Just As I Am, a Sermon over the Hymn

This past Sunday, November 5th, I began a new Sermon Series covering a few of our more loved Hymns. I'll continue this series until the beginning of Advent at the very least. Unfortunately, this week due to multiple technical hiccups the video of the sermon was a disaster. First of all, there was a problem with my microphone, then an internet interruption (I was playing a song from Youtube on my phone and through my lapel microphone), and finally the camera fell out of the tripod. I guess it just wasn't meant to be recorded. So, I have attached the manuscript of the sermon below.

Please remember to... "be a blessing to someone today".

In His grace & love,
Roy

"Just As I Am" - Sermon Manuscript 11/5/17

(Recorded Music - Hymn "Just As I Am")

As I mentioned in the announcements, for the next few weeks, well at least until the beginning of Advent, we are going to be doing something a little bit different. We will for several Sundays take a look at the history and message of some of our favorite and most well-loved hymns.

Today, we'll look at the wonderful song that we just heard, known to us as “Just As I Am”. Just As I Am” is one of the few hymns for which we know not only the author’s story but also the exact circumstances within which it was written.

Charlotte Elliott, a Victorian poet and hymn writer, was born in the south London district of Clapham in 1789 and died in Brighton, England, in 1871. Her grandfather was a famous Anglican evangelical preacher and her brother was also a minister.  Charlotte's life was a story of struggle, she became an invalid in early life and by 31 she was nearly entirely bedridden, her life was a testimony to patient endurance in suffering, not only physical but also emotional and spiritual. This was the context in which she wrote in 1834 the poem that would become the hymn we know as “Just As I Am”.  The hymn is very well-known today but it first appeared in publication in 1835 in the publication “Christian Remembrance Pocket-Book”. Later by the invitation of Harriet Kiernan and the suggestion of Reverend Hugh White, she would become the editor of that same publication.  In 1836 Elliott added the final verse to the poem.  Elliot also published the “Invalid's Hymnbook” and wrote approximately 150 hymns during her life, of which no other is nearly as widely known as “Just As I Am”.  Elliott’s hymns, which are simple, devotional and full of consolation for those in sickness and sorrow, are contained in these publications: Psalms and Hymns for Public, Private, and Social Worship; The Christian Remembrance Pocket-Book; The Invalid’s Hymn Book,Hours of Sorrow Cheered and Comforted; Thoughts in Verse; Morning and Evening Hymns for a Week; and Thoughts in Verse on Sacred Subjects.

John Julian wrote in his “Dictionary of Hymnology” in 1892 that “Although sometimes depressed by her condition, she always felt renewed by the assurance of salvation, and she responded to her Savior in hymns with her “strong imagination and a well cultured and intellectual mind” 

The story about how Charlotte came to write this amazing song of finding salvation through Christ is simply inspirational. This hymn has been utilized by many ministers and worship leaders as the altar call at the close of worship services, it's simple message of sin, despair, pain, anguish, forgiveness, and salvation to all that trust in Jesus has timeless and endless appeal. 

Elliott's physical condition led to a lifetime of mental and often spiritual anguish which was heightened when she learned that her brother,  Reverend H.V. Elliott, was raising funds for St. Mary’s Hall, at Brighton, England, a college which he had founded to provide an education for the daughters of poor clergymen. Charlotte wanted so very much to have some small part in the building of the school but she was unable to due to her physical and emotional afflictions.

While she was living with her brother in Brighton, he organized a bazaar as a fundraiser for the school. The night before the fundraiser she was kept from sleeping by distressing thoughts of her perceived uselessness; and these thoughts led as can be imagined to a deep spiritual conflict, until she questioned the reality and state of her entire spiritual life, and wondered whether it was simply an illusion of misguided human emotion, an illusion ready to be shattered and scattered. The next day, the entire family except for poor Charlotte was busy preparing for the bazaar, all alone she lay on a sofa in a bedroom in her brother's home, Westfield Lodge. The fear and horrors of the previous night laid upon her and she called out to God to vanquish these fears. In these moments of conflict, she gathered up in her soul the great certainties, not of her emotions, not of her own self-worth, but of her salvation, her salvation by her Lord... Jesus Christ. By His power, by His promise, by His love, she was assured of her value, of her worth, and her salvation. Taking paper from the desk she set about writing down for her own comfort... the formula and mantra of her faith.  And thus she penned the words of this immortal and moving hymn.  

In those moments Charlotte remembered and expanded upon the words of her mentor, the Swiss evangelist and hymn writer Cesar Malan who had visited with her some 14 years earlier and who had become her lifelong spiritual mentor. One day, while visiting England, Malan met and visited with a young woman... Charlotte... in their conversation he stated, “that he hoped she was a Christian”. She bristled, and replied that she would rather not discuss that question, Malan then apologized if he had offended her.

For Charlotte, however, Malan's witness was a turning point. She could not get his suggestion out of her head. Three weeks later, she met Malan again and told him that ever since he had spoken to her, she had been trying to find Jesus her Lord and Savior. How could she come to Him, she wondered. "You have nothing of merit to bring to God. You must come just as you are," replied the minister. Rejoicing, Charlotte did just that...

And thus the poem that would become the hymn, “Just As I Am” came to be committed to paper. The poem she had written somehow was published without her knowledge or her name attached to it, later a copy of the leaflet was handed to her by her own doctor who wished to share it's message with her... not knowing that it was of her own hand and creation. Tears streamed down her face as she read the (at that time six) verses. Copies of the poem were being sold and the money given to St. Mary’s Hall. She then was aware that she had, in fact, played a considerable role in the building of the school. Even when we are entirely unaware, God can and does use us to advance His Kingdom, just as he used Charlotte.

Many stories are told of people whose lives were transformed by Charlotte's verses. The infamous Billy Graham used it as the invitation hymn in his crusades.

In spite of her illness, Charlotte lived to the age of 82. She died September 22, 1871, after her death, over one thousand letters were found among her papers, written by people telling her how her hymn had touched their lives.

Let us now quickly peruse the verses of this hymn as it was written in the form of a poem, and see what inspiration we can glean from Charlotte's timeless words. You'll find a copy of the writing in poem form inside of your bulletins.

Just As I Am – original poem by Charlotte Elliott
Verse 1:
Just as I am - without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am, without one plea... we are called to come to Christ today... without protest. 
His love is calling us, his blood was shed for you, for me, for all mankind.

Just as I am - and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Just as I am, and waiting not... we dare not fall under the assumption that we need to be good enough to come to a relationship with God. Maybe when I've studied more, maybe when I'm older and I don't feel so much like sinning... maybe once the kids are grown... then, maybe then... I'll work on my relationship with Christ... waiting not... if you're waiting to come to God because you're too much of a sinner right now, I've got some really... really... bad news for you... you'll always be too big of a sinner.

Romans 3:22-23
22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

That 'blot' though can be 'cleansed', and it will be... but we don't wait to try and clean it ourselves.

Ephesians 1:7
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

Just as I am - though toss'd about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Charlotte Elliott was racked with doubt, with feelings of unworthiness, feelings of fear and inner conflict. We all struggle with our faith, we all struggle with our relationship with God. The word “Israel” itself means “struggle”. Jacob literally wrestled with the Angel of the Lord.
Paul too wrestled with his faith and devotion to our Lord.

Romans 7:15-19 
15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.

We don't wait until we feel worthy, we don't wait until we feel unconflicted, we understand that despite our inner conflicts, our doubt, our pain, even our disbelief that we come to God... Just as we are.

Mark 9:23-24 
23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Just as I am - poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

In one fashion or another, we are all blind. But just as the blind Bartimaeus... literally the “son of misery” called out to Christ, we can as well. 

Mark 10:46-52 
46 Jesus and his disciples went to Jericho. And as they were leaving, they were followed by a large crowd. A blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting beside the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” 48 Many people told the man to stop, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him over!”
They called out to the blind man and said, “Don’t be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you.” 50 The man threw off his coat as he jumped up and ran to Jesus.
51 Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man answered, “Master, I want to see!”
52 Jesus told him, “You may go. Your eyes are healed because of your faith.”
Right away the man could see, and he went down the road with Jesus.

Just as Bartimaeus did not allow the crowd to dissuade him from crying out, from seeking feverishly Christ's blessing, we must not let anyone prevent us from coming to Christ as well... most of all let us not stop ourselves.

Just as I am - Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

Thou wilt receive, we are invited to come to God, He is ready and waiting to receive us all. We are welcomed because we have been pardoned, and relieved of our sinful burden. We can step forward into a relationship with Jesus unconcerned and with ever confidence.

Hebrews 10:19-22  
19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Just as I am - Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

The barrier has indeed been broken, we are reconciled to our all loving and gracious God through Christ's sacrifice and life. We are His alone, we have been presented to God the Father.

Colossians 1:19-22
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
21 And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him—

(pianist begins playing "Just As I Am")

Just as I am - of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
-O Lamb of God, I come!

God does so love us, each of us, all of us...

John 3:16 
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

We are only here in this world for a very short time, then we are called to dwell eternally with our God in His Kingdom, a Kingdom without end.

The repetition of the short line, “O Lamb of God, I come,” is a commitment to a Jesus-centered life, there is a beautiful structure throughout this hymn, “from the nakedness of ‘Just as I am’ to the climax of ‘O Lamb of God, I come!’”

Again, people aren’t “good enough” to come to Jesus, nor are they “just too bad” to come to Jesus. It is through God’s initiative, pardon, promises and unfailing love mentioned throughout the hymn and much, much more importantly all throughout scripture, that everyone can come to Jesus. Just like Charlotte Elliott, people will face “conflict,” “doubt” and “fighting and fears within and without,” but one can find rest in Jesus. Through Christ, we can escape our human limitations, our imperfect lives, our imperfect beings.

Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” 

Amen. 

The Trinity and The Great Commission - Worship Outside in God's Creation

This past Sunday the Gospel Lesson from the Lectionary was Matthew 28:16-20.

Matthew 28:16-20 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Commissioning of the Disciples
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This is, of course, the "Great Commission" and was the focus of many sermons given this past Sunday.  It was also "Trinity Sunday" and I am certain, that many sermons also focused upon the Trinity.  I choose to focus some portion of the sermon to each aspect.

I won't address the Trinity here today as it is a horribly complex topic and I don't want to bog this blog post down with a heavy doctrinal dialogue.  What I will address here today is the commissioning and more specifically the "doubt" response of the Disciples during Jesus' appearance and preaching to them.

In the Greek, it is difficult to determine if it is saying that all worshiped and some doubted, or if it's all worshiped and all doubted.  And if we understand it even as some doubting (much less all doubting) how can that be... they've just witnessed the risen Christ?  Just what are they 'doubting' here in this passage.  I've suggested that in fact all here are doubting, just as today all of us doubt.  It's not the risen Christ that they doubted (though for us today this can and often is the case), but rather they are doubting their worthiness for the task (commission) given to them by Christ.  I have to believe that all of us at some point (if not at all points) feel that we fall short of the ability to conduct the 'Great Commission'.  What we have to remember first and foremost is that not all (few of us actually) are called to do large and 'splashy' things in the name of Christ.  Rather, we all are called (even those called to large events) to do the uncountable 'small' things that we must do daily to forward the Kingdom of Christ.

My favorite saying is "be a blessing to someone today", this statement speaks to doing these small and impactful events on a daily basis.  It is these small blessings that allow us to witness effectively to all those we come in contact with in our lives.  Never doubt that your efforts for the Kingdom will not have the desired effect... rather, have faith God knows where and when He needs your assistance.  Just remain tuned into the guidance of the Spirit and do a kindness for at least one soul daily.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,
Roy

Installation Service - Woodlawn Christian Church

This past Sunday marked my official installation as the settled pastor here at Woodlawn Christian Church.  It was a great service and I thank Julie Gibson for coming and assisting with the event.  Julie is on the Regional staff and worked with the Search Committee for all the many years that it took for the search process to come to completion.  The church endured a much longer process than normal and Julie's kind assistance and guidance has been richly appreciated by everyone here at Woodlawn CC along with myself.

I was pleased to have a number of my family and friends make the trip to Lake City for the service.  My brother Merrill and his wife Karen, Susan Gillies (Past Executive Minister for the American Baptist in Nebraska), Kathy Brown (my late mentor Jesse's wife), Bob Molby (my current mentor) with his wife Marcie, my mother-in-law Mary Alice, Gail Ann and both Madeline and Creath were able to come as well.

Above is the video of the sermon which I gave during the program, and below is a video of Creath playing a violin solo of 'La Folia' by A. Corelli.

It was a wonderful service and I want to thank everyone at Woodlawn Christian for their faith in me and for calling me to come and reside and serve alongside them as their Pastor.  Thank you to Julie for all that she's done and thank you to Susan, Kathy, Bob, Marcie, Merrill, Karen, Mary Alice, Gail, Maddie and Creath for all their love, assistance and support.  Special thanks to Creath for playing his violin for the church.  Everyone was blown away and just loved his playing, they're all anxious for him to come back and play for them again.  Next time I will try and get him the music for the hymns that we'll be playing when he's here so he can be prepared.

May this blog post find all who read it fully blessed and well in our God's love and abundance.

Remember to "BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE TODAY"!

In Christ Jesus,

Pastor Roy

Sermon at Parkside Baptist Church, March 22, 2015

This morning Gail and I went up to visit the congregation at Parkside Baptist Church in the Florence area of Omaha.  I was invited to come up and provide pulpit supply while their Pastor was away for a few days of vacation.  Parkside has a smaller congregation but a beautiful little sanctuary.  They have some wonderful stained glass windows that were well lit today and were just beautiful.  Gail forgot to start recording the sermon today until it was well underway and so she decided to just skip trying to record it at all.  In the absence of any video, I've attached a copy of the manuscript to the end of this blog post.

I spent a little bit of the day working on some artwork that I recently received a commission to complete.  The commission is for one large painting and another extremely large wall sculpture.  Today I was working on the pieces that will be attached to the front of the sculpture.  I will be working in earnest on these pieces for the next three weeks and, therefore, my goals for getting my bodyweight down a bit will have to wait.  In fact, I will be lucky to even get in a couple of workouts in the next three weeks.

Our Landlord at the Gallery has been kind enough to agree to let me use an empty bay in the shopping center in which to assemble and make the final preparations of the wall sculpture. The piece is simply too large to work on in my normal studio space.  Fortunately, the customer that I'm creating the art for runs a trucking company and they are going to provide a truck to haul it from the space to their home for installation.  It's always fun and exciting to take on these bigger pieces, but they do present logistic and physical problems that more normal sized pieces do not.

I don't have too much more that I can share at this time, so I will end this blog post here.  Please do read through the manuscript of the sermon today, it was very well received by the good people at Parkside Baptist.

May you all be well and richly blessed.

In His Grace & Love,
Roy

Sermon March 22, 2015 – Parkside Baptist Church

Good morning, my name is Roy Karlen my wife Gail is here with me this morning and we are both very happy to have this chance to be with you all today.  We regularly attend Benson Baptist where I also help with the Sunday School program.  But, both Gail and I very much enjoy visiting different churches and we admittedly have a special fondness for smaller congregations.  So we both thank you for the invitation to come and have this time to worship with you this morning.

Please let me tell you a little more about who I am.  My wife Gail and I own Leonardo's Art & Prints which is an art gallery and custom framing shop located at 120th and West Center Road here in Omaha.  I am a graduate of Cotner College's “Educating Lay Ministry Program” or ELM.  ELM is a three-year program here in Nebraska designed to train lay people to take on roles in formal ministry.  ELM is a multi-denominational or ecumenical program with students from the Presbyterian Church, the United Church of Christ, the Disciples of Christ and, of course, the American Baptist Church.

Stained Glass at Parkside Baptist Church, Omaha, NE
WmRoy Karlen photo

In addition to my ELM training, I studied for a number of years with Jesse Brown who was my mentor.  I'm sure that at least a few of you were acquainted with Jesse.  After Jesse's death Bob Molby took over the formal role as my mentor but, I have also received spiritual and personal guidance from Dick Peterson, Susan Gillies, and Kathy Brown, as well as others.

I will confess that I am not necessarily a smooth nor an eloquent preacher, rather I consider myself more of a teacher than a preacher.  In all of my sermons, there is an element of teaching thrown in with the sermon.

The verses we're going to be looking at in just a little bit concern the healing of blindness.  Of course, we find this metaphor in the Gospels in several places.  And the metaphor doesn't necessarily mean we are completely blind but that we cannot see adequately or correctly.  In order to see properly we need adequate light.

Parkside Baptist Church, Omaha, NE
WmRoy Karlen photo

Not long ago my daughter was having problems with her car and we decided that it was time to get her a different used vehicle.  One of the cars, I went to look at the gentleman selling it told me that he had repaired the hood and the front fender.  The car was parked in the shade and where it was the repairs looked very good.  So I asked to drive it and when I had completed the test drive I parked the car in a different location.  The man asked me to pull it in where it had been and I told him I wanted to see the car out in the full sunlight.  Well, of course with adequate light, I could see that the paint on the hood and fender did not match the rest of the car.

It looked fine in the shade, but in the fullness of the light it was obviously not.  The difference in the light changed the way I saw the car, just as the light of God changes the way we see the world.

Before we go any further though, let's please go before the Lord in Prayer:

O' God we desire your presence with us here today.  Lord, still our restless spirits, that with quiet minds and reverent hearts we may hear your voice and genuinely worship you.
Prepare our minds and hearts O' God, that through your word, read and proclaimed, Christ may come to dwell within us, and ever rule over our thoughts and affections as the Lord of our lives.     AMEN

Parkside Baptist Church, Omaha, NE
WmRoy Karlen photo

Today we're going to be looking at a bit of scripture found in the Gospel of Mark.  As you all may be aware, the Gospel of Mark is accepted by the vast majority of Biblical Scholars as the earliest of the four Gospels that are found in the New Testament.  The exact date of its composition is unknown and the estimates of its age do vary, however my personal opinion is that the book dates to sometime shortly after the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 AD.  The Gospels of Matthew and Luke were likely written around a decade later and the Gospel of John was probably completed very near to the end of the first century AD.

The verses that we will be taking a closer look at this morning are found in the Gospel of Mark 10: 46-52.  In this story, we find Jesus on the way to Jerusalem to observe Passover and to face his destiny with the Roman Empire and the Jewish Leaders.  With that let's listen to these verses and then we'll examine the verses themselves as well as those verses that frame them.

Mark 10: 46-52 - Jesus Heals a Blind Man
46 Then they came to the town of Jericho. As Jesus was leaving there with his followers and a great many people, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that Jesus from Nazareth was walking by, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many people warned the blind man to be quiet, but he shouted even more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Tell the man to come here.”
So they called the blind man, saying, “Cheer up! Get to your feet. Jesus is calling you.” 50 The blind man jumped up, left his coat there, and went to Jesus.
51 Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man answered, “Teacher, I want to see.”
52 Jesus said, “Go, you are healed because you believed.” At once the man could see, and he followed Jesus on the road.

Parkside Baptist Church, Omaha, NE
WmRoy Karlen photo

Okay, now let's unpack this just a little bit.  Jesus and his followers are leaving Jericho on the way towards Jerusalem.  Here along the road a blind beggar learns that Jesus is passing by and he cries out to Jesus repeatedly, even though the crowd tells him to be quiet.  The blind man is persistent, and ultimately it pays off for him.

For a moment let's consider this man's name 'Bartimaeus'.  Often in scripture there is a message hidden in the names utilized.  Now when we see a name that begins with 'Bar', it means in Aramaic 'the son of' whatever name follows.  We see this here and we'll see it again later in Mark Chapter 15 where we encounter 'Barabbas'.  Pilate offers up to the crowd the choice to set free either Jesus 'the son of God' or Barabbas, Bar 'the son of' Abba 'Father'.  Barabbas 'the son of The Father'.  Now Barabbas is considered to be a man of violence here in scripture and of course we know Jesus was a man of peace and non-violence.  It is thought by some scholars that Barabbas may well have been attempting to lead, or was at least participating in a revolution of sorts against the Romans.  Given the choice between the peaceful 'Son of God' or the violent 'son of The Father', the people choose violence.  A very telling event, but one for another sermon on another day.

'Bartimaeus', what does this name mean in Aramaic?  Well again 'Bar' is son of and 'Timaeus' in Aramaic means unclean, impure, an outcast.  This blind beggar crying out to Jesus is the son of the unclean, the child of impurity.  Rejected, marginalized and ignored by society, but not ignored by Jesus.  Bartimaeus' name is so important that it is even translated within the scripture itself, 'Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus'. Jesus summons him to his side, and what does the beggar do?  He jumps up and hurries to Jesus, leaving his coat behind.  This is an important detail, he left his coat behind.  Now obviously, it would be difficult if not impossible for this man to find his way back to what is likely his only source of protection from the elements.  Leaving his coat behind is a great display of faith, faith that Jesus could and would heal his affliction.

Generally, when we're contemplating scripture it is advisable to consider the verses that directly follow and those which directly precede the verses we're studying.  Now immediately after these verses we find the 'triumphant entry' into Jerusalem.  I'll be very careful and not tread too far as that's for next week, when we celebrate Palm Sunday and Jesus procession into Jerusalem.  But that's what we find immediately follow this passage, the entry into the city and the beginning of the chain of events that would forever define Jesus' ministry.
What do we find preceding our chosen verses?  Well let's back up to the passage that was read earlier as our scripture verses for today.  Mark 10: 13-16

Jesus Accepts Children
13 Some people brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch them, but his followers told them to stop. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was upset and said to them, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these children. 15 I tell you the truth, you must accept the kingdom of God as if you were a little child, or you will never enter it.” 16 Then Jesus took the children in his arms, put his hands on them, and blessed them.

Now in Jesus' time, children were not regarded the way children are today.  They were to be honest a marginalized component of the society.  Certainly, they were not supposed to impose upon a teacher such as Jesus.  Just as in the story of the blind beggar, we have a marginalized section of society seeking out the blessing of Christ.  And just like our earlier story here an attempt is made to prevent them from having access to Jesus.  But what we find in both stories is Christ calling out to those deemed lesser by society and calling them to him.  In one he heals and in the other he blesses, but in both his behavior and attitude towards them is frankly unexpected by society.

I'm going to skip over for the moment the story of the 'Rich Young Man' and first look at Mark 10: 35-45

Two Followers Ask Jesus a Favor
35 Then James and John, sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want to ask you to do something for us.”
36 Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
37 They answered, “Let one of us sit at your right side and one of us sit at your left side in your glory in your kingdom.”
38 Jesus said, “You don’t understand what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I must drink? And can you be baptized with the same kind of baptism that I must go through?”
39 They answered, “Yes, we can.”
Jesus said to them, “You will drink the same cup that I will drink, and you will be baptized with the same baptism that I must go through. 40 But I cannot choose who will sit at my right or my left; those places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
41 When the other ten followers heard this, they began to be angry with James and John.
42 Jesus called them together and said, “The other nations have rulers. You know that those rulers love to show their power over the people, and their important leaders love to use all their authority. 43 But it should not be that way among you. Whoever wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a servant. 44 Whoever wants to become the first among you must serve all of you like a slave. 45 In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”

One could argue that the Apostles are just as blind as poor Bartimaeus, perhaps even more so.  The Apostles have been literally walking side by side with Jesus and yet here they are concerned with where they will sit in the Kingdom to come and not about serving people here in this world as the world was then and as it is still today.  Immediately however, Jesus puts them straight and with no uncertain terms.  Jesus did not come to be served but to serve, and he calls those that claim to follow him to do the same.

Let us now go back to the verses about the Rich Young Man.  Mark 10: 17-22

A Rich Young Man’s Question
17 As Jesus started to leave, a man ran to him and fell on his knees before Jesus. The man asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to have life forever?”
18 Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good. 19 You know the commands: ‘You must not murder anyone. You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not steal. You must not tell lies about your neighbor. You must not cheat. Honor your father and mother.’”
20 The man said, “Teacher, I have obeyed all these things since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus, looking at the man, loved him and said, “There is one more thing you need to do. Go and sell everything you have, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
22 He was very sad to hear Jesus say this, and he left sorrowfully, because he was rich.

Let's contrast this 'Rich Young Man' with our poor soul 'Bartimaeus'.  In both stories, we have a man seeking out Jesus.  Both have requests to put before him, one seeks salvation and the other sight.  In both cases Jesus gives them exactly what they ask for yet to surprisingly different results.

Bartimaeus, the 'Son of the Unclean' leaves behind even his coat to join Christ on the road headed to Jerusalem.  This man who is clearly an outcast and 'impure' recognizes Jesus for who he is and joins his procession.  And again, the story leaves us to believe that he has left behind his coat, likely his major worldly possession.

Now the 'Rich Young Man' by his own profession has obeyed all the laws and commandments since he was a child.  He is certainly ritually pure and if we can believe his confession he is without sin.  Yet, when told what he needed to do to have riches in Heaven, he could not follow through.  Unable to let go of what he has in this world, he turned and walked away, leaving behind Jesus and the gift that had been offered to him.

My late mentor Jesse used to like to say that Jesus never asked us to worship him, but he did repeatedly ask us to follow him.  Here in these two stories we find one man who is specifically asked to follow who declines and another who seems to take it for granted and just joins right in with the procession towards Jerusalem.  And of course it is important to note that it is the unclean man who has faith and follows and the pious man, the man who is accepted by society who falls away.

These are all stories with unexpected elements in them.  Children who recognize Jesus for who he is, the unclean who are crippled and marginalized willingly following Christ, the Apostles allowing their egos to get in the way of understanding Christ's message, and a man who claims to be extraordinarily pious unable to let go of his worldly wealth to gain treasures in heaven.
As we read these stories we have to ask ourselves, are we going to focus on the things of this world, our egos, our possessions, our status or position... or are we going to open our eyes as Jesus commands and then join the procession into Jerusalem on our way to Palm Sunday and beyond.  For you see the message in the story of Bartimaeus isn't only about seeing, more importantly it's about faith and doing.  Rising up and following Christ all the way to Jerusalem.

God bless you all and again, thank you so very much for asking me to come and worship with you.

Let us close with a prayer.

Dear Father, Abba, we come to you humbly, and freely accept the grace that you provide to us, grace given despite our sins against you in thought, word and deed.  Lord, we thank you for your love and forgiveness and we cherish above all else our relationship to you, we also thank you for the relationships that you have blessed us with in our families, our friends, our fellow believers and all our fellow human beings.  Truly, all are a part of your grand design and creation.  Dear God, let us always be mindful of your directions in this world and let us be your hands and feet in this place.  Father, we look forward to the day when through your direction all shall be reconciled to you and to each other.
We pray this in your most Holy and Blessed name, AMEN.

Parkside Baptist Church, Omaha, NE
WmRoy Karlen photo

A quick road trip and Roy's ramblings...

This week Maddie started a new job, working at a new business in town called the 'Kolache Factory'.  Of course as the name implies, they make Kolaches and very tasty ones at that.  Maddie was originally hired as a cashier, but they quickly discovered that she (thanks to her mother) has a real knack in the kitchen.  She's been transferred over to baking and her new boss just loves her.  So far, she's had a 100% turnout rate for her baking (many of the kolaches break open in baking).  Today she made meatball kolaches and again had a perfect score, her boss was so thrilled he dubbed her 'the meatball whisperer' and said from now on if she's at work she is making the meatball kolaches.  Apparently, the meatball ones are extremely tough to make and all the rest of the cooks have multiple failures in each batch.

I'm extremely proud of how hard she's working, she has been going in at 3 am and a couple of days she worked until 3 pm.  She's a hard little worker and she tells us that she just loves this job and working with baking.  Of course, she's excited because she's getting a lot of hours and will have more money to save up to travel to Canada again soon to see Yves.

Today I picked Maddie up from work at eleven and we drove to Sioux Falls to help Creath do his income taxes.  Once we finished that I took Maddie and Creath out to supper and then Creath had to get to work so Maddie and I set off back to Omaha.  She told me on the way home that Yves band has been offered a chance to open for another band on tour.  If they take the offer they'll be touring not only Canada and the USA but also over in Europe.  They're both very excited as it could be a big opportunity for Yves and his group.  He and his band are also planning on coming to the US soon to meet with the producer who is putting together a cd for them.  They're all excited about this as well as apparently he's a big name and has worked with several groups that went on to be well-known and popular bands (of course I've never heard of any of them). Who knows, Maddie may find herself with a rockstar on her hands, at any rate he plays a very mean guitar.

Today marks three months until my 55 and one-half birthday, and since I've not been training towards any particular event or date lately I decided to train towards that date.  And with that I have set my sights on May 22, 2015, by which I will strive to have dropped 20 to 30 lbs of body weight, and be in as good as, or better shape than I was at less than half of my current age.  Age is as I constantly say, just a number, and no reason for us to give up on being healthy, strong and active.

Well, it's getting late and I better get going, so with that I'll leave you all with this prayer.

God's Love & Blessings to you all,
Roy


O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, take away from me my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me the fire of thy Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone,
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore thee,
a heart to delight in thee,
to follow and to enjoy thee,
for Christ's sake.

(Ambrose of Milan, c 339-397)

Saying Goodbye and Celebrating Re-Birth

Last week a family friend from back home (Reliance, SD), Lowell Surat passed away quietly at his home.  There was a prayer service Sunday night, and the funeral was Monday morning, both services were in Chamberlain, SD.  After the funeral, the internment was in the cemetery near Reliance, SD and after the burial there was a luncheon and fellowship time in Reliance.

The prayer service Sunday night, was very touching; with folks sharing stories and memories of Lowell.  Lowell, was a man with a strong Christian faith, and he was likely the happiest person I've ever known.  In fact that was his nickname, from his childhood through the remainder of his life, he was known as 'Happy' or just 'Hap' to many.

Lowell's life was a great testimony of enduring during adversity.  He had suffered from poor health for many years of his life and his attitude was a testimony for those that were fortunate enough to know him.  I wasn't aware until recently, of all the struggles that he and his wife had endured due to Lowell's poor health.  But, through all these challenges everyone talked about how happy and positive he was able to remain.  I know that the few times through the years that I'd been back home visiting, and had run into Lowell, I don't remember him even once complaining about his health and he was always in a great and upbeat mood.

It is individuals such as Lowell and Connie, that we should look to as role models in our lives.  For you see it's easy to be gracious, charitable, kind and cheerful when you are in good health, fortune and without want or pain.  But, it's those people who are the model of kindness, joy, love and grace when their own lives know so much suffering that are the true reflections of what God wants us to be in this world.  Not that God wants us to suffer, (if you've read this blog at all you know that I do not subscribe to the theology that God makes us suffer) but rather that in these individuals we see genuine joy, kindness, charity and grace for it radiates from the kernel of the divine that resides in their hearts, not from their ego wishing to put on a display of their generosity.

Now please don't think that I'm saying that individuals in abundance cannot harbor the Holy Spirit within them.  By all means the wealthy can and do give out of compassion and through the grace of God working through them.  I am however, more likely to believe it's God and not ego, when their giving and charity is done as quietly as possible, or even anonymously.

I have always been one who believes in going to funerals.  To me it is a time to show respect for the loss of your friend. relative or loved one; it's a time to be there to support the family and friends who are now dealing with the loss and the grief of death; but perhaps most importantly for me I go to recognize and rejoice in the 'birth into heaven' of the one who has passed.  Funerals often are considered primarily as times of mourning but that really should not be such.  How wonderful it is that our cherished one has passed from this world into the very presence of God the Father.  Praise God!

Personally, I have told my family that at my funeral I do not want tears of grief, but tears of joy and celebration.  For I shall be having the time of my life and I want none to be filled with sadness over my passing.

Now don't get me wrong of course we mourn the loss of our loved ones, we have lost that relationship as we knew it in this world.  I still mourn the loss of my Grandmother Karlen, my Father, my Mentor Jesse, and many others.  But as I mourn them, I sing a song of praise in my heart for their presence in Heaven.

This past Monday, we gathered to celebrate Lowell's entry into Heaven and his reunion with our all gracious and all loving Lord.  Praise God!

I was happy after the funeral to have the chance to visit briefly, with an individual who was very dear to me in my youth.   This is a person who has held a place in my heart for the better part of forty years now, and it did my soul a great deal of good to learn that she is in good health and spirits.  I pray that she and her family will continue to enjoy good health and prosperity.  It was wonderful, to see that same smile that I remember from my childhood.

As I have said before in this blog, one of the things that bothers me about my life, is having lost contact with so very many of the people I have held dear through the years.  Unfortunately, staying in contact is a very difficult thing to do, and I'll confess my own personality doesn't always help to further this desire to remain in contact with friends.  I'm not one who remembers to send cards either at birthdays or Christmas for that matter.  It seems I get too busy, and I just don't think about these things.  Couple this with the fact that for most of my life, I have been a typical male who isn't free with stating his feelings for others.  I have tried to change this aspect of my personality, but I'll admit I sometimes slip back into my old ways.  We really should make sure and let others know that we care about them, and their well being, you just never know when it might be too late to do so.

With that I need to be running along.  I would ask that you all might continue to pray for;

Connie Surat - Comfort and Peace
Mary Alice Engleman - Healing and Strength
Kelly & Patti Wills - Healing and Serenity
Don & Laura Fletcher - Adjusting to new Situations
Sylvia Schafer - Peace and Comfort

Someday, I'll see old Lowell Surat again, and who knows maybe we'll work together again in the fields of heaven, or work cattle on the plains of eternity.  God Bless...

In God's Absolute Love & Grace,
Roy

The Second Sunday of Advent - Peace

Today, Gail and I were asked to light the 2nd Advent Candle, along with doing a reading, for the early service at Benson Baptist Church.  Last week the Hope Candle was lit, and today we were lighting the Peace Candle.  In a World that seems so filled with violence, it almost seems futile to speak of peace.  But, our view of this world is so fleeting that we fail to realize that the world has always been filled with violence.  Violence, is a horribly unfortunate side effect of the free will that we enjoy.  We are given the ability to decide for ourselves whether or not to do good, or to do evil in this world.  Sadly, each of us is affected in some fashion by those that chose unwisely, as well as those that follow the darker side of their souls.

It has been said that "Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God".  There is so much truth to this statement, and of course we cling to God as our strength in times of trouble.  

As I have said before in this blog, God does not cause bad things to happen in this world, but He can, and and so very often does, use these incidents to bring something good into this world.  Let us always prayerfully watch, for the opportunity to be God's hands and feet in bringing these blessings out of the ashes of human ego and destruction.

Jesus did not promise us a world of peace, but he left us his peace and he instructed us to not be afraid.

John 14:27(NIV)  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Today for Sunday School, we started off by taking our class down to the sanctuary to rehearse their lines for the Christmas Program, that will be next Sunday between the early and late services.  Unfortunately, not all of the children were there today, but the ones that were there were able to run through their lines with the microphone.  One of the girls that is reading is only in 2nd grade, and when she spoke into the microphone it was so loud that it frightened her.  We encouraged her to go on, but she wouldn't speak and just kept shaking her head 'no' with her eyes very wide open in fear.

I stepped up beside her, and told her she would be okay, and she then read her lines beautifully into the microphone.  She even pronounced 'Deuteronomy' perfectly.  I gave her a high five and she was now smiling.  It's such a joy to work with these children and witness their little victories.

If I might I'd like to continue to ask for prayers for the following individuals:

Lowell & Connie Surat - comfort and understanding

Mary Engleman - healing and encouragement

Don & Laura Fletcher - healing and reassurance

Sylvia Schafer - peace and comfort

Kelly & Patti Wills - strength and healing

Thank you all, and please remember to "Be a Blessing to Someone Today".

God's Grace & Love,

Roy