Faith Alone • February 20, 2005

Second Sunday in Lent
Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17

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

Once again, we have some wonderful readings today. I love the story of the nighttime rendezvous of Jesus and Nicodemus found in John chapter 3. Jesus, the carpenter, proclaimed prophet and rabbi by the people; Nicodemus, the Pharisee and Jewish Leader. Nicodemus’ risky inquisitiveness gives us a classic conversation of the New Birth, being born again. And of course, that chapter contains that most famous verse:

John 3:16 (NLT) "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Our Psalm today, Psalm 121, is a song for ascent to Jerusalem. I find this Psalm as comforting and uplifting as the famed 23rd Psalm (“The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want. . . ”).

Psalm 121 (NLT) A song for the ascent to Jerusalem.

I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth! He will not let you stumble and fall; the one who watches over you will not sleep. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never tires and never sleeps.

The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not hurt you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all evil and preserves your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

But I want to focus today on Faith Alone from the readings found in Genesis and Romans.

Genesis 12:1-4a (NLT) Then the Lord told Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will cause you to become the father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you." So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed him, and Lot went with him.

Romans 4:1-5 (NLT) Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What were his experiences concerning this question of being saved by faith? Was it because of his good deeds that God accepted him? If so, he would have had something to boast about. But from God's point of view Abraham had no basis at all for pride. For the Scriptures tell us, "Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous."
When people work, their wages are not a gift. Workers earn what they receive. But people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work.

The story of Abraham begins when God first speaks to him at age 75. The Scriptures that reference this time often mention “the law,” which in Abraham’s day, meant the 282 laws of the Code of Hammurabi that governed standards of conduct and behavior. Most of the laws pertained to reasons you might be put to death, matters of conducting business, and slavery (lost slaves, stolen slaves, etc.). I like this one: “Number 53: If any one be too lazy to keep his dam in proper condition, and does not so keep it; if then the dam break and all the fields be flooded, then shall he in whose dam the break occurred be sold for money, and the money shall replace the corn which he has caused to be ruined.”

Anyway, the scripture says of Abraham that he believed God, and it was this simple act of faith which was "credited" to him as righteousness. Paul refers to this in our reading from Romans, arguing that Abraham was justified by faith apart from works of the law. The promised blessing of an eternal kingdom made to Abraham was not given because of his obedience to the law, but rather because of the gift of right standing that was freely his through the instrument of faith. As Paul stated, “people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work.”

In Romans Chapter 4, Paul makes two points: First, Abraham was saved by faith and not works of the law (this from our reading in verses 1-5). Second, the covenantal promise of an eternal Kingdom made to Abraham and his descendents never depended upon obedience to the law, but rather rested on a gift of righteousness obtained through the instrument of faith (you find this further into the chapter, in verses 13-17). Everyone who follows the example of Abraham and puts their trust in God, finds that their faith is credited to them as righteousness. God therefore justifies them, declares them right and worthy in his sight. As worthy sons they inherit the Kingdom promised long ago to Abraham, they inherit eternity. They inherit it as a gift of grace acquired only through faith.

Paul was writing to two ethnic groups in the Roman church: Gentiles and Jews. Both groups had reason to boast. The Gentiles had Rome, a great empire that dominated the known world. The Jews were God's chosen people, with Abraham as their ancestor. Both Jew and Gentile alike sought God's blessing based on the law. So who deserved God's attention? And why?

One problem with seeking to obey the law, doing good works, Paul points out, is that this effort substitutes for faith. Seeking to keep the law is like working for wages. You get what you earn, what you deserve. If we are justified by works, then we have something to boast about, and no longer have any need to trust in God, or even to call on God. Too often we may forget that the things that make us righteous before the world, give us nothing to boast about before God. This, then, is the eternal problem – good deeds, all that we do, give us nothing to boast before the Lord.

Fortunately, we have an eternal solution: Christ died for us. Christ took our sins upon himself and took it with him to the grave. In the resurrection, Christ gaves us new life in him. For Jesus "was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification" (Romans 4:25). As a result, we now share in the promise given to Abraham, we are reckoned as righteous, not because we deserve it, but freely given to us by our faith. For us that means that sin no longer rules over us because God considers us righteous and God's opinion is the only one that matters. Being declared righteous we are free from the law.

Charles Wesley sums up the teaching of this passage from Paul's letter to the Romans when he says: "Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, and looks to that alone". Faith alone is the instrument through which we appropriate the grace of God. No other instrument assists it. Righteous living, godly living, faithful living – all are worthy in themselves and expected of the Christian walk, but they play no part in appropriating God's grace. Our standing in the Kingdom of God is through faith apart from our good works. We see the promise of eternity and by resting on it we are given it.

How does "faith alone" apply to us in our Christian lives? Well, those of us here do good things for others, good things for the church. Whether it is helping out with the Turkey Supper, serving on a committee, working with scouts, giving of our time and tithe – all these and so much more are good Christian acts. But they do not make us righteous, they give us nothing to boast about, and they do not grant us everlasting life (“get us into heaven”). So do we stop doing these things? Of course not. But all that we do, if done with a heavy heart, a hard heart, done without committing head, hands and heart to God, done in the absence of faith, is meaningless in the eyes of God. Faith alone justifies us.

Faith alone?! That scares even me. I question God, I have doubts, and I am not perfect – not a perfect person, not a perfect Christian. I guess that leaves me out, maybe you too, right? Thankfully, the answer to that is “wrong!” I believe that so long as you have faith in God, believe that He has a plan for your life, you are free to question Him, even get angry with Him. Job was a perfect example of this. But there are things that you can do to strengthen your faith. By now, these should be familiar to you: prayer, study the scriptures, and participate in worship.

So go forth and practice good Christian habits. And May the Faith be with You!

Michael R. Martin – February 20, 2005
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM

Sources:

• “Receiving Christ's Due, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, Second Sunday in Lent,” Analysis by Betty Krafft http://www.crossings.org/theology/theolo322.htm, 2/18/2005 1:12 PM
• "Abraham Was Justified by Faith," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources. http://www.lectionarystudies.com/lent2aae.html, 2/18/2005 1:12 PM
  

Taking on for Lent • February 13, 2005

First Sunday in Lent
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, Psalm 32, Romans 5:12-19, Matthew 4:1-11

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

We have some wonderful readings today, full of deep meaning and relevance for the Christian life. We start in Genesis with some quick clips from the Garden of Eden, where God tells Adam and Eve they can eat from all the trees, including the Tree of Life, but not from the Tree of Knowledge. But alas, they are tempted by the Serpent, and Adam eats the forbidden fruit. In Romans, Paul contrasts the impact on humanity of Adam’s actions and Jesus’ actions. Just as one man’s digression led to condemnation for all, so too has one man’s act of righteousness led to justification and eternal life for all. Adam’s act brought us sin, while Jesus’ act brought us the forgiveness of sin. I certainly don’t want to leave out Matthew’s wonderful story of Jesus’ temptation by the devil in the wilderness, the testing of Jesus before his great walk of life.

For me, these stories help to form the framework of Lent, our time of preparation for Easter. Lent is 40 days to focus on Jesus’ great contribution to our salvation, God’s great gift and Jesus’ great sacrifice. It is important to remember that the Sundays of Lent are not part of the forty days of Lent but are "little Easters," a time for celebratory reflection.

I want to tell you a tale about my experience of Lent as a young catholic:

My parents both grew up in Franklin NH, a busy mill town on the banks of the Pemigewassett and Winnipesauke Rivers, which meet in Franklin to form the Merrimack River. My father’s family was catholic French Canadians. My great great great grandfather Jean Baptiste Martin was born in Canada in the early 1800s and married Marguerite St Jean. Marguerite and Jean gave birth to my namesake and great great grandfather, Michel Martin, who married Mathilde Gauvin in February 1987 in La Presentation, Quebec. Michel and Mathilde’s son Cleophas was born July 10, 1866 in Roxton Falls, Quebec. I’ve always liked that name because it is so similar to Cleopas, one of the fellows who met Jesus while walking towards Emmaus. Cleophas married Sylvanie Dagneault, who gave birth to my grandfather Sydney on July 3, 1894 in Eastman, Quebec. My grandfather Sidney immigrated to the United States from Quebec, Canada with his bride Regina Sylvestre. Sidney and Regina probably crossed to America in Derby Line VT and eventually settled in Franklin, NH where Sidney served as Chief of Police and worked in a paper mill that made toilet paper, probably International Paper.

My mother was from “the other side of the tracks,” literally and figuratively. Like many communities in the early to mid-1900s, Franklin NH was religiously segregated and the train tracks separated the Protestants from the Catholics. I can trace my mother’s family, Patch, back to William Patche born in 1530 in South Petherton, Somerset, England. William would be my great x 10 grandfather. William’s grandson, Nicholas Patche, emigrated to the United States in 1622 aboard The Sparrow, a fishing boat sent from England. The Sparrow, with Nicholas on board, arrived in the New World just two years after the Mayflower and one year after the Fortune. The Patche family settled in Salem MA and is featured prominently in books on the early Founding of our Nation. My great great great great grandfather Reuben Patch moved to NH. My grandmother, Dorothy Bell Kelley, grew up in Franklin NH, the adopted only child of an Irish lumberman who ran a number of portable saw mills. Dorothy, orphaned at 16 when her parents were killed in a car accident, worked at the Stevens Woolen Mill on the Merrimack River, and as a nurse, and married Parker Plummer Patch Sr.

Franklin is a wonderful old town, and today still has the big wide main street. My parents met at the local town beach on Webster Lake. I am not sure how religious my mother’s upbringing was, but I know that my father and his family were devout Catholics. Growing up, my sister’s and I were indoctrinated into Catholicism. We had our catechism, holy first communion, fasted Sunday morning until after Mass, and followed the practices of the religion. Perhaps it was just my youth, but I never learned much about why we did things the way we did. Take Lent, for instance. We were always told we had to give up something for Lent. I never knew why, never connected it with any Holy Season or the coming of Easter. We were told we had to give up something important to us, something we liked. Spinach didn’t count. So at seven or eight years old, I would give up things like bubble gum, or maybe watching cartoons on Saturday morning. . . at least for the first week or so until the pressure cooled off. Give up for Lent – for whatever reason, that was the way it was.

I understand a little bit more about the Holy Seasons and Lent these days. Lent is a time of preparation for the initiation of people into the Christian life in baptism. It is also a time for the church, for us, to journey together toward Easter and for the reaffirmation of our baptismal covenant. Lent is not about being miserable, sad, and funereal in anticipation of Good Friday. Fasting and giving up something can be part of Lenten disciplines, but so can taking on some things – give up of ourselves, our precious time for the betterment of ourselves and those around us.

I’d like you to turn your program over and take a look at the Preparation for Easter Covenant on the back. This page contains a reminder of our Lenten focus, and then a number of ideas for things you can do as Inward and Personal Disciplines and for Outward and Social Disciplines. When you go home today, take some time to plan how you will spend your Lent. And I will just remind you that suggestion number two under Inward and Personal Disciplines, “Share in the Lenten Series on Sunday mornings,” takes place in the lounge right after this service.

Michael R. Martin – February 13, 2005
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM

My Preparation for Easter Covenant

Lent is a time to prepare for Easter. It is a necessary prelude. The death and resurrection of Christ are true whether or not I prepare for Easter. However, without my heart and life being ready, I may not experience the depth and power. of Christ's death and resurrection. So with my brothers and sisters, I commit myself to disciplines for conversion from sin and death to love and life in Jesus Christ. With the aid of the list below, I make the following commitments to discipline and growth for the next six weeks:
(Check the ones you desire or feel prompted to do; circle the ones you then decide to do.)

Inward and Personal Disciplines

• Spend time in solitude each day.
• Share in the Lenten Series on Sunday mornings.
• Read a book for inner growth.
• Read twice through the Gospel of Matthew.
• Begin to keep a journal of prayer concerns, questions, reading.
• Focus on thanksgiving, rather than on asking, in prayer.
• Give myself a gift of three hours to do something I always say I don't have time to do.
• Find a way to go to bed earlier or sleep in so I get enough rest.
• Make a list of people with whom I need to be reconciled. Pray for them and let Jesus guide me in my thinking and feeling toward them.
• Take control of my life by ______________.
• Go to all of the Holy Week services as an act of love and waiting with Jesus.
• Take one hour to inventory my priorities and plan how I will reorder them.
• Give up a grudge or a rehearsal of a past event.
• Forgive someone who has hurt me.
• Dance my prayers to a favorite tape or CD.
• Other promptings:
  

Outward and Social Disciplines

• Take on some loving task.
• Plan to visit a "shut-in" neighbor or church member weekly.
• Write a letter of affirmation once a week to a person who has touched my life.
• Listen and respond to Christ's call to a ministry of service.
• Go to coffee or dinner with someone I want to know better.
• Begin to recycle waste from my home and workplace.
• Give blood and recall the cross.
• Call the Pastor or Church Office and ask how I can help.
• Say "NO" to something that is a waste of money and time.
• Pray to God to help me resist prejudice and to give me courage in opposing it.
• Rebuke the spirit of criticism and my own tongue out of control.
• Find a way to live out the baptismal promise to "resist evil, injustice, and oppression" in the power and liberty God gives us by ___________________
• Other outward and social promptings:
  

Keep this for reference during the coming weeks of Lent.

Who are you? • February 6, 2005

Transfiguration Sunday, Scout Sunday, "Souper" Bowl Sunday

Exodus 24:12-18, Psalm 99, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 17:1-9

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

Exodus 24:12-18 (NLT) And the Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there while I give you the tablets of stone that I have inscribed with my instructions and commands. Then you will teach the people from them." So Moses and his assistant Joshua climbed up the mountain of God.
Moses told the other leaders, "Stay here and wait for us until we come back. If there are any problems while I am gone, consult with Aaron and Hur, who are here with you."
Then Moses went up the mountain, and the cloud covered it. And the glorious presence of the Lord rested upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from the cloud. The Israelites at the foot of the mountain saw an awesome sight. The awesome glory of the Lord on the mountaintop looked like a devouring fire. Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Matthew 17:1-9 (NLT) Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. As the men watched, Jesus' appearance changed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothing became dazzling white. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. Peter blurted out, "Lord, this is wonderful! If you want me to, I'll make three shrines, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
But even as he said it, a bright cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him. Listen to him." The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.
Jesus came over and touched them. "Get up," he said, "don't be afraid." And when they looked, they saw only Jesus with them. As they descended the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen until I, the Son of Man, have been raised from the dead."

Who are you? Do you ever ask yourself “Who am I?” Do you ever see someone and wonder what that person is like? Have you ever judged someone by their looks? Do you ever wonder how other people perceive you? This morning I was running in and out of church, carrying in all my stuff from the car, and I saw three older teens walking up the other side of the street. They were dressed like snow boarders: big baggy pants, long coats, funny knit hats. I called out “Good morning” to them, and then thought, “Maybe I shouldn’t have called to them. Here I am, dressed in my Boy Scout uniform, coming out of a church. I forget I am older than I feel. Not one of them at all” But they cheerfully called back “Good morning” and kept walking on their way.

It is human nature to judge by appearances. We don’t like it when someone does it to us but it’s a hard thing to resist doing ourselves. Some people look the same every time you see them. Me, I change my appearances frequently. Sometimes a crew cut, but often longish hair. Often a beard, but sometimes just a moustache, and today I am sporting this goatee. Sometimes I wear my contacts but often I do not. When I go out, I may wear a baseball cap, or sometimes this floppy expedition hat. Like most Americans, I typically wear jeans and a tee shirt, but often for meetings and conferences I will wear dress pants and a sports coat, or even a jacket with a shirt and tie. And today, look at me; I am wearing my Boy Scout uniform in honor of Scout Sunday.

If you were a stranger to me, and met me just once, on any given day, you might think I was a long-haired, bearded jeans and tee shirt sort of guy, or you might think I was a crew-cut dress up sort of guy. It all depends on what I looked like when you saw me. And that is who I would be to you. In fact, in my business I have clients who think I am the guy who studies lakes and helps them clean them up, while other clients think I am the guy that uses advanced computer mapping to analyze land use. I was talking to one client about their mapping project and happened to mention I was studying three lakes in the adjacent county and her reaction was surprise. “I didn’t know you did that,” she exclaimed, when actually “that” is mostly what I do for a living! The same could be said of my private endeavors – to some I am a photographer, to others a musician, and rarely the twain shall meet.

So who we are out in the world is not necessarily a function of who we think we are, or even what we do. Equally, who someone is and what someone is capable of accomplishing is not necessarily a function of how they appear to us. And if that is the case, isn’t it also true that someone’s personal connection to Christ might be something we may not even recognize on first glance or casual acquaintance?

When we learn something new about someone and see them in a different light, they are transfigured. Have they really changed? Probably not, but we see more of who they are. Peter and James and John went up the mountain with Jesus and witnessed something amazing. Jesus was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. I can only imagine how Peter and James and John were affected by this witness. In some ways they must have been deeply affected by it, changed by it, transfigured by it. But wasn’t Jesus the same Jesus with whom they walked up the mountain? And weren’t they still the same three? So what changed? To me, what really changed was knowledge – they learned something new about themselves and their Savior, something new about someone they thought they knew.

I find it difficult sometimes to live here in the real world and still remain focused on Christ. I don’t know about you, but my personal opportunities for transfiguration seem at times to be far and few between. But still, I am a lot of different things all rolled into one imperfect vessel for Christ, just as you are a lot of different things all rolled into one imperfect vessel for Christ. On this Transfiguration Sunday, I am reminded that all who we meet are also many things, just like you and me. I know that I have to do a better job of seeing all people for who they really are, the blessed children of God. How about you?

Michael R. Martin –February 6, 2005
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM