The saints that get us through the day 11/18/2018 FUMC

Life is hard.

Will you indulge a couple of stories from my week? Mind you I am not complaining. The point is that I know that some of you had weeks like mine or even harder. And if not this last week, someday you will have one of those weeks.

My week included 2 trips to urgent care, a trip to the University of Iowa Hospital, parts of 2 days at St. Anthony’s with Robyn, and nursing Noah through a stomach virus. (Robyn and I had a deal when we had kids. I would take care of the kids if they were bleeding, she would do it if they were sick to their stomachs… because I can hardly do that. But I did that night.) Because of that, there was extra laundry, and there were several trips to Walgreens. Then there was trying to fit in a trip to Ames and a trip to Cedar Rapids. And an emergency call to the ER to be with a family as they airlifted someone to Des Moines. That’s not even counting all the events of my normal week.

As I said, I’m not complaining but simply illustrating that life really is hard. Life is hard even during an ordinary week. You know exactly what I mean. Then there are those times that test the strongest of us; deaths, job losses, moves, divorces, fires, accidents, sickness, war and more.

So how do we make it through the average days let alone the harder than average?

You know, we don’t do it alone. You know of course that God is with us every minute of every day. God walks in front of us always making a way. God walks beside of us guarding our steps. God walks behind us just in case we get knocked down and must be picked up again. God is with us. That is important.

I want to point out today, however, that most often God conveys that power and presence through people. Robyn is fond of saying that God sends people into our lives for a reason or a season. Those people God sends are our saints.

God works in the people around us to help us in any number of ways. In my case, a few examples have been my dad teaching me the power of gentleness and generosity. My mom taught me about serving others. My Aunt Esther gave me an appreciation for the little things in nature. Dwight and Linda Vogel taught me what it means to be partners in ministry with my spouse, they encouraged me in my call and taught me so much about life and ministry. My grandma taught me the very important lesson that even though bleu cheese dressing smells like gym socks, it takes great.

These are all saints in my life. Some are living, some are not.  Either way, these are the people who walk with me each and every day as I journey through life.

My list could go on and on, but I want to focus on 4 saints who have special messages to help us get through the day.

I want to start with St. Francis of Assisi. He was born in 1181 or early 1182 to a French noblewoman and a very successful Italian silk merchant. He was baptized with the name “Giovani.” From an early age, however, perhaps because of his mother’s French heritage or because the father loved all things French, he was called Francisco; thus Francis.

Francis was spoiled rotten, but he had a deep compassion for the poor. So deep, in fact, that he started selling his father's merchandise and giving the proceeds to the poor until his father had him arrested and thrown the cellar. While his father was gone, his mother released him, and he found refuge with a nearby priest. His father eventually took him to court suing him for restitution and Francis rejected his father, his inheritance, and all worldly trappings of success. To Francis, though, it was more than a rejection of culture and family.

Francis is known for two things. First, his connection to creation. There I a story that, while Walking along the road with some companions, he stopped and started preaching to the birds. The birds gathered around him and not one of them left until he was done preaching. Another story tells of a village being threatened by a wolf. Francis is said to have persuaded the wolf to stop attacking the locals if they agreed to feed him. He also made a deal with the local dogs to leave the wolf alone.

You may also know that when Francis rejected the culture, for a while he rejected the expectation of wearing clothing. And there were times when he was found stark naked preaching to the animals in the forest. Fear not I have no intention of modeling my life after that part of his life. That is not where I'm going with this.

The other thing Francis is known for is his deep personal connection to the poor He gave up all his inheritance. He wore rough clothing and begged for alms in the streets. Early on he was begging for stones which he carried to a falling down country church to fix it up. In his 20’s others noticed his Christlike lifestyle and began following his example. That was the beginning of the Order of Friars Minor, also known as the Franciscans. They took an oath of poverty in order to identify with the poorest of the poor and made it their mission to care for those who had nothing. Although they have been accused of idealizing poverty and idolizing the lack of material goods, for Francis it was not about not having material goods. Really, it was about believing that we are all connected and interconnected and believing that until all had enough, he should not have more than he needed. The Franciscans have grown to about 30,000 strong in communities all over the world living out these values of caring for creation and caring for the poor.

As I have Read stories of the life of Saint Francis and some of his writings I’ve come to see that these two seemingly very different things, care for creation and care for the poor, both emerged from Francis’ strong sense of his place in the world. He believed that we are interconnected, interdependent, and intertwined in a sacred community which includes both creation and each other

In short Saint Francis keeps me honest about myself. I am not at the center of everyone else’s universe. I am not even the center of my little corner of the universe. Life is not all about me. We are all brothers and sisters in God's big heart. Bird and beggar, wolf and wealthy merchants, Koala and Kings, porcupines and Popes and indeed all of creation is woven together in God's loving heart. My bad week or difficult day, in the grand scheme of the interconnectedness of all creation is a small thing. If I get out of my own pity,

·         I realize that I am connected to those folks in California who are desperately waiting to find loved ones and dealing with the loss of every earthly possession they ever had.

·         I am connected to the family with whom I sat as we watched the helicopter take off Thursday with a beloved wife of over 50 years laying in the back.

·         I am connected the homeless man we can see in any city in our country.

·         I am connected to brothers and sisters in scary places like North Korea, and Somalia, and the Palestinian territory.

·         I am connected to people and creatures of all kinds in all places because we are all part of the beautiful tapestry of love created by our infinitely loving God. Francis reminds me that life is not all about me. That helps me to get through the day.

The second Saint of the day teaches me a very different lesson. Daniel reminds me of the importance of doing the right thing for the right reason… period

Daniel lived in Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar during Israel’s sixth century BC exile. If you remember the story, the King was tricked into making a law that no one could pray unless they were praying to the King. Daniel, being a faithful follower of the one true God was not about to pray to the King. Each day he opened his windows to the East and prayed to God. Those who were out to get Daniel brought this to the attention of the King who had no choice but to punish Daniel. The punishment was being thrown to the Lions. Still, even given a second chance, Daniel refused to compromise his principles in favor of his own safety or comfort.

Then comes the story that we read this morning about Daniel being thrown in the Lion’s den, God closing the mouth of the lion, and Daniel emerging unharmed. Daniel was committed to doing the right thing no matter what. Earlier in the story, we see that he stuck to his kosher diet no matter what. He prayed to God no matter what. He stood firm on his faith and did the right thing no matter what.

One of the ways that life is hard is having to make hundreds of decisions today. We don't think about most of them. Daniel teaches that each of those decisions is an opportunity to live as disciples of Jesus Christ…or not. Each of those decisions is an opportunity to witness to the difference God makes in our lives… or not. When we are criticized or mocked or persecuted for doing the right thing for the right reasons we have an opportunity to stand up for what is right… or not. Every one of those decisions is important, whether our life depends on it or not, whether our friendships depend on it or not, whether our popularity depends on it or not, whether our career success depends on it or not, God calls us to do the right thing for the right reason even if it's hard.

Sometimes doing the right thing is the very thing that makes life hard.  However, knowing that I am, to the best if my abilities, doing the right thing every day is a key to making it through the day.

The last Saint I want to share with you today is one whom some of you may have known and met at one time. In fact, I understand he was here and I can imagine him preaching from this pulpit.

 Bishop Reuben Job was born in a sod house in Tappen, North Dakota in the thirties. He grew up poor but happy. Along the way, his mother and grandmother particularly instilled in him a deep abiding spirituality.

He started out working the family farm, but in his twenties went to college and started serving churches. He was ordained at the age of 32. In the following years, he was a mentor to many. He shared his quiet love for God as a pastor, chaplain, superintendent, and world editor of the upper room before being elected bishop and landing in Iowa.

I remember an ordinands retreat with Bishop Job. I remember a quiet but powerful meeting with clergy couples at the conference office. I remember Bishop job standing up for us when a superintendent got a little full of himself and threatened to assign Robyn and me to opposite corners of the state. I remember his preaching that was less preaching and more wooing us into love with God. I remember bishop job telling us with a broken voice that since the day he took office as Bishop there hadn’t been one day without a lawsuit hanging over his head. But most of all I remember his hands. Bishop Job ordained me as a deacon and elder and his hands seemed as heavy as bricks as they lay on my head. It was a reminder of the weight of the vows I was taking, but also a reminder of the strength of God in my life.

When his book 3 SIMPLE RULES was released, he summed up the way I knew him. He was a man who never wanted to do harm. I never knew him to intentionally harm anyone. Even when he called the President of Westmar College a liar, he did it gently more like swatting a child on the rear end to get them to move along rather than slapping someone on the face.

I Knew him to do much good. We have commented many times that annual conference has never been as much fun or as interesting as it was when Bishop Job was here.

But most importantly he taught by word and deed, and every encounter I had with him the importance of staying in love with God. I haven’t always done that to my satisfaction. But how else can we get through the day beside staying in love with God and staying in the knowledge of God’s love for us? No matter what happens today, NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING can separate us from the love of God… so stay in love with God.

There are so many people who have taught me one thing or another about getting through the day as a faithful disciple, but St Francis, Daniel, and Bishop Job are three great representatives.

Francis- remember your place in creation.

Daniel- always do the right thing for the right reasons

Bishop Job- stay in love with God.

Who are the saints who have taught you to get through the day? Who are the saints by who’s teaching you live day in a day out? I am going to give thanks for these saints, but before I pray I would like to hear the names of some of the saints who have taught you some of the most important lessons about getting through the day.

The saints who make us who we are, November 11, 2018

The saints who make us who we are,

November 11, 2018

Do United Methodists really believe in saints? Well, these are real people so it is not a matter of believing in them or not believing in them, but how we define them.

We don’t worship or venerate saints. In  Article 14 of our articles of Religion John Wesley wrote “The Romish doctrine concerning …worshiping, and adoration, as well of images as of relics, and also invocation of saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warrant of Scripture, but repugnant to the Word of God.”

Given that, you might ask, why I am having a month of saints?!

That’s a fair question but it has to do with how define saints. I am defining saints different than our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters.

In the Roman Catholic tradition becoming a saint is usually a long drawn out process. In an over simplified version it in includes  a petition by the people, a nomination by a bishop, an investigation by the Vatican which includes and a “promoter of the faith” also known as a devil’s advocate who tries to find the non saint-like behavior of the person.  There are three stages declaring them venerable, beatifying, and then canonizing them in to sainthood.  Between the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox churches there are over 10,000 saints.

United Methodists don’t do that. The closest we have come is naming our churches after saints, and in 2012 declaring Dietrich Bonheoffer and Martin Luther King Jr. as Martyrs (someone who willingly died for their faith.)

That is not what I am talking about. In our United Methodist circles, a saint can be any of God’s people who LIVE THEIR LIVES AFTER THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST. They might be living or dead.  Last week we named saints who died in the last year and talked about the saints of this church on whose shoulders we stand.

While John Wesley spoke harshly of the veneration of saints, he recommended the study of the lives of saints because there is much to be learned from them.  That’s what I want to do for the next couple of weeks. I want to talk about some of the people who help me to live my life more like Christ. And I want to help you to reflect on the saints in your life. 

WHO DO YOU LOOK TO AS AN EXAMPLE OF FAITH?

WHO ENCOURAGES YOU IN THE FAITH?

AND WHO, BY THE EXAMPLE OF THEIR FAITH, HELPS YOU TO HOPE FOR A BETTER TOMORROW?

This week I have chosen 4 of my saints from various historical periods who have shaped my faith. Who would you put on your personal list?

 I start with Abraham.

Before God appeared to him Abraham was a pagan like his father.  He grew up in Ur of the Chaldees. We know that like his father before him, Abraham was an idol worshipper.  We don’t know any more details but we can guess that he was part of the popular religion of the region. The great Ziggurat of Ur, (Which is a little bit like a pyramid) was built to worship the moon God Nanaa.  The moon was the basis for their calendar, its phases symbolized the life cycle of birth life and death. Among the God’s of the area Nanaa was supreme because the moon was the source of fertility for crops, herds and families.

We don’t know what if anything Abraham knew about God when God spoke to him, But God appeared and God spoke and he told the idol worshipper to trust in God. Abraham was to pick up all he had; his family, his herds, and his servants and follow the Lord. In order to do that he would have to leave everything behind, including his religion.  It is the kind of decision that a lesser man (like me) would have considered carefully for months or years.  Not Abraham.

God said, “GO” and Abraham said “OK.”  What faith! What trust! I am one who values security, having a plan and a backup plan, knowing where I am going, and have a plan for when I get there, having a  little cushion in the savings account,  … you know what I mean. I am not a huge risk taker… but Abraham… Abraham calls me to not just believe in God with my mind, but to trust God with my life. He reminds me that sometimes God calls us to take a risk. Abraham was not planning on a word from God let alone a trip. God’s call came out of the clear blue sky…or in Abraham’s case I guess it was a dark starry sky. Abraham trusted God enough to say “Let’s go God.” “Here I am send me.”  That’s the way I want my faith to be.

Jesus said come follow me, and he meant now.

Jesus called Zacchaeus to come out of that tree and he did not mean tomorrow.

Jesus told the rich young ruler to go sell all he had… not some, but all.

Jesus said take up your cross and follow me.

I could be the patron saint of wanting to play it safe. But that is not what God expects. Abraham reminds me that God requires trust, complete trust. Abraham challenges me to be better than I am. Maybe Abraham challenges you too.

 I have also selected St. Brigid. Sometimes incorrectly called “Bridget” Brigid was new to me. But what she teaches is not. I like her story and I wanted to remind us that there are many women saints in our lives too. 

St. Brigid is a canonized saint of the Roman Catholic Church.  She was born in Ireland in 451 or 452 AD a contemporary of St. Patrick. Like Abraham, her father was not Christian.  Druidism is complicated because it is so diverse, but they often worship nature or trees. Stonehenge may have been a druid place of worship. Suffice it to say then, that Brigid was not born into a Christian family.

When she was young, she gave her life to God and became a nun. Soon she was named an Abbess, the leader of the Abbey in which she lived with the other nuns.  When she was consecrated as Abbess, the local bishop accidently used the service for consecrating a bishop rather than a nun.  It is particularly funny because she turned out to have more influence than some of the bishops under whom she served.

Brigid is known for her generosity, which seems appropriate on this Sunday before consecration Sunday. That’s what I admire bout Brigid.  She had an extraordinary generous love and she experienced great blessing. She gave away her mother’s butter, but when she prayed the churn was filled again. (You see the butter churn in the background of her picture.) Any presents given to her, were given to the poor, no matter what the original giver intended.  She sold furniture and anything that could be moved—even the holy vessels and vestments–to provide for the poor.  Her generosity inspired others.

And the best part is she never ran out of thing to give. It seems she gave and it was replaced, she gave and more appeared. She gave and she was blessed

Brigid reminds us of the importance of generosity. But she also teaches us that generosity is a blessing. Maybe you won’t get your butter back, but when you are generous you will find that the discipline of giving brings such satisfaction that you will want to give more and even more...  You all know the satisfaction of saying to yourself, “I was part of that.”

Brigid reminds me that giving is its own reward, but seeing the fruit of that giving whether it is the beautiful building remodeling, or the ingathering kits, or the fruit of ministry here is a special bonus reward because we get to say “I was part f that.”  I will remember Brigid when I complete my estimate of giving card next Sunday. I’d like to be more like her.

 The third saints I want to lift up are brothers and they have names you will recognize. John and Charles Wesley. Though they were different, I want to treat them together.

John and Charles were Anglican priests in a time when the Church of England was pretty stale.  The mid 1700’s was the industrial revolution. Culture was changing quickly and the church and faith were in many people’s minds in the margins of life. (Kind of like today)

One turning point even before John’s life changing experience at Aldersgate, was returning to England from Georgia (in the US) after failing at being a missionary to the Native Americans, John realized that he didn’t have real faith to share. “I went to Georgia to convert the indians, (sic) but woe, who shall convert me?”

John and Charles were not satisfied with faith on the margins. They put their faith and their relationship with the church squarely in the middle of their lives. The heartwarming at Aldersgate made faith personal. They started the holy Clubs. They got up at 4am to read scripture and pray. They created bands and classes to help others put their faith in the center of their lives. This became the Methodist movement and eventually the United Methodist church.

It is easy to let our faith slip to the side. It is easy to let many things get in the way of our relationship with God.  John and Charles taught us that a faith of the margins is not enough.  It takes practice, commitment, sacrifice, and intentional discipline to keep our faith front and center in our lives. I don’t know that I will ever get up at 4 am to read the bible for 2 hours, but I admire a man like John who can. I admire a man like Charles who has the discipline and gift to write 6000 hymns. (All of today’s hymns are written by Charles.) I admire a man like John who made the sacrifice to travel a quarter million miles in his lifetime… on horseback… in the 1700’s and still have the energy to preach 40,000 sermons. If am real generous with my math, maybe I’ll get to 3,000 in my career. 

John and Charles teach us about commitment to the gospel and disciplined discipleship. So they are two of the saints who make me who I am as a disciple of Jesus, and indeed make us we are as United Methodists.

 Finally, does anyone recognize this saint?  Doesn’t the name Evan Tallman mean anything to you?  No?   That’s OK he was my high school Sunday school teacher. Evan is one of a handful of people in those early days of my faith and my call to ministry who were a special encouragement, trusted advisors, and examples of what it means to be a disciple.

Perhaps your Sunday school teacher had a different name bet many of you have a Sunday school teacher who was a saint in your life

Evan taught me that faith is shown in love.  We came to class every week, like most teenagers, with our minds everywhere but Evan still loved us. He showed his love by listening and sharing and caring and by time we were done somehow he snuck in a lesson without us even noticing. With his unwavering love, he loved us into relationship with God.

Think back to your Sunday school teachers, which ones have been the biggest influences in your life.  They are saints to you.

 Abraham: faith as trust

Brigid: faith as generosity

The Wesleys: faith as discipline

Even: faith as love.

These are some of the saints that made me who I am.

On whose shoulders do you stand? Which saints have made a difference to you? Maybe they are from biblical times, ancient history, recent history, or even today.  They might be sitting here today. They might be long gone. Who are the saints who have shaped who you are as a disciple?

Be ready to name some of them out loud during this prayer.  I won’t try to pass the mic so shout loud and if you can’t hear give thanks for the saints in your life.