"Lessons From Vacation Bible School"

A sermon preached by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), based on Joshua 1:1-9.

Our lessons for Vacation Bible School this past week were taken from the Book of Joshua, and there we focused on the people of Israel as they made their journey into the Promised Land – that land that God had promised to Abraham many years before, and that land that their fathers and mothers had been traveling toward for 40 years while in the wilderness. They make their journey into this land under their new leader – Joshua, whom Moses appointed. Through these stories we learned 3 important or vital truths and they are: God is real, God is with us and God is our strength.
For those of you who have read the Book of Deuteronomy, which is also the last book of the Torah – those first five books of the Old Testament, then you realize that it ends rather abruptly – it is really a cliff-hanging or, as I like to say, it has a soap-opera ending. At the end of the Deuteronomy, there is still much left unresolved. Most notably, the Israelites have not yet enter their Promised Land. Although, Moses has brought them a long way; from bondage in Egypt as slaves to free people with a law code of their own, the people are encamped on the plains of Moab, immediately east of the border of Canaan, in a place called Shittem. The Jordan River is the only thing standing between them and their Promised Land. And as Moses’ final act on behalf of Israel, he transfers power to his trusted and faithful friend, Joshua who has accompanied him along the way. And then, at the ripe old age of 120, Moses climbs Mount Nebo, where he is able to look out across the plain and see the Promised Land, and with the assurance that the Israelites will soon enter their Promised Land, Moses dies. Christine Saunders said the other night, that perhaps the cause of his death was climbing Mount Nebo at the age 120. But you may recall that God had declared that Moses’ generation would pass before they entered the Promised Land, due to their lack of faith and trust in God’s provision and guidance and promises. Deuteronomy ends with a fitting tribute to Moses, the greatest prophet of the Hebrew Scriptures.
And from there we pick up the story in the Book of Joshua. And encamped in Shittem, the first thing Joshua did was send two spies ahead into Jericho. Upon entering the city these two spies go to the home of a prostitute named Rahab. Now, it may seem rather odd that these spies go to such a place, but we must realize that Rahab’s home was easily assessable in and out of the city. Also, her house would be a prominent place to receive any information being that a lot of people would have gathered there. And so, the spies go there to hear and gauge how the people of Jericho feel about the Israelites who are camped just across the Jordan River. Rahab proved to be a wealth of valuable information. She shared how the people of Jericho were terrified because they had heard of the incredible things God had done for the Israelites. Rahab even reveals her own faith in God. In fact, she says; “For the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below” (Joshua 2:11). Rahab believed that God was real! Now, I think it is important to understand that while Rahab was a prostitute, she wasn’t a cultic prostitute. The people of Jericho were polytheistic – they worshiped many gods, and one of those gods was the god of fertility – Baal, and as part of the religious structure there would be prostitutes – and their sexual acts were acts of worship to Baal. Instead, Rahab was a common prostitute, perhaps she resulted to this lifestyle as a means of income because she was a widow, since there is no mention of her husband. But the special thing about Rahab was, despite her lifestyle, she believed in God. In fact, when she affirms her faith in God she does so using the Hebrew word for God, Yahweh and because of her faith God uses and blesses her.
Not only had Rahab proved to be a source of useful information for the two spies, but she also protects them, by hiding them on her rooftop, when soldiers came to her house. And at nightfall, she helps them escape out of the city and back to Shittem.
Later, we are told, that when the Israelites capture the city of Jericho, they spare the house with the scarlet cord in the window – for this was the sign that Rahab used to alert the Israelites. She and her family were later brought into the nation of Israel. The cord’s color is undoubtedly significant; it represents the color of blood, which signifies atonement. Rahab is a beautiful type of you and me. Through Christ, we have been saved and welcomed into the family of God.
The New Testament letter to the Hebrews lists Rahab as one of the heroes of faith (Hebrews 11:31), while James mentions Rahab in his plea for believers not to forget that works are an important outgrowth of their faith (James 2:25). And she is also mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus recorded in the gospel of Matthew. What a beautiful story! You see, this story reveals God’s willingness to use the less than perfect, the outcast, what we might see as the unsuitable to accomplish God’s holy purposes. My friends, God doesn’t wait for us to become perfect in our faith in order to use us. Rather, God takes us and uses us as we are to be both a blessing to ourselves and to others, and in the process helps us to grow in our faith.
We are told that when the spies return to Shittem, where the Israelites are encamped, with the positive report, they make preparations to enter the Promised Land. The entire nation prepared to cross this river which, keep in mind, was swollen from the spring rains. At this point, the river was moving rather rapidly and was probably somewhere between 10 to 15, maybe even 20 feet deep. However, this proves to be insignificant because its waters miraculously roll back when the Levite priests enter the river, carrying the Ark of the Covenant – that symbol of God’s presence and the entire nation crossed on dry ground into the Promised Land.
Next, the Israelites did something that was common whenever something significant or miraculous had occurred. God commanded that a representative from each of the 12 tribes collect a stone from the dried riverbed and erect them as a lasting memorial to what God has accomplished there. And in the same way, Peter, in his epistle, reminds us that we are called to be “living stones” – we are called to represent God’s goodness and love and grace in the world.
Israel’s miraculous crossing of the Jordan River not only further affirms the leadership of Joshua, but it also affirms that God was with them, especially as they prepare to go into battle. This miracle mirrors Israel’s crossing of the Red Sea 40 years earlier. It almost seems as if God is renewing the faith of his people! It, in many respects, symbolizes a re-baptism. For the crossing of the Red Sea was the Israelite’s baptism – leaving the slavery and bondage of Egypt to a land of freedom and plenty. But in the process of going to this land, the people show a lack of faith and trust in God’s providence and benevolence. But 40 years later they cross the waters of the Jordan as a sign of renewing their baptism as they enter the Promised Land.
And, as the people enter the area known as Gilgal, from the Hebrew word meaning “to roll,” just outside of Jericho, they celebrate Passover, as a way of renewing their relationship in God who has gilgal or “rolled” the sin and shame of their ancestors off of them.
Once again, Joshua is reassured of God’s presence through the Angel of the Lord. You see, just as God has with Moses at the burning bush, so now, God instructs Joshua to take off his sandals which further emphasizes God’s blessing upon his leadership.
Jericho is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. Archeologists have unearthed the remains of over 20 successive settlements there, dating back 11,000 years ago to 9,000 B.C.E. Jericho lies about 8 miles northwest of the site where the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea and some 5 miles west of the Jordan where the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal . It was a wonderful oasis, and was and still is known as “the city of palms”.
And the Israelites are now ready to go into Jericho, and get the conquest underway, but they find themselves up against another obstacle – the heavily fortified walls of Jericho which separate the Israelite army from their first victory. The walls of Jericho were renowned in the ancient world. Apparently, as one of the oldest cities of human civilization, Jericho had learned over the millennia that the best defense is strong, tall walls. But the irony of this story is that as Joshua looks at the tightly shut walls of Jericho, God says, “See, I’ve delivered Jericho into your hands” (Joshua 6:1-2).
I love the unorthodox battle plans that God gives Joshua. God says; “Have the soldiers and seven priests with seven trumpets parade with the Ark of the Covenant once around the city every day for six days. Then, on the seventh day, the group should march around the city seven times, and then sound all the [shofars or] trumpets and everyone should shout at the top of their lungs.” I am sure the Israelites said; You’ve got to be kidding me!” And I am sure the inhabitants of Jericho laughed at them.” The reference to the number seven shows that it was a divine plan. And sure enough, this divine plan paid off – the walls came tumbling down, totally exposing the unprepared people of Jericho. I find it interesting that archeology has discovered that the walls of Jericho did, in fact, fall as a result of an earthquake or siege in the late 16th century B.C.E. .
Through these stories we have learned that God is real, God is with us and God is our strength, and we are invited, like the people of Israel did at Gilgal, to renew our faith and trust in God’s goodness and strength.
Interestingly enough, the Gospel’s Lectionary Reading for today is the story of Jesus walking to his disciples on the water. And within that story we are reminded of those same important truths. God is real! When the disciples see Jesus they saw; “Who is it?” And Jesus says; “It is I…,” and we are also reminded that God is with us, for Jesus continues by saying; “Be not afraid…” And finally, we are reminded that God is our strength, for when Peter, who steps out of the boat and endeavors to walk to Christ begins to sink, it is Jesus to stretches out his hand to rescue him.
I think one commentator said it best; “Faith is never constant; it comes and goes with the varying circumstances of our lives.” How true that is! And certainly, the people of Israel and Peter becomes the all too human representatives of us - daring, then doubting, and finally dependent on the Lord for what we need most, our salvation. And so, may these stories endeavor us to test the wellness and wetness of our baptism by stepping into the water, but more importantly, by reaching for a hand that’s just beyond the safety of the boat and seeking to accomplish great things for God and God’s kingdom. All the while, never forgetting, that God is real, and God is with us and God is our strength. Amen.

"What Are We Lacking?"

A sermon preached by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) based on Matthew 14:13-21.

I read a rather amusing story the other day of three guys named Joe, Steve and Ray who decided to go camping. Joe packed all the food for the camping trip. And the three were dropped off around lunchtime by their wives at the campsite. Naturally, when they arrived they were exhausted. They had traveled many hours and they were in the middle of nowhere - nothing around for miles. And so, Joe started to unpack the food and as everyone sat around ready to eat, it dawned on Steve that Joe forgot the mustard. Steve could not have a picnic without mustard - he used mustard on everything. And so, Steve and Ray both begged Joe to walk to the closest convenient store to purchase some mustard. Joe flat out refused to do so, for two reasons: first of all, the closest store was miles away and secondly, because he knew that they would eat everything by the time he got back. After about two hours, Steve and Ray were able to convince Joe to go and pick up some mustard. But they had to swear to Joe that they would not touch the food until he returned. And so, Joe sets off. Well, several hours pass and there was no sign of Joe. Steve and Ray were starting to get hungry, not to mention puzzled as to where Joe might be - they were beginning to think he got lost! A few more hours pass and still no sign of Joe. Before they knew it, it was getting dark and not only were they worried about their friend - they were starving. By next morning, they were so famished that Steve starts getting restless and tells Ray, with a hint of dementia in his voice; “I NEED FOOD!” “No!” says Ray, “we made a promise! We can’t break it!” A few more hours pass, and they both know that they need to eat and they begin to think that maybe Joe found a diner somewhere and decided to stop and eat. And so the two decided to eat a sandwich and as they lift the sandwiches to their mouths, Joe pops out from behind a rock and says; “Just for that, I’m not going!” In our Gospel Lesson this morning, we hear the infamous story of the “Feeding of Five Thousand.” Jesus and the disciples found themselves in a much more difficult situation then having no mustard. In fact, we read in verse 15 of our Gospel Lesson; “When it was evening, the disciples came to [Jesus] and said; ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’”
Someone once said that the biggest problem facing the church today is a lack of faith, and certainly there is a lot of truth to that. You see, I don’t believe our problem is a lack of resources - although we, like the disciples in our Gospel Lesson, think it is but it’s not. What we lack is faith!
Author and Preacher, King Duncan once said; “Considering that there are over two billion Christians in the world we should have no problem feeding the world’s hungry; healing conflicts between the nations of the world; giving comfort to the lonely, freedom to the captive, and hope to the desperate - for we have the resources, but what we lack is the faith to do so!”
But in Gospel Lesson this morning, Jesus had withdrew to be alone. He had just heard the news of his cousin, John’s death. But in his attempt to be alone, we are told that the crowds followed him - a crowd of five thousand men, not counting the women and children. I mean, can you imagine. But what a great opportunity for Jesus to minister. I would love to come to church on Sunday morning to see such a crowd. But the only problem was, they hadn’t planned on having a church potluck after the sermon. And while the disciples unravel and fall apart, Jesus remains calm. The disciples were ready to send them away, but Jesus wasn’t.
Interestingly enough, all four gospels record this story, each adding a few details neglected by the others. In John’s Gospel we read of Philip’s lack of faith. He said; “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to eat, much less have even a bite!” And then, John also gives a little more information then Matthew. John tells us that Andrew, Peter’s brother, spoke up and said; “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” As far as the disciples were concerned, the problem was resources. They didn’t have enough. But Jesus knew better. What they had was not a resource problem, but a faith problem. It reminds me of that powerful hymn which affirms; “Little is much when God is in it!”
And so, with this small possibility - with this little amount of food, Jesus blesses and distributes. Interestingly enough, the Greek word for “blesses” or “gave thanks” as recorded in the gospels can literally be translated in the Greek eucharisteo, a verb often associated with the Lord’s Supper. In fact, tradition had it that some in the early church ate the Lord’s Supper with bread and fish, as a way to remember this event and as a reminder that the Lord does provide - Jehovah-Jirah.
You may recall in the book of Numbers, of the time when the people of God craved quail. And so God gave them quail, about three feet worth of it. But we are told that while the meat was still between their teeth and before it had been totally consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. The place was named in Hebrew, Kibroth Hattaavah, which literally means “the graves of gluttony” (Numbers 11:31-34). While giving them what they desired, he also used that very thing to get the Israelites attention. And certainly this is true in our Gospel Lesson.
One of the symbols for Christianity in the early centuries was a fish. In fact, we still see this familiar symbol displayed today, on vehicles, t-shirts, and businesses. But the Greek word for fish is ixthus and the five letters that spell this Greek word form an acrostic. The first letter represents the word Jesus. The second letter represents the word Christ, the next two represent God’s Son, and the final letter represents the word Savior. Thus the acrostic for ixthus is, “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the Savior.” But in our Gospel Lesson this morning we see that Jesus uses some fish, some ixthus to prove that he is the true Ixthus, the true Fish – “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the Savior.”
We read that when they all eaten that they gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. I read a joke of a lady who fell out of a second story window and landed in the garbage truck that was slowly moving past the house. Half buried in the middle, she tried without success to get the drivers attention. A foreign diplomat standing on the sidewalk saw her and commented indignantly “Another example of how wasteful Americans are. That woman looks like she’s good for at least another 10 years.”
Twelve baskets of leftovers! And I think the gospel writers makes a point to tell us this as a way of showing us that there was plenty of food. Some suggest that the twelve baskets symbolize the responsibility of the twelve disciples, as well as the church’s to feed the hungry. It is a reminder to us, that we who have been fed by God with the Living Bread and the Ixthus, have a responsibility to go forth and feed the hungry of the world.
Author and preacher, Peter Gomes says, in his book Sermons: Biblical Wisdom for Daily Living, “The question of whether or not this story is true, while natural, is the wrong question.” He goes on to say, “For miracles are not arguments or propositions to which there are yes or no answers. The question to be put about a miracle, such as this one, is not ‘Is it true?’ or even ‘How can this be?’ but rather, ‘What does this say?’ At its essence a miracle is a message - an illustration or a demonstration of a message that God chooses to communicate to us.”
Many modern-day scholars claim that the real miracle is not found in Jesus, but rather in this young boy, whose willingness to share his lunch invoked the willingness of others to share their lunch. So much so, that everyone was able to eat. Now, while such a view may not be widely accepted by most Christians it does offer an interesting perspective, and forces us to ask ourselves “What do I have to offer for the greater good of the church?” What can be accomplished if we were all willing to share, all willing to work together?”
I am a huge fan of The Food Network. One of the shows that I enjoying watching is “Unwrapped.” The show tells the origins to foods. I recall one episode, which told the story of a restaurateur named Caesar. It had been a busy week at his restaurant, and the food service truck would not arrive for another couple of days. The dinning room was full of hungry people. The cooks were upset because they had nothing to prepare. How could they feed the customers? What would they do? Mr. Caesar entered the kitchen, toasted some bread, collected lettuce and a block of Parmesan cheese, anchovies, some eggs, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and a large wooden bowl. He carried them into the dinning room and there, in front of his customers; he created the very salad we know today as the Caesar salad.
God has gifted each one of us with unique talents and abilities that enable us to make a significant contribution to the world. What are your gifts? Unless you attempt to use them, you will never discover how God prepared you to contribute. We need to be like the little boy in Scripture who offered Jesus his lunch - Jesus in turn used it to feed a multitude. May we have the faith to allow God to use us to feed the hungry! God is able, but we must be willing!

"Which Type of Soil Are You?"

A sermon preached by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) based on John 6:53-71 and Matthew 13:1-9 and 18-23.

A Pastor friend of mine sent me an article he had written for his church newsletter some time back. He began his article by asking the question; “What does it means to be a member of the Church?” Certainly that is a question we must all consider as followers of Christ, as members of his Body – the Church. He then went on to say; “We concern ourselves a lot these days with church membership, and how we might become more attractive.” But is that really what being the Church is all about? After reading that article, I found myself being led to our Gospel Lessons this morning, where Jesus distinguishes his true followers, with those who are sensation chasers, if you will. Churches these days are full of sensation chasers, and not Jesus chasers. They are full of people with shallow roots, instead of roots that deeply imbedded into the soil of God’s kingdom.
The Sundays following Pentecost, are also known as Kingdomtide, is an opportunity for us to focus on the growth of the Church and God’s Kingdom. It is an invitation for us to focus on our own spiritual growth, as well. In fact, the liturgical color, “green” is a symbolic reminder of this growth that we focus on during these Sundays following Pentecost. But during this time, as we focus on growth, we can’t help but consider the growth of our own church, our own congregation. We can’t help but ponder, are we growing physically, in numbers, or are we declining? Are we growing spiritually as a church, or are we becoming spiritually stagnate? Certainly, growing spiritually is more important than growing physically, but without that physical growth, can the church truly exist and be effective. Miriam loves that popular children’s church rhyme which goes, “Here’s the church. Here’s the steeple! Open the doors and see all the people!” But what happens when you open the doors and there are no people, can the church survive then, is there really a church at all, at that point? Certainly, these are all questions we find ourselves asking and pondering during this season in which we focus on growth, and indeed, they are important questions, questions we need to be asking and considering as the church today.
Franklin Littell tells of a German pastor visiting the United States shortly after World War II. As he took his guest around to various churches for worship, the pastor was surprise that the pews of the churches had cushions in them. He commented that that would never have occurred in the churches in his country. And then he added, “I have also noticed that your sermons have cushions in them too.” The parable that Jesus tells in the Gospel of Matthew is not about opinions, it’s about responses. What will you do with what you see, hear, and think?
In the reading from John’s gospel, Jesus had just fed the 5000, and suddenly they had become his followers. Food has always been an attraction – I mean, even we know that here at Edgemont. But what about spiritual food? Jesus wanted those who were seeking his kingdom and his righteousness!
In looking at our Gospel Lessons this morning we see three responses from the people – three types of soil, if you will. First, in John’s gospel, we see the response of the religious leaders, they could very easily be compared to the seed that feel upon the path, and the birds came and ate them up. They rejected Jesus and his words. In their eyes Jesus was a radical. In fact, we read; “The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, ‘I am the bread… of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth in me shall never thirst.” Here Jesus was referring to the experience of the Israelites when God fed and sustained them with manna in the wilderness. God had fed their ancestors in the wilderness with bread from heaven – manna! But Jesus then applied the bread to himself and said, “if you eat of my flesh you shall have life.” This was ludicrous, eating flesh and drinking blood was unheard of in the Law, it was considered unclean, not to mention a direct violation of the Law itself. In fact, if you came into contact with blood, much less drink it, you were considered unclean and impure. But, of course, Jesus wasn’t speaking literally, but spiritually!
That’s the blessed reminder of Communion. In Holy Communion we receive Jesus – we spiritually ingest Jesus. Halford Luccock, one of the most imaginative preachers of the 20th century, remembered a marvelous phrase from the book Eminent Victorians, which reads; “The Sunday before General Gordon started for the Sudan, he drove around London to a number of churches to receive Holy Communion as many times as possible, ‘In order,’ he said, ‘to start thus brim full of God.” Let us allow our hearts to be so open and so receptive to Christ – the Living Word and his kingdom that we become “brim full of God.” It is then that our hearts and lives will become a reflection and incarnation of God and God’s kingdom.
Secondly, we see the response of the crowd, in John’s gospel. Now keep in mind, Jesus was popular with the crowds, especially at the beginning of his ministry. In fact, just about everywhere Jesus went, you could bet on a crowd. People were attracted to him. They were fascinated with his teachings and amazed by his works. But over time, those crowds began to dwindle down – they began to fade out. In fact, in verse 66 of our reading from John’s gospel we read; “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” But doesn’t this also occur in the Church today? Many are attracted to the Church for various reason, but once they find that the Church or God doesn’t conform or meet their standards, their out the door. Jesus also reminds us of this type of response in his parable of the Sower, when he said; “Other seed fell on the rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away… choked out by the thorns and weeds,” and they dropped out. This describes many followers of Christ today. This describes many Christians and church goers, their response is only shallow, it hasn’t taken root deep in the soil of their hearts, and so many other things, other priorities take precedence, choking out the kingdom and over time their devotion fades or dwindles away.
And finally, in John’s gospel, we see the response of the apostles, which was one of dedication. Jesus posed an important question to the disciples to test their dedication. In verse 67 of our reading from John’s gospel we read; “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, ‘Will ye also go away?’” They were given a choice, just as we are! But what is our response? Peter’s response in verse 68, he said; “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” Peter affirmed that there was no one else to whom the disciples could turn to for life. Only Jesus could satisfy their deepest longings and spiritual desires. Jesus reminds us of this kind of response in the parable of the Sower, when he says; “Other seed fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty…” Does this describe you and your response to Christ?
The kingdom of God has come among us. God has blessed us richly, and God’s people have been entrusted with that which is most precious in the world. But ironically, these priceless commodities only gain value – the seed of God’s word only bears fruit – when God’s people are willing to scatter it.

"May we affirm with that popular chorus;
Into my heart, into my heart,
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus;
Come in today, come in to stay, come into my heart, Lord Jesus.”

Let us allow our hearts to be so open and so receptive to Christ – the Living Word and his kingdom that we become “brim full of God.” It is then that our hearts and lives will become a reflection and incarnation of God and God’s kingdom.

"A Perfect Fit!"

A sermon preached by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) based on Matthew 11:16-19 and 25-30.

I find it rather ironic that our Lectionary’s Gospel Lesson for today comes to us on the Sunday after the 4th of July. Here, Jesus’ invitation certainly resonates with the invitation inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, that wonderful symbol of freedom that was visible to those who were making their way to Ellis Island. The inscription on the Statue of Liberty beings with the words; “Give me your tired, your poor...” Jesus invites us to come and find strength in him for the journey that is before us. Without a doubt, these words bring us comfort and strength, peace and assurance. In fact, we often hear these words recited at funerals and on other such occasions.
Anyone who has walked on the journey of faith knows that such a journey brings burdens and troubles. This beloved passage may seem, at first to offer a promise of release from such burdens but much like the Statue of Liberty’s call to freedom, Jesus’ invitation is not a promise of easy roads and a carefree life. Traveling the road of Christian faith, like traveling the road of political freedom, is a journey of challenge and obstacle. But these roads are also journeys of opportunity and hope.
There is a wonderful legend concerning the quiet years of Jesus’ life - those years prior to his ministry as recorded in the gospels. The legend claims that Jesus, the carpenter was one of the master yoke-makers in the Nazareth area. People would come from miles around for a yoke, hand carved and crafted by Jesus, the son of Joseph. When customers arrived with their team of oxen, Jesus would spend many hours measuring the team - their height, the width, the space between them, and the size of their shoulders. Within a week, the team would be brought back and Jesus would carefully place the newly made yoke over the shoulders, watching for rough places, smoothing out the edges and fitting them perfectly to this particular team of oxen. And, you know, friends, that’s the yoke Jesus invites us to take. We are not to be misled by the word “easy,” life is anything but easy. The root word in the Greek speaks directly to a tailor-made yoke - one that is “a perfect fit” or “well-fitting.”
The yoke that Jesus invites us to take, the yoke that brings rest to our weary souls, is one that is made to fit our lives and hearts exactly. The yoke that Jesus invites us to wear fits us well, it does not rub us nor cause us to develop sore spirits, and it is designed for two. His yokes were always designed for two. And our yoke-partner is Christ, the one who assures us; “I will never leave you nor forsake you...,” “I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.” .
In our Gospel Lesson this morning, Jesus expresses his frustration that so many signs have been revealed that God’s kingdom has come and yet they are still blind. This outburst from Jesus is prompted by a question posed to him from John the Baptist, who is in prison but wants to know more about what Jesus is up to. In fact, Jesus said in verse 11; “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” But we see that the crowds did not understand. They did not understand John. They did not understand Jesus. And as a result they do not enter the kingdom, the new age that is “at hand,” which offers the opportunity to live differently, to know forgiveness, and to practice justice. John was ridiculed in his time, as one possessed by demons. Jesus, who loved a good meal, was viewed in his time as a glutton and a drunk. They were blind!
But Jesus was inviting them and is inviting us to get on board, to open our eyes and our hearts. The “New Age” is now! The “kingdom” has come! Turn, grasp, embrace, serve — live differently — and Jesus will meet you anywhere that justice is being done, bonds are being loosed, strangers are being embraced and the hungry are being fed.
The parents of one of my best friends are frequent travelers to India and they told me that along the winding roads of India, especially in the hill countries, there are little resting places for travelers. These resting places are called samatanga. Here the traveler can rest his feet, lay down his burden, and pause awhile to talk with other travelers. After a period of rest and mutual encouragement the traveler resumes his journey refreshed and strengthened.
It is not surprising that Christians in India have become accustomed to saying; “Christ is my Samatanga.” For that is exactly what Christ is to the heart of the believer - a place of rest, a place where burdens are laid down, a place where we find strength and encouragement to continue the journey.
These words of Christ mirror those found in the final blessing of the apocryphal book Sirach. This apocryphal book was originally written in Hebrew around 200 B.C. and translated into Greek in 132 B.C. While this book is not included in the Hebrew canon, it is known through the Greek translation. However, Hebrew fragments were found among the Qumran scrolls. It is entirely possible that Jesus knew the work of Sirach, because his own teachings had many of the same characteristics.
Sirach wrote: “And now bless the Lord of all things, the doer of great deeds everywhere, who has exalted our days from the womb and acted toward us in mercy. May he grant us cheerful hearts and bring us peace in our time, in Israel for ages on ages. May his mercy be faithfully with us and may he redeem us in our time.”
The 21st century Jewish journalist, Thomas Friedman once said; “A holy book, whether it is the Bible, the Torah or the Qur’an, is only holy to the extent that it shapes human life and behavior.” And certainly there is some truth in that statement.”
Perhaps there was a deeper meaning to the words of Christ here in our Gospel Lesson. Perhaps he was calling us to become a part of his kingdom. You see, in the New Testament times the phrase “take my yoke” was used by Jewish rabbis to mean, “become my pupil.” Jesus gave a gentle invitation to his pupils, his students, his disciples; “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” You see, Jesus is calling us a life that reflects the kingdom he came to introduce.
How do the words of scripture impact and shape your life? Do they impact your life to such an extent that they are holy? Won’t you link your life to the life of Christ and learn from him – be his pupil, be his student, be his disciple, and find yourself renewed and strengthened by the Lord of the Sabbath! Won’t you experience God’s kingdom – a kingdom where justice is being done, bonds are being loosed, strangers are being embraced and the hungry are being fed. Won’t you yoke yourself with Christ, because you will find that it is indeed a perfect fit!

"Hospes"

A wermon preached by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) based on Romans 6:12-23 and Matthew 10:40-42.

One of my favorite words in the Latin language is the word hospes, this word is typically translated “host,” but, interestingly enough, it is also the word used to describe a “guest” or even a “stranger.” It almost seems as though hospes is an oxymoron, but the fact is no one gets to play the role of a guest, until someone else indicates a willingness to play the role of a host.
It seems that the church today tends to play the role of the host. There is no denying the fact that churches are comprised of mainly ageing members, and are struggling financially and having difficulty increasing the participation of its members. Perhaps, that is why churches today tend to focus a great deal on hospitality and expand a lot of energy learning and putting into practice the habits of being a good host.
There was a rather interesting story that appeared on the front page of the United Church Observer a number of years ago. It described a couple who were on vacation in Canada, and decided to worship with a local congregation in Ontario. To their surprise they were not greeted at the door on both their way in and out. Nothing that transpired between the time they walked through the doors of the church on their way in and the time they walked through those same doors on their way out amounted to an acknowledgment of their existence. There was no word or gesture of welcome of any kind. Which is why they experienced absolute joy when they arrived, after church, at the local Tim Horton’s restaurant, where immediately upon their entrance, the waitress flashed them a warm and welcoming smile.
I read that in the hours preceding his execution on June the 11th, 2001, Timothy McVeigh left a final statement – it was the poem, “Invictus” by the British poet William Ernest Henley. Henley wrote the poem in 1875 as an expression of the kind of heroic individualism that resonates to this day. The poem concludes with these words: “I am the mater of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.”
“Invictus” expresses our common human aspiration to live a life of proud independence. We mortals want to be our own master. We prefer not be under any lordship outside of our own ambitions. This statement is not in harmony with the witness with the gospels, especially our Scripture Readings this morning. It seems that Paul is more in harmony with the witness of Bob Dylan in which the singer declares; “You’re gonna have to serve somebody.” The the plain fact is, that all of us inevitably serve some kind of lord. We all choose a master. It is only a matter of which master it is.
Paul recognizes two general kinds of master. We will become either slaves of “sin” or slaves of “obedience,” which is to say God. Although most of us serve both of these masters at times, we usually arrive at a basic orientation toward one or the other.
P.T. Forsyth said; “The purpose of life is not to find your freedom but to find your master.” And certainly there is a lot of truth in that statement. Those who choose Jesus find a path that opens into life.
In the parable “The Rigorous Coachman,” the author tells about a rich man who purchased a team of excellent, faultless horses for his own use. However, he was not a coachman. After several weeks, the once proud horses were nearly unrecognizable. They were sluggish; their stamina was gone; and their pace was inconsistent. They displayed bad habits and odd quirks. So the rich man summoned the king’s coachman, who knew the horses. The royal coachman drove the horses for a month, and, as they became familiar with his voice, the transformation in the animals was amazing. They held their heads high; their eyes were sharp and bright; and their pace was magnificent. The capacities were in them all along. It all depended on whose voice they recognized and followed.
As I said few moments, I find it rather unusual that the same word can mean both guest and host in Latin. For that matter, I am also somewhat awestruck by our remarkably short and crisp discourse in our Gospel Reading for this morning. It comes at the tail end of the tenth chapter of Matthew's Gospel: a chapter in which Jesus provides the “apostles mandate,” if you will. And the intriguing thing about these words is that Jesus’ assumption is that his disciples are likelier to be guests than hosts. In a very real sense, he is sending them out into the world not so that their hospitality can be tested, but rather so that the world’s hospitality can be tested. “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me,” Jesus says, “and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” Jesus appears to assume that his followers will be on the receiving end, rather than the offering end, of hospitality.
Certainly, one who studies the History of Christianity could argue that it could have been no other way for those first-century Christians. I mean, after all, they were a part of a tiny, struggling movement. We, on the other hand, are part of an established church. Therefore, it is only right and proper, or so seems, that we be sensitive to our obligations as hosts. And perhaps, that’s is why the Latin language found it natural to use the same word to describe both a guest and a host. For the simple reason that the offering of true hospitality (in other words being a host) requires from us the same willingness to be vulnerable that is so much a part of the receiving of true hospitality (in other words being a guest).
But, then again, isn’t that the real essence of the Gospel. One commentator puts it this way: “Our belief that God-in-Christ, who can be presumed to have been very much at home in God's own space, nevertheless chose to vacate that space and temporarily become a guest in our space, that we might one day become year-round guests in God's space.” And how beautifully put!
Someone once said; “Our primary missions during our time on this earth is for us to learn how to receive and how to be received; how to welcome and how to be welcomed; how to be a host; how to be a guest; in the process learning how to be vulnerable, how to be open. That we might become guests worthy of a welcome. That we might become hosts worthy of a visit.”
Paul reminds us that, having been freed from the slavery to sin, we are free to totally and faithfully serve God and one another – to become hosts! That meant nothing short of sanctification – being “set apart” for a wholly different kind of life the end of which is not death, but eternal life in Christ Jesus. What Christ has done for us in freeing us from the slavery to sin that we might become hosts, can best be summed up by lines from George Matheson’s hymn, “Make me a captive, Lord, and then I shall be free.” The final verse of that hymn reads: “My will is not my own, till thou has made it thine; if it would reach the monarch's throne it must the crown resign; it only stands unbent amid the clashing strife, when on thy bosom it has leant and found in thee its life.”

"Cheap Grace"

A sermon preached by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) based on Genesis 21:8-21 and Romans 6:1-13.

Richard Lovelace was right when he wrote in his book, Dynamics of Spiritual Life, that there are three diversions from the biblical teaching on justification - there is cheap grace, then there is legalism and then there is moralism. These three philosophies dominate the church today, as well as Christian thinking. Those who follow the school of “cheap grace” are people who give little or no thought to sin. “Cheap grace,” which is the term coined by the German pastor and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer, refers to the sad attitude, displayed in various degrees of openness, which says, in effect, “I’ve been forgiven and I will go on being forgiven, so then I can do whatever I want.” The “moralists” are those who feel that “sin” - if they use that term, is a human problem with human solutions, and the “legalists” are those who try to conquer sin through legislation - these folks attempt to live as if they are justified through disciplines, and rules, and regulations. You see, Paul teaches that sin is to be handled through a relationship to Christ.
It appears that Paul is addressing this idea of “cheap grace” in our Scripture Lesson this morning. It was the Irish playwright, novelist and poet, Oscar Wilde who once said, “Life is perfectly arranged: I love to sin and God loves to forgive.” Apparently there were those in the church at Rome who felt the same way. They felt that if God delighted in forgiving sinners, then why not keep on giving God the pleasure that produces such delight? After all, the more we sin, the more God has the opportunity to exercise that attribute that is the most godly, which is grace, and the more grace we receive.
But we see through Paul’s letter to the Romans that he quickly puts that reasoning to rest by affirming that it is inexcusably blasphemous to use God’s mercy as an excuse to sin. And furthermore, when one becomes a Christian, he or she no longer looks for loopholes that might provide an opportunity to sin. In dramatic terms, Paul says that we are “dead to sin.” Now, friends, that is to say, that sin no longer is a problem for the Christian.
Paul reminds us, in his letter to the Romans, that when we place our faith and trust in Christ we are set free from sin’s power and dominion. But yet, when we hear those words we raise our eyebrows because we know that sin is anything but dead in our lives. Sin is still very much alive in our lives. In fact, it is something we deal with, and battle with and wrestle with on a daily basis. So how can Paul say that we have been set free that we have died to sin? Now, we must realize that Paul wasn’t implying that Christians don’t sin, rather he was affirming a very important truth. And that is, we have died to sin’s penalty. When we have placed our faith and trust in Christ we are receiving what he has done for us. “God made him, who had no sin, to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This is, after all, the meaning of justification!
There is a touching story that is told of a Vietnamese orphanage that was hit by mortar fire and in the process a young Vietnamese girl was critically wounded, without a blood transfusion, she would die. An American doctor and nurse tried, as best they could in limited Vietnamese, to ask if any of the other children at the orphanage would be willing to give her blood. After a moment, a small hand slowly and hesitantly raised. The doctors began the transfusion, and the young Vietnamese donor, began to sob. He told the doctor that he was not in pain, yet he continued to cry. With the language limitations, the Americans could not figure out what was wrong with this boy. Finally, a Vietnamese nurse arrived and spoke to the diestressed child. She listened to his reply and then spoke to him in a soothing voice. Finally, a great look of relief spread over his face. The nurse explained to the Americans that the boy thought he was going to die - that he would have to give all of his blood so that the girl could live. “But why would he be willing to do that?” the Americans asked. The nurse repeated the question to the boy, who answered simply; “Because she is my friend and I love her.” And friends, this is what Christ has done for us!
In our First Reading from the Book of Genesis we hear of Sarah’s bitterness toward Hagar and Ishmael. And this bitterness, greatly distresses Abraham - he is caught in the middle of this feud and he doesn’t know what to do. He knows he cannot abandon Hagar and Ishmael, that they are his responsibility. You may remember, that while Abraham and Sarah were growing impatient in waiting on God. God had promised them a son and God had not delivered, and so, they decided to take matters into their own hands - perhaps God had forgotten about them. And so, Sarah told Abraham to have a child with her Egyptian servant, Hagar who gave to him Ishamel. But finally, God came through on God’s promise and gave to Abraham and Sarah a son - Isaac! But what about Hagar and Ishmael. What was Abraham to do? But we see that God intervenes. God instructs Abraham to allow Sarah’s demand because God has chosen Isaac as the son of blessing. God repeats that a great nation will come from Ishmael. However, Abraham must trust Ishmael and Hagar into God’s care and safekeeping.
I find it interesting that the drama of this story and Abraham’s two sons still echoes in the violent Middle East conflict today between Arabs and Jews. Arabs trace their ancestry to Ishmael and Jews to Isaac.
However, we learn through this story that Hagar and Ishmael, we were once excluded, abandoned, doomed to death. Then God intervened through Christ. Those who trust God become adopted by grace and are made joint heirs through the Son of blessing.
This is baptism’s reminder! We rise from the waters, washed clean. A new creation - a child of God, adopted into God’s family. I love Peter Morgan, a 20th century Disciples, writes; “We rise from the water to manifest the presence of Christ. We are the laos - the people of God born from the water of baptism into a sacramental ministry, manifesting the presence of Christ to the world.”
Paul encourages us to “walk by the Spirit and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.” It sort of coincides with what meditation teaches. The act of exhaling negative energy and inhaling positive energy. But in this case, we should seek to inhale and exhale the very positive energy of the ruarch - the Spirit, breath and energy of God! Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 10; “What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.”
Paul also teaches us of the importance of confession. Through confession we free ourselves and our minds from the domination of sin and we are forgiven and receive absolution. Now, we Protestants aren’t too fond of this practice. We could certainly learn a thing or two from our Catholic and Orthodox brothers and sisters. Somehow, we have gotten the idea that we are too good for confession - that, perhaps, we have nothing to confess. But confession draws us closer to a Holy God, and humbles us in the process. There a story that C. William Nichols tells of an old country preacher who was trying to express the difficult concept of the contest between good and evil that is constantly being waged within us. He said, “There are two dogs inside me - a good dog and a bad dog, and they are always snarling at each other and threatening each other. Each one wants to win, and each one expects to win.” A hearer asked him, “And which dogs wins, preacher?” The preacher replied, “Whichever one I say ‘sic-em’ to.”
Try as we might, we are not perfect people. I think we can all relate to Paul. Paul wrote; “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” He further emphasized this point when he added; “I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” Yes, we have died to sin, but sin still sometimes gets the better of us. John Wesley recognized this. Wesley use to ask; “Are you going on to perfection?” He never asked if his listeners if they were perfect, because he knew the answer. But Wesley wanted to know if they were making progress in that direction. Are you living a better life today than you were at this time last year, or last week or yesterday? Do you strive to be Christ-like? You see, friends, when we start seeing our lives as an opportunity to be a blessing - a blessing both to God and to others, it is then that we will start living this way. And thank God, that when we do fall short - grace is there to pick us up. This is what it means to be a Christian - to seek to draw ever closer to the God of grace and through that grace be strengthened to live in the light of Christ’s presence.

"Evangelize or Fossilize"

A sermon preached by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) based on Matthew 9:35-38 and 10:5-15.

I must confess that I often find myself enticed by those signs with the pull-off phone numbers that you sometimes see on telephone poles around town. You know, the ones that say something like, “Earn up to $2,000 a week working from home!” Now, I don’t know what it is, but the idea of sitting at home, stuffing envelopes for large sums of money certainly has its appeal. I'm sure there is a catch, but I like to believe that someone, somewhere is sitting in a comfy chair, sipping coffee and just raking in the money. However, the opposite idea is not so enticing. You know, I wonder how many would reply to an ad in the paper which states; “Hard Work: No Pay”? And yet, that seems to be what Jesus is asking of the disciples in our Gospel Lesson this morning. He says, “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few,” and then later on he says; “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.” And certainly, we can’t help but say, this hardly seems fair. I mean how many people do you know would reply to such an ad.
Martin Luther, the great theologian, once said; “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.” Without a doubt, the words of Christ recorded in our Gospel Lesson are challenging words. But by responding to such a challenge God is able to bring transformation to our lives and through us being transformation to our world.
I heard a rather amusing story the other day of a barber who was an elder in his church. He began to feel a little guilty after his pastor preached a sermon on evangelism. Realizing that he, himself, had never shared his faith with another person, he decided to do so with the next person that walked into his barbershop. It just so happened, that a guy walked through the door wanting a shave. The barber put him in a chair and lathered his face. He thought to himself, this would be the perfect time to witness to this customer. And so, in a nervous but enthusiastic tone, he asked; “Sir, are you ready to meet the Lord?” The man opened his eyes wide and saw the barber leaning over him and holding a razor in his shaking hand. He jumped out of the chair and took off running down the street.
George E. Sweazy once said; “The law of any church is, and will always be, evangelize or fossilize.” And certainly there is a lot of truth to that statement. Sadly, many of our churches today have failed it their responsibility and calling to “evangelize,” and as a result they are becoming fossilized. Personally, I think part of the problem lies in our misunderstanding and fear of evangelism. You know, when many people think of evangelism they think of televangelists and tent revivals, or perhaps a street corner preacher handing out tracts, or some pushy, in-your-face fanatic, trying to tell you what to believe and how to believe. In some churches, evangelism is a once-a-year special event or a particular strategy for incorporating newcomers into the life of the church. But we see in our Gospel Lesson this morning that Jesus had a different understanding – he had a different idea in mind when it came to evangelism.
The Rev. Dr. Patrick Keen, the pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in New Orleans wrote in his sermon, A Great Time to Be the Church; “There have been many times in the history of the church for the church to manifest itself as the body of Christ. There have been times when the church has stood up to the challenge, and there have been times when the church has utterly failed.” He goes on to give examples. He said; “When Madalyn O'Hair challenged prayer in schools, this was an opportunity for the church to stand up and speak out against this movement which has fostered other anti-religious movements in our nation and even around the world. The church failed to be the church in response to this attack.” He goes on to say; “When the civil rights movement evolved in the 1960’s, there were many churches who did not speak out in support of those whose civil liberties were being violated in sight of the whole nation.” In fact, forty-years later, the church has even joined in this attack to some degree. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., declared that the eleven o'clock hour on Sunday mornings was the most segregated hour in this nation, and sadly this is still the case today.
In our Gospel Lesson this morning, we are told that Jesus went about teaching in the synagogues and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowd, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
We don't have to go very far or even look too hard to see people who are harassed and helpless. As a pastor I am constantly confronted with such people, people who are in great need of compassion and mercy. And certainly with so much need in our community and in world today, this is, as Dr. Keen points out, “a great time to be the church,” if only the church – if only you and me are willing to stand up and be the church! That’s evangelism, at least the definition that Christ’s gives us through word and example!
I love the story that Carl Boyle tells. Boyle, a sales representative was driving home one afternoon when he saw a group of young children selling Kool-Aid on one of the corners in his neighborhood. They had posted the typical sign over their stand, which read: “Kool-Aid, 10 cents.” Carl was intrigued and decided to pull over to support these neighborhood kids and their business. As he pulled over, a little boy approached him and asked if he would like strawberry or grape Kool-Aid. Carl placed his order and handed the boy a quarter. After much deliberation, the children determined that they owed him some change and dug through the old cigar box until they finally came up with the correct amount of change. The boy returned with the change and then stood by the side of his car as if he were waiting for something. After a few moments, he asked Carl if he was finished drinking his Kool-Aid. “Yes,” Carl said. The boy replied; “Good, because that’s the only cup we have and we need it to stay in business!” It is rather difficult to operate a Kool-Aid business when you only have one cup. But sometimes we make that mistake when it comes to the church – there’s a thirsty world out there, yet there are so few cups. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
As Matthew concludes Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, this passage transitions into Jesus’ call to the missionary work required of those who seek to follow him. Now this passage could very well be called “the apostles’ mandate,” because it concentrates on the task that is to be done by those who follow Christ. Even as Jesus gives authority to the disciples to heal, and cleanse, and cure, Jesus does so in the context of servant-hood and compassion, which is a direct contradiction to the Religious Leaders and scribes who were not shepherds. They had failed in their calling and responsibility to be shepherds to Israel. They had become legalist, who oppressed the people. They used God’s law for their own religious and political propaganda. They had become fossilized in their practices and perception of God. They had become slaves to legalism rather than embracing the new revelation of God’s self in the person and ministry of Christ. But Jesus came to bring to dawn the kingdom of God – a kingdom of love and grace, justice and compassion - a kingdom where all are welcomed and invited. Jesus came to take that which had become fossilized and make fossil fuels bringing the warmth of God’s love and grace and the light of God’s presence in the world. And this was the commission Jesus gave to his disciples. And this is the commission Christ gives to us today!
Here, in our Gospel Lesson, Jesus gives them a new mission – a new title. They are no longer just disciples or students, but now they are apostles. The Greek word is apostolos, which means “one who is sent as a messenger” or someone who is an “ambassador” or a “representative.” We are called, like the first disciples, to be ambassadors and representatives of Christ in the world – to be God’s faithful evangelists.
Keep in mind, up to this point in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus had been the sole missionary in those situations of need. And so, seeing that the work for God’s kingdom is great, in chapter 9 verse 37, we see that he turns to his disciples to enlist them. And after calling them, in chapter 10, he blesses and commissions them.
There is a wonderful legend that is told about St. Francis, the kind and compassionate thirteenth-century monk, who one day informed his brothers in the monastery that he planned to go into the nearby village on a preaching mission. He invited a novice to go along with him and on their way, they passed an injured man and Francis promptly stopped, saw to the poor fellow's needs and arranged medical care for him. They went on and soon passed a homeless man who was near starvation. Again, Francis stopped his journey and ministered to the hungry, homeless man. So this went on throughout the day: people in need, Francis lovingly cared for them as best he could until the sun was low in the sky. He told his novice friend it was time for them to return to the monastery for evening prayers. But the young man said, “Father, you said we were coming to town to preach to the people.” Francis smiled. Then he said, “My friend, that's what we've been doing all day.” That’s evangelism at its most faithful - it is ministering to people in their need. It doesn’t worrying about numerical growth, or adding to one's own conversion record, or winning acclaim within the denomination. Evangelism is sharing the love of God in concrete form among God’s people. It is allowing the light and presence of Christ to be seen in you wherever you go and in whatever you do. Indeed, we must evangelize or fossilize. Let us not become a fossil, but rather a fossil fuel that heats and lights the world with God’s love and grace. Let us continue the mission that Christ came to do; to preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, set free the oppressed and to proclaim that the kingdom of God has come.

"Don't Worry, Be Happy"

A sermon preached by the Rev. Chrsitopher E. Yopp at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) based on Matthew 6:24-34.

I can remember as a child loving Bobby McFerrin’s song; “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” The lyrics to the song read:

“Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry, be happy.
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy.
Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy.
The landlord says your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy.
Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got no gal to make you smile
Don't worry, be happy.
'Cause when you worry your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
Don't worry, be happy.
Don't worry. It will soon pass, whatever it is.
Just don't worry, be happy!”

As a child I listened to that record often. And not only did I have the record, but I also had a t-shirt with that inscription; “Don’t Worry, be Happy!” As a child, I can remember not having a care in the world, and if I did, it was insignificant, at least, now when I look back on it. I am sure, there were many worries in our family, but my parents made sure that those worries and cares didn’t become my worries or cares. Life was good and I was happy!
But as we grow older our lives change. They become more demanding and stressful. We take on more responsibility and obligations. And soon our happiness is overcome by worry and fear. But Jesus tells us in our Gospel Lesson this morning, like Bobby McFerrin, “Don’t worry, be happy.”
Author and Pastor, Leonard Sweet points out that of all the living things that God created, we human beings are the only ones that worry. And we worry about everything – from gas prices, to the economy, to taxes, to jobs, to marriages, and it doesn’t stop there, we take on other people’s problems – parents worry about their children, children worry about their parents, we worry about our friends. Where does it end? Our lives are consumed by worry.
The best selling non-fiction hardback books on Amazon.com usually reveal the subjects we worry about - health, change, relationships, and money. Jesus says we ought not to worry. In fact, he says; “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?” And sure we are quick to respond with “easier said than done.” But, as usual, what Jesus says makes sense. You see, Jesus knew the consequences of worry on our lives.
The British born movie actor David Niven was a worrier and a habitual nail-biter. Once he received a postcard from a friend of his who was traveling through Italy. The card showed a picture of the Venus de Milo, for those of you who are not familiar with this sculpture, it is an ancient Greek sculpture which depicts the goddess of love and beauty, but her arms have been lost, the sculpture is armless. Niven’s friend wrote an inscription on postcard, just below the picture, which read; “You see what will happen if you keep on biting those nails?” Now I am not a nail-bitter, but I do pick my nails, to the point that my cuticles are in horrible condition.
A book written by a noted physician entitled, Stop Worrying and Get Well, called attention to the fact that worry causes a host of health problems such as: heart trouble, high blood pressure, some forms of asthma, rheumatism, ulcers, colds, thyroid malfunction, arthritis, migraine headaches, blindness, and a host of stomach disorders. Doctors today are quite candid in admitting that more than half of the patients in hospitals are there as much because of the accumulated effects of mental problems as anything else. The pressures of modern life, and the worries those pressures bring, have had a devastating effect on every one of us. And, friends, worry and stress are not new ailments. The crowd that sat listening to Jesus on that Judean hillside knew the pressures and worries, the stress and concerns of life.
And as was typical with Jesus’ teaching, he put the problem into perspective by using simple illustrations. He pointed toward the sky and said, “Look at the birds of the air (those little insignificant sparrows); they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet God feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” I mean it makes sense, doesn’t it? God is the Creator, the Redeemer and the Sustainer of all life. God does provide.
Now, of course, the point is not that birds or animals are taken care of without work; that is obviously not true - it has been said that no one works harder than the average sparrow to make a living. But the message is clear, they do not worry about that living. And if they, who are so much lower than we in God’s scheme of creation, do not have to worry, why should we?
At Eastern University, where Tony Campollo taught for a number of years, he would constantly encounter students who would ask the simple, yet complicated question of, “How can I know what God wants me to do with my life?” What a question! But Campollo says; “I could never answer that question because I’m not so sure that God wants us to look that far ahead.” He goes on to say; “I'm convinced that what God calls us to ask ourselves instead is; ‘What should I be doing today?’” And indeed that is the question we must seek to answer.
Anyone who has spent much time traveling along the road of faith has bumped into questions that feel insurmountable, cries that are devastating, and situations where God seems painfully absent. It is in these times that our trust is worn thin and our attention is drawn away to the ever-present “cares of the world.”
We look around our world and see pain and suffering, we see war and injustice, we see disaster and crime, and we find ourselves asking how those things are possible in a world created by a good and benevolent God. We are often consumed by questions and fears, doubts and concerns, all of which can paralyze us. But, if we are to offer a humble prayer of trust along with the psalmist, we must make a humble assessment of our ability to understand and then loosen our grasp on those questions. Only then can we redirect our attention toward the God who loves us with an unconditional love.
Perhaps the reason the Book of Psalms is such a popular and beloved book, is because it addresses all of these different emotions and questions we have. Psalm 131 is a special prayer of humbling trust that addresses us and our care-filled lives. This psalm seems almost too brief to have any significance, yet it was included in a collection of psalms, from Psalm 120 to 134 that pilgrims used when approaching Jerusalem and the temple during the great festivals. It is a psalm which expresses a humility and quietness of mind that places complete trust in God. Now, obviously, this was not the psalmist’s original state of mind. Once he had much wealth and pleasure in his material possessions. His mind was set on earthly things which did not satisfy his soul. But all this changed and we can only guestimate as to the circumstances for this change, but now he has found rest in a deeper trust in God’s providential love and grace.
Once we have undergone the difficult work of stilling ourselves and redirecting our gaze toward the God who loves us simply, we are able to be with God in peace, as a weaned child and its mother. Unlike the newborn who weeps in response to every perceived need, the weaned child has learned to trust its mother’s loving provision and becomes content.
This is why Jesus commands; “do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear,” because, when we are overrun by our cares and desires, crying like newborns, we cannot experience the peace and joy of being at rest with the one who loves us as only God can and does, nor can we become focused on the needs of others.
C. William Nichols tells a story in his book; Day by Day through the New Testament: The Gospels, of a revival meeting many years ago in which an evangelist sought to involve everyone present in the point he was making, so he asked; “Will everyone who has a soul please stand up?” Immediately everyone stood up, except for one man toward the back of the room. “Sir,” the evangelist asked, “don’t you have a soul?” The man replied; “I AM a soul; I HAVE a body.” Once we accept that we are primarily spiritual beings, made in the image and likeness of God, will we realize how important it is for us to be connected to God. Like the astronaut who leaves the spacecraft to take a “space walk,” and could not possibly live without being connected to the source of life by an “umbilical cord,” which supplies oxygen to breathe, and a link of communication with home base, and a guarantee of safety; so, we must have some sort of “umbilical cord,” linking us to the source of our spiritual life.
Jesus does not deny our need for the material resources that will keep our bodies alive and functioning well. Our bodies, too, are creations of God. But Jesus reminds us, as the Psalmist learned, that our first priority must be our spiritual beings and our relationship with God, because it is then that our lives become prioritized and we learn to truly “seek first the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness.” It is in this kind of living that we become God-centered and other’s-centered, verses self-centered.

"The Majesty of God"

A sermon preached by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp in the pulpit of Edgemont Chrsitian Church (Disciples of Christ), based on Genesis 1:1-2:4, Psalm 8 and Matthew 28:16-20.

I read of a preacher who proudly boasted that he does not preach doctrinal sermons. He said; “They are boring and people do not understand them nor can they relate to them.” He went on to say; “Furthermore, I am a preacher, not a theologian. I get down to the practical issues and focus on the struggles that Christians face daily. Now, while I understand this preacher’s philosophy, I don’t fully agree with his statement that he is not a theologian and his implication that theology isn’t practical nor applicable to our lives as Christians. You see, the fact is, everyone is a theologian to a certain extent. To understand this, you must first understand what the word “theology” means. The word “theology” comes from two Greek words, theos, meaning “God” and logos meaning “word” or “reason” or “understanding.” The Latin form of “theology” is defined as a “discourse about God.” And so, if you have ever waxed on anything pertaining to the mystery of God or faith, then you have acted as a theologian - one who thinks about God and faith. Now, personally, I love theology and I preach theology, because, after all, theology gets down to the very core of our existence - who we are as the people of God!
One of the things that I like about the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is, we honor the Lectionary and the seasons of the church year. And the reason I like this is because it insures a witness to the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ. I mean, after all, how can we go through the season of Advent and not consider the doctrine of the incarnation? How can we go through Lent without contemplating the doctrine of the resurrection? Likewise, how can we embark upon the season of Pentecost without mentioning the doctrine of the Trinity? And so, here we are - Trinity Sunday!
The church has celebrated Trinity Sunday since the 10th century. Perhaps there is no greater mystery than the doctrine of the Trinity - God is one, yet God is three! It almost seems like a contradiction. God is one, yet God is three – I mean, to me, it’s an oxymoron. How can that be? Yet, it is a doctrine of the Church!
But let me begin by saying that the doctrine or the idea of the Trinity does not attempt to define God. Defining God is impossible! First of all, words cannot begin to describe something that is beyond words. We cannot begin to define something that is beyond definition, and to do so, is to limit God! And secondly, God is beyond our mere intellectual understanding. That is why God has created us spirit, so that we might have that Spirit-to-spirit communion and communication with God. And so, the doctrine of the Trinity only explains to us in a very elemental way, what God has chosen to reveal to us about God’s-self. To describe the tip of the iceberg above the water is not to describe the entire iceberg. And so, in the same way, the Trinity is not an explanation or definition of God, but simply a way of describing what God has chosen to reveal to us – it is a revelation of God.
Now, friends, let’s be honest. It is hard to wrap our tiny little brains around the doctrine of Trinity. Sure, we’ve all heard the shamrock idea: just as the shamrock is one plant with three leaves, so God is one God with three faces. Or maybe we’ve heard the water analogy: just as H2O can take on three forms: ice, liquid and steam, so God has three forms. Are these analogies helpful? Yes, to a certain degree. Yet, they are still limiting.
The truth is, the Trinity is a great mystery that is hard to understand and even harder to explain. Try to explain this to a child whose questions are endless or to an adult who is skeptical. But this doctrine lies at the very foundation of what we Christians believe and profess about God. Almost every creed of the church affirms the doctrine of the Trinity.
But the question is, is the Trinity just an obscure doctrine that we give lip service too because the church calendar tells us to do so or does it have anything to do with our daily living? What does the Trinity mean to you? Perhaps this is the question we are forced to ask ourselves on this Trinity Sunday.
In our Scripture Readings this morning and throughout our worship, we have heard about the three persons of the Trinity. We have recalled how God has revealed God’s self to us in three distinct ways.
One of the theologians of the early church, Tertullian, explained the Trinity in a metaphor. He said; “God the Father is like a deep root, the Son is the shoot that breaks forth into the world, and the Spirit is the bloom that spreads beauty and fragrance.” And what a beautiful thought!
One of the greatest things the Trinity teaches us about God is that God is constantly reaching out to humanity. The Creator yearns for a loving, intimate and personal relationship with creation. God wants to walk with us daily. God years for communion and fellowship with us. Through Christ, we have a picture of who God is and what God is like. Christ reveals to us God! And the Holy Spirit allows us to experience God’s beauty and fragrance - God’s eternal presence.
Randall opened our worship this morning with a beautiful reading of the Litany of Creation found in Genesis chapter 1. Those words recount the power of God the Creator. “In the beginning God” – the whole presence and being of God, “created the heavens and the earth.” A loving and powerful God made the universe in all its vastness, and complexity and mystery. This magnificent litany tells of God's creation of the world in an orderly fashion during a six-day period. Now, friends, I think it is important to realize, that the Bible is not meant to be understood or viewed as a science book. The Bible makes a religious statement rather than presenting a scientific hypothesis. While science may be able to give us plausible understanding of how and when the universe came into being, it cannot take us beyond the mystery of the beginning to God’s gracious spiritual purpose as this litany does. Here we see the One who is behind creation.
There is an interesting comparison between the Creation account of Genesis chapters 1 and 2 and the Re-creation account found in John chapter 1. In Genesis, we are told that God speaks and through God’s Word the physical realm comes into existence and chaos gives way to order, void gives way to beauty and darkness gives way to light. In John chapter 1, we are told that God once again acts, and through God’s Word – the Logos – Jesus, God brings redemption and salvation – bringing spiritual order and light to the spiritual chaos and darkness of this world.
In Psalm chapter 8, we see that the Psalmist reiterates the majesty of this litany of creation found in Genesis chapter 1. Here, the Psalmist celebrates what God has done and is doing in the universe in which we live. More than that, it states how we, as part of God’s creation, fit into the plan of God as conscious stewards of creation.
Psalm chapter 8 sings of the wonders of the universe and how they reveal to us the power of our Creator. The stars, and the planets, and the oceans, and the mountains - all of them came from God, the Master Designer and Architect. But, as the Psalmist reminds, God isn’t just concerned about the grandeur of the universe. God is also our loving parent. We have a place in this universe and a calling to fulfill. It is God who has created us in love and who calls us to live in love.
If you were going to take a trip to the moon and leave something there, what would it be? You know, to my understanding Psalm 8 is the first biblical text left on the moon. The Apollo mission left a disk containing messages from seventy-three nations. The Vatican contributed Psalm 8, which was our Responsorial Psalm this morning, as part of its message. One commentator has called this psalm the “Majesty of God and the glory of [humanity].”
The psalmist asks; “Who am I, and why am I here?” Certainly, we have all asked ourselves that question one time or another. And, without a doubt, some would have some different opinions. For instance, Karl Marx would probably define humanity in economic terms. Darwin would have said that humanity is essentially a highly developed animal. Freud may have said that humanity is an underdeveloped child. But the psalmist describes humanity’s significant purpose. We are a reflection of our Creator. We are an incarnation of God’s love. For we possess within us the very Spirit of the one who gives life amid chaos and disaster, amid darkness and confusion.
One of the ways in which God teaches us how to love creation and one another is in the person of Jesus Christ and in the presence of the Holy Spirit. In our Gospel Lesson this morning, Jesus commanded his followers: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). The love we find in the Trinity, the communion we find with one another, is not just for our own sakes. It’s for the sake of the world. It’s meant to be shared!
In her article, The Trinity: Relevant or Not? Carol Dillon shares about an icon of the Trinity that can be found in museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. The icon dates back to around 1400 A.D. Now, this article caught my eye, because I have recently taken an interest and am even a collector of icons. But for those of you who are unfamiliar with icons, they are pictures that are used in prayer, to help the worshiper to focus his or her heart upon God and to set the distractions of life aside. It is said that, “icons are a window into the heart of God.”
But this particular icon that Dillon was referring too, portrays the three persons of the Trinity as three divine images or persons, sitting around a table together. The head of each person is inclined toward the other, so that there seems to be a circular movement around the table, connecting the three to one another. On the table is a chalice. Dillon writes; “What this image reveals to me is, in God there is a living, loving community. From the beginning of time until the end of the age, God - Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer has existed as a holy community of love and grace. God is community.” And what a beautiful thought!
And now, we as God’s children are invited into that holy community. We are invited into the holy dance of the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. We join in the dance when we respond to the love of God by loving God and one another.
And so, as we reflect the Trinity, don’t let it be just a vague, dry doctrine. Don’t write it off as something that’s just too complicated to understand. Don’t leave it to the seminary professors to debate over. Let’s think about the community of love that has been within God since the beginning of time. Let’s accept God’s invitation to join in that community. As we see real, concrete examples of how God has created us, redeemed us, and sustained us, let us respond with love and gratitude. Let us add our love to the Trinity’s communion of love, so that we might become a reflection of our Creator, our Redeemer and our Sustainer – the Three-in-One!

"What Do We Do Now?"

A sermon preached at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on Ascension Sunday 2008 by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp. The sermon is based on Acts 1:6-14 and II Thessalonians 3:6-14.

Colleen Hitchcock has written a poem entitled “Ascension”. It reads:

“And if I go,

while you’re still here...

Know that I live on,

vibrating to a different measure

- behind a thin veil you cannot see through.

You will not see me,

so you must have faith.

I wait for the time when we can soar together again,

- both aware of each other.

Until then, live your life to its fullest.

And when you need me,

Just whisper my name in your heart,

...I will be there.”

Certainly, these words mirror those spoken by Christ’s to his disciples at his ascension. You may recall that over the past couple of weeks, our Gospel Lessons have focused on Jesus preparing his disciples for the time when he will no longer be with them in the flesh. And now, the time has come for them to leave them. But Jesus assures them that even though their relationship is changing, it is not ending. Even though he will no longer be with them in the flesh, physically; they will remain connected to him, spiritually, through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit – Parakletos.
This relationship wasn’t ending. Jesus promised not to leave them, nor us, comfortless. Jesus’ ascension wasn’t like that of Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too, as we are told in that infamous children’s poem as, “higher, and higher, and higher flew... over the sun and beyond the blue...” but poor…

“Ickle Me, Pickle Me, and Tickle Me too
Never returned to the world they knew
And nobody
Knows what’s
Happened to
Dear Ickle Me, Pickle Me and Tickle Me too.”

The ascension of Christ is told three times in the New Testament. We find it in the 1st chapter of the book of Acts, in the 24th chapter of the Gospel of Luke and in the 2nd century addition to Mark’s Gospel. Now, keep in mind, the concept of ascending to the heavens was common in the Hellenistic world. To be transported to the realm of the gods was generally interpreted as a sign of divinity and immortality for kings, heroes, prophets and even holy men. Without a doubt, the gospels and even the book of Acts tells the story of Jesus’ ascension as a way to further demonstrate his divinity, as well as a way to signal the beginning of the messianic kingdom.
With Jesus gone from their midst and the promised kingdom of the Messiah not yet a reality, certainly they must have thought; “What do we do now?” But Jesus reminded his disciples that they would receive power and strength when the Holy Spirit came and they would be his “witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The assembled disciples posed the question in so many words. Jesus answered it, not only for that time, but for all time. The spiritual power of God that was at work in Jesus had now passed to the assembled community of men and women who followed him from Galilee to Jerusalem, had witnessed to his resurrection, and now formed a visible community of faith awaiting his return. The church remains that visible community of believers to this day.
Our Scripture Lesson makes a point to tell us that, after Jesus had ascended, the disciples stood there looking up in awe and amazement, and two angels appeared and said to them; “Why do you stand here looking into the sky?” And, you know, that’s a good question! We have a tendency to stand gazing up into the air, fixed and focused on the kingdom which is to come that we forget about our responsibility now. While we all long and wait for the full manifestation of God’s kingdom, but we must not forget nor neglect our responsibility to live out that kingdom here and now.
The Russian psychologist Pavlov, who pioneered in the techniques of conditioning, did experiments with dogs. He first rang a bell, and then a second later gave them some meat. After doing this a few times - he rang the bell - but did not give them the meat. Even though the dogs did not get the meat - they salivated - their whole system was geared to receiving meat when a bell rang. The experiment proved what Pavlov wanted it to prove - that animals - and indeed people could be taught to automatically respond to key signals.
Pavlov next wondered how long a period of time he could create between the time of ringing the bell and the time when the dogs would salivate. So he extended the time between ringing the bell and giving the dogs meat. It was quite successful - he could ring the bell and have the dogs go for a long period of time before they automatically salivated. But Pavlov finally ran into a problem. It seems that after a certain period of time the dogs would not salivate as he had hoped they would - instead they would fall asleep - and they would do this because their attention was so firmly fixed on where the meat was supposed to come from after the bell rang that their entire nervous system would begin to shut down. They concentrated so much on what they were waiting for that they had no energy left to keep themselves awake.
This was the problem Paul faced when he wrote his second letter to the Christians living in Thessalonica. Paul had stressed the imminent return of Christ in his first letter, so much so, that many of them had quit working because they thought Jesus was coming back at any moment and they didn’t see any reason to exert themselves. Many of them also felt as though they could just simply relax because there were plenty of wealthier members in the church who were always willing and ready to share. And so, they had become laxidasical. They were like the disciples on that first Ascension Day, gazing up into the heavens.

So Paul wrote this second letter, in part, to warn the Christians in Thessalonica that even though Christ is coming again there is still work that must be done and responsibilities that are to be fulfilled while awaiting “his glorious appearing.”
And to provide an illustration of this teaching, Paul pointed out that he had not abandoned his work as a tentmaker. Everywhere Paul spent much time, he established his tent-making business and began to take orders.
It has been said that lazy Christians are "so heavenly-minded that they are no earthly good." Certainly, that had become the case for many of the Christians living in Thessalonica, they were so heavenly-minded that they were no earthly good.
The word Paul uses in verse 6 as "idle" is the Greek word ataktos, which literally means, "to walk disorderly" or "to walk out of line" or "synch". In contrast, we see in verse 7 that Paul writes; "For you yourself know how you ought to follow our example. For we were not idle..." Paul, in verse 7 adds the Greek word ou, prior to atakteo, which literally means "to not behave disorderly" or "not to walk out of line." And, may I add, the disciples were not being “idle” when they were waiting in the upper room in Jerusalem, as Jesus had commanded them. Now, friends, I think it is important to understand that this was not a wasted time for the disciples. They were not being “idle” as Paul meant. Instead, they were praying and prayer is not an idle activity - for prayer aligns our will to the will of God. The Christian life is a balance of both work and rest, and our times of rest can be just a productive as our times of labor and work. For it is in such times of rest that we can learn to be more receptive, more open, more peaceful, and more ready to recognize God’s gifts in our lives and God’s presence among us.
The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote:

"Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursing,
Learn to labour and to wait."

I want to close with something that I read sometime back. Interestingly enough, there are two popular traditions in Africa: drinking tea and playing soccer. However, these traditions are not unique to Africa, but were brought to the continent by the British. Even when it is very hot, each afternoon in many parts of Africa they pause to drink hot tea. Why? Because the British who colonized Africa brought those traditions with them. Even though a person may have never visited the United Kingdom, they can get a glimpse of the U.K. by watching a soccer match and participating in tea time. They are doing in Africa as it is done in England.
Certainly, the disciples were asking themselves after Jesus’ ascension: “What do we do now?” And perhaps, we are asking ourselves the same question: “What do we do now?” In the same way, Africa reflects the British traditions of soccer and tea time; so people should get a glimpse of kingdom that Christ came to introduce by viewing our lifestyles as we allow God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” We are ambassadors of Christ, we are called to point others to the kingdom. We have a responsibility to live as though the kingdom were already here. To share the wonderful message of God’s love and grace. My friends, John reminds us that the kingdom isn’t just something that we are waiting for but that the kingdom is within us, it is a part of us, we have a foretaste of this kingdom now through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in us. And so, may we become a reflection.