Easter People – Easter Promise Week 5

Rev. Michael Stadtmueller

Gospel: JOHN 14:15-21

[Jesus said to the disciples:] ¹⁵“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. ¹⁷This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
  ¹⁸“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. ¹⁹In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. ²⁰On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

Easter People – Easter Promise Week 4

Rev. Leta Arndt Behrens

Sermon Scripture: JOHN 14:1-14

[Jesus said to the disciples:] ¹“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. ²In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴And you know the way to the place where I am going.” ⁵Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
  ⁸Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” ⁹Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. ¹²Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”

Sermon Text:

A few years ago, our family adopted an Australian Shepherd puppy, Lola. She is specifically a red-tri from a line of quite fancy titled parents and grand parents but she ended up with us so, alas is not actually destined for show dog fame although she certainly has the sass and the instincts to pull it off! 

Anyone know anything about shepherd type dogs? They really are wired for herding, for rounding up little things, big things, anything that is moving and causing any kind of chaos in their world. When she was only a few months old, she would walk with us to school. John was a 1st grader at this time and had quite the bounce in his step. He did daring things like skip ahead … and walk next to the sidewalk instead of on it… and sometimes even run back behind to pick up a rock that grabbed his attention. This was a lot of chaos for Lola and she instantly would run up behind him when he strayed and bark him back into his place. She has others ways she displays this herding instinct besides keeping the boy in line, at dog parks she doesn’t play, she just keeps the dogs either huddled in a group or far away from her people, with my brother’s big golden retrievers, she figures they are sheep and she can herd them into a corner pretty quick. And with rabbits… oh the rabbits are really out this year! She does not want them getting comfortable in our yard and we always thought she was chasing them out- then one day she caught one. A baby one, right in her mouth and gently held it there for a moment and then let it go… and started to chase it again. This happened a couple of times and then Rob couldn’t take it and made her let it go! 

But here is the thing. Lola was doing what a shepherd dog does. She was not out to harm or destroy with her quick feet and big bark, but she was out to shepherd… to round the chaos up and gently make a way for peace to come back into the yard. She cannot help her herding instinct. It is so ingrained in her, even though she has never actually seen a sheep, she lives, barks, acts, and in her way cares for her people, her space, her world in a way that is funny at times but also creates great assurance and security that there is always this Shepherd dog guarding her flock. 

What we hear in these passages from Psalm 23 and from John is the human attempt to describe the very nature of God. A God who shepherds–gathers, protects, cares for all those in her care and all are in her care. A God who leads and guides and holds us gently. These are both scriptures that may seem out of place today because their familiarity to us often comes in the saying goodbye and celebrating the life of a loved one at funeral. So we tend to think of them and end of life words of comfort and grace to help us to walk that new path into eternal life with God–and they are words for such a time.

 AND they are also words that were not written at a time of death, but at a time of new life! Jesus has risen and is preparing to ascend to God and so he begins with a promise that there are many dwelling places with God and that the disciples have already seen God since they have seen him. Often times this passage gets painted as a big mansion with fancy rooms in a far away other world kingdom that fulfills our material desires and fantasies of an easy life. But when we go back to the roots of the words we find that the word dwelling is not so much a stationary ‘hang out in a room’ kind of word but a vibrant, moving, come dance in the light, the way, and the truth kind of word that encompassing the present and is ongoing, we can start to see a different picture of Jesus calling us to dwell with God in life now as God dwells with us not just in death or in life after death, but in and with our life right here and now. 

 Andrei Rublev, a Russian painter in the 15th century who created an icon depicting what so much of scripture aims to tell us with words about the Trinity, the nature of God as three and one. This painting has three figures around a table with food and uses three main colors of gold, blue, and green throughout each figure to highlight God as creator/father (gold), Jesus as human with us from sea and sky (blue) and the spirit as flowing through all parts of life (green). Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest who founded the Center for Contemplation and Action, writes in his latest book, The Divine Dance,  about this icon painting as another way for us to understand the very nature of God. He says, “The holy one, in the form of three, eating and drinking, in infinite hospitality and utter enjoyment between themselves… so In the beginning was the Relationship.” 

The very nature of God is to be in relationship, to be a part of a divine dance of all the ways that we see God revealed in the world. God cannot help but be a part of us and our world just as God cannot help but dwell in all places. Even the places of chaos—because Life has chaos, this is unavoidable. For Lola, chaos is children and bunnies running amok. For us, that chaos, well there is a certain chaos of just surviving the month of May it seems! Whether we are in the chaos of parenting or living on our own, the chaos of navigating the news and social media to find what is real or the chaos of our own illness or tragedy. Whether we seek to round up chaos and bring peace to the yard or whether we hide away into our own nest, the very nature of God is to dwell with us and stay in relationship no matter what ensues around us. 

Rohr goes on to describe how this painting has a kind of odd hole right up at the front of the table where there is an open space at the top of the table and this is where we find ourselves as the fourth person at this table. The story goes that at one time there was a mirror there on the painting that was removed in later centuries but that originally the artist was clear that the open place at the table was for you, for each person who gazes at this image, who seeks God, who comes to dwell in this grace. This grace, as explained by Rohr,  that is flowing, it is like water that comes down as rain, as waterfall, It always seeks the lowest place, and then there it pools.  

See we too are a part of this flow of grace. Our very nature, our essence, comes from this place. We are created in and from relationship with God, from a place of wholeness and goodness. This grace that flows and pools is in us and for us too. We are called to live into our nature of reflecting this grace of God in our communities, in our daily life, and in the lowest places of our world in our words and actions. To do what we will do to bring new life to the places of chaos and despair, to be who we are in joining this divine dance of God. And yes, we will step on toes at times and get the steps wrong at times and other times we will spin and step with grace and love from  our very core. But God still sends us and dwells with us in our chaos and sends us in that very flow of grace. 

And all through this dance, God remains in relationship with us. God our Shepherd, gathers us up and brings us to those same pools of grace, inviting us to catch our breath,  to rest for even a moment, and remember that we are gently held in God’s mercy, in the Jesus promise of truth and way and life, and in the spirit of love and grace. 

Easter People – Easter Promise Week 3

Amanda Wassenaar

Sermon Scripture: MATTHEW 6:24-34

²⁴“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. 
²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? ²⁸And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you — you of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³²For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
³⁴“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Easter People – Easter Promise Week 2

Rev. Leta Arndt Behrens

Sermon Scripture: LUKE 24:13-35

¹³Now on that same day [when Jesus had appeared to Mary Magdalene,] two [disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁴and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, ¹⁶but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. ¹⁸Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” ¹⁹He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. ²¹But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. ²²Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, ²³and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. ²⁴Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” ²⁵Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! ²⁶Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” ²⁷Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
²⁸As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. ²⁹But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. ³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. ³¹Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. ³²They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” ³³That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. ³⁴They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Read the Sermon Here:

Last Sunday Pastor Michael told us a story about the Kutia Shaka–the monster of doubt that grew in power as long it was not spoken about. This monster of doubt’s power was broken and revealed as nothing as soon as it was named, as soon as it was not in the dark and brought out into the light. It is a story about how all and any of those things we keep hidden–grief, mental illness, physical illness, gender identity, feelings of loss, love and forbidden thoughts–can become the Kutia Shaka, the monster that overtakes our perspective, over takes our reality, over takes our spiritual selves and our ability to see much less walk in the light of Jesus that we are promised. 

This place of naming is where we find the disciples of Jesus in our gospel today. Cleopas and another follower of Jesus that remains un-named have heard the news from Mary and the women who found the tomb empty and now they are making the 7 mile walk to Emmaus to go and be with the other, including the 11 lead disciples and as they are walking they are naming—naming their bewilderment, naming their questions. They say we had hoped… 

… We had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel

… We had hoped he would stay with us

… We had hoped he would continue healing and praying and teaching

…. We had hoped to know more and be more and to follow 

When we allow ourselves to go there, we can get the naming and hoping too. 

…. We had hoped there was a cure

…. We had hoped she would beat the addiction

…. We had hoped he would get counseling

…. We had hoped their marriage would last

…. We had hoped for children

… We had hoped for peace and restoration in our city, or country or nation

On this part of the road, the disciples are right there in the middle of the chaos of all the ‘we had hopeds” Chaos comes in many different ways. Mary was in such a chaos of grief at the tomb, worried and scared about where Jesus body had been taken that she did not recognize him when he arrived but only saw when he spoke. Thomas was in the chaos of bewilderment, fear, doubt that he did not see Jesus until he felt his body. And these disciples are in the chaos of spinning mind, questions, how to tell the others and what to do now with the unbelievable truth of the resurrection. 

 We know chaos too. Chaos comes in the hectic busyness of our days, our plans, our hopes. Chaos comes in our grief and in our struggles. Chaos comes in our questions and our spinning minds. And so we also have the ability to not see, to miss Jesus right alongside us. 

But that is where he is. There are times Jesus sits with us in our tears and times that he meets us on the road and times that he pushes us forward and times that he gives us a big old shove out of ourselves and into the world. 

 In this story Jesus comes alongside these followers. He joins their conversation and falls in step with their pace. He hears their stories and their hopes and chaos. As Jesus walks alongside them he gives them the space to name their story, to process their feelings and thoughts and to keep walking on that road that is leading them forward. I think sometimes our children can name this need better than we can. My nephew this week, he is 2, woke up from an ill -timed nap as he mother came home from work. He woke up crying and crying; his mother and I trying every thing imaginable to comfort him—a new blanket, milk, the dinner he had been eating and his mom said, ‘oh honey just tell me what you want so I can make you feel better. “ and he answer “ I want to cry… !” So she sat alongside him and said ok, I suppose you can cry and I will just hold you while you do. Little Greyson and his mama, like Jesus, knows that hurry does not help a wounded spirit. 

See just having eyes opened from whatever nap we have been taking, does not mean we know where to look or how to move or which way to go. Naming cannot happen just once or by one person. The monsters must continue to be talked about. racism, misogny, sexual discrimination, human trafficking, violence, war, depression, anxiety, religious persecution—none of these go away or get better or have the opportunity for healing stories without those who continue to walk the road, continue to call it out, listen to their had hopes and fall into step with others, standing the midst with Jesus. 

When these two followers reach their destination, they welcome him into their place for a meal. It is at this meal, what we now practice weekly in communion that they have their eyes completely opened and they know that they have taken one step further on this road and one step deeper into their following of God. They recognize the warmth they felt in their hearts as God the spirit and they begin to know on another level, a body-mind-spirit level. I mentioned that there were two followers on this road, one who was named Cleopas and one who’s name we are not told. What if that person is not named on purpose because that other follower is you; a place for you to find yourself in this story. What if that third person had your had hoped, your chaos, your twirling mind, your experience of faith and doubt and touch, sound, sight and reason. Imagine that Jesus joins you on this road… on your walk through your neighborhood, on your drive to work or school or church or home and imagine that as you share your stories with a friend, loved one, or trusted stranger or you listen, fall in step with another, that Jesus comes into this moments right alongside you. These are the moments were we can let our hearts be warmed and our minds be cleared to just be. As we walk this road of faith these are easter moments filled with promise and alleluias that are as deep as our sighs and as high as our eyes can see. 

Last week the children learned a breath prayer with the word Alleluia and I hope you realize that alleluia prayer is not just for children. Like the butterflies we talked about in our children’s sermon today, change, metamorphosis is slow and takes time and takes air and breath and life moving us forward to embrace the goodness of God that is in each of us, that we were created in this goodness of God’s image. This kind of road walking and deepening and coming out of our chaos takes not just time, but space and breath. 

In order for us to experience this and practice it, I am going to play a song for you called Just Breath by Jason Diaz. You will notice that this song has moment of fast pace words and beat and then a chorus of slowing down and breath. I invite you that as the fast pace of the words go by to hear them and let your thoughts go their own way into your own experience of chaos. And then when the music slows down and the words tell you to breath, pull those thoughts back and let your spirit be still for a moment. 

Play Song— Johnny Diaz Just Breath

Let’s end together breathing in and out the prayer of Allelulia

Easter People – Easter Promise “Doubt”

Rev. Michael Stadtmueller

Sermon Scripture: JOHN 20:19-31

¹⁹When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
²⁴But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
²⁶A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” ²⁸Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Read Sermon Here:

Inspired by Enuma Okuro

I have a story to tell you. A story about a terrible, terrible monster.  A monster that is all too real.  A monster that as the story is told in Africa devours entire villages.  Can you listen to my story?  Listen because the dangers of this monster should not be underestimated.  But fear not children for as you hear this story you will know the way not only to avoid this monster, but to be a light for this world that helps others to avoid it too.

The name is different depending on where you travel.  It takes on many names because most believed that to say it’s name at all would invite it into your presence.  “Kutia Shaka” is the Swahili name for this monster.  And the “Kutia Shaka” can take on many forms.  But the power of this monster is that it destroys it’s victims one at a time, but one doesn’t disappear until it has already grasped another.  It travels from one victim to another, and once they are caught by the “Kutia Shaka” they will soon disappear from the community.

It is said that a long time ago there were three villages that worked together.  Imani, Matumanee and Upendo.  They were a content, safe and thriving, but  the “Kutia Shaka” was gaining strength.  All the villagers knew it, but said nothing.  No one dared speak its name which made it even harder to talk about.  Stories of far-away villages disappearing trickled in from wandering strangers.  But it was far away, they felt helpless, and of course how could they talk about it?  They felt there was nothing they could do, except make sure no one spoke it’s name.

Then word came word to the other two villages that the “Kutia Shaka was in Imani (faith). Soon no one heard from Imani again.   Neighborhoods in Upendo and Matumanee started to speak less and less to one another.  Perhaps it would come, but if we stayed inside, away in our home, and did not speak its name our family would be safe.

Then the “Kutia Shaka came to Matumanee (hope).  It was actively connected to Upendo, and then… The people did not respond.  The village leaders in Upendo told everyone to remain in their homes.  Their only hope was to stay isolated.  Lock the door.  Stay in their upper rooms.

The adults knew why, but dared not speak the name.  They huddled their children inside the houses, but the children did not know why.  No one would say, but the adults lived in a silent fear.  Silent because no one would talk about it for fear of bringing the terrible beast to their door.  The Kutia Shaka ruled their life and they had know idea how to deal with it.

Then one little boy stuck in his home stumbled upon a story, and in the story was the word.  The word, the terrible word that must not be spoken.  And the curious boy went to his mom, as children do.. And he said, Mom, tell me about the Kutia Shaka…..

(gasp)  NO… She said astonished. Don’t say that word  But in that moment the terrible creature was already in their midst.  But the boy pressed on unaware of the danger.  Why do you look scared I just want to know about the Kutia Shaka.”

STOP!  MY SWEET CHILD!  IT IS HERE!  HOLD STILL DON’T SAY A WORD AND PERHAPS IT WILL LEAVE US.

But then an amazing thing happened.  The woman could see what the boy already saw.  The power of that monster was gone as soon her son said it’s name.  Yes it came when it’s name was spoken, but it was disarmed, it was no longer dangerous.  And soon Upendo heard the story too.  And the name began to be spoken throughout the village.   It was said, “Speak the name of Kutia Shaka, and it no longer destroys.  In fact it can strengthen.  It only has power to destroy when is not seen.  When it is not named.  And amazingly enough when the name was spoken in the vilages of Imani and Matumanee the villagers were returned safely.

And this is where the story comes to us.  For this monster takes on many forms.  The Kutia Shaka is the swahili word for doubt.  Its negative powers come not when we talk about it, but when we don’t talk about it.  When we remind ourselves that the power of our promise in Jesus Christ is it’s ability to light our darkness, we are called to expose all of our fears to God.  To our community. Imani, Matumanee and Upendo are the swahili words for Faith, Hope and love.  Through Jesus Christ, they are not subject to doubt, unless we turn doubt into a monster.  Kutia Shaka (doubt) is a part of faith, hope and love that can allow them to grow stronger.  And even in moments when doubt seems to be gaining power, the power of the Alleluia promise we have is greater.

I think the first century church was realizing this in their telling of this story.  I think they knew that so many things we see as negative, and monstrous to the church are built up that way because we do not talk about them.

See, We can lock ourselves in the upper rooms of our churches, and turn this place into a place that doesn’t deal with conflict and struggle, or we can remember that conflict and struggle is where Jesus would have us go.

There will always be a fear that we don’t want to name.  But when we trust in the power of Jesus the power of these monsters is lost.

Now Think about the other monsters that when we don’t talk about them gain power….Racism…. Shh don’t talk about that, Sexism… shh..,, Sexuality, not in the church…., Abuse, Anger, addiction… (there are many more.)  These monsters are very real.  Their strength is when we don’t talk about them.  Talk to your children about them.  Talk to you neighbors.  Overcome your fears, your doubts, and trust in the promise that is shared in Jesus Christ.  Amen.