February 28, 2021

February 28, 2021

To join our online worship serve anytime after 9:00 am go to: stmarkknox.org/sermons

20 And again [Jesus] said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
 – Luke 13:20-21

Have you ever heard the term “first world problems.” These aren’t really problems such as hunger, and poverty, racism and those things that actually need to change in the world.  Instead, these the perceived problems of inconvenience. Problems like only 20% battery on my phone, and it’s only lunch time, we are running out of gadgets our iPhone’s can replace, I want to turn out the lights, but the bed is too comfortable for me to get up, I’m so hungry, but I don’t want to leave the house to get food, I’m caught up on all my TV shows and it’s another 2 months before the new season is released,…etc.  There are thousands more like this, of the “problems” we face in our world today.  These are the “problems” that come from us be overly consumed by what is going on in our own little space that we forget that there are real problems going on in the world.

Hopefully somewhere deep inside, someone has hidden a little yeast, a little of the kingdom of heaven. Turning flour into dough is a really cool chemical reaction.  It takes only a little yeast, a little heat, and then something new and wonderful, bread, comes out of something very bland, flour.  If we were going to make bread, we would probably spend some time kneading the yeast into the flour, working it into every part, and only giving it a little rest to rise.  We would likely be active in the process. 

However, as Jesus compares how the kingdom of heaven is working our lives, it’s a lot more passive than we might imagine.  “It’s like yeast, which a woman took and hid in a bushel of wheat flour until the yeast had worked its way through the whole bushel.”  This is the spiritual reaction of heaven working inside of us.  It’s the tugging, the often unanswered desire to do something different than the world.  It’s the opening of our eyes to see the world in a different light.  It’s the idea that we might not want to be like the rest of the world. 

The yeast works through the flour slowly and steadily changing it bit by bit, until it becomes what the yeast want, though the yeast is miniscule in comparison to the flour, it still works all the flour into itself, and creates dough that can be used and divided and multiplied into wonderful bread.  Bread which give sustenance and life.

In this one line parable, Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven Is working in each of us to make something that gives life and sustains life to the world.  You are the working of the kingdom of heaven.  Praise be to God for giving us little which is made much for his glory.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

February 27, 2021

February 27, 2021

4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial. – Luke 11:4

Forgive us, as we forgive others.  This is a powerful, yet difficult task. It’s true that we all wish to be treated with grace, respect, and dignity; however, it is sometimes difficult for us to return the same to others. The path of wisdom Jesus imparts to his followers in their prayers, to acknowledge God has holy, the seek to do God’s will alone, to have what they need only for today, leads them to also understand that when they are forgiven, they must also forgive.

In Matthew’s gospel, and in the teaching known as the “Sermon on the Mount,” this portion of the Lord’s prayer is the only part to be given greater emphasis or explanation. Jesus tells his followers: 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Let’s be real for a moment.  How often do we truly forgive a person who seeks forgiveness from us?  Often we might say it depends upon the wrong that is done.  Was it an accident, was it on purpose, did it affect us emotionally, physically, spiritually?  The ease of our forgiveness is based upon how badly we were wronged.

Is that how we want our Loving, Forgiving, All-knowing, All-powerful, God to forgive us?  Do we want God to rank our wrong doings according to how badly we went against His Law?

Of course we do!  We do it all the time, we compare ourselves with other sinners, and say: “well at lease I’m not like               ” (fill in the blank).

This never gets us to the heart of the matter, it only puts us in the position of a Pharisee or Sadducee, neither of which were in high regards to Jesus.

Instead, we need to look the woman who anointed and washed Jesus feet with her own tears, weeping in grief over her own sin, her own wrong-doings, and drying His feet with her own hair. 

Do you remember the words Jesus said to her and the guests of the house that night?  Luke 7 recounts the story and we hear Jesus words: “her many sins have been forgiven as her great love has shown.  But whoever been forgiven little loves little.” Then he told the woman her sins were forgiven. What a beautiful thing to hear, that your sins are forgive.  That the wrong that you have done is forgiven.  What love wells up in our souls when we sit and know beyond the shadow of a doubt that we have been forgiven of the wrong we have done.

The call to forgive as we have been forgiven is a call to love as we have been loved.  It’s a call that we need to break down the barriers that we have built up between us and another, that we might find peace, and offer it the same.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

February 26, 2021

February 26, 2021

…Give us each day our daily bread. – Luke 11:3

As we come to this line of the Lord’s prayer, I must confess it is one of the hardest lessons for me personally to learn.  In the wisdom of Jesus, teaching his disciples to pray, he reminds them that they need nothing more from God, than just enough for today.

As a planner, as a big picture person, I desire to know what coming, to be ready for it.  However, I know that I can’t always know that. The truth of this portion of the Lord’s prayer, is that is moves us towards and infants level of dependency upon God.  When we love and care for an infant, we know that everything they need is reactionary. They’re hungry, and they cry; they need a change, so they cry; they are tired, so they cry. As an infant, we desire for the need of the moment to be met by those who love us.

Jesus is teaching us that God, our heavenly Father, is there to meet the need of the moment; however, we need to rely in that moment.  However, our minds and perceptions of the world have changed as grew, and we like to plan for our future needs, we like to have enough, and leftovers for a rainy day, we like to be self-dependent. 

Personally, I don’t find anything wrong with self-dependance, this is the great hope of life to be able to provide and comfortable life for us and those whom we love. However, spiritually, we still need to learn that all we need is enough for today.

In Exodus 16 when God rains down manna from heaven, or in John 6, when Jesus feeds the 5,000, we see the provision of God to meet the needs of the people in that moment, give us each day our daily bread. And in each of these stories, every person has exactly what they need to fill their bellies.

In our own lives the blessings of God sometimes come as more than we could ever imagine at times.  Yet, there are those time when we sit around and say “I could really use a blessing.”  These are the times when we struggle, when we don’t know what the next step is in this life.  These are the times when we begin to grumble because things aren’t going as we had planned.

It is in times of our greatest trial that we need be reminded most, that we have asked for this day’s daily bread.  Perhaps we don’t need to have an abundance today, we don’t need to plan for the provisions of a day down the road. Perhaps we need to but trust that this day’s needs will be met.

Our daily bread isn’t always the food we eat, but our daily bread is sometimes the money we need, sometimes the spiritual comfort we need, sometimes the healing we need, sometimes the embrace or love we need.  But in all cases our daily bread is something we need.  And I do believe in that old song “all I have needed thy hands hath provided.” God is providing our daily bread, we simply need to trust, and know God will be there also, tomorrow, and all the tomorrows after.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

February 25, 2021

February 25, 2021

…thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven… - Luke 11:2b, Matthew 6:10

Continuing some thoughts around the Lord’s prayer and the centering of ourselves on the divine, we next need to understand that as followers of Jesus, and seekers of his wisdom, we seek to do the will of the one who is Creator and Sustainer.  The second part of the Lord’s prayer teaches us just that.  It is a call for us to confess to God that it is God’s kingdom and will that we are seeking in the situations of our life. 

The hard part of this, is when we are truly honest, we pray to God wanting our will, our outcomes, and our desires in the situations for which we pray.  The Lord teaches, us however that it is not our will that is done, but Gods. Jesus teaches us this further when we hear him pray in the garden before being arrested. Jesus prays, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

Even though the will of Jesus would be that “this cup” be removed, Jesus knows that his path is not his own, he must do the will of the Father, be the obedient servant, and go the path of the cross. 

God’s will for our own lives can be sometimes difficult to know, however, there is something that is for sure. When we choose to follow Jesus, and learn from his wisdom and truth, we must decidedly walk the path that call us to love our neighbor as ourselves, to pick up our cross and follow him, and live the path that leads to everlasting life. As we walk this path, we do the world of loving our neighbors, and sharing with them the gospel of love, that we all would come to understand that all we have, and especially this life is a gift from God. This gift is used, in the will of the Father, to uplift the kingdom, and build the church, desiring for all to know the peace, grace, forgiveness, and love of Christ.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

February 24, 2021

February 24, 2021

He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.  – Luke 11:1-2

Jesus is asked by the disciples that they might be taught how to pray. Now, in Matthew’s gospel, we find the Lord’s Prayer much earlier in the story, during the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7), however the way Luke frame’s the giving of this prayer teaches us something about the wisdom of Jesus, and the way to follow him.  Prayer is an important aspect of the faith walk, and Jesus spent many hours in solitude, praying, it was his time to keep focus on God’s will, and be prepared for the next step of the journey.

In much the same way, we need prayer in our lives to keep us focused. So often we use prayer in acts of desperation, to complain about how things have gone wrong, or to plead for something or someone to be better.  But let us look to what Jesus teaches us about prayer to understand how prayer helps us become centered on what is most important.

When you pray, Jesus says, you start by acknowledging the one to whom we are praying. In the Lord’s prayer we say: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…”

Isn’t that just a wonderful thing to say? That the one to whom we pray is honored as holy, is greatly reverend and respected, and is consecrated and blessed.  These attributes are our first acknowledgement in prayer of the God we serve. When we center ourselves on the one who is creator and sustainer of the universe, and know that God wants to hear our prayers, we know that God who could have created and walked away, cares deeply for all of us. It’s a centering moment that connects us with all that God has done and will do, and acknowledges we are small in the midst of God’s vast holiness. Still, God hears us and spared nothing for us to have access to the divine.

God spared not His own son that we could have life through Him.  God spared not His Holy Spirit that we would have constant access to Him.  God, our Father, who art in heaven hallowed be thy name…

You who brings blessing after blessing, who appeals to our emotions by giving us comfort and grace, who appeals to our minds but giving us understanding and assurance, who calls us to come and love you will all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths, that we would be a people who humbly bow and pray, for you are sacred, but have opened your doors that we might come in and have life everlasting in Your presence.  Truly we bow and say, to Your name, God, be the glory.  Amen.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021

41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:41-42

The journey with Jesus towards Jerusalem and the cross is a full show of Jesus teaching us the life of the follower, of the true disciple.  It is during this time Jesus ministry is less focused on the crowds and more focused on those who will continue his faith teaching once he is gone.  Fr. Richard Rohr calls this part of Jesus ministry the “seminary of life.” It is a time that the disciples learned the wisdom of Jesus by drawing closer to him.

In the familiar scene above, we find one of those disciples, Mary, whose sister Martha is doing what is expected, attending to her house guests, preparing food, and doing all the chores of a good servant, while her sister Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening, clinging to his every word.

The scene, as well as Jesus teaching in this moment shows us the stark contrast between doing what keeps one busy doing what is expected of them, and letting go of responsibility to be with Jesus, deepening our faith.  Jesus informs Martha that Mary “has chosen the better part,” however, I think that the key word of Jesus teaching is “part.” I believe this scene reminds us that in the midst of the busy requirements of life, doing what is expected ,that we need to take time to be still, to listen to the words of Jesus and receive the wisdom of his teaching. This is part of a balanced, full life in the faith, we must also do the part of working, and doing, especially in loving our neighbor.

Like many of you, I’ve had moments this past year, that I didn’t have anything to do, as well as moments when I had too much to do. Yet, as we seek to find life on the other side of the pandemic, I, as we all, need to remember to find the balance. Following in the path of Jesus and his wisdom means finding time to be still, and in doing so, finding the purpose of the work that is ahead to actively participate in growing the kingdom of heaven.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

February 22, 2021

February 22, 2021

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13

I have always found great peace in Paul’s letter to the Romans.  It is a letter written to those who really have no understanding of the Law whatsoever because they are mostly a gentile population.  Yet, the Romans are also an educated people, and are not unintelligent, so the words that Paul gives them are rich in such a way that help us to understand Paul’s position as a Pharisee and teacher of the Judeo law, as well as his understanding of the righteousness or justification offered by God through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

With this dualistic understanding of Paul we can look at the hope that is offered through the Holy Spirit and realize that it does fill us and complete us in God’s joy and peace, but only as we trust Him (or as some translations say: “believe in Him”).  There is a matter of the heart which requires us to let go of what we know that we are capable of doing to let God have control and let Him give us the peace that is not based on our ability to strive and overcome, but on God’s to save and sustain.  I believe it is this sustaining saving peace that Jesus had as He trusted and was faithful to God the Father that though he would endure the pain and suffering of the cross, God would bring the salvation through such faithfulness.  This is the true fulfillment of the Law, to trust in God no matter the cost and follow Him to the cross if necessary and be led beyond into the true hope and power of the Holy Spirit.

May you find the hope that God gives as you complete your journey through Lent, and find your hope, salvation, and sustenance in God alone. 

Grace & Peace,
Sam

February 21, 2021

February 21, 2021

To Join our online worship service any time after 9 am visit: stmarkknox.org/sermons

Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. – Luke 10:20

When the seventy disciples return to Jesus after being sent out by twos, they come rejoicing at what they had done, and were able to do in Jesus name, and for his ministry.  They rejoice at the authority they had received, but Jesus reminds them, it’s not to rejoice that they were protected, but to rejoice that their names are written in heaven.

Some might speculate about the divine protection and why it is seeming evident in some cases and absent in others. Some have speculated that those who have befallen tragedy doing “God’s work” was because they lacked true faith. However, if we truly seek to understand Jesus response to the disciples, we find that it is not always faith’s place to protect. When we think of all the good in faith that was done by the apostles after Jesus resurrection, we may find miraculous occurrences of salvation from death’s door; yet, history tells us that still many of the apostles and follows of Jesus died a martyrs death.

I tend to believe Jesus words to rejoice not in protection, but rejoice that our names are in heaven is to say that it is more important that we focus on what we can do in sharing the gospel of love, the message of hope, and the life of Christ while we have breath to do so. We were reminded on Ash Wednesday (as we are every year) that we are mortal, and to dust we shall return. The greater rejoicing is in what leads us to know the assurance of heaven, having our names written, and knowing we are God’s children in Christ.  Then, we can choose to use our breath to share in the message of gospel, to love God, and our neighbor as God’s own sealing our names in heaven, forever.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

February 20, 2021

February 20, 2021

Sharing from the Congregation – David Petty

He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters. —Psalm 23:2

Randy Travis,  a country singer from North Carolina, was a big star with a very distinctive voice few decades ago.  (He has since had a lot of troubles and is in poor health.)  One of his hits, you may recall, was a song called “Deeper than the Holler.”  (It was written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz.)   The singer says that he is not a great poet who can talk about the sea and the stars, just a country boy.  And so he goes on to sing about his love in terms of things he knows — the holler, the pine trees, and the whippoorwill.

I think Psalm 23 is like that.  It is ironic that the best known of all the psalms is also one of the humblest. Traditionally It was written by David when he was a shepherd boy; perhaps it was actually later as he remembered those days.  It makes no mention of God as a king in elaborate robes or shinning in the clouds or roaring like the sea.  God is simply a shepherd who provides water, pasture, and safety from predators.

Good poets write about what they know; they sing with their own voice.  You and I are not really asked to do more. You (and I) don’t have the theological insight of Pastor Sam; and perhaps you don’t have my love of words.  But you have a heart that can sing to your creator.  Let it sing.

When we look around us at all the poverty, pandemic, and problematic politics, praising God isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.  This isn’t the first time people have felt that way — see the Old Testament.  Somehow, though, they found a voice to sing. 

We should keep in mind that we don’t always sing to God with words; sometimes it’s with actions.  We praise God when we serve God’s church, and when we serve the needs, physical and spiritual, of others.   Just simple kindnesses speak a lot, even if difficult in the era of distancing.  All the ways we serve the Lord are songs of praise.

Gracefully submitted,
David Petty

February 19, 2021

February 19, 2021

However, as it is written:  “what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” – the things God has prepared for those who love him – these are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit. - 1 Corinthians 2:9-10a

There are many things in this life that I have yet to see.  Many sounds that I have yet to hear, and many things that I have yet to understand or conceive in my mind.  Yet, one thing I do know is, that in all things, God is at work.  I think that is the beauty of being a person of faith.  I don’t have to know everything to believe I n something I don’t completely understand. God mysterious ways are working, even when we are unaware.

When we, as disciples of Jesus, allow the Holy Spirit to be at work in us and through us, we might not understand why we feel our hearts tugged in a certain direction, why we have a desire to try something new, or even stop something old.  We might not quite understand why new people come into our lives, or why all of a sudden they feel like family.  But this is the working wonder of God’s preparation in us.  God prepares each of us for His will and purpose, but we don’t always know the end result. That is okay, because as God leads us, and we follow, we see a little more with each step.  It is only by faith and our love for God that draws us to follow.  

Truth is, none of us know what the future holds, and this past year even the next week as seemed uncertain at times. However, I do believe that God knows, and as we are prepared by His love, these things will be revealed to us.  Our hope is found in our trust of God.  We, with the community of faith, believe that our eyes, ears, minds, and hearts might have new things revealed to us as we seek to live in His love, and offer such love to all God’s children.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

 

February 18, 2021

February 18, 2021

Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. – Luke 10:3

We often view the season of Lent as a time to ‘give up’ something that might draw us closer to Jesus, but as we flip the page from our Ash Wednesday text (if you haven’t yet watched it is available at stmarkknox.org/sermons) we find that Jesus is asking the disciples to take on a new task. To go, and to do the work that Jesus has given them to do.

This analogy is quite disturbing, however. For those who may have been accustomed to the work of shepherding lambs, they know that the job of the shepherd is sometimes dangerous. Lions, wolves, and the like were not the things any shepherd wanted to face. Yet, they would fight one off if they had to. I imagine, that was not a desirable part of the job, of working with lambs.  The disciples, though, are not being compared to the shepherds who fought off the wolves, but the lambs themselves.

Lambs are mostly defenseless, especially when they are young, and especially if they have recently been sheered. Jesus looks at these who have followed him, and as a shepherd, he sees them as little lambs, precious, valuable, but potentially unable to defend themselves.  Wolves don’t travel alone, they work in packs, and typically try to separate a potential victim from the heard and from the shepherd, it’s not a single wolf one needs to watch out for, but the entire pack.

So, as Jesus sends out these seventy-two disciples, he sends them out in pairs, that they would rely on one another, that they would encourage one another, and these pairs are able to do a great many things. They go and teach, preach, heal by the power of the Holy Spirit. Demons are cast out, the sick are made well, and everywhere these disciples go, people are amazed, and the disciples themselves are amazed at what is happening.  Though the took with them only the essentials Jesus commanded, they are able to do a great many things in Jesus name.

Jesus reminds us as disciples today, when we take away the distractions, the excess from our lives, we may seem vulnerable, but this vulnerability, that of a lamb amongst wolves, is a path towards humility, and in our humility, we find the strength and authority of Christ’s greatness.

I believe that lent allows us to take away the distractions of life, if we can, to focus on the most important, and the hope is that we keep our focus on that which is most important well after the season of Lent is ended.  May we focus on the mission Jesus has called us to today, to love and care for all God’s children.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

February 17, 2021

February 17, 2021

To join the online Ash Wednesday service please visit: stmarkknox.org/sermons
(service should be available any time after noon)

46 An argument arose among [the disciples] as to which one of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, 48 and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.” – Luke 9:46-48

Greatness is so often associated with those who have great power, prestige, or prominence. In our society we seem to begin to award greatness to those who among us are the smartest, best in their sport or field of study.  Even the disciples argued amongst themselves who is the greatest at being a disciples, in other words who is most like their teacher/leader, Jesus.

Jesus disrupts this kind of talk, in much the same way Jesus disrupts the notions of power and authority in this world throughout the gospels. Jesus speaks to the very heart of those who have ears to listen, and when we do truly listen, our worldly notions of power, authority, and kingdoms crumble. Jesus, is instead, showing us the path to humility, to be least in order to be greatest – “for the least among all of you is the greatest.”

At the beginning of the season of Lent, the time of reflection and repentance preparing ourselves for Easter, I find that it is best to remind each of us that Jesus call to be great is a call to humility, to follow in His example, he who humbled himself in obedience, and even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-11).

When we look to Jesus, we should realize that the status quo is disrupted, because Jesus does not replicate the world’s way of thinking. Jesus turns to the margins, calls a little child to come and stand in their midst, and says the one who welcomes this little one, is the one who is truly great. Wouldn’t it be great for us to think of how Jesus loves the little children? And then, we could begin to treat others as if they too are children of God, because that is truly who they are.

This lent, what can we do, individually, or as a church, to humble ourselves, to support the children of God, to share in the acceptance of Jesus, welcoming all the children of God?  I hope we will continue to find new ways to reach out to those around us, brining hope and light.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

February 16, 2021

February 16, 2021

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. – Colossian 3:12-14

Today is the day before the beginning season of Lent.  A day in history known as Shrove Tuesday, or sometimes “Fat Tuesday,” which comes from the French term Mardi Gras. For many this is the day to eat pancakes, or the rich, fatty delicacies that one might give up for the penitential season of Lent.  Yet, this feasting day is also a time for self-examination, a time to consider what it is that we should repent during the coming 40 days, as well as what might help us to grow closer to Christ between now and the Resurrection celebration of Easter.

Each year, we all probably have our little sacrifices, of chocolate, or alcohol, or the things that might help us to be a little healthier. I tried to give up coffee one year, and failed miserably. After my weeklong headache, I decided some things should never be given up. Considering how the pandemic started in the beginning weeks of Lent last year, we may feel as though we have given up a lot already.  This year, we may instead decide to start taking something on. Finding those things that might help us grow ever closer to Christ.

Paul, in his letter to the Colossians writes about putting on these things: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience… Above all, he writes, put on love, the perfect bond.  The act of putting on, is something that takes effort, or work. Some days putting on these things may seem easy, but others they may be more difficult. However, as we seek to draw closer to Christ, preparing for the Resurrection celebration of Easter, we could, and should find ways to reflect the love of Christ to others around us. 

I invite you to spend some times today, thinking, praying; what can I do, to show more kindness, compassion, humility, love? To whom can I show it? And How will I share Christ?

If we make the effort, put in the work, we might find that we grow in our faith by taking on rather than giving up. I pray you will find new ways to put on Christ’s love as we grow in perfect harmony this season of Lent.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

February 15, 2021

February 15, 2021

Sharing from the congregation – David Petty

The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”  And to him he said, “See I have taken your guilt away from you, and will clothe you with festal apparel.”
— Zechariah 3:4

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices, and have clothed yourself with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator....As God‘s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, meekness  and patience.  — Colossians 3:9-10,12

In the Bible a change of clothing often reflects a change in status.  Consider the Old Testament story of Joseph (Genesis 37 and 39-50.)  Near the beginning of the story, when Joseph is reduced to slavery, he loses his wonderful coat.  Later, when he is made administrator of Egypt, one of the first things that happens to Joseph is that he is dressed in fine linen.  Or think of how Elijah, in 2 Kings 2:1-14, carried off in a whirlwind, leaves behind his cloak; the cloak is picked up by his disciple Elisha, who then takes on his mentor’s role.

In Colossians Paul gives one of those lists of virtues similar to the “fruit of the spirit” list in Galatians 5 and the battle equipment list in Ephesians 6.  The primary message, I’m sure, is that these are virtues that a Christian should practice.  But there is an apparent secondary message too.  Paul, good Jewish scholar that he is, is picking up on the old symbolism of clothing.  It is not just that we modify our behavior; it’s that we are transformed — we become a “new self.”   In other biblical language, we are born again; we are charged from a slave to an heir.

On Feb. 17 the season of lent begins.  Some people mark this season by giving up a bad habit (at least temporarily.)  That’s a good idea in itself, but we should not forget the greater symbolism of the practice.  We are becoming, or reminding ourselves that we have become, new selves.

Gracefully submitted,
David Petty

February 14, 2021

February 14, 2021

To join our online worship serve at 9 am or after, please visit: stmarkknox.org/sermons

But Jesus said, “someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.” – Luke 8:46

On their way to respond to a request for healing, Jesus and his followers have an encounter with an unnamed woman who has suffered hemorrhages for twelve years.

This woman, who had been suffering for a very long time. A woman, who had exhausted any money she had going to doctors in hopes for a cure.  A woman, who because of her issue of bleeding was unclean according to the Jewish law.  She was outcast from society, she would have been made to live outside the city gates, she would have had to tell everyone she encountered she was unclean. 

If this woman was married, her husband would have long given her a certificate of divorce and moved on with his life. Due to her condition, it is extremely unlikely that this woman had any children.  Most likely, she was constantly weak and tired due to iron deficiency.

She dealt with constant pain, poverty, insecurities, loneliness. She was one who was considered polluted, untouchable, unlovable.

I wonder how many of us relate to times when we feel unlovable, unforgivable, unreachable?

How long have any of us dealt with our issues of faithless spouses, nerve racking children, overbearing workloads. How many years have we dealt with our issues of unhappiness, depressions , addictions, and obsessions. Issues of low self-esteem, no self-esteem, uncertainty, perplexities.

This woman had dealt with her issues for twelve long years, she was alone, she was someone without any hope.  Yet, here she is hiding in the crowd that is following Jesus to a miracle, and perhaps hoping beyond all hope for one of her own.

This woman was willing to take a chance on something… on someone… on Jesus.

She reaches out and touches the fringe of the garment of the one in whom she believes, has faith, and that she can be healed… and she receives her healing. 

Today, we celebrate the transfiguration, the moment, Jesus is transformed before the eyes, making faith sight, to those who are with him (Peter, James, and John). But for the woman who was healed of hemorrhages, she already knew. It reminds us that even as we see Jesus transformed before us, today, we already know deep down. We know that Jesus is the place where we are healed, where we are loved, forgiven, and set free to worship and praise.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

February 13, 2021

February 13, 2021

Sharing from the Congregation – David Petty

So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from that morning until the appointed time; and seventy thousand of the people died, from Dan to Beer-Sheba. — 2 Samuel 24:15

In an odd coincidence, both the year 2020 and the last chapter of the books of Samuel contained a census and a plague.  I don’t think it’s anything more than a coincidence; I certainly don’t think COVID-19 is a punishment for the regular U.S. census.

In the story from Samuel (repeated in First Chronicles) King David orders a census of Israel, despite the advice of his chief of staff not to do so.  Later he regrets this action, and the Lord inflicts the pestilence as a punishment.  David realizes that his own actions have brought the calamity against his people, and the Lord allows him to make atonement.  

According to the account, 70,000 people died.  To put that in perspective, the death toll from COVID-19 in modern Israel was 4,816 as of Feb. 1.  70,000 is surely an estimate, and perhaps an overestimate.  But in any event enough people died to cause alarm. 

It isn’t at all clear what was wrong with conducting a census.  It has been suggested that the census was a intended as a prelude to a universal tax.  Another theory is that David was assessing the size of his army (the census numbers reported in the scripture refer to the numbers of soldiers counted) in preparation for more military conquests.  Perhaps he simply wanted to stroke his own pride in how large his country had become.   

In general, though, the king’s sin seems to have been presumption.  Having reached the point that he was very rich and powerful, he felt that he could get away with anything.  I think he was a lot like the rich fool in Jesus’s parable of Luke 12:16-20, who thought he could build bigger barns and take his leisure.  It’s easy enough when we are successful to believe the logic that what makes us comfortable is what’s right. 

David was not personally affected by the plague, but he saw what happening to his people.  “I alone have sinned,” he told the Lord, “and I have done wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done?”  One wishes all of our leaders would take that kind of responsibility.  One wishes the rest of us would too.

Gracefully submitted,
David Petty

 

February 12, 2021

February 12, 2021

And [Jesus] woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?” – Luke 8:24-25

We don’t always think we can make it through.  We don’t always believe that there will be an end to these struggles of life that we face.  However, there is a great hope that we have in the One who put the stars in the sky.

We need only to look up, see, and believe that he knows each one by name, and that we will be okay.  It is no guarantee that the struggles, trials, temptations will cease, but it does make it easier knowing that we don’t tread these rough waters alone. We look to the one who says to the waves and the water: “Be still.”

I remember when Sean, our oldest, learned that story in Sunday School.  He was about 3 years old at the time, and we asked him about the lesson he learned, and from this tiny mouth, with great gusto, he said. Jesus told the wave to “BE STILL!” He had learned the lesson that we all need to learn over and again, because at times, the storms of this life can feel overwhelming, but we know the one who calms the storm.

Even when we feel tired, faint, weary because of the burdens in life, Jesus lifts us up, and our God reminds us that we will be okay. We can tell the storms to be still, in His name.

Several years ago, I heard a speaker at Divine Rhythm, an event for college students.  The speaker told us that year about the storms of life, but when they come, never look and complain to God of how big the storm is that you are facing, but look the storm and remind it of how big and expansive God is. It’s not the size of the storm, it is the amount of faith in our God, who is bigger, greater, more powerful, and more full of love than we could ever imagine. 

So, no matter how you feel today, no matter what you might be facing, know that God is watching over you, God is bigger than your storms. Find your hope renewed again in Him.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

February 11, 2021

February 11, 2021

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. he will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
– Isaiah 40:28

Do you remember sitting out on the hood of a car, or in the bed of a truck late at night, staring up at the stars? If you can find a place way from the city lights, the stars seem to shine even more brilliantly, and their number become countless.  Even though I had seen these stars many times during my teenage years, after college I had a chance to see them from the Southern Hemisphere, and the views were breathtaking.  All the wonders of the heavens looking down from above, and me staring back at it all.

Yet, I’m reminded that Scripture tells us that God knows each of those stars by name, and put them in their place. The expanse of the knowledge of God is that amazing, God knows the name of the stars, and each of us, and knows them intimately.  No matter how miniscule a detail, God sees each one of us, with the same importance.

When Isaiah wrote the words above, he was appealing to the people of Israel. People had lost sight of this expansive love of God for them.  They had been through many trials and seen adversity.  They were removed from their land, exiled and judged as unworthy.  Some, separated from their families.  They were a people who were beat up and ready to give up.   Life had not been good, and so they began to question God, whether or not God remembered them, whether God has seen the plight of their current state.

We may not understand why bad things happen, or why they happen to good and devout people. However, with God’s infiniteness, there is truth, there is love, and there is reason for the faithful to put their trust and hope in Him.

Isaiah calls the people to look up at the stars and remember that God knows each of them by name, cares for them, and put them in their place.  How much more, then, will God care for those who put Him first in their lives? Verse 26 might give us an answer.

26Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

God is still God even when we doubt, even when we are discouraged, even when we feel powerless, beat up, down-trodden.  God, yes, is still God, always and forever.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

February 10, 2021

February 10, 2021

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. – Matthew 9:36

The phrase for the crowds of people that surround Jesus, “like sheep without a shepherd” is repeated several times in the gospels.  The phrase also has roots in the Old Testaments appearing in several prophetic books talking about the people of Israel, and their propensity to seem lost or astray. 

The concern of Jesus is that the people lacked any true motivation of leadership. They were subjugated under Rome, and the Roman appointed authorities. The peoples religious leaders, the Pharisees and Sadducees, were said to “not teach with authority.” In many ways the people were often like sheep left in the field to graze and no one to gather and lead them onward.

Now it might be troubling to think of people like sheep, in the sense of following blindly, and simple of mind.  However, the Biblical view of the flock is that of a group, dedicated to the shepherd and the sheep will hear his voice, and they will follow him, and will not follow a stranger (Jn 10:1-5). Therefore, when speaking of the people as sheep, and their leaders as shepherds, the Bible is not being derogatory, but evoking the respect that rural communities, such as those in the Bible, had for the shepherds who tended their flocks in a responsible manner. Jesus, then, as the Good Shepherd, is the leader that will lead his people into the care and comfort of God, portraying the loving relationship with us, that God desires to have with all creation. 

The compassion of such a shepherd, is to lead them to a place physically, emotionally, spiritually, of peace and rest.  Jesus has compassion on us, today, knowing that we are a people who need tender care, who need to be led to the waters of everlasting life, who need to know the love of someone who will take care of us.  The compassion of the Good Shepherd reminds me of the refrain of an old hymn: “God will take care of you, through every day, o’re all the way’  he will take care of you, God will take care of you.”

 May we cast our cares, our burdens, and worries into the arms of our Savior, and know his compassion is with us now and forever, Amen.

Grace & Peace,
Sam