Won't You Join In?

Preaching and Worship Course
April 21st, 2015
Psalm 30:1-5

Let us pray: Open our ears, O Lord, to hear your word and know your voice. Speak to our hearts and strengthen our wills that we may serve you now and always. Amen.

I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. (Psalm 30:1-5, KJV)

When I was in high school I was part of the Christian Fellowship. I was the only non-Baptist or Pentecostal, I brought in a New International Version of the bible instead of the “proper” King James Version. I didn’t know many of the praise songs that were sung. I felt like an outcast and like my faith wasn’t as strong. My ideas were turned down and I feared my United Methodist upbringing was “too liberal”. Yet in my junior year of high school we got a new faculty advisor and I began to realize that some of the members of the fellowship only quoted certain books, many of them never touched the Old Testament and despite their front many of them were just as uncertain as I. I left this group that year, still maintaining friendships but believing I needed a break. 
I entered college and decided that if student led Christian fellowships were anything like my high school fellowship I was good without it. Yet God had other plans. During the second week of classes I was walking by the student run café and an older student I had met during orientation invited me in. I hesitantly entered and found it was a meeting for the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, a non-denominational group on campus. I was ready to bolt but was introduced to people who have become lifelong friends. During this event the focus was on fellowship, creating relationships and connecting individuals with small groups. 
I was able to see the potential of Christian community. Fast forward and I ended up leading worship at our group meetings my four years of college, joined the executive board, sang in the Christian A Capella, cemented my faith and discovered my call to ministry. At that first meeting I also made friends with the person who introduced me to my husband four years after that meeting.
“…weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”
As I look back on this time I see where God was moving, I see the places where I had uncertainty and doubt yet God showed hope, I see the places that God continued to provide answers despite my constant questioning without listening. Today I still have moments of doubt but I am encouraged and I am reminded to give God the glory and praise despite my hesitation. I am inspired that joy is coming in every situation.
In our reading from the book of Psalms we meet a psalmist who is living in relationship with God, who is surprised by God’s grace, who has circumstances and attitudes transformed, who cannot comprehend the things God does but trusts anyway. In Eugene Peterson’s Message translation we find a contemporary version of this text; “I give you all the credit, God—you got me out of that mess, you didn’t let my foes gloat. God, my God, I yelled for help and you put me together. God, you pulled me out of the grave, gave me another chance at life when I was down-and-out. All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God! Thank him to his face! He gets angry once in a while, but across a lifetime there is only love. The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter.”
This should be our testimony to ourselves and others, as we live out each imperfect day on this earth-it gets better. I was told a story of a man who would smile and wave at strangers. When asked why he did this he replied that if I can give someone hope to keep going, encouragement to be deal with any situation why wouldn’t I?
“…weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”
As we near the end of this semester our worlds seem off kilter, we feel stressed and discouraged, we can’t see the light at the end but God is still working, still moving, still guiding each and every step. Wherever we are in our educational journey it can be hard to understand why God has put us in this place. Friends it’s not until we look back that we clearly see God upholding, encouraging and loving us through those around us. It’s not until we look back that we recognize the blessings and grace that have abounded. 
So even though it seems near impossible it’s time to praise God, offering our thanks for all being done. You cried all night, your life may be in the pits, you’re sorry for something you’ve done; but dawn has broken, and joy comes in the morning. If you can’t feel the dawn, take heart. It’s coming. If joy still feels a long way off, you’re not alone. Some days this joy may be loud and boisterous, some days it may be quiet but beloved let us continue to lift up the name of God, despite our situation and despite our selves. Won’t you join in?

The Community’s Proclamation

The Community’s Proclamation
Second Sunday of Easter
April 12, 2015
Acts 4:32-35
1 John 1:1-2:2

Let us pray: Holy God we come before you a changed people. A people who are clinging to you and each other. A people who want to learn more about following Jesus. Be with us at this time as we listen for your voice O Lord, our strength, and our redeemer. Amen

 What would you change if you were in charge of the world? Would you institute world peace? Free healthcare? Create sustainable food  sources? Free hugs? Affordable housing? Erase student debt? The possibilities are varied and endless but all have the hope that with change we will make the world better in some way.

Friends as we gather together the week after Easter Sunday we are called to be the change, to be people that live out the resurrection promise, serving a risen Savior. We are called to be in community with Christ and one another. We are called to share Gods love and bring light into the darkness of the world. We are called to be hope despite hopelessness. If you've read the headlines of the newspaper or turned on the television you’ve see a world in pain, a world searching for hope, a world hungry for love. As the Church, capital C, we are called to be the balm, the safe haven, the fountain of love for the world.

“The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them. And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need.”

In the Message version of our passage from the book of Acts we are shown an early christian community, a community willing to give up all their earthly possessions and die to self that they might live out the example given by Jesus.This community was instructed by the disciples, they heard first hand accounts of the miracles performed. They had eyewitness stories shared with them. The community brought all their possessions together and shared these things where it was needed because they believed in the message of hope and love being told as we also see in 1John.
Earlier in Acts we are told that over 3000 people became followers because of the disciples witness. These first followers felt something; a connection, a pull to change their lives and refocus their energies from the norm. And with this pull came fellowship which is so important still today. One of my favorite moments in church life is when everyone is interacting with one another and catching up, like at coffee hour. This time to be in the presence of one another and God is powerful.

Yet unlike the disciples we don't have firsthand accounts; we have our actions, we have our words, we have faith, we have this community to serve as living example to others. Like the disciples we are supposed to testify to Christs resurrection, share our stories, so we can create and maintain community in this place and beyond these walls. I grew up going to Watchnight Service on New Years Eve. During this service we would have a time of testimony where anyone could come up and share what God had done for them, revelations they had received during the year, or stories about ways they felt God in the every day. It was a beautiful witness of faith that I grew up to cherish. It helped me to see the humanity of leaders I looked up to. I was able to see the possibility in my own life by sharing with others. There is something powerful about hearing someone share their journey in community. There is something important about sharing the ups and downs with others who can understand and support the journey you are on. Without the ups and downs of Holy Week we can miss the true celebration of Easter Sunday; the acknowledgement of Gods sacrifice, the amazingness of conquering death.

This week I had the pleasure of visiting  some of our homebound members. Getting to sit and fellowship with these older members and getting to share in communion with each of them made me heart swell. I was grateful to be able to extend our community beyond these walls and share fellowship and love with each of them. I was reminded how important these intentional interactions are. To be in community is to do more than wave good morning to someone, or show up every sunday. It is an active witness to God's love and power.

In many churches we have now entered an Easter season, a period of 50 days before pentecost where we explore what it means to be Easter people, people who proclaim the goodness of God and share the story of Jesus. So friends what is our community witness one week after Easter Sunday? For some of us this may be one easter season of many, for some this may be the first easter ever. But for all of us this should be a time of change, a radical point where communal life is redefined, a season where we are challenged to create the kingdom of God on this earth.

Now  friends, I am not saying we need to sell all our possessions, or move into compounds together. I’m saying that we need to rethink the purpose  and drive of the things we do. Shift the goals and work towards our dreams. Be a radical community, a transformative people, an imperfect group who aim every day to make the world better.

We have not seen the risen Christ, But we see him in the lives of those transformed by grace. We have not seen Jesus face-to-face, But we have seen him in the faces of everyone whose love encourages us. We have not touched the wounds from the cross, But we have been called to bring healing to the scarred of the world.We have heard the story and we believe.

This is our proclamation. We have been CALLED, each of us by name to transform the world because we are transformed people, Easter people!

So friends if we as a community of faith ask ourselves what we should do to change the world what would that change be? I think it would be to promote unity with one another,to model Christ. This means finding ways to feed the hungry, provide for the needy, heal the sick. To create real solutions to real problems. To address the true nature of an issue instead of glossing over it. To understand hurt, pain, fear, struggle, joy and happiness of those sitting next to us. To be a people of empathy, joining together in community with one heart and soul. 

“In Christ there is no darkness at all. The night and the day are both alike. The lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.” The resurrection promise shines in each of us preparing us to offer hope to a hopeless world. The resurrection promise shows us the possibility and potential of this world and our part in it.

This is our proclamation in this world: Behold how good, and pleasant it is for all  of us to dwell in unity! Amen.