May 23, 2021

May 23, 2021

To join our online worship this morning please visit: stmarkknox.org/sermons

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
 – Romans 8:2

A most blessed Pentecost Sunday, my friends! Today, we celebrate when God poured out his Holy Spirit on humanity, when starting with the disciples in the upper room the true life that is everlasting began to reside within those who believed in the resurrection, and now knew the indwelling of the presence of God.

The Holy Spirit has been a part of God’s story throughout the Scriptures and at various times we can read how the Holy Spirit was upon a saint of God, or led someone to do God’s will. Yet, as Jesus has promised before ascending into heaven, the counselor, the Holy Spirit, the very gift of God, which is the Holy presence of God, is now made a part of us and as Paul, would later write, has set us free.

The freedom the Holy Spirit gives is freedom from the power of sin; emancipation from a life of the flesh, and liberty to live in the newness of the resurrected life in Christ. Because we have believed in the death and resurrection power of Christ Jesus our Lord, we have been set free because now we are In Christ. We have been identified as the recipients of grace, and now can live a new life that is Christ’s resurrected life.

The choice is to retain control and allow our own desires and will to lead us, or relinquish control to the power of the Holy Spirit, and allow God to lead us by its indwelling. If we choose the Holy Spirit, the ‘Spirit of life’ regenerates our human spirit; places us in the body of Christ; gives us the life of Christ and then works in the new-life within. As we walk in the spirit, and understand the truth we find our freedom is in that we are no longer condemned by God, nor do we worry about the condemnation of humanity. We are free to be who we are IN Christ.

We are free to live a life of abundance that is eternal and starts right now. We live a life fully aware of the divine presence that is with us now and always, and is continually leading us home, and leading us to share this wonderful gift with others along our journey.

May the freedom we have in Christ, and in the Holy Spirit lead us deeper in our relationship with God through Christ and the Holy Spirit, and broader in our reach to share this wonderful news with others.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

May 19, 2021

Offering the Invitation           

…For many are invited, but few are chosen.” – Matthew 22:14

In Matthew 22, we find a parable that is unique to Matthew. Some parable can be seen in various versions across the gospels, but this particular one is unique and honestly quite complex. The parable is that of a King who is troughing a wedding banquet. The beginnings of this parable are quite like some others, for the kingdom of heaven is often compared to a wedding banquet. It is the place where we become one with God through the bridegroom Christ, as we (the church) are often called the bride of Christ.

Yet, it’s the guests who are invited to this banquet and the king’s response that makes this parable so complex. Though many were invited, none of the original invitees could come. The king, then, sends his servants to the street corners to invite to the banquet anyone they could find (v.22:9).  Yet, when the king comes in and sees all these now invited guests filling his hall, he picks out the man who was not wearing any wedding clothes and throws him out (v.22:11-13).

It's curious to read that the king says to his servants, that anyone and everyone should be invited, but chooses to throw out the one who is not dressed appropriately. How can we know whom the king wants invited?

In most churches, today, we strive to do all that we can to be welcoming to those who join our community. The rational is that when someone does come, they will feel like they already belong, we will introduce ourselves, offer kind words, show them a seat, do everything in our nature to be hospitable. The hope is that any who come would feel so welcomed they choose to come back, but I wonder did we do the last step of offering the invitation? There is a vast difference between being welcoming and being invitational. 

Being invitational means that we want someone to be a part, we want them to choose, and we’ve made that apparent by offering our invitation. In doing so, we become the servants of the king, sent out to every street corner, to invite any who would come until the banquet hall is filled. But, we might ask, what about the one who isn’t dressed appropriately? Of course we need to look beyond outward dress, and many of us over the past year of being home more have decided to become a little more casual (and I’m all for it).  But the dress is not the outward appearance, for God does not look there, but at the heart (1 Sam 16:7).

We don’t always see there, but God does, and as the servants in the parable our work it to do the inviting. The king, the True King who looks into the heart, will then offer salvation, eternal life, abundant freedom, and will do, because he has done everything to invite all to trade their rags for wedding garments. Church, though we are already part of the wedding banquet, we continue to do the inviting, and God continues to do the saving.  It is God who will decide who remains, and our job to make sure everyone has hear the invitation. Who might you invite?

Grace & Peace,
Sam

May 16, 2021

May 16, 2021

To join our online worship service please visit: stmarkknox.org/sermons

51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God.  – Luke 24:51-53

The closing lines to Luke’s gospel give a simplified version of the ascension. Jesus is simply blessing his disciples, and departs from them carried to heaven. The writer, Luke, would go on to write the Acts of the Apostle’s and share in more detail these events, but the purpose of the gospel leaves us with a bit of mystery.

In fact, there is mystery surrounding Christ from the time of the transfiguration to the ascension in Luke’s gospel. Perhaps it is because we haven’t quite understood yet, all that Jesus has done. The late Oswald Chambers, writer and Christian teachers, shares a great thought on this mystery in “My Utmost, for His Highest.” Allow me to share his writings.

We have no experiences in our lives that correspond to the events in our Lord’s life after the transfiguration. From that moment forward His life was altogether substitutionary. Up to the time of the transfiguration, He had exhibited the normal, perfect life of a man. But from the transfiguration forward— Gethsemane, the Cross, the resurrection— everything is unfamiliar to us. His Cross is the door by which every member of the human race can enter into the life of God; by His resurrection He has the right to give eternal life to anyone, and by His ascension our Lord entered heaven, keeping the door open for humanity.

The transfiguration was completed on the Mount of Ascension. If Jesus had gone to heaven directly from the Mount of Transfiguration, He would have gone alone. He would have been nothing more to us than a glorious Figure. But He turned His back on the glory, and came down from the mountain to identify Himself with fallen humanity.

The ascension is the complete fulfillment of the transfiguration. Our Lord returned to His original glory, but not simply as the Son of God— He returned to His father as the Son of Man as well. There is now freedom of access for anyone straight to the very throne of God because of the ascension of the Son of Man. As the Son of Man, Jesus Christ deliberately limited His omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience. But now they are His in absolute, full power. As the Son of Man, Jesus Christ now has all the power at the throne of God. From His ascension forward He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

The door is open wide, and we are invited to follow Christ in carrying our cross, yes, but also to ascend with him into heaven, and into the Glory of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

May 12, 2021

May 12, 2021

And now, O Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you. – Psalm 39:7

What are we waiting for? We are all waiting for something, and most of us can name it.  This past year has named many items for which we have waited. We waited to see how bad things could get, and then if they would get better. We waited to see church reopen, we waited to see church moved indoors, we waited for a vaccine, we waited to feel safe, we waited, and waited, and waited.  And some of us are still waiting.

When I reflect back, I can assuredly say I have always been waiting for something, even before COVID was a thing, we were, as a society waiting. Deep in our souls there is a waiting still, as there is always this underlying anticipation that something must be coming that is better than this current world.

This deep yearning, is very much a part of our Christian experience, and I would venture to say even those who haven’t become fully aware of Christ calling in their life, still feel this yearning from time to time.  This yearning, anticipation, and the waiting is all part of our soul’s realizing the coming kingdom of God. 

Psalm 39 is title a “prayer for wisdom and forgiveness.” Within the words of this prayer, the psalmists confesses to the attempt to guard the tongue, and keep peace, though it seems as though they were not successful in that attempt, and now need forgiveness. It seems, to me, very much our current human condition. We attempt to keep at peace, or keep our tongues in check, but then someone says something, or does something, and the tongue is off, like a dog off its leash chasing some creature up a tree.  In those moments we forget our waiting, and take to present action, and afterwards, we probably find that we are in need of forgiveness, we spoke our mind, but at the same time did not elicit words or thoughts of the kingdom of heaven.

I know I’m guilt of such reckless speech, but when I come to my senses, I do sit and wait, and hope for the better days ahead. Patience in the waiting is the virtue we all must strive for, knowing that as we wait, we do have a hope the moves beyond this world.  A hope that God is coming to us, that God is recreating us in his grace and in his image. May we wait with great hope that we would become more of a reflection of God’s love to others in our waiting.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

May 9, 2021

May 9, 2021

We love because God first loved us… - 1 John 4:19

Whose love did we first know? Even before even knowing God, our mother’s loved paved the way to illustrate the type of love that we would one day know from above. A mother’s love is typically the first we know, especially of a selfless type of love.  The love that can look at a handful of dead flowers picked lovingly by a child, and appreciate it as much as a live and beautiful bouquet.

Motherhood not only paves the way for children to know the love of God, but in a way it helps the mother to understand more of the nature of the sacrificial love of God.  It may take some time to realize and appreciate those aspects of a mother’s love, because in the daily grind of the early years of motherhood, all we really want it a break.  However, as we grow we look back, and we think of what mothers have done, of the children they have raised, and we give thanks for the spiritual calling to be a mother.

Motherhood is a beautiful and priceless gift, but at the same time it surprisingly takes on the sacrificial nature to die to self for the love of another.

Motherhood is more than the mandate to raise the next generation, it is an unending invitation to take on the sacrificial love of God, by laying down one’s life for another. Motherhood is a saying “no” to the cadence of selfishness, and “yes” to the quiet rhythms of love. It is laying down pride, and persisting in payer, surrendering to greed, and growing into grace. 

Motherhood is pacing the floor with a crying baby in the dark of night, or holding a tearful teenager in the depths of disappointment. Motherhood is wiping bottoms and noses, cleaning floors countless times a day, and listening and laughing at the same joke over, and over, and over again.

Motherhood is a daily decision to paint the ordinary moments of our days with the extraordinary love of God, a love that sacrificed everything in sending the Son to be our salvation. Motherhood knows such sacrifice, and on days like today, we give thanks for the love that taught us how much God loves each of us. May we pour out love like God on others that they too would know the love that leads to salvation.

Happy Mother’s Day,
Sam

May 5, 2021

Sharing from the Congregation – David Petty

The time is surely coming, says the Lord, when the one who plows shall overtake the one who reaps, and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. —Amos 9:13

This is a rather oddly worded verse, but once you work through the poetry of it, it’s a marvelous image.  A Jewish version (the Tanakh translation, 1985) is a little clearer: “A time is coming when the plowman shall meet the reaper...”  It is speaking of a day when abundance is so great that crops are still being harvested when the time comes to plow again.

The Old Testament often speaks in language that reflects the agricultural and socio-political concerns of its day.  We might ask whether these ancient words have any applicability in our world, where 10% of the people are hungry — and even in this country, with over 40% of the population overweight, people are hungry emotionally, spiritually, and of course socially.  (I do think that for some folks, social distancing is “social starvation.”)  Social distancing didn’t really begin with this pandemic; we have been distancing the elderly, the poor, and other outcasts for a long time.

Certainly the idea was not considered out of date in New Testament times: references to abundance are abundant.  The one  miracle reported in all four gospels is Jesus’s feeding of the five thousand.  Jesus said (John 10:10), “I came that they might have life and have it abundantly,” a statement that we might consider together with Luke 12:15, “...one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

So I believe that the promise of not just a future, but an abundant future, is as valid as ever.  I have no idea when it will happen, but I assume it will be both physical and spiritual.

Gracefully submitted,
David Petty

May 2, 2021

May 2, 2021

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

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.  28 For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. – Psalm 22:27-28

The opening verse of Psalm 22 is well known because Jesus spoke the first words of that verse in deep agony from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And much of the early part of the psalm is a terrifying account of bones out of joint, tongue stuck to the roof of the mouth, hands and feet pierced, people staring and gloating, clothes divided up and owned by drawing lots. It is a graphic and horrific prophecy of the Savior’s suffering.

But midway through the psalm, the tone changes as eyes are turned to the Lord who is the deliverer, the rescuer; and God’s people are called on to praise him, to honor him, to revere him because…

“The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him” (v. 26)

In other words, God provides and God saves, and therefore those who seek the Lord will have many reasons to remember and honor him.

The existence of God and the goodness of God are not contingent on everything in our lives going well. In this broken world we get sick. In this broken world there are disasters. In this broken world people do evil. But God is the same God, and continues to have no other plans in our lives than good plans, even if we can’t see them.

Sometimes it is the darkness in our lives that helps us to more appreciate the light of a life in God, for our Christ is the light of the world. When we see the light of Christ in others we understand that no matter where they live or where they are from on this planet, they, like we belong to God, and we have reason to remember and praise God for these sisters and brothers.

I imagine the psalmist, in this lament, is using all the emphasis possible to say that God is to be remembered to the ends of the earth, by every family, every tribe, and every race. In other words, there is no one on this earth excused from turning to God and bowing before him.

Our word ‘dominion’ originates from Latin and means ‘sovereign authority.’ Politicians debate how far a government’s reach should go. What are the limits to its authority? That’s a very necessary debate about human government.

But there is no debate about God’s reach because there is no limit to his authority. Our God is the only God and he rules over every nation, every tribe, and every people. His love and goodness are unlimited. His Son did not die for only one people but all people—men and women and children from every corner of this planet.

His authority is over all and his love covers all.

We remember and remain thankful that all includes us, so let us bring our praise before him now and always.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

April 28, 2021

April 28, 2021

For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost. – Luke 19:10

I spend a good deal of time reading various thoughts on Scriptural interpretation, I listen to podcasts about the Bible, and spend far too much time reading commentary found on social media from people whose ideas about faith differ from my own, which challenges me and also irritates me.  I know it’s my own fault for spending time there. 

However, in all this time what I find is that people spend way too much energy trying to make more out of God, the Bible and faith than it’s intention. People want to argue about Scriptural inerrancy (which means there are no errors or contradictions in their interpretation). Some want to argue about who is included and who is excluded. People want to interpret current signs as the apocalypse, or end times, even though the word apocalypse simply means to unveil, and has nothing to do with destruction. The point is people want to believe all kinds of things about the Bible, and the God who inspired it. Yet, I find that genuine faith is found in some of the simplest of understandings.

Luke’s quoted verse above for instance, tells us that the very purpose of Jesus, “the Son of Man was to “come and seek out and save the lost.” The plain and simple truth of this, is that there is no need to read further into this statement. Jesus came to seek those who were lost, and offer salvation. The hardest part, in my opinion, is for the people that read this to understand they are the lost whom Jesus came to save.

We are all lost, and there is no greater interpretation about who Jesus wants to save, or is willing to save. There is no reason to believe that any sinner is worse or not as bad as another, there is no understanding that some people are beyond salvation, but to those who recognize they are lost, are sought out and saved by the sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Sometimes, I really wish all those people who spend too much time arguing about this and that would come to the conclusion, we’re all lost, and Jesus is our salvation.

In Christ alone, we find true faith, for it is not our doing, but God’s through Christ and the Holy Spirit that we have life abundant and eternal. Thanks be to God.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

April 25, 2021

April 25, 2021

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19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
    that I may enter through them
    and give thanks to the Lord.

20 This is the gate of the Lord;
    the righteous shall enter through it.

21 I thank you that you have answered me
    and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing;
    it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
    let us rejoice and be glad in it.        - Psalm 118:19-24

In those moments of true humility, I come to realize that I haven’t really done much if anything in this life. I don’t say this as self-pity, but as an observation that everything good I have done does not come from me but from God.

I think this is the beauty of understanding the spirituality of our faith. The spirituality of our faith is the beginning of understanding that God is truly everywhere, in all things, including creation itself. Antient Church Fathers understood this fact, and modern mystic, Richard Rohr helps his readers to begin to ‘see through the veil’ as he shows them the creator by looking at the creation itself. I believe this is a rare look at what some of the ancient psalmists also knew and understood.  Through they lived in the physical world, they understood God presence as something real within this world.

Scholars believe that in an ancient Jewish context this psalm would have been part of an entrance liturgy into the temple, and often used during the festival of Passover. It proclaimed God’s deliverance from Egypt, and from exile. However, that same understanding passes down to modern Christians as we enter into our spiritual temple, moving from the humility of recognizing God has done every good thing in our lives, to the exaltation that every good thing has come from God, and God has chosen us through which divine good has come into the world.

We can then take a moment to appreciate that this day is good, for God is in it, and God is good. We can appreciate the Christ the cornerstone has brought to us salvation, all that is good is God’s doing, and our eyes and hearts marvel as we enter into His sanctuary full of praise and exaltation. For God is good! And today is the day God has given our hearts reason to rejoice.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

April 21, 2021

April 21, 2021

Sharing from the Congregation – David Petty

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field ... —Matthew 13:44

If you’ve been outdoors much, you might have noticed that this has been an unusually colorful spring.  It wasn’t just the beautiful flowers; many of the trees have been displaying “autumn” colors — reds, oranges, and yellows. 

We don’t fully understand the “why” of autumn leaves, in the sense of knowing what value it has to the trees; but we do understand the “how” of it — that is, the chemistry of the changes.  It turns out that leaves begin to produce those bright pigments, such as xanthophyll (yellow) and beta carotene (orange) in the spring at about the same time they begin to produce the green pigment, chlorophyll.  Autumn pigments are actually present all through the summer; it’s just that the intense green covers them up.  In the fall, the green pigment fades first, revealing the other colors that are already there.

Because the yellow, orange, etc. pigments are somewhat “hardier,” in the sense of tolerating cool temperatures, it’s not uncommon for them develop a little earlier than green in the spring, so you get a little foretaste of autumn — although the colors are usually not as intense.  (Some red pigments are only produced in the spring and fall.)  This spring was unusual in that they were more intense and noticeable for a longer time.

We know that many of the worldly signs of God’s glory are unseen for a time.  That can be true of God’s kingdom itself.  Scripture tells us, I believe, that the kingdom is here and now (Luke 17:21), but it also tells us that it can be hidden.  In contrast to the leaves, sometimes our own efforts can uncover (unmask?) the kingdom for ourselves and others.  Sometimes, though, we just have to wait, hanging on tightly to our patience and our faith, for it to be revealed.

Gracefully submitted,
David Petty

April 18, 2021

April 18, 2021

To join our online worship please visit: stmarkknox.org/sermons

11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever. – Psalm 30:11-12

I’m sure we have all heard the verse before, that the Lord will change our morning into dancing, and in this same psalm, we also find the great promise that “though sorrow may last for the night, joy comes in the morning.” Yet, in the context of Eastertide and those who were the first witnesses to the resurrection, I believe there is more that we can learn of this great truth.

The disciples had experienced the trauma of the cross, were living is disbelief and fear. Their fear was now for their own lives, and if anyone had accused them of being disciples of Jesus, in that moment, they could have met the same fate.  However, when Jesus appears to them, in the upper room, and again by the seashore, we find that their disbelief gives way to so much joy that they are now prepared to go on living.

Jesus will tell them that they must stay in Jerusalem, though it might be difficult to remain hidden there, they believe in their risen Lord, and they remain as Jesus has commanded.  Jesus says, that someday soon they will receive power from on high, the counselor will come to them.  We know that the disciples still are living with a bit of fear, even after seeing their risen Lord.  Even knowing that he is risen, is only the start of the joy that leads us to live forward.

There is more that must come beyond just the resurrection. The belief that Jesus died and rose again is the beginning of faith, but there is so much more, and as we wait on the Lord, as he did command his disciples, we will find that joy that truly moves our souls to sing and praise and not keep silent.  The disciples waited the 50 days till Pentecost, to receive the Spirit of life that showed them the abundant life now.  We may not have to wait as long, though we may have waited, but the joy of the Lord is at our fingertips as we trust in his mercy and grace, and lean on his understanding and guidance. Our mourning can be turned into dancing, as we allow the Holy Spirit of God to move in us, and lead us to better live and love in the name of Christ our Lord.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

April 14, 2021

April 14, 2021

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. – Isaiah 58:8

We all look forward to the day that the healing of our world is complete, though it is a slow process, we know it is coming, and one day, like a flash, it will all be made well.  Whether the reality of this healing takes place in our world, or with the coming new world of the Lord’s return, I think matters less than the belief in our hearts that healing is on the horizon, and that the best the Lord has to offer is still to come.

The later part of the prophecies of Isaiah are interesting, and were written to give a guide to peoples yet to come of what it is like to worship, truly and truthfully in the presence of the Lord. These prophecies speak of the restoration of Israel, and of the world, which we now believe happened through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. 

The prophetic word found in Isaiah 58, speaks of true worship. If we read the entirety of this chapter what we find is that when our worship is true and genuine there are certain human constructs and hang ups that we can finally get over. We stop arguing about fasting, as if our fasting somehow draws us closer to God than those who don’t. We begin to humble ourselves instead of others. We chose to worship as a way to lose the bods of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, and work to let all oppressed go free. We share our bread with the hungry and bring the poor and homeless into our houses, we clothe the naked. Verse 9 and 10 says:

“Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, 10 if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.”

And immediately my heart breaks for myself and for so many in our world. It breaks because I know that our human condition loves to “point the finger” at someone else to blame them for what has gone wrong in our world.  We see all kinds of finger pointing, and I wonder if we should take a breath and realize that if we want to see our world change it starts within. It starts by cleaning up our own biases and shortcoming, it focuses on those around us, and we work diligently, through all the weeks, months, and years of our lives to see that this world is made right, not by blaming others, but by helping them, showing them through the love we have for God the way made right, and world healed through caring.

It’s won’t come quickly, nor easily, but I believe this is the path of Christ to bring genuine healing to our world.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

April 11, 2021

April 11, 2021

To join today’s online worship service at 9 am or later please visit: stmarkknox.org/sermons

Sharing from the congregation: David Petty

Then he said, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” —Luke 23:42-43

We don’t know for certain everything that Jesus said while on the cross.  The gospel writers have given us seven utterances, referred to as the Seven Last Words, that they felt were important.  But they never denied that he said other things, and they disagreed over which were worth noting.  The seven utterances are worth studying individually, but it also may be worthwhile to look at each gospel writer’s choices, for that might indicate something that they were trying tell us.

Luke reports three “Last Words.”  The first two, given in adjacent passages, deal with forgiveness; in the first he asks for forgiveness of a crowd that does not know what they are doing, and in the second he reassures a man who appears quite aware of what he has done.  There is another difference, though, between the two utterances, and it has to do with authority.  In the first case Jesus asks his father to forgive.  In the second he speaks on his own authority. 

The question of the father’s authority vs. the son’s is a recurring one in the gospels.  In Luke 5:16-26, the story of the man let down through the roof, Jesus affirms his authority, and in John 17:2 he speaks In prayer of having been given it all.  But in Luke 18:19 he says that no one is good but God alone, and in Luke 20:1-8 he toys with the priests and others who ask about his authority.

The third utterance is, “Father, into your hands I commend  my spirit.”  So you see that Luke is highlighting the elements of the trinity: father, son, and spirit.  This is by no means a theological explanation of the doctrine.  The trinity is a complicated matter; I certainly don’t understand it, and I’m not convinced that the experts do either.  Luke is simply reminding us of it.  The concept has its beginning in the Old Testament but was coming into prominence at about the time the Gospels were written (see Matthew 28:19, for example.)

Maybe you, like I, don’t really understand all this; but there can still be great comfort in realizing that the one who created us and redeemed us continues to walk beside us and guide us every day.

Gracefully submitted,
David Petty

April 7, 2021

April 7, 2021

Sharing from the congregation: Sue Biggerstaff

See!  The winter has past.  Flowers appear on the earth; 
The time of singing has come.  Song of Songs 2:11-12 

Over the years I have kept a notebook of Bible verses and sayings that I have found meaningful.  Looking through them recently, I found the following concerning spring. 

The day the Lord created hope was probably the day He created spring.  ( Bernard Williams)

Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.   (Virgil Kraft)

Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf
of springtime.   (Martin Luther) 

Behold I make all things new.   (Rev. 21:5) 

How different our attitudes and feelings are this spring as compared to last March and April.  Last year we were reluctant to go out into public and were unable to attend church.  We had restrictions we had never faced before and had to make adjustments in our daily lives.  This year we are hopeful that the pandemic will end and some kind of normalcy will return.  It is almost as if we are entering a new time.

This spring like no other should bring us joy and a celebrating spirit.  As we savor the beauty of the season, let us give thanks to our God for sustaining us and bringing us into another springtime.

Gracefully submitted,
Sue Biggerstaff

April 5, 2021

April 5, 2021

11 God has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; 13 moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. 14 I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him.
 – Ecclesiastes 3:11-14

When I started sending out daily encouraging emails, I had only planned to keep them going for a season. A season when we needed hope; a season we needed a way to feel connected. That season has lasted longer than I ever imagined, and I know that we are not quite over that season as of yet.

This past year has forced many of us to try new ways of doing life, work, and everything else. Slowly, very slowly we are getting back to a sense of normalcy, but it’s not quite the normal we had hoped for. I remain hopeful that things will continue to get better, and know that God will see us through, or as the teacher of Ecclesiastes says: God’s gift is that we should take pleasure in our toil, for we know that God will endure forever. If God endures forever, then we who are alive in him, shall endure as well.

The season has allowed me to share with you many things that have been on my heart, and hopefully helped you in your faith during those times we could not meet in person.  However, like all seasons this one is now come to an end. 

As we continue to move forward, the encourager will continue, but only once or twice a week. Still, I would be happy to continue to share any messages or devotions that you would like to share with the congregation. For me, as we move forward, I need to devote more time and focus on ways we can gather, grow as disciples, and hopefully begin to have Sunday School, Small groups, and Bible studies once more. 

I want to say a huge thank you to all of you, for reading the messages, and sharing them with those in your life. I especially want to thank David Petty, Sue Biggerstaff, Don Parnell, Edward Pierce, and all the others who have sent encouraging notes for me to share. I also appreciate everyone who took the time to respond, which gave the encouragement to keep on going; knowing my words had an impact on your life and faith was the greatest thanks I could receive. 

As we move into the new seasons ahead, I hope you will continue to find a daily way to focus on God, and spend time in prayer. There are a number of daily devotions out there, if that is something you would like to continue, and if you need a suggestion for one, feel free to ask. One options is to sign up for the daily devotion that comes from the Holston Conference, which can be found at Holston.org (daily devotions tab).

I truly hope that our next season will bring us more together, working and growing together to make an impact on our community, and the world, for the glory of Christ our Lord.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

April 4, 2021

April 4, 2021

To join the online Easter celebration please join us at 9 am or after at: stmarkknox.org/sermons

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:56-57

Christ is risen! and the great news of the day, is that the fear of death is cancelled by the hope of the resurrection. We live in a society that seems to want to cancel many things these day, but today’s victory is one where celebrating. Death is cancelled, the grave is overcome, For those who call on the name of Christ Jesus, we have seen, believed ,and received the victory by his cancelling of our debt to sin.

If you ever have the chance, you should visit Christ Church in Philadelphia. There, you have the opportunity to be in the place where many of the founding fathers of our nation once sat. Christ Church is a short distance of Independence Hall, and in the cemetery around a block away from Christ church, you will discover the tomb of Benjamin Franklin. On Franklin’s tombstone is a self-composed epitaph, he had written and requested be engraved over his body.  The epitaph reads:

The body of Franklin, printer, like the cover of an old book its content torn out and stripped of its lettering and gilding lies here food for worms.  But the work will not be lost for it will appear once more in a new and more elegant edition revised and corrected by the author.

Franklin, before his death understood the truth that awaited, for those who are in Christ, they will rise again, revised, perfected by the creator.  For those who live in Christ, they echo the questions of Paul and the psalmists before him: “Where, death is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?”

What follows in Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians is a great truth about the resurrection. He give evidence, talks of its importance the sequence of it, and the value of it; and then speaks the glorious praise in response to the resurrection.  The response that we should all have when we understand this truth. In that moment of understanding we join the celestial symphony in praise and adoration to Jesus Christ, Victor over death! Hallelujah! 

If there is something this past year has taught us, from our time away from one another, from our unfortunate focus on death, we should understand that great celebration of Easter all the more, for today, we remember that death did not win. Christ is risen, and with him we are risen indeed to a life abundant and eternal. Praise be to God for our victory in Christ!

Grace & Peace,
Sam

April 3, 2021

April 3, 2021

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

— Matthew 27:46

The psalms have been classified by many different systems, but almost all systems include a large category called “laments,” or complaints to God,  In most systems these are the most common category.  And yet when we sing psalms in church we almost never sing laments.

It’s not as if we object to complaint songs — if you don’t believe me, listen to a country music station for about five minutes.  We seem to feel that it’s just not right to complain to God.  There is some biblical support for this attitude — in Numbers 21 the Israelites complained and were attacked by venomous snakes.   But Jesus himself endorsed the laments.  During Holy Week we often remember the seven last words of Christ.  Of these two are direct quotes from lament psalms (Matthew 27:46 and Luke 23:46) and another is said to be the fulfillment of a lament (John 19:28.)

Theologians and writers have lamented our loss of laments.  In an age when the church is trying to reach out to the lost and the least, the acknowledgement of suffering   through the powerful medium of music is one thing not to be thrown away lightly.  The Old Testament idea of God was of one who walks with us in all our paths, in sunshine and in the valley of the shadow.  I could be quite wrong, but it seems to me that this is the relationship that God wants.  Inclusion in worship — the most cherished of our times with God — of what troubles us the most might be entirely appropriate.

Sam here: On Holy Saturday, many sit in a time of silent lament. It is a time to reflect that Jesus spent time in the grave, or some might say in the underworld, or hell.  Jesus went to set the captives free, but before the resurrection we do not know this, before Jesus rose on the third day there was mourning. In much the same way, those who are ‘captives’ by the situations in their lives even now don’t know that better days are ahead, and for them the lament in all they know. We sit and wonder, lamenting, but in hope we believe that one day, as the psalmists say God will turn our mourning into dancing.

Gracefully submitted,
David Petty

Grace & Peace,
Sam

April 2, 2021 - Good Friday

April 2, 2021 - Good Friday

Excerpt from an article entitled Via Dolorosa written by Sarah Winfrey:

A man struggles up a dusty path.  He staggers, clearly not strong enough to bear the massive wooden beam that sits across his shoulders.  Falling, he catches himself, pauses for a breath or two, and slowly pushes himself upright again.  He glances toward his destination, only a few hundred meters from where he is now. It is a desolate place: a rock outcropping looking out over Jerusalem, where another piece of wood already stands.  This one is taller, with one end buried in the dirt.  He knows that, when he arrives, the soldiers will fix the beam currently across his shoulders high up on that wooden pole. Then they will nail him to it, and then he will die. 

He stumble again, and this time he cannot catch himself.  He tries to stand but falls back to his knees.  The bloody wounds on his back are flowing freely again, and he does not move except to heave a weary breath into his longs.  The soldiers grab someone, a simple passerby, and thrust the beam upon him.  Then they drag the man to his feet and pull him forward once again.  Even without the weight across his shoulders, he struggles to move. They goad and jeer, and eventually he stumbles on.

It is no doubt that Jesus suffered terribly.  He was beaten and bloody before this journey down what is known as the Via Delarosa ever began.  Walking about a third of a mile, with a cross beam weighing probably close to 100 pounds on his back.  He was sweaty and bloody, dirt ground in his wounds from falling; he was already gasping for breath. 

If you think of the wounds that Jesus had already endured before carrying his cross, you would probably be amazed that he made it even a single step, yet Jesus made it most of the way there before needing Simon, the innocent Cyrenian to carry his cross for him. 

Along with Jesus’ torture and accusations the night before, this one of the most brutal scenes in the Bible.  It is easier to look away, to pass directly from his arrest to his joyous resurrection.  Or it would be even easier to pass from the pomp and celebration of Palm Sunday’s entrance into Jerusalem to the grander celebration of Easter morning.  But we can’t and truly have an appreciation for the faith we have made alive in Christ.

We cannot avoid the pain, nor can we avoid the suffering of our Lord because of what the prophet Isaiah foretold, and the apostle Peter reminded us, that it is only by his wounds are we healed. His wounds. His torture. His death. That is what opened the door to the fullness of life for us.

Jesus embraced his cross and his death on behalf of the sins of the world.  That those who would believe in him, would not perish but have everlasting life.  It’s a hope that one day we will be united with our Lord in a New Heaven and a New Earth when Re-creation or New creation comes to pass. But there is hope even now, as we can embrace our times of pain and suffering, knowing that Christ has endured, and now abides with us as we abide with him.

Knowing the true love of God as seen in Jesus reminds us that we can’t skip ahead to the celebration without remembering why we are celebrating. We must understand that the love Jesus shows as the last supper, is a love that moves on to become sacrificial, a love that means giving up something even when you don’t want to; that you are submissive to another even when you would rather do something else.

I wonder how many marriages could learn about love from reading and understanding the true love that is in the passion story?

To understand that to really know what love is, we have to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus.  Even when we are exhausted, worn down, bloody but the beatings we have endured.  We still take up the cross and go up to hill called Calvary.

Only in Christianity could a symbol such as a cross bear with it a sign of love, hope, and victory.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

April 1, 2021

April 1, 2021

The virtual Maundy Thursday Service will be available after 1 pm at stmarkknox.org/sermons

23 But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted.
– Luke 23:23-24

One of the lines I always find most interesting in the creed of our faith, the apostle’s creed is that line that says: “…he suffered under Pontius Pilate ….”

When we go to the gospel record, we do see that Pilate has the final word on the punishment of Jesus for crimes against his own people. However, Pilate in all the gospels wants no part in this charade. In John’s gospel, Pilate finds not fault in Jesus, is warned by his wife to not follow through with the execution, and washes his hands of the situation. In Matthew’s gospel Pilate claims he is “innocent of this man’s blood; see to it [the crucifixion] yourselves” (27:24). In Mark’s gospel indicates that Jesus turned him over to be crucified just to pacify the crowd. And in Luke’s gospel we see a response similar to Matthew and Mark.  Pilate doesn’t seem to want to have Jesus put to death, but allows it to keep the crowd from revolting.  Yet, we recount our faith as Jesus being crucified under this man, appointed by Caesar.

For the earliest Christians, we must remember that they were Jewish, they were children of Abraham, and as such, they were under the same laws that the Pharisees were required to operate, namely, they had no rights execute anyone. To say that the Pharisees, or the Jewish authorities had Jesus crucified, would be to discredit their own people, and by doing so their own witness as they called others to believe in the death and resurrection of Christ, that through him we might all have salvation, and enter in the kingdom triumphant.

However, the Prince of Peace did not let such suffering keep him from bringing peace to all who would have faith and believe in him. We know that he suffered, was crucified, and buried.  But it is not the end of our faith that Jesus taught and died.  Jesus rose again, to bring new life for all. Today, on Maundy Thursday we start the Holy Weekend, remembering Jesus betrayal, denial, suffering, and death, but death is not the end of the story, we will see life on the other side.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

March 31, 2021

March 31, 2021

Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”            - Luke 23:1-2

The dark, immoral, and illegal trials of the Jewish council now lead to Jesus being taken before the authority that truly can have him put to death.

The members of the Sanhedrin parade Jesus off to Pilate who questions him,  and initially tries to pass him off to Herod. Herod only mocks him, ridicules him, and dresses Jesus in a royal robe having guards slap and beat him. Then, only to send Jesus back to Pilate, again.

24 hours earlier Jesus and his disciples were preparing the Passover.  A few days earlier, Jesus was making a triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  He was being praised by the people along the streets, the palm branches waving and being laid at his feet.

How could all of this come to such an abrupt halt?

We are a people who love the pomp and glory of Palm Sunday.  We love to see the palm branches waved, and to hear the Hosannas.  We are a people who have been taught that we are resurrection people, that life is abundant and full in Christ Jesus our lord, who conquers death.

We love Palm Sunday, and we love Easter, when we get to shout the Hallelujahs because our Lord has risen from the grave. But how can we truly understand the joy of those Sundays without entering into the Holy Week of Christ’s passion?

We must know that life is not always full of moment of joy, we are not always living in times of celebration. We sometimes have need for morning, desperation, failure, and we know that sometimes we feel falsely accused. Jesus walks every bit of the valleys of life with us, because he walked them before us.

the accusations and the illegal trials our Lord was forced to endure when no trials were to be held, when it was still the middle of the night, without representation, asked self-incrimination questions, condemned without a vote, and executed before even a day passed.  For even according to Jewish law after a death penalty was issued, an entire night needed to pass before the execution was carried out. 

We need to know the before we endure life, not just its joys and celebrations, but its times of desperation and accusation that our Lord endured it far before we were born.  He endured the worst devastation that life could offer, and he did it submitting constantly to the Father’s will, that we might be taught to follow Him into everything.

Jesus is offered to us, the sacrificial lamb, as the new mandate for our sin.  No more sacrifice, no more burnt offering, no more death for those who call on the name of the Lord, for Jesus endured it all in our stead, as our scapegoat.  As our sacrifice of the New Covenant between God and humanity.

Grace & Peace,
Sam