September 7, 2020

9 And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight 10 to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, 11 having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God. – Philippians 1:9-11

The book of Philippians is full of encouragement.  I find it to be one of the most encouraging overall letters written, as Paul addresses this church that has been eager for the kingdom of God since first hearing the gospel. Paul’s hope for them is spelled out in the verses above as they move ever closer to the fullness of Christ that they would produce a harvest of righteousness for the glory and praise of God.

The call of us, from this letter, is to be reminded of our zeal that is for the gospel of peace, that we might further understand the love of God that flows from above within, and that we should release, as we spread the love of God for others. This later part is, I believe, more important than the former. When we know the love of God, when we have felt the peace that surpasses understanding, knowing that the hand of God has blessed us immensely; what we do next matters.  Like so many other treasures we have this human desire to keep it for ourselves.  However, the this love that comes from God is never ending, it is an unending, relentless love that knows no bounds.  Therefore, what we really find is the more of God’s love we choose to offer to others, the more of it we know from God.  The true nature of Christian growth is learning to love as much as we have been loved, determined to do what is best to produce an overflowing blessings that others might see the good we do, and praise their father in heaven.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

September 6, 2020

To Join our online worship please visit: https://www.stmarkknox.org/sermons

O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. 4 So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name. – Psalm 63:1-4

Where do we find God? Where is the place we know we have seen his power and glory, where we have known God’s steadfast love that is better than life.  For many of us, that place is the place we associate with church. It often is a building where we gather with those who like us are also seeking to come closer to God.

 People have been enamored with buildings for as long as there has been community. For the ancient Israelites their building of worship was the temple.  For generations that temple was a mobile tent of meeting that went with the people of Israel as they traversed the wilderness.  Even after establishing themselves in the promised land, the continued to worship in the tent of meeting. It wasn’t until king Solomon that a ‘permanent’ building for worship was completed.  A few generations later, however, that building was destroyed and the people scattered.  After the Babylonian exile many of the children and grandchildren of displaced Israelites were able to return to Jerusalem and they built a new temple on the foundation of the old.  This temple, too, would be destroyed.

The psalm above, however, is attributed to king David.  David is the king who would first start the idea of a permeant place for God to reside and the people to worship, however, it is while he is wondering the wilderness in Judah that David has the revelation of God’s sanctuary.  While David wanted to honor God with a building, the building was never the true sanctuary.  The true sanctuary is wherever God is worshiped.  

As we continue to be displaced from our church building, maybe we should renew the idea of king David. The same idea Jesus shares with the woman at the well in John 4, that the true place of worship is in spirit and truth.  It is not dependent on a place, but on a state of longing, desiring more of God, and praising God for the steadfast love that meets us where we are.

May God meet you today, whether together or apart.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

September 5, 2020

13 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. 14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. – James 5:13-16

When we suffer for the sake of righteousness, we are called to pray, and God will fill us with power, and joy, and our prayers and our sufferings will turn into songs of thanksgiving. James speaks of the healing of people, and the anointing of oil, notice that he doesn’t say we need to go to the preacher, or to the pastor, but the elders (plural) of the church.  In this, James is calling for the faithful community to pray together for healing.  We have done that as faithful people.  We may not, at times, get together around someone, but our minds our connected, our thoughts are together, and for those who have been sick, and been made well, we truly believe that God has a hand in it. 

As prayerful people, I expect, we believe in the power of prayer.  We don’t, however, neglect the wonderful healthcare provisions we have in our modern society.  If we are sick, we go see our doctor, or if necessary we go receive treatment in the hospital.  If it’s needed we are willing to have surgery, and do any number of things to keep our bodies healthy.

None of these things discredit the power of prayer, but what we understand is that when we prayer, and even as we pray, we should also do something about our situation. When we pray, for anything, we should also give our prayers feet, hands, and put them into action, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

If we are praying for healing of body, we also need to do something that would elicit healing in our body, whether that is medicine, therapy, surgery, or whatever.

When we pray for forgiveness, we also are called to do something.  We must forgive.  If we want to be forgiven, we need to make amends for what we have done wrong, or to whom we have done wrong and seek forgiveness.  Sometimes this even means forgiving ourselves for the mistakes that we have made that keep us from living a life abundant and joyful, and start living as if we truly have faith that we are forgiven.

In prayer, we pray to God, giving praise, we pray for others, we pray for ourselves, and seek God’s kingdom above all else. 

Grace & Peace,
Sam

September 4, 2020

7 Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. – James 5:7-8

We may all know that patience is a virtue, but I’m not we sure we fully understand that until we have a toddler running around the house, getting into everything, coloring on the walls, and generally just moving around as a destructive cyclone in a cute little package. 

Samantha and I have now been through that stage several times, and I wish I could say we were more prepared each time, but that’s not reality.  We may have learned somethings by fire, but patience takes much practice, and even the most calm of people can lose their cool from time to time. Truth is patience like all things, comes with time.

As James writes to the fellow Christians, he tells us that the best of things takes time.  Yes, we can be very excited for what is about to come, and maybe we even want Jesus to come back five minutes ago, however, we must wait for the timing to be just right. This is what is considered Kairos timing or God’s timing.  Just like we can’t rush to pick the choice fruit before it’s perfectly ripe, we must wait on the things to come in their own time. 

There is joy in waiting, however. We can find this joy by letting the excitement build, and knowing that when the time comes it will be the most joyful time of all.  There is also great joy in sharing our excitement with others.  This was very much part of the excitement that the early church had in sharing the gospel, because this good news meant better days were coming, the best was yet to come.  Still, today, millennia later, we know this same truth. The best is yet to come. So, take a moment to think about the very best that is coming, our Lord Jesus Christ, oh how we can hardly wait for that day, but the anticipation of it only expands our hope, peace, and joy in His coming love.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

September 3, 2020

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom – James 3:13

What is it like to live the good life? If we really wanted to sit down and listen, what we would hear is that the definition of a good life changes with each person we ask. Some think a good life is in financial security, others might say the love of a family, being retired, working hard, the answers are endless.  You probably have your own ideas of what a good life is, and perhaps those ideas have changed over time.

In the wisdom of James the apostle, the understanding of a good life is based on wisdom. If we were to examine the apostle’s understanding of wisdom, what we would find is the divide that happens within.  If we pursue the good life by envy and selfish ambition the apostle says we are seeking disorder and wickedness.  In these pursuits we often cast out truth, and spend our time focused on the things this world has to offer.  The alternative offered by the apostle, is to search within to see that we are basing our life on a wisdom born out of gentleness and peace. Thus, the good life, in the eyes of the apostle, is full of mercy, grace, and peace.

When we base our ideas of a good life on those things that show mercy, offer grace, and seek peace, we find a good life has much less to do with what we can attain, and so much more on what is offered by the goodness of God as we seek a kingdom that now and everlasting.

How are we living the good life these days? May our life rest secure in the loving, peaceful arms of our savior.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

September 2, 2020

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? – James 3:9-11

Perhaps we all heard this growing up, ‘if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.’ It’s a great sentiment to think that only positive speech would come out of our mouths. It is the hope that we would use language to build up rather than tear down. 

Yet, as we get older it seems that we can no longer hold our tongues, and especially with the mass forms of communication we live with now we can ‘say’ things without opening our mouths at all. Hence all the negativity that is spread through social media, email, and all the various other ways we have used language to degrade others.

James speaks of the tongue as a fire that is itself set on fire by hell. It is a fire that we cannot control nor contain, it is a restless evil.  These analogies are not speaking of the muscle that rests in our mouths and allows us to make intelligible noise. Instead, it is the divisiveness of human speech which could be used for good, but so often is used for evil.

Those who want to speak good, however, often keep silent, because they know that words can hurt. What we should realize however, is not that words can cause pain, but words have power. Words have the ability to cause to cause great, deep, and lasting pain.  Words can topple kingdoms, and raise up armies.  Words, the weapons of the mighty tongue have a great ability to do so much, and for so much good, but the words of those who want to see good happen are being muffled by those who want to use words to spread hate.

We need a louder voice. We need to take greater authority, and it has been given to us.  For we are the people who stand upon the gospel.  Who claim to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The King, the Messiah of a new world, one that is built on forgiveness and peace.

The goodness of God is found in the One who was called the Word made Flesh, his name is Jesus, the Christ. We need to listen to his words, understand the truth of his love, and speak up against the powers of darkness, allowing the words of our hearts, written by God’s love, to share messages of peace, hope, and love for all to hear.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

September 1, 2020

17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. – James 2:17

Putting faith into action is a big portion of what James teaches. It is an understanding that is hotly debated among some. In fact, a little bit of church history - when Martin Luther was working on his German translation of the Bible, he debated leaving this book out. His debate was based on this call for piety of faith, where action or works was a necessary aspect of faith, and Luther claimed that we are saved by faith alone. Eventually, Luther did add this book to the German translation, and therefore we have it in our English translations today.

One of the biggest issues in the debate between faith and works, is that if we focus too much on one and leave the other out completely we are not living a complete Christian life.  Like Luther many of us believe in simply a faith based salvation. We believe in faith that Jesus came to save sinners such as we. As we grow in our faith however, at least in my experience, is that when we are overcome by the never ending love of God we find in our faith, we are compelled to want to do good for others.  This is the great point of faith, that I believe James is speaking to us.

To paraphrase and expand on the verse above, perhaps we should understand the relationship of faith and works as follows. If we don’t have a compelling faith that moves us to want to live in good actions towards others, than our faith is weak or dead.  The sheer overwhelming love of God is supposed to transform us to desire to do better, to want better, and to be better.  God’s transforming salvation through faith, then, calls us to offer God’s love in word and action. So, when James says faith, if it has no works, is dead, is telling us that if our faith doesn’t compel us to love in word or deed, maybe we should work on our faith.

I know, I am convicted to work on my faith every time I come to these verse, that I might grow and understand even more how to love others with an active, lively faith. I pray we would all strive for the same.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 31, 2020

My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? 2 For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? – James 2:1-5

James is an interesting, short, book of the Bible that has a load of information about living a Christian life. This book is attributed to James who identifies himself as a ‘brother of Jesus.’ This book, while fairly straight forward is very pious in its teachings, leading us to understand that we cannot have faith without works. Therefore, our actions our works are as important to our Christian life as is our inward faith.

I, personally, like the book of James, but also have a hard time with it. My difficulty, is mostly because of the conviction it gives to our daily actions.  Like so many of us, we like to think we are doing good, we are striving after our love for God, and our love for neighbor, but then we read the book of James, and all of sudden (at least for me) we get that conviction, that we haven’t gotten it quite right yet.  

In these verse in the second chapter, we find one of those moments of conviction.  These words are about the little judgements we make in our daily interactions. We may do our best to treat everyone equally, but we all know that there are times when we do not. It may be for a number or reasons that we don’t, perhaps we are zoned out in our own little world, perhaps we have had a hard day and take it out on someone, perhaps someone looked at us wrong. Any number of reasons for our little judgements, but particularly, here, James calls us to look at the way we treat those who appear to be of wealth and those who appear to be poor. 

It calls us back to remember that Jesus said in Matthew 5, “blessed are the poor…” When we search deep within, we find that there is a poverty in our souls as we desire something more than this life has to offer.  That place is blessed by Jesus alone. It is the place where we begin to understand the love of God through Jesus, and hopefully recognize that same need to for God’s love in others.

God’s love is the ultimate sacrifice for all our sins and transgressions.  It is only through His blood that we can even think about having the opportunity to rejoice with Him in the glory of Heaven.  Though we are weak in our humanity, and often judge others, we must learn to see others through God-eyes in order to understand how we can love with Christ-love. 

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 30, 2020

To join online worship today: https://www.stmarkknox.org/sermons
Or join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stmarkknox/

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven. 14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him; Praise the Lord! – Psalm 148:13-14

It’s been many weeks since Easter, but we, as Easter people, know that Sunday, the first day of the week is resurrection day. It is our day to rejoice to give thanks to God and to sing (even if we can only hum).  Still our hearts rejoice for another week has come and we gather (even if it is remotely) to praise the name of the Lord.

All because, Early in the morning, on the first day of the week, when the sun had not yet come up, women were going to the tomb to finish preparing the body of their Lord, Jesus for his pertinent burial.

When they arrived, they saw that the stone was rolled away, to tomb was empty and angels sat at the entrance saying, “why are you looking for the living among the dead.  For Jesus, whom you are looking for is risen.”

God makes all things new.  Because of this moment, which we continue to celebrate as Easter people, God made his world new.  Because Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, we have with us now the counselor who is the Holy Spirit, God dwelling with us, transforming us, sanctifying us, perfecting us in God’s love. 

And there will come a day for us, who have faith in such a resurrection life that we will get to live and abide in the presence of our God forevermore.  But do we not believe that our God dwells with us even now? Have we not tasted the eternal, and know that God is good?

God is faithful to us, even when we are disobedient, even though we fail, God’s love will never fail. God is making us new even now, and wiping away the tears from our eyes.  God, through the Son has even taken away our death, that though our physical bodies may die, we will be transformed, be like he is, and live with him forever more.

Even now, God gives water, to those who ask, from the spring of the water of life.  For those who have tasted the water of life, have springs within themselves of living water that will never run dry.

There may be a day that is coming where a new heaven and a new earth is formed and replace the old.  There may be a time when hatred and malice think they can win, and cause war as a way of life on this earth.  But I know, and fully believe, that in the end God wins. God’s love gives us reason to rejoice now and forever.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 29, 2020

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. 6 The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. 7 Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. – Psalm 116:5-7

There truly is no better rest, than to rest in the arms of a merciful God. This has been a trying week for my family.  We made it through the first week of virtual learning. I say we ‘made it through’ and that might be an understatement.  I am sure that as the weeks progress things will get better, but as it is for everything new, there is a learning curve. I am grateful for the understanding and mercy of so many as are navigating this new way of learning.

Today, I am grateful for a day of rest, for the kids, for us as parents, and for all of us as the people of God. 

The psalmist reminds us to come back to God in our rest, to know that God has been gracious to see us through, that God’s righteousness has sustained us, and that God’s mercy washed over us.  As we close another week, I hope and pray that God will grant you rest today, that you will know the beauty of his grace, and the bounty of his love.

Lord, watch over us, your little ones, and hold as sheep in your fold, giving us rest in the peace and presence of our savior. Amen.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 28, 2020

37 He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? – Mark 14:37

A wife asked, and asked, and asked her husband to come to church with her. She knew that if he would come to church, hear the message, perhaps it would change his life. He was a kind man, but she wanted a devout man. She wanted a husband who would help her teach the importance of faith to their young children, and give them a man whose faith they could aspire.

The husband worked long hours during the week, and on Sunday when the family was a church he would rest up, so he could make it through the next week. The husband relented his rest, and went to church with the family one Sunday. As the choir sang “There’s a place of quiet rest…” and the preacher read from the book of Numbers that week, the husband drifted off to sleep.  When the service was over, and everyone back in the car, the wife said; “I hope that sleep was worth it.” The husband simply nodded, and remarked, sure was the best sleep I’ve had in a while.

Since we have had so many church services online these past many months, I hope that you have been able to stay awake. Life sure has been different with church online, and in some cases, I know I have probably slept a little more. Yet, the story of Simon and the others sleeping teaches us something a little different. Jesus asks them to keep vigil with him in this time of his great need. Jesus goes a little further to pray, hoping that these disciples would have the strength to pray with him. However, when Jesus returns he finds them sleeping.

In much the same way, it might become easy for us to become a little bit relaxed as we continue to worship apart from one another. I know that it has been tough, but God has kept us connected, and is working through us even now, and I am thankful for the ways we have continued to be able to engage. I know it’s hard to imagine continuing in this way, but we cannot give up hope that we will gather again, and praise God awake and alert, prepared to worship in spirit and truth.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 27, 2020

19 They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, “Surely, not I?” – Mark 14:19

Jesus spent three years with his closest disciples.  Not every disciple of Jesus is called out by name, but there are twelve that we know were specifically asked to follow Jesus, to learn from him, to be his disciples.  These twelve men (except Judas Iscariot) would go on after the resurrection to proclaim the great news of the gospel, however we should note that getting to that point would not be easy; nor would it be easy to share this wonderful message of hope found in the resurrection.

The disciples, at this moment before Jesus arrest, have just celebrated the Passover meal with the one whom they know to be the Messiah. This year, the celebrated in Jerusalem, the city of the promise. For them, every bit of prophecy that they had learned from an early age was coming to fruition right in front of their eyes. Though there were some things that Jesus said along the way that confounded them. Things like the prediction of his death, the destruction of the temple, the building again in three days, their denials of him.

Ok, let’s be honest the disciples were confused by Jesus a lot, and truthfully so are we.  We want to believe in the words of the Bible, the we want to believe that it is God’s Word to us, to help us through times of hardship, and that these words would give us instruction on how we can build community and be the people of God. There is a good basis for these things in the Bible, but there are also things that leave us scratching our heads. Like the Levitical law about types of clothing, bodily purification, and many of the various laws that simply don’t make much sense in our society today.

Being good ‘Christians’ we think means obeying the law of God, and that we would never disobey God’s words found in the Bible. However, Jesus teaches us that there is much more than simply obeying various rules. Jesus teaches that all of the law and the prophets are built on this – Love God, love neighbor. In a world that seems so divided on so many issues, I wonder if it is time to stop reading so much of the fine print looking for some kind of ammunition against another, and simply ask: am I doing my part to share my love for God? And secondly, does this help me show love for my neighbor? If the answer is “no,” we may be making a far greater mistake than we realize.

If we believe Jesus to be our Lord, who tells us to, above all else, love one another; perhaps when we don’t act out of love, could we be denying our Lord? I would hope understanding how quickly the disciples lashed back at Jesus for saying that they would deny him after the last supper would help us to stop and think, meditate on the what Jesus is saying to us as an individual, and calling us ever deeper unto him, and ever broader into community.

The kingdom of God may be near, but we need to understand that it is built on those who love God and love neighbor as they would wish to be loved.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 26, 2020

9 Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” – Mark 14:9

Before Judas leaves to go and sell the information of Jesus whereabouts to the Jewish authorities for thirty pieces of silver, there is this scene in a house near Bethany where Jesus is spending some time with his disciples before preparing for the Passover meal in Jerusalem. 

We have probably heard this story before. It is where Jesus is teaching his disciples, an unnamed woman (whom many believe to be Mary Magdalen) comes and breaks an alabaster jar of expensive ointment and anoints Jesus head. 

There is a great deal of significance to this act, and the response of those other guests and even the disciples who are with Jesus at the time, however, let’s take a moment and focus on Jesus response, and how it relates to the whole story of salvation.  Jesus acknowledges that there are those who object to this act yet applauds the woman for doing what she is able as a service done for him. He tells those who believe that this money could be used for the poor, that it is little in comparison to the number of poor they will encounter during their ministry. Jesus accepts this gift of gratitude from this woman, and then makes a wonderful statement. This unnamed woman is added to the story.  For Jesus says, “whenever the good news is proclaimed what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” Jesus tells his disciples, that this is something that they should remember. This woman is a part of the story, and she should be remembered for her kindness, her generosity, her love.

So often in the holy week chronicles, we see Jesus say ‘in remembrance of me.’ However, in this act, Jesus says in remembrance of her. His is pointing to someone other than himself, and saying she gets it, she understands. To me, this is a call to all faithful who get it, who know that there are things everyone can do to share love, generosity, and kindness, and in doing so, we proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 25, 2020

11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
    so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
    you cover them with favor as with a shield. – Psalm 5:11-12

We absolutely know that God is with us. God has been with us through so much if we stop and take note.  Each of those moments is what the Bible would call and Ebenezer marker. For most of us when we think of ‘Ebenezer’ we either think of that other church down the road, or around Christmas time we might think of the scrooge character.  However, the word itself is a reminder that ‘God has been with us thus far.’ It is that reminder to look back and see the markers of our live when our faith was strong, or rattled, and we made it through by the grace of God. 

Therefore, we can rejoice even more now, because if God has seen us through thus far, God will continue to see us through the life that is ahead. Every day we have reason to sing, to rejoice, to know that God’s name is exalted because God is with us, and has never left us, and will never abandon nor forsake us.

I believe it is for this reason of knowing God’s everlasting presence, and the joy of His amazing grace that a twenty-two year old, Robert Robinson penned the words: “Come, thou fount of every blessing. Tune my heart to sing Thy grace…”  We may remember that the second stanza of that beloved hymn begins by saying: “Here I raise my Ebenezer, here by thy great help I’ve come; and I hope by thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home.”

The truth is Robinson like many others had found what the psalmists speaks of. They had found the One to whom they could take refuge, and they had reason to rejoice all the way to their eternal home.

I hope that we find reason to rejoice today, and everyday in the shelter of God’s loving embrace.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 24, 2020

August 24, 2020

I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand and I tell you, “Don’t be afraid, I will help you.” – Isaiah 41:13.

Fear grips us, and keeps us from believing we can do the hard things in life.  As we have progressed through the weeks of life this year, we have had to overcome many fears, we have listened to the guidance of the experts and we have tried to take extra care in the way we have interacted with others. However, for those sending children to school this week, and for those teaching children in school this week, there is a great fear that we are learning to live with, and hoping doesn’t become a reality.

We continue to have faith that God will see us through, and offer guidance as schools resume. I’m reminded by the verse above, though that even in our fears, God is with us, and will offer us help.  We might remember, as well, that Jesus’ disciples, after his death, were full of fear, but they were given a task to share the message of hope. Before they became the stained-glassed saints that we see in the windows of churches and cathedrals, they were simple people, who lived in community, and worked and raised a family. They weren’t great leaders, trained in all the theological understandings of the day. They were followers of Jesus, and because of the resurrection they had just a little more devoted hope than fear. As a result, these ordinary people, did extraordinary things, and we remember them.

Our fears are very real, they are based on something we know exists, and have seen even people we know affected by it. However, we remain hopeful in a God that can overcome fear, and overcome disease, and believe is an ever-present help in our time of need. 

May God hold our hand, today, and always as seek the better days ahead.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 23, 2020

To join online worship today: https://www.stmarkknox.org/sermons
Or join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stmarkknox/

1 Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
    in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the Lord,
    studied by all who delight in them.
3 Full of honor and majesty is his work,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
    the Lord is gracious and merciful.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
    he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
    in giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established forever and ever,
    to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people;
    he has commanded his covenant forever.
    Holy and awesome is his name.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all those who practice it have a good understanding.
    His praise endures forever. – Psalm 111

We give praise to God, for God is good, and his love endures forever!

I remain hopeful that things will continue to get better, but like many have great fear of what could be as schools begin this week.  I hope you will join me in praying and giving praise to God as we allow hope to fill our hearts and minds that God will keep our community safe and healthy.

God, you are the great and mighty one, we know that you have done wonderful deeds for your people in the past, you have brought healing, and blessings, and we seek you to do the same even now. We pray in faith that our days would continue to get brighter, and that case numbers of COVID-10 would diminish every day. We pray that we would have the good understanding proclaimed in the psalm; that we would look on you in awe and wonder, and know you are faithful and just.

Help us in our doubts and fears, Lord, keep us focused on the kindness and love of your kingdom, and ways we can offer them to others every day. Keep our children, our teachers, our leaders safe as they go back to school. Protect them, and us, and help us to keep watch for redemption to come to all people through your mighty hand. Amen.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 22, 2020

Then He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground.  When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only He was left, with the woman in the center. When Jesus stood up, He said to her, " Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, Lord," she answered. "Neither do I condemn you," said Jesus. "Go, and from now on do not sin anymore."
- John 8:8-11

Among scholars, there is the ongoing dispute over what Jesus may or may not have written in the sand in this moment.  We also are left wondering what Jesus wrote or said that would have all of this woman’s accusers drop their stones and walk away.

I don’t know that it really matters much what was written or said; because there is a much more important lesson in this story. Those who accused this woman, didn’t have the authority to do so, because they were only half-following the law anyway. The law would have said that both this woman and the man would have been put on trial, judged and stoned. But the man is not present. Furthermore, this whole thing is said to be a trap to accuse Jesus of some kind of blasphemy or false teaching. However, the acts of Jesus was to show mercy, and in mercy there is no need of judgement.

The kindness that Jesus shows to the unnamed woman shows us the deep nature of God’s mercy and kindness for the world. Jesus doesn’t say a word in this entire scene until all the accusers leave, then he simply asks this woman if anyone still condemns her.  Since no one else does, Jesus says “neither do I condemn…go and sin no more.”

I love this kind of mercy, it’s like the mercy we offer to a child, when they do something wrong. We sit them on our lap, talk about what happened, and then after drying remorseful tears we say, “it’s ok, don’t do it again.” If Jesus does not bring condemnation, but mercy, grace, and kindness instead, then that should be our response to others as well.  For we believe that God took care of all of it on the cross, so that we might be free, forgiven to show that kind of loving kindness to others in Jesus name.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 21, 2020

If you do nothing in a difficult time, your strength is limited – Proverbs 24:10

No doubt that difficult times have fallen on all of us these past many months, and some of that time, we have truly felt like we could do nothing. But I’m reminded of one of those praise songs we have sung in worship – strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord. Of course this is repeated several times throughout the song, however, the truth is waiting, though it seems like doing ‘nothing’ is truly something.

Waiting, in prayer and petition is knowing that we do not have the strength to make it on our own, but we also know who does have the strength we need – it comes from God. Even in those times that we become weary in our waiting, we need to have hope that God will carry us through.

The other day, my four-year-old niece asked – “why hasn’t God gotten rid of this virus yet?” In that moment I got to teach her about patience and persistence in prayer, I got to tell her about a hope that many people have, and in which we cannot give up. Waiting on God is hard, but there are many times that the people of God have waited, and have been called to have strength in their waiting. Nehemiah exclaimed that the Joy of the Lord is our strength (8:9). Isaiah said that God gives strength to the powerless (40:29). Many knew that true strength comes in waiting and hoping in God.

When we draw closer to God, we know that better days are ahead. However, we can more easily allow our waiting to turn into wallowing, doubt, and despair. The proverb reminds us that we do not have a limited strength because God is faithful, and we know that all the blessings we have seen thus far, and all that are still to come will come as continue to praise God even in difficult times.  Therefore, let us continue to rejoice, give thanks, and find time each day to praise God and pray with persistence for the unlimited strength to make it through.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 20, 2020

Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them – this is the Law and the Prophets. – Matthew 7:12

The golden rule, it has been called, the summing up of everything we need to know about living in community in one little verse.  So why is it so hard?

The King James version of this verse is what many of us know at heart – “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” But for whatever reason we don’t look to the last clause. We simply take that statement and run with it, or honestly, humanity has tried to tweak these words for their own pious boasting.

What Jesus is teaching, in this, however, is a way of thinking that seems contrary to the way the world thinks. The world would have us put ourselves first, take care of self, first, and worry about ourselves. The truth found in Jesus teachings is to think about ourselves only in how we treat others. “whatever you want done for you, do the same for others.” So how do we want to be treated? And Are we treating others in that same way?

It is a selfless act to love and to be kind to others when they know they can do nothing in return, when we give to those in need, when we listen to those seeking counsel, when we seek to understand a situation that is not our own. However, it is in these seemingly selfless acts that we find the greater truth of Jesus words, because truthfully, this is how we would want to be treated if we were in their situation.

Acts of kindness and love go a long way in this world, words of appreciation and praise are so hardly spoken, yet if this is how we would want to be treated, than perhaps we should offer without thought of reward or reciprocation, and we might find that they come back to us anyways. In do so, we might even find our love for God and neighbor grow.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 19, 2020

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered. – Psalm 130:3-4

Why is forgiveness so important? When we look at the scriptures we see forgiveness as a theme throughout. Early on, forgiveness comes after some kind of reconciled punishment or sacrifice.  As we progress, however, forgiveness is something that we must offer in order to receive, and finally, we come to an understanding that Jesus would be the final word, that his love, in death and in resurrection would offer forgiveness through faith to all.

Forgiveness, to some, is the beginning of faith. However, as we grow in our faith we find that forgiveness is something that happens throughout this journey in life. Understanding that forgiveness is part of the divine image that we attain through our faith in Christ, helps us to realize that when we do forgive others, we are acting as beacons of hope for our world.  We also find that the hardest persons to forgive are those closest to us, and in some cases, it is that ability to forgive oneself for things that have been pressed deep down within.

When we see the song of ascent prayed as one draws closer to a place of worship, the psalmists is reminded of their own sin, and questions that if God marked all iniquity (all sin) none could stand in worship. I see this as a reflection of the hurt one bears within, as they go to worship an almighty God, knowing their failures. Yet, the psalmist reminds us, in God there is forgiveness, and in forgiveness we are perhaps the most free we can be on this earth.

Our faith in the forgiveness offered by God, through Christ, allows our hearts to rejoice, our spirits to be lifted, and our minds to be at peace. For in forgiveness we know a love that surpasses what we deserve, and learn that we can offer the hope of peace to others in the name of the Lord.

Grace & Peace,
Sam