Thankful Giving

Mark 12:38-44

“Has given everything she had, even what she needed to live on.”

I’ve been thinking about this phrase all week. What does it mean to give everything we have? More so, what does it mean to give the things we need to live on?

Today, we come to the final installment of our journey through the Gospel of Mark. It’s been a great 3 months, or so, in which we learned about discipleship, walking with Christ as our guide, and remembering that we never travel alone as not only is God always with us but so are fellow travelers which God has put on our paths. We heard stories about not hindering other’s approach into God’s love and to be as welcoming to the outcasts and the unwanted in our communities as we are to Jesus himself.

Mostly, though, we heard story after story of how Jesus calls his followers to do what is right in the eyes of God: to love one another with the same unconditional love God has for us and to love ourselves in the same way and above all to love God with all we are. I think it’s that same unconditional love we here at Ewa Community Church have for one another and for those who live within, as well as beyond, our community; one look at this chancel speaks louder about that than any words I can say.

As I watched you bring your gifts forward, I thought to myself, “This really is a great church. We are mission-oriented and do what we can to provide for the well-being of others. We might not be a big church, but we most certainly give all that we have.”

We don’t do so to show others how great we are, or to bring attention to ourselves in any way; instead we give from a place within ourselves that speaks as loud as silence, the same kind of silence with which the poor widow in today’s story spoke.

Today we find Jesus in one of the in-between places Mark is known for. The presentation of the child to his disciples in Capernaum and the stroll through the villages by Caesarea Philippi are recent examples we have seen of those same kind of in-between places; places where Jesus’ more intimate teachings take place.

Today’s passage takes place between the grueling interrogation by the temple elite and Jesus’ moment on the hill across the temple. If we recall last week’s message, Jesus had just finished a debate with some of Jerusalem’s smartest religious and legal counsels. He then stepped out of the city and away from the temple where he warns that bad things have to happen before the people fully understand what he is trying to teach.

Before they leave the city, though, Jesus sits down right outside the temple, in full view of the collection box to watch how people give their money. After all, he did just say something about people who long for places of honor in the synagogues and who like to show off by saying long prayers. Jesus just thought it would be interesting to see if any of his words were getting through.

My guess is it didn’t. Jesus watched as person after person came to the collection box, haphazardly tossing in money, throwing it in without a thought as to what their contributions meant to the building of God’s Kingdom. However, in contrast to those who give without a thought, the poor widow approaches the collection box with pride and dignity, willing to give everything she has.

The widow gave to the temple not out of duty, nor does she give with the hopes God will somehow rescue her from her dire situation. The widow gives because of her faithfulness to God, and God’s faithfulness to her. She is devoted to the fact that God is in her life, regardless of where she is on life’s journey and for that she is thankful – so much so that she comes into the temple during one of their people’s largest festivals in order to give what she can, which is all she had, to thank God for everything God has done in her life.

The widow is being a good steward of the gifts which God has given her and as such is retuning that gift to God so that God’s Kingdom will be stronger.

In a recent article, author Benjamin Corey said a few things about the Kingdom of God. He said that the Kingdom of God is not concerned with building walls, but tearing them down and that the Kingdom of God is not concerned with having more, but giving more. Those are interesting words to ponder in the place Mark’s Gospel has us today.

It seems as though we’re living in a time when some people would rather put up barriers, or as Mark’s Gospel describes them, stumbling blocks, instead of making the path to God’s all-encompassing love easier. It seems that we’re living in a time when most people are more concerned with their self-interests than they are about the lives of those who are seeking a chance at life, literally. It seems as though the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees of which Jesus warned us are once again cheating widows out of their homes.

But, it only seems that way if we let it be such. There was also one more thing Mr. Corey said in his article: The Kingdom of God exists to help those in need. It’s in helping those in need we are reminded about today.

Stewardship is defined as an ethic that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources. It is the blending of 2 words; stig which means house or hall, and weard which means guardian or keeper. Stewardship, then, is a set of moral principles with which one manages and plans how to utilize that with which they are entrusted.  

Biblical stewardship is doing the same with the gifts God has entrusted to us. Oftentimes when stewardship is mentioned in the church we think of money. Yes, helping to finance the work of the church is important, but that’s not the whole thing. Financially, I’m sure we all do what we can. It’s with the other gifts God has entrusted to us that we should truly be considering.

Some of us are gifted with great organizational skills and could help with planning events for our church and the Ewa community in which we live. Some of us are gifted with being able to moderate a group discussion and could lead a church study group. Some of us are gifted with making crafts or baking cakes and cookies and could make things to sell at our mission fairs. Some of us have good leadership skills and could help facilitate one of our committees. Some of us are good at being a caring presence for others and could visit our members who, for whatever reasons, cannot attend church on a regular basis.

We each have something we’re gifted with and it doesn’t matter if the gift you have is small or big. What does matter is how you give that gift to better the Kingdom of God and to do so with the same outlook our widow in today’s story has: thankfulness. A thankfulness that God is in our lives and a thankfulness that we are able to do what we can in order to help others realize that God is in their lives as well.

Her gift to the temple also highlights one more thing that needs to be mentioned. We are told by Jesus to beware of the legal experts who do things only to make themselves look better, the same people Jesus says do so at the expense of the widows of the world. Yet the widow gave anyway. Jesus tells his followers that the poor woman is a direct recipient of all the things the religious figures of his day had created – division between different classes of people, the inability for the unclean to re-enter God’s presence, and the separation of the church from the people who needed it the most; but none of that mattered to this woman, she gave anyway.

Her faith in God and how God would use whatever gifts she brought to the temple to better the lives of those around her was more than enough for her to give all that she had, everything she needed to live on. Perhaps she also gave out of a sense of hope. In ancient Israel, the “poor” were not required to give; they simply did so because they believed in the goodness of the institution, the goodness of its leaders, and the need for the religious institution to remain. Her hope was that her gift would be used to better the lives of others, even if she herself had nothing left after giving.

I want to tell you a quick story which was posted in Facebook by a childhood friend of mine.

It was this time of the year 4 years ago, I was sitting at a stop light next to Honolulu Hale, when I witnessed a homeless couple crossing the street. They wore torn dirty clothes, Their hair uncombed, skin unwashed. They held each other’s hand as they used the cross walk to make their way to the other side as the traffic waited for the light to change.
Then. . . unexpectedly, in the middle of the street the man turns to the woman and ever so lovingly and gently kissed her, and in full view of the waiting traffic gave her the most incredible embrace as if to say " My Love, let others watch. I will use this moment to bear witness to the world that although I have nothing to offer you, from now until breath leaves my body for the last time, I am yours and shall always love you with all my heart".
For a few seconds, I couldn't see a homeless couple, but instead I saw a man and woman deeply in love with each other.
For those in love, a blessing that your love grows and endures.
For those looking for love, a prayer and a blessing that the Heavenly Father will grant you the love you are looking for. . .
Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends!

What an amazing gift for my friend to be given. That couple had nothing of which to call their own except for the love they shared with one another; a love so strong they didn’t mind sharing it with the rest of the world. Such, my friends, is the love of Christ.

When we read on from today’s passage we will find Jesus entering his final days here on earth. He is going to be betrayed by those closest to him, lied about and made to endure a trial of mistruths and falsehoods. In the end, all Jesus will have to offer as a gift is his life – which he does without so much as a complaint because it’s in that gift he hopes we begin to understand the depth of his love for us.

Thanksgiving is this week. It’s that special day we set aside as a people to be thankful for all that with which we have been entrusted. It’s also a day we can reflect on all we can give back to God with that same gratitude. It’s only when we are able to give of ourselves as freely as did Christ, that those around us will be able to understand the love we have to share. A love which comes from God and flows through us and into the world.

A world where God is ever-present and where God’s ever-present love lives. A world where Ewa Community Church can remain to be a beacon of hope and a path towards rebuilding relationships within our community. All of which is possible because of the gifts you have been entrusted with and are now able to give back to God to help make God’s Kingdom a better place for all.

God is with us all, and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you!  Amen.

The End Of A Bad Day

Mark 13:1-8

We pick up today’s story from Mark at a time when Jesus and his followers have had a few very busy days. It was only a couple of days ago that Jesus rode through the gates of Jerusalem as people laid leafy branches and their coats on the ground for the colt to step on as shouts of “hosanna” and “blessed is the one” rang through the air.

Mark tells us that by the time Jesus entered the temple that day it was late, so he and his followers leave Jerusalem and head for Bethany, a town that was maybe an hour’s walk away. The next morning Jesus and his followers return to Jerusalem, where upon entering the temple he sees how it’s been turned from a place of worship to a place where tradesmen hawk their wares for profit. This upsets him and he turns over their tables and drives out the buyers and sellers from what has become a marketplace.

It’s here when we’re told the temple elite have finally had enough and look for a way to kill Jesus. What I find interesting, and good for another day’s discussion, is why the chief priests and scribes wanted to kill him – because they regarded him as dangerous due to the fact that people were becoming captivated by his teachings.

The end of that day comes and Jesus and his followers once again leave the temple and head towards Bethany. The next morning as Jesus tries to enter the temple, the chief priests and scribes stop him at the door to inquire as to what authority Jesus has to teach in the temple. This begins a day where Jesus is tested over and over by those who profess themselves to be experts in either the law or religion.

The Pharisees, defenders of the traditional written Mosaic laws, ask him if it is lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor. Sadducees, who the great historian, Josephus, described as boorish and rude keepers of the law, asked Jesus about the resurrection, a subject they themselves did not believe in. The scribes, who copied down the laws and taught them to others, asked Jesus what was the first commandment from God.

Mark’s gospel goes to great lengths in chapter 12 to show us the hypocritical positions of those who were considered the temple experts, and he does so quite well. Those who are interrogating Jesus in the hopes to catch him in what we would call a “gotcha moment” in today’s vernacular, leave Jesus in the temple without so much as a reason for those who have gathered to be taught by the great Rabbi to doubt anything Jesus is teaching.

The chief priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes each try to trap Jesus with their questions, and in the process only bring those who Jesus is teaching, the common people of Jerusalem, closer to understanding God’s truth about what the law is supposed to represent: God’s unconditional love for us and the hope that we would have this same unconditional love for others as well as ourselves.

This brings us to the end of another day – a long, grueling, difficult day for Jesus. It’s one of those days where one isn’t sure if any of what was done had a meaning; whether or not the words and actions which were said and done fulfilled a purpose.

Jesus must have been showing his unsureness from the day’s events. I’m sure he was showing at least some fatigue, having just been in grueling arguments with some of Jerusalem’s brightest minds for most of the day. I can just imagine as he and his followers come out of the temple after the day he just had when one of them, apparently trying to lift Jesus’ spirits tries to point out the beauty of the place they were just in.

“Teacher, look! What awesome stones and buildings!” he says to Jesus. He attempts to get Jesus to look at the great craftsmanship, to look at the exquisite stones used to build that place, to look at the artistic carvings each column and wall had to offer. “Look”, he says to Jesus, “look at the beauty of this place.” While thinking, “I wish I could somehow make Jesus feel better.”

If we’re true to Mark’s version of Jesus’ story we almost immediately see his eyes sadden and his head drop a little. He has just spent a full day teaching and repudiating attacks from others when one of his disciples, those who have followed him through every land and walked every path of this journey with him, those who should have understood Jesus the best by this point in the story, tries to cheer him up with something of material value.

That disciple might as well have said, “Don’t worry about speaking God’s truth to the people who need to hear it the most, look at the pretty walls.”

I can almost hear Jesus, tired from a long day, say in a slightly subdued voice, but still matter-of-factly in its tone, “Do you see these enormous buildings? Not even one stone will be left upon another. All will be demolished.”

It’s like Jesus saying to that disciple, “Really?! After the day I had you want to talk about things that don’t matter now, nor will again ever matter?” His disciples just don’t understand.

Jesus then finds a spot he can be alone with his thoughts. A place high atop a hill across the temple, probably with a great view of the buildings he just left. As his head contemplates the words which were spoken that day, and his heart lay heavy knowing that he doesn’t know how to reach the people he feels called by God to reach, he is approached by 4 of his followers – Peter, James, John, and Andrew.

They ask him a question, “Tell us, when will these things happen? What sign will show that all these things are about to come to an end?” It is a question Jesus never answers. You see, it isn’t important when or how or why the temple will be destroyed. It isn’t important what will bring the temple down. It really doesn’t matter who will be responsible for the stones of that great building being thrown down and demolished. The thing that is important is that from this point forward Jesus’ followers understand that things will become extremely difficult and that they hold on tightly to the words and actions Jesus has taught them along their journey together.

It is here I feel a need to remind you that Mark was written at a time when people of the Jewish faith as well as Christians were being persecuted. Mark would have a keen understanding that the temple which stood for all that Israel holds close to its heart would soon be torn down. Mark would be living through a time when his people would once again be dispersed throughout the land and the one place in which they found refuge in God would no longer exist.

Mark was also being written in a time when many others who called themselves the true prophets of God roamed the towns and villages. We know this from Paul’s writings, which were written before Mark or any of the other Gospels. Paul warns the churches in Ephesians, Corinth, and Rome about such teachers and preachers. He reminds those churches about the importance of keeping their focus on the one who is truly sent from God to speak and teach God’s truth, Jesus our Christ.

Mark’s Gospel continues in today’s passage with that same idea. “Watch out” he says, “that no one deceives you. Many people will come in my name, saying, ‘I’m the one!’ They will deceive many people.” Mark’s Gospel, by linking these two points – the destruction of the temple and the caution to stay true to the words of the one true Christ – warns his readers that regardless of how much the world around us falls apart, if we strongly hold on to the words and life of Christ we will break through whatever is hindering our journey.

On Friday evening, a small group of 7 men exploded bombs and shot innocent people in their misguided war against those who don’t agree with their ideologies. It’s an ideology which no rational human being can agree with. Ideologies which include the oppression of woman, the detachment of hands or feet for not doing as one is told, even death for any who will not swear allegiance to what these ideologists consider to be the one and only way.

A misguided ideology because the doctrine from which these ideas are taken teach the words of prophets who speak only of peace, hope, joy, and love. Yet, just as these people currently misuse the words in their version of a bible so have many others from humanity’s history.

My intention is not to defend another’s religion, or another’s way of life. My intention is to speak about how, even in the face of fear and terror, even in the face of imminent death and the destruction of all you believe, it is our faith which pulls us into the safety and security which the one Creator wishes for all people.

I don’t know how many of you were glued to the constant news cycle of the last few days; a cycle which spoke of how terrorists took almost 130 lives around the life-filled city of Paris, France. We heard witness accounts from survivors who spoke of people falling around them and how they feared for their own lives. We heard stories from France’s government swearing they will find whoever did this and bring them to justice. Yet, there seemed to be more questions than answers.

Within hours the world responded. France’s national colors began to light monuments across the world. While the Eiffel Tower sat in darkness, the arch over Wembley Stadium shined with the Blue, White, and Red. The sail-shaped canopies which cover the Opera House in Australia shined with the Blue, Red, and White. The Empire State Building in New York City; The CN Tower over Toronto, Ontario, Canada;  the High Roller, a 550-foot Ferris Wheel in Las Vegas, and The White House all shined with the Blue, Red, and White to show solidarity with the people of France.

Of all the world’s monuments, however, the one that made me really stop and think, no, more than that, the one that brought truth to my heart was the Christ of the Redeemer, the 125-foot statue of Jesus Christ with his arms spread open, inviting all to him while at the same time keeping watch over the people of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Seeing our Christ shining with the light of solidarity, glowing with the light of unity, radiating with the light of harmony told me that all things will be fine.

It is in the light of Christ I found my peace. It is in the light of Christ I know the people of Paris will find theirs. It is in the light of Christ I hope you will find yours as well.

When people from around the world want to share something on social media they use what is called a hashtag. For those my age, or older, it’s the symbol on the push-button phone that looks like the symbol for number or pound. In fact, it used to be called the pound sign. In the past few days a hashtag has been created in order for the world to share their thoughts with the people of Paris. I’d like to share some of those with you now.

#PrayForParis: I will never understand what makes a person think they can take another life away. Life is precious and they have no right.
#PrayForParis: can't stop thinking about little ones who woke up today with no mommy, no daddy, big brother or sister
#PrayForParis: Because of God we are: Found, Saved, Hopeful, Inspired, Forgiven, Blessed, Stronger, Optimistic, Loved.
#PrayForParis: "Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear..." -Is 58:8
#PrayForParis: "When the city of light goes dark, the rest of the world lights up for them"

When people turn against people and battle lines are drawn it begins to feel like our world is falling apart. Sometimes those things must happen in order for us to fully come to understand what Jesus’ life was truly about. Jesus asks us to hold tight to his words; words which shine brightly on our love of neighbor regardless of who they are; words which shine brightly on loving ourselves in the same way; and words which shine brightly on the love for a God whose own Light came into this world, not to condemn it, but so that all people might find the joy of peace through him.

All we have to do is share this Light as it shines brightly in our lives and in our hearts.

God is always with us.  Amen.

Trust, Obedience, Reconciliation

Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17

At the time Ruth’s story was being told, there was a law within the nation of Israel which prohibited women from owning any property. All of a family’s holdings – land, livestock, houses, and the like – were owned by the male head-of-household. The women of the household were completely dependent on their husbands, sons, brothers-in-law, or other male family members who were within the lineage of their husbands.

If a woman’s husband died, his inheritance went first to his sons. If he had no sons it would go to his brothers, beginning with the eldest. If he had no brothers it would go to the closest living relative who would publicly claim that the deceased male is a relative and who would also claim full responsibility for all of the man’s property; including his wife and, if he had any, his unmarried daughters or any other female left under his care.

If no one would lay claim to the property – the land, livestock and such – it would automatically be awarded to whoever was the highest religious or political authority in the area. If nobody laid claim to the women, however, they would be deemed widows and orphans and as such would be considered outsiders of the community and unclean in the eyes of the temple. This would mean that any woman whose husband died was truly at the mercy of any male relative who thought enough of them to care for them as part of the man’s own family.

Such is the place Naomi and her two step-daughters find themselves in today’s story.

During a time of famine, Naomi and her husband, Elimelech, moved from Judah to Moab in the hopes of finding a new life for themselves and their two sons. This had to be a difficult move for them as Moab was known as a pagan land where the one God which they worshiped in Judah did not exist. But, as it is now so was it then, the safety and security of their family outweighed all else, causing them to move into a life where they would do the best they could.

Unfortunately, Naomi’s husband dies while they’re in Moab, leaving her and her two sons alone in a foreign country. Of course, according to their laws, when they move back home to Judah the sons will automatically inherit their father’s properties, so they really don’t have anything to worry about.

There’s still a need for them to be in Moab as the famine which enshrouds their homeland of Judah is still in effect. So they stay there and take Moabite wives as women. This is a good thing as now there would be a way to ensure that their father’s inheritance would continue through their lineage.

As fate would have it, after 10 years of toiling away in Moab and trying to make a living for themselves and their families, Naomi’s two sons die. This one event leaves Naomi with nobody to continue watching out for her safety and security as she gets older. It also leaves the two women who married into the family with a decision to make. They are both Moabites, and according to Jewish laws at the time were unable to participate in any way with the traditions of the Judeans. This means that they also don’t have any of the safeties or securities being married brings.

However, because they are Moabites they are free to re-marry as they wish. So along the way back to Judah, where the famine has apparently ended, Naomi tells her two daughters-in-law that they are free to return to their place of birth in order that they might find a way to provide for themselves. Naomi understands that she is returning to a place where there are no guarantees for her livelihood and her wish is that they don’t share in the same possible fate.

One of them decides to return to Moab, while the other, Ruth, makes the decision to stay with Naomi and together face whatever may come.

Ruth and Naomi return to a land where fields are once again producing and where the people are living within the blessings of God. But, they neither have a place to live or a way to provide for themselves; so they glean. Gleaning is the act of following harvesters as they pick the wheat or other crops, gathering whatever might be left over in the fields. Naomi and Ruth, as well as many others, survived in this way.

Now, we’re not told about the well-being of Naomi’s husband before he passed away. We know absolutely nothing about what kind of a lifestyle Naomi had before the famine and before they decided to settle in Moab. What we do know is that at this point in the story Naomi has nothing – no home, no land, not even dignity in her self. What we also know is that Naomi held dearly to the truth that she had an undying loyalty from Ruth, and that God was in her life.

Those are two things that, when all else seems to be falling apart around us, we can also count on: we are loved by the people who are loyal to us and we are always in the presence of a God who never stops loving us.

When I first started in ministry I was blessed to work with young people. I say blessed because working with teenagers also gave me the opportunity to be in ministry with their parents, grandparents, cousins, uncles and aunties, and even their friends. I especially enjoyed talking with their grandparents who gave me a keen insight into life; not just those of their grandchildren or their families, but of life in general.

I remember when one of the youth I ministered to lost a grandparent. It was difficult for her, to say the least. She completely shut down, not knowing how to act or react to anything or anyone. One day, after church was done and youth group was winding down, I asked her to go outside with me so we could talk. We crossed the basketball court and sat on a wall by some classrooms where we simply sat quietly for a while.

She started to cry and I gently placed my arm around her shoulder. She leaned into me and started crying more. After a minute or so she calmed down enough for me to ask her what was going on. She told me how much she missed her grandmother and how empty life was without her. I turned her towards me and just listened.

She told me of all the times her and her grandma would bake, or go shopping, or just hang out and enjoy one another’s company. But now that she was gone, life didn’t seem worth living. I let her be silent again. I gently asked her to look up at me, and when she did I said to her, “I consider myself to be very lucky to have known your grandmother. She was a woman filled with life and love and gave hope to everyone she met. I miss her too.”

Then I said, “I especially remember one day when we were talking after church and she said to me, “Randy, life will always be good for me because I have love. Not just the love of those around me, but the love of God in my heart.”

Then I asked the young girl, “Do you believe you have love?”

She nodded.

“Do you believe there are people around you who love you?”

She nodded again.

“Do you believe that God still loves you?” She shrugged, then after a few seconds she nodded.

We talked more about the pain we feel when someone close to us has gone, and how much life will be different because of that loss. Then after a while she looked up at me and smiled. It was in that smile I knew she would be okay.

Naomi’s story reminds me of these kinds of moments. Moments when all seems lost, but because of our love for God and our trust that God is always at our side, we know that things will get better; just as things got better for Ruth and Naomi.

You see, Naomi had a relative of her passed husband in Judah; not just any relative but one with money. So when they get to Judah, Ruth tells her mother-in-law that she would like to glean in his fields in the off chance she might find favor, or be noticed, by the man. And get noticed she does. Boaz, Naomi’s relative, really takes a liking to Ruth, even so far as to allow her to walk among the young men as they harvest the fields, taking as much as she needed.

As the rest of the story goes…At the suggestion of Naomi, Ruth goes into Boaz’s room during the night, where she is discovered by him laying at his feet. Instead of punishing her as was custom to their laws, Boaz sends her away with enough barley to sell in the markets, not so much for her to make money, but in order for him to make right that which should be made right.

As Naomi and Ruth sit in the marketplace, Boaz has a meeting with his older brother, the one who is rightfully in line to gain possession of Naomi’s fields. Boaz tells his brother that he should purchase that field in order to take what is rightfully his – the land and all that is in it. However, Boaz also reminds his brother that as a part of the purchase he must also gain possession of Naomi, and the Moabite woman Ruth.

Boaz’s brother wants nothing of the deal. You see, a Moabite is regarded as an outsider, one who can never enter into the Kingdom of God. They do not follow the rules of the Jewish faith and by taking possession of Ruth he puts into jeopardy all of his own possessions. Instead of claiming what is rightfully his, Boaz’s brother denies claim and Boaz, being next in line to the inheritance, redeems what now becomes his and takes Ruth to be his wife.

The story ends well, with Ruth bearing a son wo is named Obed. Obed grows old and takes a wife who gives him a son, whose name is Jesse. Jesse grows old and takes a wife who gives him a son, whose name is David. David will grow up to become the greatest king of the Jewish people and it’s from David’s house the lineage continues until Joseph is given a son by Mary, who we all know as Jesus, our Christ.


It is in Jesus that humanity’s hopes are rekindled. It’s through Jesus we are all shown the way into God’s love.

My encounter with that young woman must have been 12 or 13 years ago and she must be close to 30 years old by now. I haven’t seen her recently, in fact I don’t think I’ve seen her for at least 8 or 10 years. I don’t know what she’s up to now, having lost track of her as she grew from a teenager into a lady.

I would like to think she’s doing fine. I’m sure her life hasn’t been all easy, nor am I led to believe she’s reached every one of her life’s goals; none of us really do. Somehow, though, I know that she is doing fine. I caught a glimpse into the woman she would become on that wall outside the church classrooms, and what I saw in her smile was a woman who knew that regardless of where her paths took her she would be surrounded by people her life to help her who would be there through the difficult times as well as share in her times of joy. I saw a woman whose faith in God was made stronger because for just a while it had gotten weaker. I saw a young woman who knew that regardless of her circumstances she would find a way into a better situation.

Somehow, I also knew that her trust in Jesus Christ would endure all things and that she would find a way to heed God’s call to better the lives of those around her; in the process being as Jesus was to many – a way into reconciliation with others, our self, and with God.

God is with us always.  Amen.

The Newness Of All Things

Isaiah 25:6-9

I have found that the more open I am about my faith at work, the more opportunities I have to share that faith. I enjoy conversations with people from all walks of life who both share and don’t share the same beliefs I do. It’s really good for my personal journey when I remain open and try my best to learn about what others have to offer me in order for me to continue growing in my relationship with God.

For example, I was talking with a fellow teacher about biblical healing. We were talking about how Jesus could easily heal with the touch of his hands or with words of compassion. We were in agreement with most things, not all things, but found within our mutual respect a spiritual growth in our relationship.

During the conversation, she had told me about her experience with the Sunday School she teaches. She has a small group of 5 year olds where she talks with them about how God loves them through stories from the Old and New Testament; stories about Noah’s ark and Moses being found by an Egyptian queen, stories about Jesus feeding thousands of people or what it means to be a good Samaritan.

Her class is getting ready to participate in their church’s Thanksgiving service, at which they will be performing a song about God’s love and how they can lean on his strength when they feel sad. She began to share the song with me, mumble singing it as she went through the movements she was teaching the kids in order to help them remember the song.

She wrapped her arms around herself to represent love and she held her arms in some kind of a muscle pose to represent strength. She pointed to heaven to represent God and to me and her to represent all of us. I wish I could remember the song and do it for you, but…yeah.

However, it wasn’t so much about the song she wanted to share with me, it was about the teaching moment that followed. She told me that as she was explaining to the kids what the song meant to her, about how through God we are protected and loved and how we’re to be thankful for all of that, she mentioned that it’s also through the people God puts in our lives we can share that same love and protection.

Then she told me something she was surprised came out through her words. She said, “Just imagine that if all those people we learn about in the bible could watch us and know that the stories they tell us really help us learn about God and Jesus, they would be so very happy with us right now.”
She could only describe that moment as a Spirit moment; where the Spirit of God took over and led her to say that all the people in our lives, even those from an ancestral past, are what makes us the people we are today; and a good people at that.

I shared in that moment with her, seeing how the many people God has put on my path has led me to where I am today. I’m not just talking about family and friends, colleagues and coworkers, or even professors and pastors. I’m also talking about those same people she was – Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Peter, Paul, Jesus, and so much more. And not just them, but all of the others with whom we share stories; so many saints, so many stories, so many lives, so many opportunities for God to show God’s self to us.

But, you know, it isn’t just the people who are directly in our lives who help us to get to where we are. There are so many others we don’t know or have never heard of that helped us along the way as well. I’m sure we all have countless stories where our day isn’t going well and is made better by someone holding a door open for us, or smiling and saying hello, or letting us cut in front of them on the freeway.

Yes, God has surrounded us with so much love, and placed before us many opportunities to understand that love, that I can firmly say that the saints of our past are definitely looking down on us and smiling, knowing that they have made a positive difference in our lives.

The hope of God is that we continue to do the same for others.

As I read through today’s passage from Isaiah I thought about all of those saints, those people who are either directly or indirectly a part of our lives and where, if anyplace, our paths will meet. I thought about Isaiah’s words in the midst of the Prophet crying out about the destruction of the world and how the whole earth will dry up and wither away.

Isaiah says in chapter 24, “The wine dries up; the vine withers; all the merry-hearted groan. The joyous tambourines have ceased; the roar of partyers has stopped; the joyous harp has ceased. No one drinks wine or sings; beer is bitter to its drinkers. The town is in chaos, broken; every house is shut, without entrance. There is a cry for wine in the streets. All joy has reached its dusk; happiness is exiled from the earth.” Isaiah paints a picture where all joy is removed from life’s very existence.

He does this because the world he is living in is falling apart. The 2 kingdoms which make up his beloved nation are close to being destroyed. The enemies of Judah and Israel are at the gates and Isaiah knows that soon it will all be gone – if the people don’t stop living the way they are and follow the ways that were set before them by their ancestors.
His call is to a nation to remain unified under the one thing which was passed down from generation to generation to generation: faithfulness in God lived through righteousness.

Then, after prophesying about withered vines and the lack of joy in sharing wine, Isaiah has a promise: God will once again come and unite all people. It is that unification of all the saints, of all those whose stories from within the pages of the bible and of all the lives of our ancestors, that we are so beautifully told about, when Isaiah says, “On this mountain, the Lord of heavenly forces will prepare for all peoples a rich feast, a feast of choice wines, of select foods rich in flavor, of choice wines well refined.”

Isaiah then gives us a glimmer of what life on that hill will look like. “He will swallow up on this mountain the veil that is veiling all peoples, the shroud enshrouding all nations. He will swallow up death forever. The Lord God will wipe tears from every face; he will remove his people’s disgrace from off the whole earth.”


Wow.

It is for this unification, this newness of all things where all people will once again know peace, joy, and love that we have been shown the path we now travel. It is for this unification we also show those around us the same path; a path into God’s feast on the hill where all are welcome and all will live a life eternal.

As I said earlier, whether we know it or not God places people into our life’s journey so we can begin to see how we are all invited to the feast on the hill. It’s when we realize God has placed people in our lives when we least expect it, that makes those moments very special; just as those Sunday School kids might have understood what their teacher was saying or how she felt as that Spirit moved through them.

A very good friend of mine lost her son about a year and a half ago. It was unexpected and she’s been coping with the pain of losing a child as best she can. I admire her courage in the way she allows people to travel with her on the journey towards reconciliation. She is inviting to all who want to be with her, as much as she invites others to join with her.

She wrote the following letter to a couple of young men who were sitting behind her in the movie theater:

Dear Young Men Who Sat Behind Us in the Movie Theater Last Night:
My husband and I don't go out often. We don't travel as much as we used to do. We've been married for twenty-two years. We were able to have just one child together.
We enjoy going out to the movies and would have family date night for the three of us. For many years, my husband took the aisle seat, and I'd sit in the middle with our son to the right of us.
Our son died two years ago after completing the last day of his senior year of high school. Instead of seeing him go to senior breakfast, having his senior class group photo taken, and then attending graduation rehearsal we held his funeral and burial services.
So last night, my husband and I went to see "Bridge of Spies." It was a good movie about an American hero during the Cold War.
I listened to the two of you talk during the movie trailers about which films you'd see or not see. One of you had a distinctive, loud laugh. You liked the previews for comedies and for the new James Bond movie.
And then the movie started, and you both got quiet and intently watched the movie, and laughed at appropriate places.
I wanted to turn around and see what you both looked like, but I didn't because I didn't want to be obvious, didn't want you to stop laughing.
The movie ended and you both left in the darkened theater.
On the way home I told my husband the best part of the movie was listening to you and your friend. Forgive me for listening to your conversations. I told him it was like having our son and his best friend sitting behind us. It was like hearing our son have a good time. It was like hearing our son laugh.
So, thank you both for being yourselves. Thank you for providing me with a glimpse of what life could have been for my son. It was good to hear my son's laughter through your laughter. I prayed to Creator to provide you both with a good life free from anxiety and depression. May you both have happiness and great success in life always.

She goes on to say how much she misses her son and how she longs for the day they will be reunited in God’s house, tor s Isaiah would say, to sit at the table of God’s feast on the hill.

Our paths might be individual, each of us carrying that which we accumulate along the way. But when we take into account everyone with whom God has sent to be with us, we realize we don’t have to carry those things alone. There has always been and will always be someone willing to help us reach the goal by carrying some of our baggage for us, just as we will be there for others along their own paths. It is God who ultimately provides us with our fellow travelers and the strength to be a good companion along the way. As we head towards the feast on the hill which is filled with joy, peace, and love in a life of hope fulfilled, let us honor all those who have traveled before us, and remember to be with all those who will travel the path when we’re no longer able.

God is always with us. Amen.