Woodlawn CC

Woodlawn CC

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Your Pastor's Favorite Verse - 2nd John verses 1 through 6 (NCV translation)


The scripture that I chose to preach over this past Sunday is found in that tiny small book in the Bible known as 2nd John.  It also contains my self-proclaimed favorite verse in scripture.  The verse in question is; 2 John, verse 6 - And love means living the way God commanded us to live. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is this: Live a life of love.

I have often called this verse "the Bible in one verse", but the reality is that it's the Bible in the last five words of the verse.  If we could all just live a life entirely of love, well, we would pretty much be covering what Christ tried to convey to us. Remember that bit about the most important commandment?

I particularly like the way that the 'New Century Version' translates this portion of the verse "Live a life of love".  In the sermon, I also mentioned the other ways that this verse is translated.  The 'New Revised Standard Version' translates it as such; And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning—you must walk in it.

We as Christians are called to walk in the path of Christ, we are to live a life of love... to walk in love with God's Creation and God's People, each and every day of our lives.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,
Roy

2 John verses 1-6  New Century Version (NCV)
1 From the Elder.

To the chosen lady and her children:

I love all of you in the truth, and all those who know the truth love you. 2 We love you because of the truth that lives in us and will be with us forever.

3 Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, will be with us in truth and love.

4 I was very happy to learn that some of your children are following the way of truth, as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, this is not a new command but is the same command we have had from the beginning. I ask you that we all love each other. 6 And love means living the way God commanded us to live. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is this: Live a life of love.


2 John 1-6  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth, 2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from[a] Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, in truth and love.

4 I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father. 5 But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning, let us love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning—you must walk in it.




Tuesday, July 18, 2017

The Merger With First Baptist Church and the Parable of the Sower - Matthew Chapter 13


This past Sunday, the sermon covered the Parable of the Sower found in the Gospel of Matthew in the 13th Chapter.  I have preached over this Parable before at Woodlawn and the last time I chose to focus on the aspect of judging.  The Sower in the story does not discriminate concerning the soil, the seed (the word of God) is offered to the rich soil as well as the poor soil.  No predetermination is made due to the preconceived condition of the soil.  We are not to judge who may or may not be the 'right' kind of soil to hear and grow God's word.

This time, I chose to focus on the soil from a different angle. This parable is sometimes also called the "Parable of the Four Soils", and there is something that those of us who grew up tending the soil know about soil... the condition of soil can be changed.

We as stewards of the soil can modify and improve the soil we are called to tend to. The hard 'path' can be broken up and made receptive to the roots of the word, we can clear the rocks from the rocky soil and again loosen and prepare the seed bed, we can most certainly pull and remove the weeds that are there choking out the word, all three of these 'unreceptive' soils can be made to be 'receptive' and fertile.  We are called to till as well as to sow.



Matthew 13:1-9 & 18-23 New Revised Standard Version

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears[a] listen!”


18 “Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.[c] 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”



At the end of the sermon, I delved into a personal meaning that the Parable of the Sower holds for me.  This scripture was the scripture verse used at my Grandfather Fletcher's funeral back in 2001.  My Grandfather was a man to whom tradition and heritage meant a great deal, and this scripture passage holds that meaning for me as well.  Grandfather was a wonderful Christian man and most certainly sowed the seeds of God's love in this world.  He was born, grew up, and lived his entire life on the same farmstead near Reliance, South Dakota.  He used to say "I had the good fortune of being born in the best place on Earth and the good sense to stay there", he loved South Dakota and he loved Lyman County where he lived.

But as much as Grandfather was deeply rooted to the prairie of South Dakota, he kept apprised of the changes in technology.  His father purchased the first tractor in Lyman County, Grandpa was one of the first to get a combine and leave behind the old threshing machines, he embraced each new advancement in technology, and I'm certain that if he were still alive and well today (at the ripe old age of 113 mind you) he'd be on the internet keeping abreast of the newest technology and advancements in science and certainly farming.

He was rooted, but he used those roots for strength, not as a way to stop him from moving forward and trying new methods and ways.  I discussed how I too am rooted back in Lyman County, South Dakota, a great deal of who and what I am was written back there in that land and a great deal of who and what I am lays with my grandparents who are all four buried in the same small cemetery outside of the small, small town of Reliance.  But... as I said in the sermon; "Roots are there to give you strength, stability, to define you in many ways... BUT... roots are not what reaches to the sky..."

My roots lie back in Lyman County, South Dakota but, my branches are here in Lake City, Iowa.  It is here that God has called me to serve Him.  We cannot let our roots, our heritage stop us from changing and evolving... from reaching to the sky.  Let your roots, your heritage, your past, strengthen you for what lies ahead, never let it stop the branches of your life from reaching for the sky.



Our worship service on Sunday was held jointly with the members of First Baptist Church.  After the service, the two congregations went to separate rooms of the church building to vote upon the merger.  

My friend and mentor Reverend Bob Molby was here to represent the Mid-American Baptists (American Baptist, USA) Executive Minister Marshall Peters and to support and assist the members of First Baptist Church as they discussed and voted on the merger. Their vote was unanimous in favor of the merger.

The Reverend Mike Omundson was here to represent the Christian Church in the Upper Midwest (Disciples of Christ) Regional Minister Bill Spangler-Dunning.  Mike opened our meeting with a prayer and our Church Council President Mel Alcox opened the meeting.  After a brief and unfortunately contentious discussion, the vote was cast for the merger and was overwhelmingly in favor of the merger.

After this voting, the now one merged congregation met together in Fellowship Hall and ratified the proposed set of By-Laws.  There was again a brief and contentious discussion but again the By-Laws were overwhelmingly approved.  After the meeting was adjourned, we all sat down together and enjoyed a wonderful fellowship meal provided for by generous donations from anonymous congregation members and other individuals from our local community.

I am so pleased to present to you the newly joined congregation, now known as: "Woodlawn Christian Church, (Disciples of Christ and American Baptist)".

It is the union of two great faith traditions and two great heritages of service here in Lake City.  With what is now one church, supported by two incredibly deep root systems (First Baptist was founded in 1861 and what became known as Woodlawn Christian Church was founded in 1865) we have such incredible stability from which to continue to grow branches that will reach to the sky.  

I am so happy and so proud of all of the members of our new congregation.  We truly have so many wonderful and loving individuals here at Woodlawn.

Let us all be a blessing to someone today!

In His Love & Glory,
Pastor Roy



Thursday, July 6, 2017

Take My Yoke Upon You - Matthew 11:16-19 & 11:25-30


The Scripture which I chose to preach over this past Sunday is comprised of two readings from the 11th Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 11:16-19 (NRSV)
16 “But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,
17 ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
    we wailed, and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; 19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Matthew 11:25-30 (NRSV)
25 At that time Jesus said, “I thank[a] you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.[b] 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

28 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”



These verses in Matthew start off contrasting the styles of John the Baptist and Jesus, but both styles have met with resistance from the Jewish people.  John in his ascetic manner living in the wilderness, living off the land as you will and calling for repentance, and Jesus who was no stranger to eating and drinking with sinners represent the two ends of the spectrum.  John represented by the reference to children playing "funeral" and Jesus compared to the children playing "wedding".  Neither of the two contrasting styles has been embraced by those in power and these verses speak to that lack of embrace. 

We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.

The reality is that far too many individuals are just plain contrary in this life.  No matter what angle or what logic you bring to the table they will contend with you because, that's just what they do.  But, that doesn't mean we stop coming or that we stop advocating for our Lord.  It's not for you or for I to judge when it's time to give up on someone, God could have easily given up on me but He didn't... and so I don't give up on others either.

In the sermon, I talk about the 'Yoke' of Christ.
28 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
In the time of Jesus, it was common for Rabbis to talk about the 'Yoke of the Law' or the 'Yoke of Torah'.  Likewise, the approach that each Rabbi taught concerning the Law was described as that Rabbi's 'Yoke'.  Jesus comes to us talking about the lightness of His 'Yoke', about how easy His approach to Torah is.  But just what was/is the 'Yoke' of Christ?  Let's jump to Chapter 22 in the Gospel of Matthew for some insight.




Matthew 22:36-40 (NRSV)
36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Here we learn what Jesus' 'Yoke' was... it's the burden of loving God and loving others.  The importance of this verse is highlighted in that this exchange was preserved in all three Synoptic Gospels. Here is first Mark's version and then Luke's version.

Mark 12:28-31 (NRSV)
28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Luke 10:25-37 (NRSV)
25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus.[a] “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii,[b] gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”



Note that immediately following Luke's version is the story of the 'Good Samaritan'.  I've talked before about the role of the two great First Century Rabbis Shammi and Hillel.  These two Rabbis had conflicting views on who this 'neighbor' was that we are to love.  Shammi taught that only a fellow Hebrew was your neighbor, Hillel taught that all Hebrews and all Gentiles were your neighbors but... that the Samaritans were NOT your neighbor.  In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus casts as the hero the Samaritan and shows him to be the role model of what a neighbor should be.
36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Clearly, in Christ's definition, even the despised Samaritan is one's 'neighbor'.  This was incredibly radical and liberal thinking for the time.  Here Jesus was to the 'left' of even Hillel, but there are other times when he's to the right of Shammi, this is why I call Jesus a 'Radical Moderate' and why I too call myself a 'Radical Moderate'.

I did not mention in the sermon that when Jesus listed the 'Greatest Commandment' that he was actually quoting from Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 (NRSV)
6 Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that the Lord your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, 2 so that you and your children and your children’s children may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, 9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Truly, loving God and loving others is the one thing above all else that we are called to as followers of Christ.  As Matthew tells us from this "Yoke" hangs all the Laws and all the Prophets.  It is by this 'Yoke' that we bear all the responsibilities assumed as Christ followers.  It is also through the 'lenses' of these two 'Loves' that we interpret all of the Law and Prophets.  We must view the Law and Prophets through the eyes of love, if our interpretation does not come out loving... then we have mistaken 'Earthly' yokes and lenses for the 'Yoke of Christ'.

Be a force of love to this wanting world...

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Love & Care,
Roy