Let's talk about Grace

Over the last couple of months, I have had a number of conversations with folks about what it means to be united Methodist.  We’ve talked about what we believe, what is distinctive from other denominations , as well as how we are similar to folks in other denominations.  And even in Bible study, we’ve talked about church laws and structure and many have remarked, “I never knew that!”  So we’re going to take the next few weeks to go deeper into what it means to be a United Methodist. 

                Today, we’re going to start with grace.  Some would say, “we are people of grace.” And we are, but not because we are the only ones to receive grace. God’s grace is for all, it’s not reserved for a select few.  Grace is a gift that God gives us.  We can’t earn it. We don’t deserve it. It is freely given to all not because of what we’ve done to deserve it, but because of God’s abundant love for each of us.  There aren’t contingencies.  There are no strings attached.  It’ a loving gift offered to all. 

                Now, some would say, “grace is grace is grace.”  But John Wesley, the founder of Methodism and the namesake of our church, says something different.  He says, “Well, grace is grace, but, it does different things at different times in our faith walk.”  And to distinguish between those different things, he came up with 3 names for grace:

1)      Prevenient grace

2)     Justifying grace

3)      Sanctifying grace

In some ways, to say, “we are people of grace” means we categorize our faith journey in terms of these types of grace.

#1  Prevenient grace.  Prevenient means: comes before.  This is the grace that connects us to God, no matter what.  It’s the hold God has on us from before we are born until after we die.  It’s the grace that’s there when we don’t’ know God, when we are selfish and self-involved.  God uses it to call out to us, but even when we deny it or ignore it, it’s still there. 

Now, I’m a visual person, so I like to see things in order to understand them better.  So I think of it like this.  Prevenient grace is this rope.  God ties it around us before we are born and whether we know it or not, God has a hold on us through prevenient grace.    Even if I am completely unaware, totally clueless, God has this hold on me. I can’t go anywhere that is beyond God’s reach.  And I can’t do anything to untie this knot.  God’s got a hold on me….period.  That’s prevenient grace. 

The second type of grace is justifying grace.  This is the grace that draws us into awareness of who we are and who God is.  It shows us that we are sinful and broken and God is perfect and forgiving and that we need God.  It is the grace that prompts us to repent and ask for forgiveness and it is the grace that forgives.  To say it “justifies us” means it sets us right with God. This is what God does for us through Jesus—God bears our sins, sets us free, and gives us new life.”

John Wesley says it this way: “[Our] sins, all [our] past sins, in thought, word, and deed, ‘are covered’, are blotted out; shall not be remembered or mentioned against [us], any more than if they had not been.  God will not inflict on [a] sinner what [we] deserved to suffer, because the Son of [God’s] love hath suffered for [us].  And from the time we are ‘accepted through the Beloved,’ ‘reconciled to God through his blood’, he loves and blesses and watches over us for good, even as if we had never sinned.”

God forgives us, not because of what we’ve done to earn forgiveness, but because of what Christ did—at no cost to us—but all FOR us.  Some folks talk about justifying grace in terms of our conversion.  That’s the moment where we acknowledge our sin, see and proclaim Christ’s sacrifice, repent and ask for forgiveness.  It is in that moment we are saved from the eternal consequences of our own sins.  Justifying grace is a part of our journey throughout—we don’t stop sinning simply because we believe in Jesus.  All professing Christians sin.  That’s why we need God.  That’s why we receive grace.  And we need justifying grace to keep forgiving us for our sins.  Each time we repent we receive justifying grace. Each time we take communion, God pardons us through justifying grace. 

To go back to our visual, God has a hold on us through prevenient grace, that’s the rope.  Remember it’s there and connected to us whether we know it or not.  But then when we see the rope, when we understand that God is on the other side of it, beckoning us to draw near, that’s because of justifying grace. 

Now, some folks are inclined to leave it at that.  Once you’ve professed Christ and asked for forgiveness you’re done.  But Wesley says no.  That’s not enough.  Faith life shouldn’t be simply sinning and asking for forgiveness and sinning and asking for forgiveness over and over again with nothing in our life changing.  An attitude of “I can do what I want because God will forgive me,” is essentially hedonism.  But it’s not how we walk faithfully.  There’s more.  We have to engage this rope and try and get closer to God.  Justifying grace is holding onto the rope, but we need something to make us use the rope to get closer to God.

That something is sanctifying grace.  Sanctifying grace helps us grow and learn, it teaches us to be more like Christ with each step we take.  This is the grace where God says, “I love you just as you are, but too much to leave you that way.”  Sanctifying grace gives us the courage, wisdom, and strength to keep saying “no” to sin and “yes” to God.  When we use sanctifying grace to grow in relationship with God, we bear the fruits of the spirit as found in Galatians 5:22-23:

·         love,

·          joy,

·         peace,

·         patience,

·         kindness,

·         goodness,

·         faithfulness,

·         gentleness

·         self-control

We see more of these as sanctifying grace takes a stronger and stronger hold in our lives. This is where the real work of faith lies. Growing closer to God and becoming more like Christ is a continuous journey of self-reflection and self-discipline.  It can be very difficult. But it also reaps some of the greatest rewards as we love God more deeply and see God more clearly. This is also where we see others with greater insight and treat them with greater compassion.

To use our visual again, sanctifying grace is what helps us pull ourselves closer to God.  Now, the thing about sanctification is we can work at it a lot, or we can work at it a little, or we can refuse to work at it at all.  That’s all our choice.  God never forces us to be faithful—that is a choice we make. God constantly offers us grace—wherever we are in our journey. Faith is our response. 

So, we are saved by grace through faith.  If we refuse to receive the gift, which is salvation, then we won’t have it. God can give us gift after gift after gift. But if we leave them all unopened then we haven’t actually received it. Believing in who God is and what God has done and can do is faith—it’s how we open that gift to truly experience what God has for us.

(Summarize)

Matthew 27 & 28--Easter sermon

I have had Judas on my heart for the last couple of days. There are lots of people who demonize him for his betrayal of Jesus. Others who demonize him for committing suicide.

But these last two days have given me a heart and a sense of compassion for Judas. I believe Holy week as such, the week before the crucifixion, was not-so-holy the year Jesus died. I mean think about it: Mob mentality. Persecution. Pride. Ignorance. Betrayal. Murder. Not really a holy combination. And when things are not holy, there is often a palpable presence of evil.

I don't know if you've ever felt the power of evil...the presence of evil...not simply in some emotional-temptation way, but in a physical way....cold, weighty, dark. It's debilitating. It's suffocating. 

Being in a place that dark, that enveloped by evil and having dark thoughts is a desperately scary place to be. It's lonely. It's isolating. And, as one might assume, it can be deadly. There is no reason there. Logic won't work. I remember counseling a friend one summer in college. She was suicidal. I knew from previous conversations that she had been there before and so somehow I wasn't alarmed when she told me that summer. We talked and I reminded her about her family and how much they loved her and the life ahead of her and....and...and...it didn't matter. There was no reasoning with her. The place of darkness and despair where she was did not welcome logic. 

I do not remember how our conversation ended. But I do know that she is still alive and well today. It wasn't until later that year that I finally had a glimpse of that reason-less place where she had been. I hit rock bottom emotionally and it felt like there was no coming up for air. I was ready to die. Really ready to die. I don't know what stopped me then, but I am grateful I did not go ahead with my plan.

I have felt the overwhelming power of darkness. I have been plagued by evil thoughts of worthlessness and hopelessness and I have counseled with many others who have dealt with the same. I have heard stories from the depths of despair as people begged for God to do something in their lives and have prayed earnestly with them for God’s light to shine and Jesus’ victory to be made real. 

Friday I felt the overwhelming presence of evil. I couldn't even track it to one particular moment or thing, but it was there--dark and heavy. Deadening, sucking the life out of me. And I thought of Judas. I thought of how powerful the presence of evil must have been that week. How consuming it had to have been to convince the masses that Jesus, the Son of God needed to die. I'm sure it was palpable. I doubt there was much reason available there--we see that in the trials of Christ. No reason, just accusation and judgment. And then Judas' betrayal in the garden. But more striking still, his suicide. I'm sure that by collaborating to kill your friend, your mentor, you teacher, a great healer, and the Son of God, that the presence of evil became suffocating. My guess is the only way Judas thought he would ever breathe again was to die. And I hurt for him. I hurt that he didn't know that death on the cross would not be the end of the story. My heart broke that he would never hear or see that part of the gospel--the part where Jesus raises from the dead after he has conquered sin and death.

Judas didn't know the story. So he didn't have the hope. He couldn't have the hope for it had not yet happened. And there was no possibility of finding the light in the midst of the darkness. And I hurt for him.

And then it occurred to me that there are others in Judas' place...no they haven't facilitated the death of Jesus--not in that direct way...but they are like Judas in that they don't know the story. So they don't have the hope. And without the story, without the hope, there is no possibility of finding the light in the midst of the darkness. 

I would say hell looks different for different people. For one person hell is failing classes and getting kicked out of school. For another it is when a parent dies. For another it is not being able to hold her newborn baby because she is in the Neonatal ICU. For another it is knowing that she will never be able to see her child grow up. For another it is losing a spouse and not being able to grow old together. For another it is divorce. For another it is facing his spouse’s addiction and watching it ravage their family. For another it is losing a job and finding it impossible to find work. For another it is being sick and having no health care and no insurance. For another it is chronic pain. Another chronic illness. For another it is sending a child off to war. For another it is living in a war torn country hearing bombs and gun shots day in and day out. For another it is being abused by her husband. 

Hell isn’t just some eternal destination to be avoided. Hell is something we are bound to experience at least once in our lives. It will look, or has looked, different for each of us.

And without hope, we can be ravaged by the pain of evil. We can be overtaken by the feelings that nothing will ever change and nothing will ever get better. We need the gospel. We need Christ’s victory on the cross, the victory over sin and death to tell us our hell will end. We need God’s prophets to say there will be a different day in our future, a day where God’s glory will prevail and there will be victory and fruitfulness, contentment and fulfillment. We need the empty tomb. Even for those of us who have been believers for years, we need Easter as a regular reminder that God is the most powerful and that God will prevail over sin and death. After all, even as believers, we are still human and our bound to pass through hell, the difference is, we know the story—we have the hope. 

But there aren’t just those of us who do believe or have believed for years in this world, there are many who have never heard the Gospel story of hope. There are thousands, if not millions, going through their own version of hell who are stuck like Judas. They don’t know the story. They don’t know the hope. They don’t know that Christ can overcome their hell too. 

And that's where our responsibility lies. For those of us that know the story, we must spread the gospel--the hope. We must make known the rest of the story--the part where death and sin and shame do not have the final word, and we must shine God's light for people so that they might know there is the possibility of escaping the darkness--of finding life (again).

The Gospel reading from Matthew tells us of the women finding the empty grave and being told to go and tell the story. People needed to know that Christ was alive. They needed to know that God was more powerful than the rulers and authorities of this world—more powerful than Cesar, more powerful than Pilate, more powerful than the religious leaders. God’s justice was greater than any injustice that could be executed here on earth. Go and tell the story! And then the women meet Jesus and he too tells them to go and share the story…so they go and tell and the word spreads and so does the hope…it spreads so far that it reaches the ends of the earth…it spread so far that it reached each of us. 2000 years later. We know the story. We have the hope. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. 

Today is the day of victory. Today’s is the story of hope! Go and tell the story!

Matthew 17:14-21

We don’t often talk about demons in the UMC.  They’re pretty much taboo. It’s hard to believe they’re like the monsters from Scooby doo or even the ones from Buffy the vampire slayer. When we can’t put a face on them, it’s hard to wrap our head around them. For many of us, it’s hard to say they even exist because if they do, we’re not quite sure what to do with them.  But, as we read today’s scripture, we can’t help but acknowledge that Jesus dealt with demons, which, in turn, pushes us to try and deal with demons.

            While I wouldn’t say that demons are the red and black characters we’ve seen on TV, I would say there are forces of evil that act upon us—they try to distract us from God, dishearten us in our missions, and discredit our faithless and fruitfulness.  There are powerful spirits in our lives that are not of God and do not contribute to God’s kingdom or further God’s will.  And I would call them “demons”. 

            They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are more commonly known as addiction, abuse, deceit, lust, greed, injustice, vengeance, pride, unforgiveness, pain, depression, self-doubt, old hurts, resentment, and chronic illness.   They don’t make us evil if we struggle with one of them.  Rather, they show that evil is all around us, working against us, trying to detour us from the path of righteousness. 

            To get rid of these demons, this scripture tells us requires prayer, fasting, and faith.  We have to be willing to do the work, to dedicate ourselves to getting rid of these ills in our lives, and we have to be willing to fast, to sacrifice material comforts for spiritual gain, and we have to believe.  We have to believe healing is possible.  We have to believe God wants something more for us.  We have to believe God is able—100%--to work miracles.

            Now that’s asking a lot, but wouldn’t it be worth it to be free from these demons?  To be free from the pain?  To say “no” forever to alcohol or drugs?  To give up lustful images of sex?  To be free from depression?  To be reconciled with your son or daughter?  Sister or brother?  Even with your spouse? 

            There are huge problems and hurts in our lives.  Some we’ve been able to keep a secret, and others are publically known.  And they’re tough to deal with—some take a lifetime to battle.  They’re big issues for a reason.  If they were little issues, we wouldn’t be struggling with them, right?

            The scriptural truth is God wants us to have freedom. God wants us to have wholeness.  God wants us to have shalom.  And when we don’t have that, it’s not because God has abandoned us. It’s not because God is punishing us. It’s not because we deserve it.  It’s because life happens. It’s because evil is at work all around us.  It’s because we are broken and fallen people and we live in a broken and fallen world.

            But what the Bible tells us here is that evil and illness do not have the final word—Christ does.  When we have faith and put our trust in him—Christ earns the victory for us.  That is the Gospel we proclaim.  The Good News is Christ is victorious over evil.  He defeats demons.  And he gives us freedom.

            Praise God!!  That’s exciting!!  That’s life changing!  That’s amazingly good!

            So let’s claim it.  Let’s claim God’s redeeming grace for our bodies, for our minds, for our souls, and for our relationships. Let’s prove, through our faith, that Christ is Lord of all and that he is victorious.  

            Now, I know some of you are hesitant.  Some of you are doubting.  You want to know how I know you have questions? Because I’m one of you.  One of my demons is migraine headaches. I’ve getting them for years and they are awful.  They are debilitating. I have to lie down and shut myself in a dark room. I can’t tolerate light, or noise, or too much heat, or even perfumes or strong smells.  On occasion, they are completely crippling.  They plague me.  And even though I pray when I get them, I’ve been doubtful that God would take them away forever, completely.  Why?  Well, because I am a doubter.  And I’m not sure I deserve it.  But you and I both know merit is not what the gospel is about.  The Gospel requires faith, not works.  I never have to deserve to be healed.  And neither do you.  We only have to believe God can and will heal us.

            But remember, some things, some issues, some demons require a bit more—they require fasting. Mostly, I think because fasting inspires faith.  Fasting teaches us to rely more on God than on ourselves.  So fasting is both an act of faith and an act that grows faith.

            If you’re worried you don’t have enough faith, look back to this scripture.  Jesus says, “if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could move a mountain.”  That amount of faith is not much and yet it can do great things. So don’t worry if you have doubts.  Don’t worry if the size of your faith is small, you can move mountains with your faith.

            You can move mountains and molehills. You can be victorious over the “big things” in your life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

            So, for the next 40 days, I am inviting you to go on a journey of faith with me and each other. We are going to fast and pray.  We are going to learn and we are going to grow in faith.  And we are going to conquer the “big things” in our lives. And come Easter, we will be victorious and will be singing God’s praises.

            I am committing in front of you to take on my demons.  I am going to believe that God wants me to be free from migraines and I am going to fast and pray that they would be gone forever.  And I want you to commit for yourselves. I want you to believe.  I want all of us to be freed. 

            Now, don’t get me wrong, this takes work. If you have a broken relationship—you have to do the leg work and work on it—let the Holy Spirit lead you about what to say and do and when to do it.  If you’re battling depression, you can’t stay in bed or on the couch day in and day out, you have to get up and out and allow God to work.  If you’re battling addiction—go to meetings, work the program, do the steps. If you’re fighting illness, go to the doctor, do your physical therapy and take your medications. 

            But, also, HAVE FAITH AND BELIEVE THAT GOD CAN DO GREAT THINGS!!

            Now, to be fair, I do need to warn you. Evil does not like to be sent packing.  The big things in our lives have acquired great power and you’re likely to encounter resistance.  For me, I’d venture that my migraines will get worse before they get better. That’s how evil works, it tries to dishearten us—to discourage us—to make us doubt and give up.  And our only answer is to persevere by faith and keep claiming Christ as victorious.

            God is ready to work a miracle in your life. Christ’s work has been done. He has already won.  Now it’s time we claim it—100% without reservations.  Claim and proclaim that God can and will redeem you, heal you, and restore you.     Amen?!  Let us pray.

In Memorium

I’ve always known Howard as a faithful man of God. He displays the fruits of the spirit, which are a true testament to the depth of his discipleship. He has been gentle, gracious, kind, and abundantly generous.

And yet, even knowing that, I saw it all with new perspective as his nieces and nephew shared with me the other day. They reminisced about “Uncle Steve” and shared stories of ice cream with root beer on top, a shopping spree where Howard granted license to buy anything in the store. There were rides in the 53MG. Howard, or rather “Uncle Steve” was the cool uncle and clearly loved.

Ever since they shared their stories, I’ve been hearing the word “Indulgent” in my head. Howard was indulgent. He splurged for people. He and Rosemarie both loved kids and would take them out to have fun. Even stories of how slowly he ate made me see the richness in that habit—how Howard soaked in life one bite at a time.

Howard indulged in the good things in life—food, family, fun—the things that make life meaningful and fill memories with joy. And, I think, that too, is a testament to his faith. God, too, indulges in us. God splurges in love and kindness and generosity. We aren’t left with the bare minimum—only enough to get by. God goes over and above what is expected, over and above even what is reasonable. God’s love is abundant and generous and Howard’s faith made his life mirror that generosity.

Howard is easy to name as a mentor and role model. He lived the virtues worth having. He was clearly devoted to God, but not just God, but the people of God. He and Rosie gave so much to so many because they indulged—not for themselves, but for others, so they might have the good things of God in their lives. Howard lived confidently in Christ’s promise that we should have life and have it abundantly.

Often in grief, we focus on death and the after life—all that God promises to give us in the hereafter. And that’s a good thing. God has amazing things in store for us in heaven. But we also need to remember that God has blessings for us here on earth as well. The life eternal and abundant that Christ promises pertains to more than just life after death—it pertains to life now, and Howard is an amazing example of that. God gives us life through Christ and it is meant to be shared with others so that all might know the abundant love of God and the tremendous blessings of joy, love, compassion, fulfillment and of sharing each of those with others.

Today we honor and celebrate the life of an amazing man, who modeled his life after the most amazing man—Christ Jesus. We learn to love from both of them, and should be inspired to live Christ’s indulgent love in big ways and small ways in all our days to come.

Amen.

Ruth 2: Life with a Generous Spirit

Explain the scripture:

Boaz goes beyond what is normal, beyond what is expected. He includes her as a part of his family/community and invites her to eat with him. She is a foreigner, yet he incorporates her as one of his own. He protects her and tells his reapers to do the same. He doesn’t just give her access, he gives her privilege, and he makes her an equal with all of his reapers and allows her to take from the best, not just the leftovers. And, he asks others to provide for her as well, he admonishes them to take a handful of their own barley and leave it for her. Interestingly, they aren’t asked to simply hand it to her, like an act of charity, but to leave it, so that she might glean for herself---allowing her to feel pride for what she has done and gleaned for herself and her mother in law.

Boaz is a model for us—he’s giving and generous not out of obligation, but out of a heartfelt desire to care for Ruth. He has no secondary motivation—he’s not looking to make a trade or even to have Ruth pay him back. He is satisfied simply to give. He saw a need and he met it.

There have been only a handful of people in my life who have lived with such a generous spirit. I met one when I was a junior in college. That year, I did a study abroad program. I lived in Costa Rica my first semester and came home for Christmas and my sister’s wedding and then went to live in Spain for the spring semester. Because of the wedding, I arrived in Spain a week later than the rest of the students, which meant I missed their week of touring and had to get myself to Granada. To say it was a long day is an understatement. My flight was 15 hours and had started the day before. I was nervous when I got to Spain and got sick immediately after I got off the plane. From the airport to the bus station, I was swindled by the cabbie (something we were told to expect). And then, though fully fluent, at the bus station I struggled through my fatigue to buy a bus ticket to Granada. After much confusion, I got my ticket and finally boarded the bus. I was tired and hungry as we set out for the 5 hour ride.

We stopped once for bathrooms and food and I struggled to order since there were no lines to stand in. In Spain, everyone just sort of makes a mental note of who’s next and takes their turn when they should—only I didn’t know that. So, I waited and waited and finally ended up ordering a coke and some chips to tide me over.

After a few more minutes we re-boarded the bus and set off again and after 2 more hours arrived in Granada. I caught another cab and he took me to the address on my letter. He rang the doorbell at the apartment for me and no one answered. He rang and rang and still no one answered. Having no other place for him to take me, I had him leave me where I was and I hoped someone would return soon.

I buzzed some more and still no answer. I lugged my backpack and 2 50 pound bags and extra jacket across the street and sat on a bench and watched the door. No one appeared. After 10 minutes or so, hoping against hope (and logic since I had been watching), I rang again. Nothing. But when I pushed on the door to the apartment complex, it opened. So I took my bags in and left them downstairs and climbed to the 5^th floor apartment and knocked. No one. So I walked back down and took my bags across the street yet again.

I don’t know if you’ve ever suffered extreme exhaustion or been in a place where you have no resources and no contacts, but it’s emotional. I can’t say that I was scared, but I was definitely unnerved. After another 10-15 minutes outside, I decided I might as well take my bags upstairs since they were heavy and would have to get there sometimes and I needed something to do. So, I lugged them back to the apartment building, rang again, just in case, and carried them inside.

Just then, a woman came downstairs to take out the trash. She asked who I was and what I was doing and I explained. She took pity on me and invited me to her apartment to wait. (Did I mention it was the beginning of January and quite cold outside?) She helped me carry my 50 pound bags up the stairs and had me sit at her table under a heated blanket. She brought me pineapple juice to drink and brought me a warm wash cloth to freshen up and then went to make me a sandwich. She sat with me as I ate and we shared about ourselves. A couple of times we went up and checked the apartment to see if anyone was home—still no one.

Amalia continued to care for me. She brought me more to drink and eat and offered me love and care I could never repay. I was so exhausted and worn, I was ready to fall apart, and yet there was Amalia ready to hold me up.

For me, Amalia is an amazing example of hospitality. She represents Boaz in my journey. She saw me and saw my needs before I said anything or had to ask. She assumed I was hungry and didn’t make me ask for food or help. She gave me a warm place to sit after sitting out in the cold. She welcomed me as one of her own family. She easily could have seen my need and brought me food to eat outside, but instead she invited me in. She made me feel safe, included, and welcome.

To me, that’s a generous spirit. She went beyond what was expected or required and put her whole heart into helping me. Just like Boaz she acted out of love and compassion rather than obligation.

We can each give and do and be what is expected and no one will fault us. As a teacher you can teach all day and grade homework and tests and go home by 3:00 and that is enough. But people will be overwhelmed and changed forever by your generous spirit when you come in early to help a student learn to read or stay late so they can improve SAT scores. Any of us can have a picnic in the park and clean up our trash and we would fulfill our responsibility, or you can pick up the unclaimed trash of others and help make the park cleaner and better for the next person to visit.

We can go through life doing “enough”. We can meet what is required and expected of us as parents, children, students, employees, partners, and bosses. We can meet the mark and there will be no room for complaint. Or, we can allow God’s love to flow abundantly out of us and give generously of ourselves. We have so much to offer: sustenance, protection, inclusion, warmth, and welcome. We can give only what is required of us, but we can also give more. And the reason to give more isn’t because we should, it’s because there is a blessing 10 times greater when we give and do because we can rather than because we have to.

Boaz was only obligated to allow Ruth to pick up the last remnant of barley and wheat. He could have left it at that and she would have had food to eat and he would have complied with the law. Instead, he protected her and ate with her and gave her an equal place from which to glean and then asked others to give her a bit extra. To any of us, his generosity is extravagant, but to a widow, in a strange land, on her own, struggling to survive, he gave her a 10-fold blessing. One that went beyond physical needs but also blessed her emotionally and relationally.

Amalia unlike Boaz, had no obligation to me. Nothing was required or expected of her and yet she gave abundantly and freely—offering food, rest, warmth, care, and love in ways that will stay with me forever.

By giving generously, we have the opportunity to change and shape people. We have the chance to be more than enough to live beyond what is expected and I guarantee you the rewards are great. We will meet many people who are like Ruth—tired and struggling, alone and without help and we have the opportunity to be a blessing, to go beyond meeting material needs and instead give emotionally and offer relationships that matter and make a difference. Fall is the time when we examine the ministries of the church and make a commitment for the coming year. We will see ways people in our community and around the world are like Ruth, and we will be invited to live like Boaz with a generous spirit giving more than what is required. And I promise you, that when you give generously of yourself from a heartfelt desire to help, you will be blessed in ways you could never have imagined.

Lead Us Not into Temptation

One of my best friends from high school emailed me yesterday and told me she had a good 9/11 sermon illustration if I wanted to use it. I called her and told her I wasn’t going to preach on 9/11, that I was continuing with the sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer, but that I wanted to hear her story and thought I could save it for sometime in the future. It turned out her story was fitting both for 9/11 and for the Lord’s prayer.

Jenny works for the 9/11 museum in New York and she comes into contact with the many stories that are shared. She reminded me that Todd Beemer is the man from flight 93, the one that crashed in Pennsylvania, who is credited with storming the cockpit. He had an air phone at his seat and he spoke with a GTE operator named Lisa Jefferson. Their conversation lasted nearly 20 minutes as the two talked through what to do. In their conversation, they learned that both were Christian and they decided to pray together. As they prayed, they said the familiar words of the Lord’s prayer. Todd’s call is probably the most recognized, but after the plane crashed there were still survivors above the impact zone and they too called for help and there were multiple 911 calls that day. And as operators realized there was no way they could help and as people shared their final words, they prayed together. When no other words would suffice, when no action was possible, when hope for life and rescue waned, people prayed.

We’ve been looking at the Lord’s prayer for a month now. We’ve been trying to dig deeper into the meaning so that we have a stronger connection to the words we say. And hopefully, in saying those words, we also recognize the connection we have to Christians around the world. Hopefully these familiar words can bring peace and comfort in a time of crisis as they did for Todd Beemer and Lisa Jefferson and the many others who prayed on the plane that day. Hopefully they bring us peace and comfort and when we have no other words left to pray, may these words flow from our mouths.

When we remember 9/11, we see both the amazing ways we connect with one another, strangers and friends brought together by a common pain and a common hope. We also see the power of evil, of corruption, of the perversion of religion. We see what happens when a few detach from the larger community and corrupt the doctrines of the faithful. We see a patch work of good and evil—the best and worst we are capable of. And in many ways, it’s fitting that our focus today is on the words, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” We need to be drawn away from malice, and harm, empowered to choose for God’s will and not for our own.

There are various translations for these verses:

• “And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one”
• “And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one”
• “Keep us safe from ourselves and the devil”
• “And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil”

Though some translations imply that the “time of trial” refers to the final judgment that doesn’t seem to be the heart of this verse. All of the times “time of trial” is used in the New Testament the meaning seems to be like a show of proof. Time of trial is less like persecution and more like a chance to put our money where our mouth is and practice what we preach. Temptation is something that plagues our weaknesses and lures us in—baiting us to do that which we ought not. And the test is whether we will remain faithful.

Our inclination is to think we always practice what we preach and that of course we’d be faithful. But temptation is strong. It is powerful and potent and very hard to resist. And we need God’s intervention to make us strong and draw us away from it. We are even tempted to think we are independently good and righteous. But without God, all we are is sinful. As we read through the beginning of Romans, we hear all about how sinful we are. According to Paul, after the fall, we are basically a lost cause. Paul puts it this way in Romans 1:24, “Therefore, God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies. Verses 29-31 say, “They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.”

When we read this, we hear “they” and maybe assume we are not a part of them. But if we read carefully, we will see that “they” here refers to all humanity—that includes us. Paul is talking about the broken human condition before God intervenes on our behalf. Without God we can’t help but sin. But when God intervenes on our behalf, we are empowered to do good instead of evil. We are capable of fighting the temptation of sin. Through God we are justified. Through God we are renewed. Through God we are given a second chance.

So when we ask God to “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” in essence, we are saying, “Please don’t leave us to our own devices, please help us turn away from evil.” We are acknowledging we are prone to sin and we need God’s help to live differently. We acknowledge we are broken and in need of rescue.

Try as we might, we cannot do this on our own. We cannot wade through the mire of lust, greed, sloth, gluttony, wrath, envy, and pride without help. The power of evil is overwhelming. Temptation is not simply interesting, it is tempting—it draws us in. It’s alluring and enticing. And we need help resisting it. We need God.

“Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” reminds us that we are prone to sin, that we need God’s help to resist the lure of temptation and God’s protection from the calamities of the world.

Let us pray: