MEDITATION FOR BARB HABBEN’S FUNERAL

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John 14:1-6

Nov. 27, 2012

***

       “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In 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? And 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.

    “And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:1-6)

***

       I first met Barb about a year ago when I had been pastor of Ebenezer only a couple of months. Her home at the time was the Golden Living Center, a nursing home in Benson. Kentt introduced me to his mother as he wheeled her into a sitting room for nursing home visitors.  I had come with my husband, Jim, and two of Barb’s longtime friends, Alice and Lawrence Beekman.

      Kentt seemed to be the tallest man I had ever seen, at least that was my first impression.  I think he may have had to duck his head underneath the doorway as he entered the room behind his mother’s wheelchair.  And his mother seemed tall and regal, as well, despite the fact that she was confined to a semi-reclining position and would not walk again. Surgery to mend a broken hip was not an option for Barb, who had had 2 strokes and suffered from Alzheimer’s.

      Kentt shared his story as his mother sat quietly, her hands occasionally fluttering like butterflies. He told us how Alzheimer’s and the strokes had, in a way, stolen his mom bit by bit. Barb no longer knew Kentt was her son, though he visited her often and showed her pictures to try and stir some memory of their family and their life on the farm south of Sacred Heart—before her husband, Lyle, lost his battle with cancer in May 2010.  And suddenly Barb, who did not always remember to take her medications or eat right, could no longer live in the place she knew, loved and called home. Her children moved her to the assisted living and nursing care center in Renville. And when her health became more fragile, they moved her to Benson to be closer to Kentt.

     We brought communion for my first visit with Barb at the Benson nursing home.  She could not speak, but she made happy bird-like sounds in her throat. Though she did not remember Alice and Lawrence, who regularly visited her, her face showed signs of recognition when she saw the bread and cup. And I told her how Jesus had said, “this is my body broken for you… and this is my blood given for you …do this in remembrance of me.”  Her eyes sparkled and her body seemed to relax when the four of us sang, “Trust and Obey.”

      It was later I learned that Barb had had a beautiful operatic soprano voice and a passion for sacred music. She had sung all her life, beginning with a solo performance at the age of 4. At Ebenezer and in other places, Barb sang with her husband, Lyle, and in a quartet with friends who were also members of her church.  Their voices blended in perfect harmony.

      Barb performed in Christmas and Easter pageants and for community theater and concerts. She didn’t shrink from dressing up in costume and managed to bring elegance, grace, and beauty to every role she played.

     Digging through old photographs on Sunday, her family discovered a picture from 1951, when Barb sang Handel’s Messiah with a chorus of 1,000 voices and the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. She wore a lovely, flowing evening gown.

     But her gifts weren’t limited to music.  She was a humble leader in our church who served as an elder when she was asked to serve.  She and Lyle also had gifts of hospitality and compassion and a reputation for making newcomers feel welcome and loved.  They could and would talk to anyone and were often the last ones to leave a social gathering at church or at a friend’s house.  They were “at home” wherever they were—as long as they were together.

      After Lyle’s cancer surgery in 2007 and Barb’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2008, they made a pact.  They promised that they would take care of each other when they could no longer care for themselves.  He would take care of her; she would take care of him.

    When Kentt called me Thanksgiving Day and told me that Barb had passed, my first reaction was sadness for Kentt and his brothers. They have lost both parents in less than 3 years. And while they had already been grieving the loss of their mother since the strokes and Alzheimers began stealing her away, bit by bit, now their loss is complete. Her mortal, earthly life has come to an end.

     But then, I imagined Barb and Lyle together—healed and made whole by their Savior, in resurrected bodies with Him—more wonderful than we can imagine.  And I thought most likely they are making beautiful music together—singing songs of praise to our Lord, face to face.

     We can grieve our loss of this graceful, elegant, charming, gifted lady.  But we can also find comfort in our faith. Finally, she is in a place that will always be home for her.  Heaven will feel warm and more familiar than any home we have ever known. God is a more loving parent than our minds can comprehend. In heaven, there is no suffering or pain, no sadness, loneliness, or tears.  There is only joy.

     Christ has promised that He is preparing a place for all of us in His Father’s house. He says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Believe in God.  Believe also in me.”

      God sent Jesus to be our Redeemer.  To live among us as one of us and to suffer and die in our place. To take our sins away.

      We must only believe.

      Christ has promised to come back and take each of us to live with Him in His Father’s house. So wherever our Lord is, we will always be. 

       If only we believe.

       Our Lord assures us that we know the way to the place—where He has gone to be with the Father. Christ is the way, the truth and the life.

       Only believe. 

 Let us pray.  Heavenly Father, thank you for your promises to us of a life of joy to come—a life when we are reconciled with you and one another through your Son.  Reassure us when we are grieving or fearful that your promises are true.  Let us hear our Shepherd’s voice telling us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Believe in God. Believe also in me.” Help us to live each day confident that we know the way to the place Christ is preparing for us.  Grant us your joy and peace. Amen.

“Trees Planted By Streams”

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Meditation on Psalm 1 and John 18:33-37

Christ the King Sunday

***

“Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the teaching of the Lord, and they meditate on his Word, day and night.

They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither or fade. In all that they do, they prosper.

Not so the wicked.  They are like chaff the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not survive the judgment, nor will sinners in the assembly of the righteous; for the Lord watches over and cherishes the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1)

***

      Jim and I traveled from the airport in the Twin Cities to Mankato on Wednesday. We had picked up our son Josh, on leave from the Air Force, and were on our way to pick up our son Jacob at Minnesota State University for Thanksgiving break. 

      As we travel southwest on highway 169 that winds through woods, over the Minnesota River and beside flowing streams, I am again struck by how different the view is when we go to Mankato this way. It’s not like the drive from our home near Renville where the black earth is flat and carved into farms that go on for miles and miles.  

      On the east side of Mankato, we pass forests and orchards planted with fruit trees.  Produce stands with “closed” signs remind us apple season is over, but invite us back next year when once again the fruit will be plentiful.

     And I think of Psalm 1.   The righteous people of God are “like trees planted by streams of water.”  In the arid, Ancient Near East, water was and still is a precious commodity. Trees that prosper, bear fruit in season, and do not wither or fade in this dry region are trees that don’t rely solely on rainfall.  Those that grow beside flowing water, connected by strong, deep roots directly to their source of nourishment and life will survive.

     As the car rolls along, I admire the view and think more about the Psalmist’s imagery of the faithful as trees planted by streams.

     I ask myself, “How do we know when we are like trees—among the righteous and faithful?” 

***

       Psalm 1 provides some clues. The Psalmist tells us how faithful and righteous people think and behave.  We are like trees planted by streams of water, if….

       We do not follow the advice of the wicked. 

       We do not tread in the path of sinners. 

       And we do not sit in the seat of scoffers—or have close associations with people who scorn and persecute the faithful.

       The Psalmist goes on to tell us that God’s righteous are those who delight in one thing:  meditating on His teachings day and night—all the time, thinking about Him, His Word, and His Ways.

      And the Psalm doesn’t end there.  It contains a stern warning to the wicked, who are the opposite of trees planted by streams.  They are like chaff—the light, outside husk of the grain that flies away during winnowing. 

      The wicked will not survive the judgment.  They will perish while the righteous, whom the Lord watches over and cherishes, need not fear the judgment to come. 

      The ancient Psalmist doesn’t mention Jesus Christ, who took the punishment we deserved when he was crucified. Jesus has turned Judgment Day into a joyful reunion for the people of God. This ancient Psalm was composed hundreds of years before Christ came to us as a lowly infant in a manger.  We know from God’s New Covenant that in order to be like trees planted by streams and connected to our source of nourishment and life, we need Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We couldn’t be righteous or faithful without belief on His suffering work on the cross for our sakes.

       Jesus came to be our Living Water—to fill us now and forever—so we would have abundant and eternal life with Him.

      And so we would never “thirst” again.

***   

      In today’s gospel, we hear a conversation between Jesus and Pontius Pilate after Jesus has been arrested and put on trial.

       Pilate wants to know who Jesus is.  He has heard what others have said. That he has raised the dead, healed the lame and blind, and forgiven people of their sins. Christ’s guilt or innocence of crimes against the empire or the religious charge of blasphemy hinges on Jesus’ answer to one question. 

       Pilate asks, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

      And Jesus doesn’t say “Yes” or “No.” He says, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

      Pilate only hears Jesus saying he is a king.  Still, he is ready to let Him go. He tells the people he has found no case against Him. 

     “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” he asks.

      And you know what happens.

     The people say, “Barabbas!  Release Barabbas!” 

     They do not believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah sent by God to save the world from its sins.  They are scoffers. And Pilate does what the Psalmist warns the faithful not to do.  He follows the advice of the wicked; he releases the bandit instead of the Savior.  He treads in the path of sinners, though he has no peace about it.

     Instead of being like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Pilate gives in to the angry mob; he is like chaff the wind blows away.

    

     ***

       As we begin one of the busiest times of the year, when the world bombards us with constant messages to buy, buy, buy, and do, do, do… When the world tries to convince us that we cannot possibly be happy unless we are going overboard with Christmas shopping and over the top with decorating and endless preparations and activities for the “holiday” season...

      When others pressure us to do and be what they want us to be—and it isn’t what God requires of us…

       How do we remain happy and at peace?

       Here’s our answer. Remember who Jesus is and what He has done for you. And rejoice! He alone is your Lord!  He is our Savior and King. And His kingdom is not of this world.

      Delight in one thing, like the Psalmist says.  Meditate on His teaching, His Word, night and day.

      And remember, in Christ, you ARE and WILL ALWAYS BE like trees planted by streams of water...

   

Will you pray with me?

Heavenly Father, Thank you for your love and for what you have done for us through Your Son. Refresh and renew us now with your Spirit.  Forgive us for finding other things to do and think about, instead of delighting in one thing—You—and meditating on Your teachings, day and night.  Grant us courage and strength to be what you want us to be and resist the pressure to do all the things the world wants us to do, especially at this time of year.  Keep us rooted in the faith and connected to You through our source of all nourishment and life—Jesus Christ, our Living Water, Savior and King—who offers eternal life to all who believe on Him.  In Christ we pray.  Amen. 

    

      

       

Meditation for the Funeral of Shawn Hagen

Nov. 20, 2012

Jeremiah 29:11-13

***

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart.”

(Jeremiah 29:11-13)

***

    The cellphone ringing disturbed what had begun as a quiet evening at home Thursday night. The distressed caller was my friend Lisa, our church secretary. Her news was shocking. 

     When she told me through her tears that her brother Shawn had died, I thought at first I had heard wrong. I had met Shawn at his sister Kelly’s wedding a year ago and knew that he was a young man with a wife and two young children.

    How could anyone have anticipated this sudden, tragic loss?  Shawn at 40 was so full of life. Years of enjoying 9-year-old Aerial’s and 4-year-old Zandy’s growing up stretched ahead of him.  Now the memory-making time with his children and wife Sabrina had abruptly come to an end.

    On the way to meet his family at the hospital in Olivia, I prayed—seeking God for their comfort and peace, though I knew they would be feeling the sharp pain of loss for some time to come. The pain from losing a husband, father, son, and brother is not quickly or easily overcome.

    I felt the need to ask others to join me in prayer, so I called a couple in our church who immediately responded to my request. I prayed, “Lord, let me be the peaceful, loving presence of Christ for this family,” because I knew it wasn’t me that they needed.  They needed the light of Christ that pierces the darkness of grief and despair and brings healing to the brokenhearted.   

     When a tragedy like this happens in our small, tight community, everyone feels the loss.  So many people knew Shawn and his family. News of his death traveled quickly and stirred many memories in the community of the outgoing man who didn’t live quietly.

     You always knew when he was around, and not just because he was large and lived up to the nickname “Big Daddy” that he didn’t mind at all. His family says that Shawn lacked a quiet, indoor voice or at least they had never heard it.  He was usually laughing, teasing, and joking around.  He was good natured and tolerant of little Zandy using his stomach as a trampoline, jumping on him while he was relaxing in his favorite recliner.  And he was just fine with wife Sabrina’s menagerie of creatures—goats, dogs, chickens, and ducks to name a few.  He tended without complaint the large garden that Sabrina wanted every year, though his interests were more mechanical. He could drive anything—cars, pickups, and all sorts of farm machinery.  He drove semi-truck for a living.  You may have seen him and his tanker of liquid sugar. His favorite vehicle was his Harley Davidson Fat Boy, which fit him and his larger than life personality perfectly—yet somehow he made it look small.

    Greater than his love of motorized “big boy toys,” though, was his love for his family. He enjoyed taking them on drives to the river bottom to catch a breathtaking sunset or discover a new rock for climbing.  He was a fish in the water and taught his girls to swim at Lake Florida. He didn’t like to eat fish, but he taught the girls how to carefully bait a fishhook and catch a few. If it meant making people laugh, he didn’t shy away from painting his face scary for Halloween when he took his kids trick or treating. He enjoyed just being with his family—playing Candyland, Sorry, or Chutes and Ladders with the kids or watching the cooking channel to hone his culinary skills.  He was known to whip up delicious meals and desserts for his family, such as pumpkin pies made from scratch.   

      When we experience the loss of someone we love, we may also experience a test of our faith.  We feel sorrow, but we also may feel confused or angry that a loving God would allow such a tragedy to happen. Why didn’t God spare the life of a 40-year old man who had so much more living to do?  Some may doubt that such a God is loving at all.

     But in our darkest times, we mustn’t turn away from the One who can heal and comfort us. God loved us so much He was willing to give up His only Son so that we may be forgiven of our sins and live with Him for all eternity in heaven. Christ beckons us to come to Him not just when we are happy and satisfied but when we feel broken, angry, and empty. He longs to comfort us, fill our emptiness with His refreshing Spirit, and restore us to wholeness.

      God reminds us in His Word that He has always been faithful to His children, though His children have not always been faithful to Him. He sent His prophet Jeremiah to speak to the Israelites when they were suffering in exile from their Holy City long ago.  They questioned God’s love and wondered if God was still with them when He allowed the Babylonians to crush their city, destroy their temple, and kill many of their own in 587 B.C.

      The children of God experienced a great test of their faith when they were deported to Babylon and their lives as they knew them were drastically changed. Some of the Israelites responded by turning their back on God and worshiping idols, instead.

     Jeremiah in chapter 29 reminds us that God is still with us in our darkest times, when we begin to doubt His love for us and our hope in Him, when we wonder if our mourning will ever turn to joy.

    He assures us that He has plans for us.   He says “surely I know them.” And the plans are for our welfare and not for our harm. 

    He assures us there will be a future with hope.

    Come and seek me, says the Lord to us now.

    Call upon me and pray to me, and I will hear you.

    When you search for me, you will find me, if you seek me with all your heart.

Let us pray.

        Lord, come to us in our brokenness and confusion and make your presence known to us.  We seek you now with all our hearts knowing that you will accept and receive us just as we are.  We draw nearer to you knowing your loving arms are waiting to take us into your embrace. Comfort all who grieve the loss of loved ones. Help them, Lord, to accept and receive your love.  Reassure them your love never ends and you will always be faithful to your promises to us.  Reassure us, when we are sad, lonely, or depressed, that you have a future planned for each one of us, a future with hope.  In Christ we pray.  Amen.

  

“Do Not Worry About Tomorrow”

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Meditation on Matthew 6:25-34

November 18, 2012

***

    “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? Look 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? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing?

     Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But 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?

     Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles, the unbelievers, who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

    So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”  (Matthew 6:25-34)

***

     A couple of years ago, when I was supply preaching with Jim at a little country church in Pennsylvania, I shared a message on the gospel we read today: Matthew 6:25-34. 

     At the time, our family was in an uncomfortable transition period in which we were not earning enough money to cover our living expenses. Neither Jim nor I had a full time job. I was still a part-time graduate student finishing Hebrew for ordination. I was not yet free to accept a call to ministry even if one were offered.

      Jim’s work as a healthcare consultant had ended abruptly several months before. He had not yet been offered the interim ministry position in which he served prior to my receiving a call to ministry here in Renville.  And we didn’t have the eyes of eternity to see into the future.

     To be honest, the word “uncomfortable” doesn’t describe how I was feeling.  I was having trouble sleeping at night. Worry was my constant companion.  I still had my faith and believed we were doing what God wanted us to do. We were waiting and listening for His voice and continuing to serve Him wherever we were, though it meant we were barely scraping by.

    But I was scared. In the back of my mind, I feared more difficult times were ahead.  What if a church never wanted me as their pastor? What if Jim did not find an interim position that could sustain us?

     It was “what if, what if, what if…”

    Then, this lectionary scripture came up for the Sunday when I was preaching.  And although I always find inspiration in God’s Word, I felt the Lord speaking directly to me when He says: “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?”

    Christ is urging the crowds to see beyond their earthly situation—and not live like the unbelievers, whose focus is on themselves and their daily wants and needs.  Some in Jesus’ audience are probably pretty well off.  But many are not. Jesus is saying to everyone—rich or poor and in-between—“put aside all the stuff of this world; forget about money and your secular jobs that bring you earthly treasure. Seek only to be pleasing to God, to obey Him.”

     Jesus says, “Strive first for the Kingdom of God and its righteousness and all the rest (all that we need in which to live in the here and now) will be given to us, as well.”

    When I read Christ’s “do not worry about tomorrow,” my reaction was anger and frustration. What does He mean when He says, “don’t worry about tomorrow?” How can I not worry about my family if we lose our home and have no money on which to live?

     How can I not worry when the Lord tells us that our lives will always be difficult?  That tomorrow will bring more trials, maybe harder ones.

      Jesus concludes, “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

***

      Well, the day I shared my feelings about Christ’s words with the little country church, I was blessed. The people showed kindness and compassion. Many thanked me for sharing my struggle with anxiety—my inability to quit worrying about things Jesus says I shouldn’t even be thinking about.

      They confessed they were worriers, too. 

     We prayed and asked for God’s forgiveness, His grace to cover our sins, our failure to be obedient to Him.

     Then this week, when I read this same scripture once again to prepare for my sermon here at Ebenezer, I asked myself, “How I am doing? How is my anxiety level these days?” 

     My family’s lives are, in many ways, much changed than they were the first time I preached on this passage. I do worry less about money. I am too busy with ministry. And I don’t worry about whether Pastor Jim and I will find ministry jobs.

    God has blessed us with two wonderful church families. God has provided for our children, too, so they can attend college and prepare for their futures.

    Still, there are new challenges every day in our family life and in our ministries. There is never a day when there isn’t something or someone to worry about, just like Jesus said there would be.

    But this time, when I read this scripture, I didn’t hear what I had thought was a scolding, which made me angry and put me on the defensive. Jesus wasn't saying, “Quit worrying! Stop it!”

    I had gotten it wrong.

    The message is anything but a personal chastisement.  It is a universal assurance for all people that we don’t have to worry, because God, who sees and knows all things in His Creation, will watch over and care for us.

     What is all this talk about the birds of the air and the lilies of the field?  Jesus is trying to tell us just how valuable we are to Him.  I say “trying” because some of us refuse to accept how valuable we are for His Kingdom purposes. We are too busy finding fault in ourselves, even though Jesus already wiped away our sins when He died on a cross.  And rose again.

     Some of us are too busy looking down and inward, instead of looking up—and keeping our focus on Him.

    “See the birds of the air… Consider the lilies…” is Jesus trying to tell us how much God loves us—more than anything He has created.

    And though we don’t want to trust Him to provide for us and carry us through the storms of life, He will anyway.

    Because the trials will come. And God will be our rock, our salvation, our refuge. 

     Friends, hear the Words of Christ as He intended them to be heard—to comfort, encourage, and empower you to keep on walking this journey of faith, following after Him.

     Hide these loving words in your heart. You who struggle with worry.  You, who can’t help but worry because you are human.

      Listen to God’s promise to be with you and care for you always, when He says,

    “Do not worry about tomorrow.”

    “Do not worry about tomorrow.”

Will you pray with me?

   

  Loving Creator God, forgive us for when we have taken our eyes off of you and thought only about our needs, desires, and fears.  Forgive our lack of faith.  Help us to trust you more and worry less.  Reassure us that You are forever watching over and caring for us, even more than the birds of the air and the lilies of the field.  Let us find our treasure not in the things of this world, but only in You and seek Your righteous heavenly Kingdom to come, through Your Son, Jesus Christ.  In Him we pray.  Amen!

“Legacy”

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Meditation on Deut. 6:1-9 and Mark 12:28-34

Nov. 4, 2012

***

  “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that the Lord your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, so that you and your children and your children’s children may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.

   “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deut. 6:1-9)

***

     We got together for our monthly Renville area pastors meeting on Thursday. Three of us were able to come this time to First Lutheran—Pastor Tom, our host, Pastor Joseph from Emden Christian Reformed, and me.

     We get together to make plans for ecumenical services, such as our Thanksgiving service coming up in a few weeks, and to encourage one another. We take turns leading a brief devotion, too –sharing what God is showing us—and then we pray.

    The three of us who attended the last meeting are still learning the ropes of ministry. I have been here only 14 months; Tom has been here exactly 12; Joseph only 2. All of us are in our first ordained calls; just about everything is new to us. 

   So it was interesting when Pastor Tom shared a devotion about “legacy” to people who are in the beginning of their ministry—not people who are even remotely considering moving on. “What will your legacy be?”  he asked.  “How do you want to be remembered when you are gone?”  

      Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to respond to Pastor Tom’s devotion because our meeting had already run long. But throughout the day, my thoughts drifted back to his question of legacy.

     How would people remember me and the ministry of Ebenezer during my time as pastor? I hadn’t thought about it before. 

     And then I thought, was this even important?  That people remember me, 50 or 100 years from now?  That isn’t why I came.  I began to feel uneasy, until I realized that God was trying to tell me that “legacy” wasn’t something I needed to worry about. I have to stay focused on the job I am called to do.            

     It is God’s grace and the Holy Spirit that allows and empowers me to be a pastor. And if I begin to doubt myself, then God lifts me up and plants my feet on the path He wants me to go. I can feel Him prodding me, “Keep going.”  If I am anxious, He brings me back to Him, again and again, assuring me, “You are my workmanship. Trust me. Just love my people and do what I say.”

     I like to think my job is pretty straightforward and simple. I point to someone else and show the way to Him.   

     It’s a joy and a privilege to be His servant, to encourage and help equip His church. I don’t know the answer to every spiritual question, but I know the One who does. And we can go to Him and seek our answers together. My calling is to help you discern what’s important in your life of faith—to teach you salvation in Jesus Christ, and encourage you to love, trust, and obey.

***

       People in ancient times also had spiritual questions they struggled with and hotly debated.  People asked Jesus literally hundreds of questions about the right way to live out their faith.  Some sincerely wanted to know so they could live a life that was pleasing to God and see Him in His everlasting Kingdom. Others sought to stump him or trap him into giving an answer that was controversial or violated the Law. 

     But that doesn’t happen in today’s gospel. No one dares to challenge the answer Jesus gives when a scribe asks, “Which commandment is the first of all?”   

   Christ answers by supplying the 2 most important commandments to live by.

   The first is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your might.”  This comes from Deuteronomy 6, but Jesus adds the phrase, “with all your mind.”

     This passage is a vow of loyalty to the One True God, which Jewish people learn by heart as The Shema from the time they are children. The Shema, professed and taught for centuries, begins:

   “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.”  

   After the instruction to love the Lord your God with all heart, soul and might, Deuteronomy tells us to keep these words in our hearts (memorize them) and recite them to our children so they will learn them.

   We are to say these words all the time. Wherever we go—when we are at home and when we are away, all day long, from morning till night, when we lie down to sleep and when we get up in the morning.

  We are told to bind these words as a sign on our hand—write them down so we won’t forget! Fix or glue them as an emblem on our forehead so everyone who sees us will be reminded of our loyalty, our faith. We are to write them on the doorposts of our house and on our gates—so everyone who enters will know just how we feel about “the Lord who is our God, the Lord alone.”

   Then Jesus adds the second most important commandment.  “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

   This comes from Leviticus chapter 19 verse 18. The entire verse is, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

***

     With all the questions that people asked Jesus, no one ever asked him about legacy.  But at His Last Supper, Jesus revealed how we should remember Him—His body broken and blood poured out for our sakes.   

      And in the gospel today, Jesus tells us how he wants us to live out our faith until we see Him face to face. We are not far from the Kingdom of God, he says, when we live by the first or greatest commandment: To love God with all heart, soul, mind, and might and love our neighbors as ourselves.

      And as Christ’s servant and your shepherd, I pray that one day, when I am no longer with you, you will simply continue on His work and show others the way to Him. I pray you will honor the first and greatest commandment.

      That you will serve the One True God, the Lord alone.

      And love, trust, and obey. 

Will you pray with me?

    Holy God, our One True God, You are our Lord alone.  You alone are worthy to be worshiped and praised!  We give you our hearts and rededicate our lives to You and following Jesus Christ, Your one and only Son, who, on a cross, took our sins away. Thank you for raising Him from the dead to show us Your triumph over death and evil. Thank you for your love, mercy and forgiveness, and for being patient with us when we become too focused on ourselves.  Please keep turning our eyes back to Jesus and teach us to love, trust, and obey.  In His name we pray.  Amen.