taught that lesson early on.  If it was a sacrifice for us to give, it was much more meaningful than giving whatever looked convenient out of our wallets when the offering plates came around. 
        I challenge you to think about your giving to support our Lord’s work through our church.  When you give,(time, talents or money) is it a sacrifice ... do you have to go without something because of your gift ... or is it a gift of convenience ... that does not really affect our lifestyle or who we are?  Pray about it.  If you haven’t, challenge yourself to sacrifice.  I guarantee you will be more blessed ... and so will so many others.
        When those people show up for VBS we can each take pride in the fact that we are a church that has pledged to SHARE THE LOVE OF JESUS.  With each child that comes to have a closer relationship with God we can see lives that have become enriched because of people who care.  People like you and me.  Thank you for all of your support!  And when we care for others ... we won’t have to worry about building larger barns for ourselves ... we will be able to share the love of Jesus with those right here in our community and around our world ... and we will make our gracious and loving God so happy.

AMEN.

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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
5140 N. Fruit Ave.
Fresno, CA 93711
Phone:  (559) 225-2092
FAX:  (559) 225-2093
E-mail:  gslcfresno@earthlink.net
Web site: www.goodshepherdfresno.org