Would Be Disciples • June 27, 2004

Sermon by Michael R. Martin, Certified Lay Speaker
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY

2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 • Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20 (UMH 798) • Galatians 5:1, 13-25 • Luke 9:51-62

Our reading in Luke introduces the start of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem:

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.

At that time, Jews and Samaritans despised each other. This animosity dated to the eighth century B.C., and arose out of the Assyrian conquest of the Jews. Samaritans claimed to have maintained proper worship in their land while other Jews were being compromised in exile. Mount Gerazim was the center of their religious life. Jews, on the other hand, accused Samaritans of losing their religious identity through intermarriage with pagan neighbors. The Jerusalem Temple was the center of their religious life. Samaria's location between Galilee and Judea, exacerbated the situation. To get to Jerusalem, Galileans had either to go through Samaria or to take a longer, more difficult route east of the Jordan River. Always tense, the relationship between Samaritans and Jews sometimes broke out in violence.

Luke is not clear concerning the intentions of Jesus' messengers. We don’t know if they were sent ahead to Samaria to make travel arrangements or to prepare the Samarians for Jesus’ ministry. Either way, the Samaritans would have no part of it. After all, Jesus had set a course for Jerusalem, which to them was a center of false religion. They surely resented the fact that Jesus was going there rather than Mount Gerazim.

When James and John learned of the Samarians refusal of hospitality, the offered to command fire to come down and consume them. Jesus had named James and John the Sons of Thunder, presumably because of their noisy, violent personalities. They were surely familiar with story in which Elijah called down fire from heaven to consume Samaritans. If Jesus would just give the word, they would repeat that action.

When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.

Jesus’ response to the punishment suggested by James and John is stern and swift. He REBUKED them. Rebuked (epetimesen in Hebrew) is a strong word. Elsewhere in Luke’s Gospel Jesus rebukes demons, fevers, and storms, but never disciples. Jesus responds so strongly to James and John because he had instructed them to love their enemies, not to judge others, and to shake dust from their feet as a response to rejection. James and John had failed to listen. As closely as Jesus' ministry might have paralleled that of the prophet Elijah, Jesus was not Elijah and his mission was not to destroy but to save and reconcile. God will judge those who reject Jesus in due time, but disciples are to leave judgment in God's hands. By simply continuing on to another village, Jesus models the behavior that he expects of the disciples when they experience rejection.

VERSES 57-62: WOULD-BE DISCIPLES

As the Gospel continues, Jesus demonstrates that discipleship will be no easy task as Jesus encounters those who might become disciples. In these verses, Jesus clarifies the extreme nature of this call. Those who would follow him must first count the cost, because they will share Christ's suffering. They must not give anything priority over Jesus – not even good things. Jesus never said to choose him over the devil but to choose him over all, including family.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

It is thought that perhaps this man saw Jesus as a man who was “going somewhere” and wanted to ride along on his coattails. And so Jesus’ reply to the man who offered to follow him everywhere was that He, Jesus, was going nowhere. Jesus’ ministry was not to be King of All but servant of all. Jesus was on his way to Crucifixion and the Cross.

To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

In those times, an unburied body was a mark of disgrace, and the burial of one's father or mother was an important part of honoring them in accordance with the Law. Perhaps the man’s father was not yet dead, and he was asking for time to care for his aged parent, which was also an import part of honoring them in accordance with the Law. Perhaps this was the man’s excuse to buy him time to consider discipleship, maybe later to come up with another excuse not to follow. Whether the father be dead or alive, Jesus' call is unequivocal. Let those who are spiritually dead bury the physically dead. Those with a spark of spiritual life have a responsibility to those who are still alive – those whose lives can still be redeemed – who are still able to decide for or against Christ.

Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

This recalls the Old Testament story with which Jesus' audience would have been familiar. Elisha was plowing with his oxen when Elijah called him. He asked, "Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." In the end Elisha committed fully to Elijah, for he slaughtered the oxen with which he had been plowing and used the yoke and harness as fuel to cook the oxen for neighbors to eat.

"Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God' ".

Having mostly lost our agricultural roots, this imagery might be lost on us. A farmer plowing with an animal must watch a fixed point ahead to plow a straight line. Looking back causes the farmer to swerve, plowing a crooked line, the mark of an amateur. The crooked line will be there for all to see for a full year – until the next plowing. The farmer who plows a crooked line will be the butt of many jokes during the year, and will try his/her best to plow straight lines next year. An Adirondack example that would be familiar to any one who has paddled a canoe or kayak across a lake or pond – If you don’t fix on a point on the opposite shoreline, but look around and back, you will “plow a crooked course” through the water, leaving a very obvious trail behind you as you go. So Jesus is saying if you will come with me, you must commit to the course and not look back.

We are told of these two men whom Jesus asked to follow him, and both gave an excuse rather than jump right in. But Jesus takes these excuses in stride, and does not rebuke the Would Be Disciples, but rather explains to them that their time to disciple is now and nothing takes precedence over His calling.

How many times have you asked someone for help and gotten what surely was a lame excuse? How often have YOU given an excuse to avoid having to do something you just didn’t want to do at the time? I can talk because I am the King of excuses . . . well, at the very least a Prince. Overwhelmed with things to do, exacerbated by my own procrastination, my natural response to being asked to do ANYTHING is to say NO. “Say No, ask questions later” – that is my usual modus operandi. In fact, when Susan Waters first approached me about preparing this very Sunday service, I said no. And it’s not a lie to say I am too busy, because, after all, who ISN’T these days? But I thought about it some, and changed my mind, which also seems to be part of my typical response. I’ve even come to recognize that this is the way I am and TRY, when asked to do some thing or another, TRY to say “let me think about it and get back to you.” But I will also admit there are times when I have committed to something where I bemoan having agreed to do it, whatever IT might be.

We should be slow to condemn those who offer excuses. Who among us hasn’t done the same? We all lead busy lives and experience all sorts of demands for our time. And even some of the giants of our faith first offered excuses before they finally accepted God's call.

• In Exodus, Moses protested, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" He argued, "O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue".
• Gideon pleaded, "But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."
• Jeremiah protested, "Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy"
• Isaiah said: "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips…!"

And yet each of these people, however reluctantly, did what God asked, and God blessed their reluctant discipleship. This is Good News, because it means that God does not put a big X through our name when we sin or protest or offer excuses. Every failure is an invitation to repentance and blessing. Did any of the three men in our Gospel lesson dropped their excuses and followed Jesus? We do not know for sure, but I am fairly certain they did, since Luke later states that Jesus sent 72 OTHERS ahead of him. It doesn’t really change the lesson either way.

My message last week at the 8:30 Praise Service was that God WILL call you to service if you only seek quiet and listen. To that, this week, I ask “What will you do when you hear that call?” Remember, you may be asked to serve in ways you least expect it, but ALL you do for good is service to God. As we are instructed in Galatians: “serve one another in love. . . . Love your neighbor as yourself."

How can we prepare ourselves, heart and soul, to serve, to be a disciple? Start by reading the Bible. Each week we are given readings, called the lectionary readings, which include text from the Old Testament, the Psalms, and the New Testament. They are read to you here in Church, but take the time to read beyond the text on your own. Read the whole Chapter and perhaps the Chapter before and after, not just the few verses specified by the lectionary. For my birthday, I received the Bible on CDs, read in dramatic fashion, and I have found it enjoyable and enlightening to listen to these while I travel. It really is amazing the stuff that is in the bible when you go beyond the little bit we get exposed to in church. If you find the traditional bible to dense, try reading a different interpretation, such as The Message, which presents the scripture in literary form.

In addition to the bible, read a daily devotional, which offer scriptures, prayers, and modern-life stories as illustration. The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide is available out front, in the church vestibule. The daily devotional I really like is called Our Daily Bread by RBC Ministries. If you are so inclined, go online – the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship (GBOD for short) has excellent online resources for making sense of the lectionary readings (www.gbod.org). Most importantly, make some time for yourself to focus on the Word – think about what it means to you, how does it apply in your life?

I believe that we are all asked to serve as disciples in some fashion, big or small. Sometimes it is just discipleship by example, in the way you live, the way you treat others, sometimes it’s being there for a friend in need, or a stranger in need. What WILL you do when presented with the opportunity to be Christ’s disciple? Will you offer up excuses like the Would Be Disciples in Luke Chapter 9, or will you offer up yourself in service? Who will you put first? Your job? Your family? Yourself? Or Christ?

There is only one right answer. Prepare yourself for His call. Be a disciple for Christ.

Michael R. Martin – June 27, 2004
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM & 10:00AM

Fear, what is thy name? • June 20, 2004

Sermon by Michael R. Martin, Certified Lay Speaker
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY

1 Kings 19:1-15a • Psalm 42
Galatians 3:23-29 • Luke 8:26-39

In the readings for this week, we hear from and about people who are dealing with some pretty dark moods: depression, dispair, fear. I’m going to look at some excerpts from these readings and talk a little bit about the experience of those in the stories, and reflect on those times in our own lives when we are perhaps taken a bit by these moods. And once again I invite you to find a time later when you can read and reflect upon the lectionary readings which are listed on your bulletin.

In our Psalm for this week, Psalm 42, we get some lovely imagery that has been captured in the song we will sing after the message: “As the deer longs for water, so my soul longs for you.” The psalmist speaks of a longing, his soul thirsting for God, brought on by a deep sadness. “My tears have been my food, day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" and “Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?”

Yes, the psalmist writes: “Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” but then answers himself in the next lines with “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” The answer to each blue mood is, "Put your hope in God." This Psalm is a teaching psalm designed to show us where to turn in times of dispair. If you read it through you will note that it traces three stages of the Psalmist's experience, and at the end of each stage there comes the refrain that describes what brought him through, " hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

In our Old Testament scripture, Elijah is running for his life, away, afraid, for all of the other prophets had been killed with a sword. And Jezebel has threatened to do likewise to him. He ran to the town of Beersheba, left his servant, and continued into the desert. Elijah sat down beneath a broom tree and prayed for God to take his life. He fell asleep, and was twice awoken by angels who instructed him to get up and eat, and there was before him fresh bread baked on coals and a jar of water. God then asks Elijah, "What are you doing here?" and Elijah explains what he is fleeing.

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD , for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

The reading invites us to take a look at how God deals with us when we are afraid for our lives and dealing with depression. We run away, we hide. But what if we are silent, in worship and prayer, might we not hear God? What if, like Elijah, we were to lie down in a quiet spot, and sleep. Wouldn’t God see that we are fed? Too often we expect powerful, big, impressive things to awaken us to God’s presence. Have you ever prayer for a sign – a powerful wind, an earthquake, a fire – when perhaps it was the whisper you should have been silently awaiting?

Luke: story of Legion & the Pigs

In Luke, we read of the demon-possessed man in Gerasenes. Gerasenes was Gentile country, evidenced by the presence of a herd of swine, to the Jewish an unclean animal. This is the only account in the Gospel of Jesus in Gentile territory, and the second of four stories demonstrating the authority of Jesus, the first being the calming of the storm. So, Jesus and the disciples come to land sometime after the calming of the storm, and are met on the shore by a man who was demon-possessed. He wore no clothes, and lived in the tombs. This possessed man had broken the chains and shackles the townsfolk had used to try and contain him, so he had incredible strength. Yet, he fell to the ground and cried out “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?!” when he saw Jesus. For the demons had recognized Jesus for who and what he was. When Jesus asked the man’s name, he replied “Legion” for there were many demons within him.

A legion was a Roman army unit of about six thousand soldiers, a powerful occupying force whose power was overwhelming and whose presence meant the loss of control over every dimension of free society. The man's response tells us the extent of the forces arrayed against Jesus. The man's demons are many and powerful. It also tells us that the man had lost his identity to his demons. He bears their name and is controlled by their power.

But the legion of demons within the man recognized Jesus’ power, begging Jesus to spare them, allowing them to enter into the nearby herd of pigs rather than being thrown down into the Abyss, which is the dwelling place of spirits and the dead. And when Jesus so allowed, the demons went into the pigs, which ran into the water and drown. But the pig herders and the townspeople, rather than being amazed by what Jesus had done, were seized with great fear and asked him to leave.

Why were these people afraid? Surely, Jesus has performed a miracle. The possessed man was now sitting with Jesus, dressed in good clothes, and talking rationally. They were probably afraid because they did not understand this power they had witnessed and were uncertain what it would do next. After all, this power freed the possessed man, yet bankrupted the poor swineherds. Uncertainty, doubt -- fear! And then, there was the loss of the known to the unknown. Sure, the man was possessed, was mad. But they knew him and of him, and were adjusted to having him run free, living naked among the tombs. Now that he is "clothed and in his right mind", they will have to find room for him in their village. Will his family welcome him home, or will someone have to take him in? Has his wife remarried? Have his children made their peace with his absence? How will he make a living? Can they trust his healing to be permanent? Will he become dangerous again? Will one of their daughters fall in love with him? Jesus has solved one problem and created a thousand new ones! The routine changed, and therefore more uncertainty -- fear again!

Name your fear

Fear can be a very debilitating treacherous emotion. There is a healthy level of fear that we all need for basic survival but some people literally let fear rule their lives. This can take a person to the 'depths of hell' so to speak and keep you chained to a life that is full of guilt and regrets.

Catherine Glennie, in Overcome the Dragon of Fear, wrote:

Every single person faces the dragon of fear. No one is exempt. Fear is man's enemy. Fear is the factor that holds people back from doing what they really want to do in life. Fear is also the father of all bad behavior. Fear, unchecked, will lock into your body and there begin its awful work of disease.

Fear is different things to different people. Certainly, there are clinical fears or phobias. Phobias are characterized by being an irrational fear that is instantly triggered, provoking an immediate anxiety response – the phobic typically knows that the fear and response is unreasonable or out of proportion but can not help it. I did a little research and learned that are between 200 and 500 named phobias that clinical psychologists deal with, nearly 200 which are considered most observed in practice. These phobias cover pretty much anything you can think off – for instance, Philemaphobia, which I think my son has, since he always turns away when he sees this in a movie, is the fear of kissing. Meathesiophobia is the fear of change -- I think perhaps this afflicted the folks in Gerasenes. Autophobia is the fear, not of automobiles, but of being alone with one’s self. I think these last two fears are quite commmon, perhaps not at the level of being a phobia, yet many fear change and being alone with one's self.

I don’t know how many people carry secret phobias around with them – you know, I am afraid of spiders but I wouldn’t call it a phobia – but I suspect that many, many people, myself included, carry within them a number of secret fears that they allow, knowingly and unknowingly, to rule their lives. When I played trumpet in high school, I would make myself physically sick with nervousness before a concert; the first time I ever had to speak professionally in public, before my peers, I was a nervous wreck, and simply read what I had written. And I used to be sick for days before I had to get on an airplane to fly somewhere. I recognized these fears, named them, but it has taken me literally decades to get to where I am now, more comfortable flying because I love to visit different parts of the country and flying allows me to do that; typically at ease speaking or playing music in front of an audience, large or small. When I speak professionally now, which is fairly often, I don’t even bother to write out a script, because I have gained the confidence that I know what I need to say and will say it. Of course, as you can plainly see, I am not so comfortable preaching the Gospel that I’m ready to throw away my notes and wing it – though this is certainly how Jesus instructed his disciples.

So, yes, I am still far from perfect, far from being whole. I still fear many things, named and unnamed, that prevent me from being the best Christian, the best husband, the best father that I could be – fears that drive me to unhealthy habits when I know what would be better for me.

What fears to you have? Maybe it’s simply the fear of change, or fear of the unknown – common fears so well illustrated by the people of Gerasenes. What fears do you have? Can you name them? We probably inherit some fears, perhaps learn others: however we get our fears/wherever they came from -- our fears are ours alone and it is only between ourselves and God to name them, acknowledge them, learn from them, and ultimately deal with them. Not an easy task – conquering your fears – and it may take a lifetime. But not only will this make you a happier, healthier person, but it will also make you a better servant for Christ.

The man whose legions of demons had been driven away asked if he might continue on with Jesus. But Jesus instructed him to stay and proclaim throughout the city what Jesus had done – to give testimony to the Gentiles, who were not yet ready to receive Jesus. The man must have been disappointed at being denied the opportunity to stay with Jesus, but he obeyed. Like him, we find ourselves called to a different calling than the one which we would have preferred. For instance, many pastors are introverts who are uncomfortable in their very public life – our own Pastor Bill admitted to being extremely introverted during one of our small group lessons. Others, who might enjoy preaching or teaching, find themselves serving in quieter, behind-the-scenes ways – how often have you paused to appreciate the unseen at a function who prepared the meal. Some might have wished to serve on some distant mission field, but find themselves called to live their whole lives within the confines of their home state. Or, like Albert Schweitzer, a renowned physician and concert organist, we might find ourselves called to leave the limelight to serve in the hinterlands. The important thing is to listen carefully and to obey faithfully the call to which we have been called. It is better to be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than to be a prince or princess anywhere else – if God has called us to be a doorkeeper.

So, seek quiet prayer and reflection, name your fears, and listen.
God will feed you.
God has the power to chase away your demons.
God will call you to serve.

Can you hear His whisper?

Michael R. Martin – June 20, 2004
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30 AM

Lord of All • August 11, 2002

Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY

Genesis 37:1-5, 12-28 • Romans 10:5-15 • Psalm 105 • Matthew 14:22-33

Our old testament reading begins the tale of Joseph as told by his father, Jacob. This is the start of the story of Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors. (Ref: Keith Kogut’s spectacular performance in the high school rendition of the play last year). Joseph was just 17 when the story begins – I imagine just about the age Keith was when he gave his performance.

Our reading says Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons (Remember Israel is Jacob, for God had given Jacob the name Israel after he had wrestled with God and returned to Bethel), “Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him at an old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him.” Joseph, you see, was the baby in the family, the last child, and its not hard to imagine how he was loved. We, too, sometimes lavish extra attention on the baby in the family, even as he or she grows up. We wouldn’t say we love them anymore than the others, but I think it is just a natural human tendency. Well, when Joseph’s brothers saw this, that their father loved Joseph more than any of them, they hated Joseph and could not speak a kind word. It pissed them off! To make matters worse, one day as our tale begins the brothers and Joseph were all out tending the flocks together and Joseph runs home with a “bad report” about them.

On another day, Israel sends Joseph back out to meet with his brothers who are tending the sheep. The brothers had moved the flocks from where they started, but when Joseph finally catches up to them, the brothers see him coming and make fun of him “Here comes that dreamer!” And the brothers plot to kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns, after which they will tell a story of a ferocious animal that devoured him.

I always thought a cistern was a large jar for holding water, but its much more than that. Up until fairly recent times, towns and villages in more arid regions such as the Middle East relied on surface water collected from the winter rains and stored in man-made reservoirs called cisterns. Communities constructed large cisterns and each home would typically have its own. Community and household cisterns were generally carved out of rock, below ground, with bell-shaped, pear-shaped, or bottle-shaped interiors. Some of them were quite large. Rainwater was collected from roofs and courtyards and directed into the cisterns. Sometimes the rainwater was directed through some form of sediment basin to settle out solid materials first. A 1921 census of Jerusalem found 7,000 cisterns in use. In recent times, cisterns have fallen out of use and become filled with sediment and debris, since it is far easier to open a faucet tap then haul buckets from the cistern. Some middle-eastern towns still require a cistern with each new house, although the owners would fill them now with a hose rather than rainwater.

So, anyway, the brothers are plotting to kill Joseph and throw him into a cistern. Yet one brother, Rueben, acted to spare his life by suggesting they just throw Joseph into one of the cisterns alive rather than to kill him first. (Rueben was planning to come back later and rescue Joseph and return him to his father.) So the brothers grabbed Joseph, stripped him of his richly ornamented robe, and threw him into an empty cistern. A bit later that day, a caravan of Ishmaelites approaches. The caravan was on its way to Egypt, the camels loaded with spices, balm and myrrh that they had acquired in Gilead. Joseph’s brother Judah suggests they sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites. The brothers agree, Joseph is sold for twenty shekels of silver, and he is taken along to Egypt with the other goods. Rueben, by the way, apparently did not take part in the sale of Joseph, for in the next passage following our reading Rueben returns to the cistern and finds Joseph gone and yells at his brothers, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”

I wondered how much Joseph was worth as a slave. A shekel was not only a coin but a measure of weight, about 2/5 of an ounce. I have no idea what 20 shekels of silver might have been worth at the time of our story. But the twenty shekels paid by the Ishmaelites for Joseph was 8 ounces of silver, which would be worth about $100 at today’s depressed silver prices. In our time, silver prices peaked around 1980 at $25 an ounce, when Joseph would have cost us $500. And you can go on the internet and buy actual shekel coinage from 93 BC for between $315 to $415. So if you had to pay for Joseph today, using actual shekels, you would shell out $8,000.

Our passage from Romans speaks of righteousness, proclaiming and confessing of faith, and includes the wonderful passages: “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” and “For there is NO difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him.”

“It is with your heart that you believe and are justified.” Justification here does not refer to our common definition of the word, being proven right, but refers instead to God’s justifying grace. Justifying grace describes what God does when we come to faith – providing a lasting relationship between us and God.

There are generally considered to be three forms of God’s GRACE – God’s gift to humankind. God’s Prevenient Grace is with all of us from birth, preparing us for a new life in Christ. Prevenient means “coming before.” It is what guided each of us from birth on the path of life before we even knew we were on a path seeking God. Here is what John Wesley said about Prevenient Grace in his "Free Grace" sermon:

The grace or love of God, whence cometh our salvation, is FREE IN ALL, and FREE FOR ALL.... It is free in all to whom it is given. It does not depend on any power or merit in man; no, not in any degree, neither in whole, nor in part. It does not in anywise depend either on the good works or righteousness of the receiver; not on anything he has done, or anything he is. It does not depend on his endeavors. It does not depend on his good tempers, or good desires, or good purposes and intentions; for all these flow from the free grace of God; they are the streams only, not the fountain. They are the fruits of free grace, and not the root. They are not the cause, but the effects of it.

So we are all born into Prevenient Grace – God looking out for us if you will. But we are free to accept or reject God's justifying grace. When we experience or accept justifying grace, we come into a new life in Christ.

And in case you are wondering what comes after Justifying Grace, it is Sanctifying or sustaining Grace. It is the cycle of repentance and faith we continually repeat as we struggle to walk just a little closer with God.

We don’t often focus on the lectionary Psalm in our worship and meditations, other than our Act of Praise. Our Psalm for the day, Psalm 105, also recounts the story of Joseph sold to slavery, released by the king, and made master of the king’s household, ruler over all the king possessed, and free to teach the king’s princes as he pleased and teach wisdom to the king’s elders. More importantly, the Psalm opens by speaking of giving thanks to the Lord, calling on His name, and making known among the nations what He has done. Sing praises to him, tell all of his wonderful acts. Look to the Lord and his strength and seek His face always.

And then we have the reading from Matthew, Jesus Walks on the Water. The story takes place after Jesus had fed the multitudes – five thousand men, PLUS woman and children – with five loaves of bread and two fish. Following this, Jesus makes his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side of the lake, while he dismisses the crowed. At long last Jesus finds the solitude he so desperately sought, as he went up a mountainside to pray. By evening, Jesus is still alone on the mountainside, and the boat with the disciples is far from land, buffeted by the waves and the wind. During the fourth watch of the night (the morning watch, from 3AM to 6AM – some call it the darkest time of the night, but having risen early in the fourth watch many times myself, it could also be as the sky is beginning to lighten). During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus walks out to the boat, on the lake, and the disciples are afraid, thinking it is a ghost. Jesus tells them to not be afraid, but Peter replies, “Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.” When Jesus says “Come” Peter walks on the water toward Jesus, but begins to sink when he becomes frightened by the wind. “Lord, save me!,” Peter cries, and Jesus reaches out his hand and catches him. Jesus, probably a bit disappointed, asks, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” The wind dies down as Jesus and Peter climb back into the boat, and the disciples worship Jesus, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

So how does this all come together: Brothers hating brother, plotting to kill and selling one off into slavery; Romans reminding us that it is with our hearts that we believe and are justified, and it is with our mouths that we confess and are saved, and the Lord is the Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him; the Psalm calling us to give thanks and praise to the Lord and making His works known among the nations; and lastly Jesus walking on the water, calming the sea, but more importantly lifting up Peter as his faith falters and he begins to sink?

Taken apart, each reading has a story and a lesson to tell in its own right, but as the person in the pulpit I have tried to reflect on the meaning of the collective word. So here is what it says to me, and here is the message I offer to you. When I think about the story of Joseph and his brothers, I recall those times when I, too, like the brothers have been caught up in pride and fear and jealousy and all those things that must have motivated their actions. And I think of Joseph, who as near as I can tell was not particularly religious, and probably had no reason to suspect his brothers would go to such lengths to be rid of him. Joseph knew not of his fate but God had a plan for Joseph and God’s prevenient grace was at work to see it through. I only pray that those times in my life when I have acted as shamefully as the brothers that God was watching over those I wronged.

I don’t know about you, but there are times when I have doubts, when my faith fails. Much like Peter walking out on the lake towards Christ, I have looked around, felt the wind of the world, and began to doubt. One of the strongest religious experiences I have had in my adult life came one night, in the back of a dimly lit church following an evening service. I was sitting towards the back of the church, watching flames flickering on the alter, and pondering all of my doubts in my head: What if there IS no God? What if Jesus was just a man, or worse just a story? What if it is just some strange biochemical reaction in our brains that makes us sometimes feel “strangely warmed” by Christ’s presence? Low blood sugar, who knows? And when I could take all this rattling around in my head no longer, I spoke to the one person in the pew in front of me, in fact the only other person in the back half of the church where I sat. I said, “What if it’s all a lie?” And I don’t recall her exact first response, but this woman, a visiting pastor from Vermont, essentially told me it was okay to doubt. In fact, having faith does not mean checking your mind at the door. God would want you to explore and question and come to believe on your own terms. And we only spoke briefly, but when I leaned back I found that my fears and doubts were gone, and my mind was finally quiet – something I had been seeking for a long long time.

And so, this is what I think it means to be a Christian: it means we strive recognize our faults and our failings, we understand that as humans we will fall, but try not to use that as an excuse. And most importantly, and I still need to work on this part, always turn to Christ for a return of strength in faith, and to do it better the next time. Christ knows we will have doubts and will reach out to us as we reach out to him, as he did there on that lake. And when we have returned to faith, we need to use that strength to help others to know that the Lord is the Lord of All and to bring that message forth in ministry and deed.

Michael R. Martin – August 11, 2002
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 9:00AM & 10:00AM

Good Things in Threes - June 10, 2001

Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY

Father, Son and Holy Spirit - I’ve said it lots of times growing up catholic.

Holy Spirit shows up in the bible over 90 times (100 times in New King James). But direct reference to the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - appears in the bible in only one place – in Matthew 28 (a reading for Trinity Sunday in other years). And the word Trinity does not even show up in the bible at all.

According to Easton's Bible Dictionary : Trinity, a word not found in Scripture, is used to express the doctrine of the unity of One God as subsisting in three distinct, divine Persons. God, the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

I am not particularly superstitious, but have known people who are, and they always said that bad things come in threes. This being Trinity Sunday, I want to say that God’s promise is that good things come in threes – One God, manifested as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God has always been there for us. The heavenly Father, creator of heaven and earth. Everywhere, omnipotent being. His power and scope is unimaginable to us. In the old Testament, God Himself talked directly to a selected few to help get his message out.

God came to earth through Jesus to tell us of His wonderful love. Jesus: God’s Son. Conceived by God the Father, born of mortal flesh, lived a human life, carpenter, prophet, teacher, miracle maker. Lived out his prophecy by dying on the cross for forgiveness of all sin. He died for the sin of his day, and the sin of our day. My sin, your sin. Jesus brought God to earth in a form that we can begin to comprehend.

And when it came time to ascend into Heaven, Jesus assured us that God would still be there with us, in the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised from the Father, another councilor, The Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit. Sent in Jesus’ name to teach us all things. When we cry out to the Lord, hear a particularly moving sermon or song of praise, it is the Holy Spirit that moves us, raises the hair on the backs of our necks and floods us with emotion. In moments of quiet meditation, it is the Holy Spirit that fills us with a gentle, loving presence.

One particular story I like helps illustrate the concept of the Holy Spirit: Surveyors were sent to a remote mountain to map the terrain. Everyday they would go forth over the rugged hills and every night, returned to their camp. Frequently, they were joined by an old shepherd who enjoyed the companionship of their fire. One evening, the old shepherd insisted that he would accompany the surveyors the next day so they would not become lost. Feeling fairly sure of themselves after so long, they asked why he felt that he needed to go along. The shepherd quietly repeated, "I must go with you." Still puzzled, the surveyors again described their many hikes through the mountains and their familiarity with the area after many days. Yet again, the shepherd insisted, "I know the mountains like the back of my hand." Somewhat exasperated, the surveyors replied, "We now have a map of the area." And the shepherd responded, "But there is no fog on your map." The two "experts" went up the mountain early the next morning by themselves. Soon a thick fog encircled them and led them astray. They wandered literally over hill and dale growing increasingly exhausted. Suddenly out of the fog, the shepherd appeared beside them and led them home, through the fog.

This past year I have traveled far on my spiritual journey, being active in this Church, going through the Walk to Emmaus Experience, which I would describe as an intensely personal spiritual journey, and then serving on the Music Team at a Walk to Emmaus this spring. But I have been experiencing a rough couple of months, nothing I can really put my finger on, just some unpleasant reexamination of my life and priorities. My mother says I am too young for a mid-life crisis, but who knows? At any rate, I can really relate to today’s reading from Romans talking of suffering and hope. There have even been some long stretches where I have consciously avoided my usual prayer and scripture reading, knowing that I didn’t want to hear what I know God would reveal to me. But through it all, there was the Holy Spirit guiding me through the fog. And as a result of my struggles, I have very recently discovered one very important good thing that comes in threes: and that is God, Self & Family (and I include Friends in Family). We need to make God first in our lives. It is not always easy, I know. But making God first, we give up our self to His awesome love. By giving up ourselves to the Lord, we actually become free to be ourselves. And it is at that point that we can truly love and appreciate the gifts of family and friends. Think about how you are blessed with God, Self, and Family.

This spring, I was driving down to Auburn NY for a work-related conference, I was scanning the radio channels and paused to listen to a radio preacher. Now, I don’t usually listen to that sort of stuff because it usually sounds like too much “fire and brimstone” preaching or a blatant plug for money.

But anyway, I listened to this one guy for a while going on about God’s Grace. And I liked his message (I have been thinking about God’s Grace a lot since my Emmaus Walk). He was saying how God’s Grace is a gift, freely given. You don’t earn it, you may not even think you deserve it, but there it is, right there, waiting for you. You just open your eyes, reach out, and it is yours.

God’s Grace comes in the Holy Spirit that will just fill you up until you think you are going to burst. And when you are down, when you fall – and we all do because we are human after all – try to remember that Grace, that Holy Spirit, that is right there for you always and forever. Being Christians we are recipients of God’s Grace, free & clear, no questions asked. But as Christians, we are called in return to study, to reflect, and to serve.

In our lives, therefore, I think it is useful to think of the Trinity in terms of Christian action:

Father, Son & Holy Spirit = Head, Hands & Heart

of the Father: Study the scriptures, the words and tales of our Father – don’t just read the scriptures but truly study them, reflect upon them. Use your head to come to know God

of the Son: Like Jesus, give your life, your hands to the service of God

of the Holy Spirit: Give your heart to God so that you might bring light and love into the world around you. Our reading from Romans states that “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” It is our duty as Christians to share that love with the world.

Back in February, Pastor Bill spoke in a sermon of a vision I had one night on our youth field trip to Ottawa. My vision was of a vast, brightly-lit open space, the Universe, filled with floating, gingerbread men-like shapes representing people. I saw this space as the Universe and the bright light the Holy Spirit. Some of the people were nearly transparent, with the light shining brightly through them, while others were nearly opaque, blocking the light. To me, the vision emphasized the point that we are ALWAYS in God’s light, His Grace, the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to do anything, just let go and be open to it. We need to strive to do our best to empty ourselves of those less than flattering human qualities, to become transparent so that God’s Love and Grace are what others see through us and in us. So that we are filled with the light of the Holy Spirit.

Where do we go to find the Holy Spirit? Well, it is always there. But we live lives that are so busy and so full of noise. To find a Grace through the Holy Spirit, you need to turn everything off for a few moments, go somewhere quiet – for me, I like to walk down through the woods to our lower field, away from the house – but it doesn’t really matter where, so long as it is quiet and without distraction and interruption.

So find a place, be quiet, and talk to God – confessions, praise, thanks, pain – whatever you need to get off your chest, put it out there.

Then . . . listen. Just listen. Try hard to quiet your mind and open your heart. And just exist in the “now” of the moment.


On this Trinity Sunday, find the time to reflect on God’s blessings in your life. Appreciate God, Self & Family.

Michael R. Martin – June 10, 2003
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 9:00AM & 10:00AM