Hosea 11:1-11; Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21
Sermon by Michael R. Martin, Certified Lay Speaker
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY
God has blessed my life and I have much to be thankful for.
I woke up this morning with these words in my head. God has blessed my life and I have much to be thankful for. I have a house on a good chunk of land, here in the mountains, surrounded by green trees and mountain views. I live minutes from dozens of clean lakes and expansive wetlands. I am surrounded by the nature that I love, just waiting for me to explore. I have a successful business and the respect of colleagues scattered across the nation. A drive to a “job site” for me, like just this Friday and Saturday heading out to sample Minerva Lake, might take me through the Cascade Gap. And though I am often disturbed by the number of cars along the roadside there, I am reminded that I live in a place so desirable, so beautiful, so special, that people drive for hours, days even, to spend their precious vacations here, hiking, camping, canoeing, and dining out. And when I return home from work, I return to the home we call Cedar Eden, where I have a loving wife, two wonderful children, and a wonderful dog.
But that is me this morning. Too often I am too busy worrying about what needs to get done, the work that is overdue, the mess that the house is in, the remodeling that seems to have been stalled for decades. Too busy to notice, to reflect, on all that is good in my life.
Sometimes I get angry and scold Emily & Mathew for acting like spoiled children. I am disappointed, discouraged that it seems like they do not appreciate all that we do for them, all that we give them, the care we provide, the food, the home, and the gifts. I’ve learned from other parents that mine aren’t the only children that seem to want something, want more, nearly all the time. It’s not enough that perhaps we just took them on a trip to a museum, which they loved. The also want something from the gift shop. Or we just spent a bunch of money on school clothes, now they want that special backpack that all their friends have. Collectively, our children are a lot like us, they do not always appreciate what they have.
But does that mean we do not love our children. Of course not, we love our children more than life itself. We would protect them from all of life’s pains if we could. We want them to be happy and healthy. The sound of their laughter lifts our hearts, their pain breaks our hearts. We love them, unconditionally: not for who they are or what they do, but just because they exist.
Such is God’s love for us. Our lectionary this week is RICH in guidance for Christian living, RICH in the promise of God’s Love. In our Old Testament reading, Hosea Chapter 11, the prophet Hosea prophesies of God’s Love for Israel, speaks of God's tenderness in the face of rejection. "When Israel was a child, I loved him. . . . but the more I called them the more they went from me. . ." Throughout this passage, we sense the tempestuous moods of God, the deep tides of God’s compassion surging against the rock of a justly-deserved punishment for the people’s faithlessness. God speaks of caring for his people, like a parent with children, teaching them to walk, taken them in arms and healing them when hurt, loving them, feeding them, making their life easier. And yet the people sacrificed and worshiped false gods. We glimpse the pain of a parent’s heart, torn by the thoughtless straying of a wayward child, yet loving nonetheless. Here we are shown the Holy One who is beyond our ways, whose steadfast love outlasts all betrayal. Long before the coming of Jesus, we see our loving God.
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we are reminded to set our hearts and minds on things above, rather than on earthly things.
In Luke, Jesus counsels against greed and tells a parable of a greedy farmer who built bigger barns to hold his "stuff" and felt that he could retire to a life of ease and luxury. The farmer said: “’This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ And Jesus’ moral of the parable: “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
When I was growing up, I wanted to get to a point in my life where if I wanted something, I could have it. I didn’t want to wait for “things,” I wanted to have them when I wanted to have them. I’ve long since reached that point in my life where if I want some thing, I can have it. Those who know me know I love electronic gadgets, and I have lots of them. But, thankfully, I have also come to point in my life where I recognize that it is NOT the things in life that matters, but life itself, and the blessings God bestows upon our lives. How fortunate we are to be alive today, this day, this moment, together, because of God’s grace. If only we could constantly remind ourselves: “How fortunate we are to be alive today, this day, this moment.”
So, we are blessed by God’s love, loved by God no matter that we are only human, no matter that we too often fail in perfection. The bible reminds us to recognize our humanity, our shortcomings. But we are not instructed to beat ourselves up about it, we are told to repent: recognize our humanity, be sorry for our transgressions. And then rejoice in the Good News that God loves us, Jesus loves us, each and every day. He loves us when we hold Him close, He loves us when we push Him away. He loves us, unconditionally.
So let us go forth today, lifted UP by this wonderful knowledge, and see that we are sorrounded by His blessings. Let us go forth, and pass it on.
Michael R. Martin – August 1, 2004
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM
Sermon by Michael R. Martin, Certified Lay Speaker
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY
God has blessed my life and I have much to be thankful for.
I woke up this morning with these words in my head. God has blessed my life and I have much to be thankful for. I have a house on a good chunk of land, here in the mountains, surrounded by green trees and mountain views. I live minutes from dozens of clean lakes and expansive wetlands. I am surrounded by the nature that I love, just waiting for me to explore. I have a successful business and the respect of colleagues scattered across the nation. A drive to a “job site” for me, like just this Friday and Saturday heading out to sample Minerva Lake, might take me through the Cascade Gap. And though I am often disturbed by the number of cars along the roadside there, I am reminded that I live in a place so desirable, so beautiful, so special, that people drive for hours, days even, to spend their precious vacations here, hiking, camping, canoeing, and dining out. And when I return home from work, I return to the home we call Cedar Eden, where I have a loving wife, two wonderful children, and a wonderful dog.
But that is me this morning. Too often I am too busy worrying about what needs to get done, the work that is overdue, the mess that the house is in, the remodeling that seems to have been stalled for decades. Too busy to notice, to reflect, on all that is good in my life.
Sometimes I get angry and scold Emily & Mathew for acting like spoiled children. I am disappointed, discouraged that it seems like they do not appreciate all that we do for them, all that we give them, the care we provide, the food, the home, and the gifts. I’ve learned from other parents that mine aren’t the only children that seem to want something, want more, nearly all the time. It’s not enough that perhaps we just took them on a trip to a museum, which they loved. The also want something from the gift shop. Or we just spent a bunch of money on school clothes, now they want that special backpack that all their friends have. Collectively, our children are a lot like us, they do not always appreciate what they have.
But does that mean we do not love our children. Of course not, we love our children more than life itself. We would protect them from all of life’s pains if we could. We want them to be happy and healthy. The sound of their laughter lifts our hearts, their pain breaks our hearts. We love them, unconditionally: not for who they are or what they do, but just because they exist.
Such is God’s love for us. Our lectionary this week is RICH in guidance for Christian living, RICH in the promise of God’s Love. In our Old Testament reading, Hosea Chapter 11, the prophet Hosea prophesies of God’s Love for Israel, speaks of God's tenderness in the face of rejection. "When Israel was a child, I loved him. . . . but the more I called them the more they went from me. . ." Throughout this passage, we sense the tempestuous moods of God, the deep tides of God’s compassion surging against the rock of a justly-deserved punishment for the people’s faithlessness. God speaks of caring for his people, like a parent with children, teaching them to walk, taken them in arms and healing them when hurt, loving them, feeding them, making their life easier. And yet the people sacrificed and worshiped false gods. We glimpse the pain of a parent’s heart, torn by the thoughtless straying of a wayward child, yet loving nonetheless. Here we are shown the Holy One who is beyond our ways, whose steadfast love outlasts all betrayal. Long before the coming of Jesus, we see our loving God.
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we are reminded to set our hearts and minds on things above, rather than on earthly things.
NIV: Colossians 3:1 - 11 – Rules for Holy Living:We are told to “put to death” those things in our lives that belong to our “earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” We are reminded to “rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” We are told “not lie to each other,” Paul is not calling the Colossians evil for being human, he is telling them to recognize that as humans they have these evils and temptations as a part of their being. Paul is telling them to recognize them so that they can put them to death, throw them off, live a purer life without them.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
In Luke, Jesus counsels against greed and tells a parable of a greedy farmer who built bigger barns to hold his "stuff" and felt that he could retire to a life of ease and luxury. The farmer said: “’This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ And Jesus’ moral of the parable: “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
When I was growing up, I wanted to get to a point in my life where if I wanted something, I could have it. I didn’t want to wait for “things,” I wanted to have them when I wanted to have them. I’ve long since reached that point in my life where if I want some thing, I can have it. Those who know me know I love electronic gadgets, and I have lots of them. But, thankfully, I have also come to point in my life where I recognize that it is NOT the things in life that matters, but life itself, and the blessings God bestows upon our lives. How fortunate we are to be alive today, this day, this moment, together, because of God’s grace. If only we could constantly remind ourselves: “How fortunate we are to be alive today, this day, this moment.”
So, we are blessed by God’s love, loved by God no matter that we are only human, no matter that we too often fail in perfection. The bible reminds us to recognize our humanity, our shortcomings. But we are not instructed to beat ourselves up about it, we are told to repent: recognize our humanity, be sorry for our transgressions. And then rejoice in the Good News that God loves us, Jesus loves us, each and every day. He loves us when we hold Him close, He loves us when we push Him away. He loves us, unconditionally.
So let us go forth today, lifted UP by this wonderful knowledge, and see that we are sorrounded by His blessings. Let us go forth, and pass it on.
Michael R. Martin – August 1, 2004
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM
