Year A, Proper 10, Isaiah 55.10-13, Matt 13.1-9,18-23, "Wait for it"

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen

This is not the church I signed up to serve, when I went off to seminary back in 1984.

I’m not talking about Peace Lutheran in Otis Orchards.

I’m talking about the whole Church, the ELCA, but more than that, Christianity as a whole.

A lot has changed since I loaded up my family and drove from Gig Harbor, WA to St. Paul, MN to enter seminary.  So much has changed, that it seems like this is an entirely different church than the one I anticipated serving when I went to seminary.

Karla and I were charter members of Agnus Dei Lutheran Church in Gig Harbor, at the time.  Agnus Dei was a new congregation of our church that was started in 1980, about the same time that Peace in Otis Orchards began.

It was an exciting time in the Church, especially for young people like Karla and I.

We were thrilled to hear that a new congregation was being developed in Gig Harbor when we graduated from PLU and we knew that we wanted to be part of it.  With youthful idealism and boundless energy we jumped at the opportunity. 

Let me pause right here for a moment.

When I say that this is not the church I signed up to serve, I’d like to point out one thing that is different. 

As recent graduates of PLU, and with both of us having worked as Bible Camp counselors, we showed up at Agnus Dei’s first worship service at the local elementary school gymnasium already committed to not only joining this congregation but to becoming leaders of the congregation.

And the thing was, we were not unique.

That day there were many like us, though we were the youngest couple, but there were many like us eager to be part of this new congregation.  Young families, professionals, enthusiastic, and incredibly optimistic.

I quickly became involved as a worship leader and council member, serving as one of the first congregational presidents.

Karla volunteered as a secretary, and served in a number of other ways, as well.

It all seemed so natural, a perfect place for us.  And there was nothing about it that seemed surprising or different.

What a different world we live in today.

Can you imagine what it would be like if today, a young couple in their early twenties showed up at the door, not only fully committed to becoming part of the congregation—but equally committed to becoming leaders of that congregation?

And not only were we ready to be part of it, we were ready to devote a significant amount of time and energy to it. 

I just wish that once in my ministry I might experience having a youthful, energetic young couple like Karla and I were show up and be part of the congregation.  But that was then, and this was now.

That was thirty seven years ago.

The Church was still riding the wave of the Baby Boomers coming of age. 

In 1984 the Lutheran Churches that became the ELCA had a campaign to start even more congregations:  “Fifty more in ‘84” was the name. 

We’re not starting new congregations like that anymore.

And young people are not showing up at church on Sunday mornings primed and ready to become leaders of the Church.

The world has changed.

And some of us are wondering “what happened”? 

One of the things that happened was that in 1962 the birth control pill came out and Lutherans started having fewer children.  So by the time the ‘80s came about there were simply not nearly as many young Lutherans to fill up the pews.

But another thing happened as well.

The Church and its message has become increasingly irrelevant to the lives of many of our youth.

On a day like today, you are much more likely to find those young couples with children at a soccer field, than a church.

It’s simply the way that it is.

And the Church as a whole, like our congregation is in decline.

I sometimes get depressed and discouraged about it.

I search for something to give me hope.

One of the scripture passages that have spoken to me over the years is the lesson from Isaiah that we read this morning:

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

This is the hope that sustains me.

If we simply are faithful to the proclamation of God’s Word, it will accomplish that for which it was intended.

As you know, I’ve been trying to use Facebook as a means of getting the Word out there into the community. 

I post sermons on the congregation’s Facebook page, with short summaries, and then ‘boost them’ by paying to have them distributed throughout the community.

So for example, the last one I boosted reached 1,867 households. 

The hope is that if we just keep putting it out there, the Word itself will accomplish that for which it is intended. 

That sounds easy enough.

But it’s never that easy.

 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!”

Jesus makes clear that there are all sorts of things that can get in the way of the Word taking root and bearing fruit.

All sorts of things.

Jesus speaks about the evil one snatching away what was sown in the heart. 

God’s Word is not the only word out there.  There are many messages being shouted out in the world that are drowning out the message of the Gospel. 

I’m spiritual but not religious.

People hear, but do not understand, and soon the message they heard is gone.  Just like that.

And then there are those who quickly embrace the Word, and are overjoyed, but they fail to go deeper, to put down roots, and when life doesn’t go as they would like, they lose heart and fall away.

For still others, there are simply so many other concerns in the world, that there simply is not room for God.

And it goes deeper than that.

It’s not just that God is being pushed to the periphery of our lives, is that for many people today, they just don’t see the Church and “God”, dealing with the issues that truly concern them and that make a difference in their lives.

If I were to identify one major difference between my wife and I, and our children, it would be this:

When we looked at the world and all its challenges and problems, we saw the solution as coming from God and therefore committed ourselves to the Church.

Our children are more likely to see the challenges that face our world and look for solutions to them in the sciences, in education, in political activism, in technology, and other such places.

Rather than being seen as being part of the solution, often today, the Church is seen as being a major part of the problem. 

There is good reason for thinking this.

In a world that cries out for change, the Church has too often been an advocate for maintaining the status quo.

I could rattle off a bunch of examples of this but let it suffice to say that many people today would echo Ronald Reagan’s words, only in response to the Church.

Reagan famously said, “Government is not the solution to our problems, government is the problem.”

Likewise, many in our world today would say that “religion is not the solution to our problems, religion is the problem.”

Ironic.

The entirety of the Biblical witness is that God is actively engaged in our world, and offering to us a solution to the ‘problem’, and we see that solution as being the problem.

And yet the truth is that neither science, nor technology, nor will any other human endeavor be able to do that which only God’s grace can do, and that is to redeem this fallen world.

And so we continue to speak the Word, and take comfort in the fact that as seeds sown in good soil, that Word of the Gospel will germinate and grow.

There is a period of time, when you just can’t see it. 

After you plant the garden, there is a period of waiting before the seeds send up their sprouts and break the surface.

Perhaps, that is where we are today.

Standing back, looking at the garden, newly planted but still bare soil, and wondering when the time will come that the new growth will emerge.

It’s this waiting that we are not good at.

We live in a world that expects immediate results.

But God is not about immediate results, but lasting results.  And that’s worth waiting for.

Amen

Year C, Proper 10, Luke 10:25-37, “And who is my neighbor?”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.  Amen

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

“Do this, and you will live.”

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus,

“And who is my neighbor?”

---

Alton Sterling was selling CDs outside of a Baton Rouge convenience store.  A homeless man persisted in asking him for money, and his response was to insist that the man leave him alone, showing his gun in the process.

The police were called; Sterling was wrestled to the ground, and then shot point blank by the police officers sparking an outrage across the nation.

Irritated by a homeless man’s persistent requests for money, Sterling lost his life. 

And wanting to justify himself, the young man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

---

Philando Castile carried a weapon with him, most likely for his own safety.

Pulled over because of a broken taillight, he informed the police officer that he had a gun, and then reached—

And then he reached

For his wallet, or for the gun?

Obviously, the police officer thought the later for he responded by opening fire, and so ended the life of Castile.

And wanting to justify himself, the young man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

---

Our nation grieved over what seemed to be the senseless shootings of two black men by the police, all recorded on video, and shared via social media.

Protests formed as people reacted to this use of force by the police against these black men.

Black Lives Matter

People marched.

And at least one planned.

In a well planned out attack at a Dallas protest, Micah Johnson, used his military background to stage an ambush at the protest, and in the end 7 police officers were wounded, 5 were dead, and a whole nation was shaken.

Johnson, himself, died when the police used a robot to deliver a bomb.

And wanting to justify himself, the young man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

---

In response to all of this, an ex Representative, Joe Walsh, tweeted an angry message:

“3 Dallas Cops killed, 7 wounded.  This is now war.  Watch out Obama.  Watch out black lives matter punks.  Real America is coming after you.”

He latter deleted the tweet, but too late.  His anger and his words are now out there to further incite even more violence.

And wanting to justify himself, the young man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

---

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

As commandments go, it’s simple enough.

Love God, Love your neighbor.

Do this, and you will live.

But it’s a bit like when someone asks if you will do them a favor. . .

                We can’t help but want to know first, what the favor being asked is.

If you were to ask me for some money, I may very well be willing to give it to you. . . but I’d like to know how much before I say yes.

There are limits, after all, both with respect to how much I can give as well as how much I’m willing to give.

So it is.  So it is.

The lawyer who was asking Jesus these questions was spot on in his response.  “And who is my neighbor?”

It makes a difference, you know.  Love them.  Alright.  But who are they that you would have me love?

---

My heart goes out to police officers in this day and age.

There is a simple fact they live with everyday:  more and more people are carrying guns.

Their lives are always at risk.  A simple traffic stop has resulted in law enforcement officers being killed.

So you KNOW someone has a gun, and they reach toward their hip.  Are they going after their wallet, to show the police their ID?

Or are they going after their gun?

In Dallas, the shooter was killed by sending in a robot with a bomb.  The reason this novel new approach was used is that being the second to shoot is not a good position to be in, because before you get that opportunity, you may be dead.  I’m sure that in Dallas, no one wanted to see a sixth dead officer.

Can we love, and yes, forgive, these officers who so often have to put their lives on the line?

And wanting to justify himself, the young man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

---

This last week, Newt Gingrich was quoted as saying:

“If you are a normal white American. . .you don’t understand being black in America.”

The victim’s families feel as though they, especially young black men, are being hunted by the police.  They are dying after being pulled over because their tail light is out. 

You don’t hear of many white people dying at the hands of the police because of a broken tail light. 

When I wear a hooded Carhart coat while walking out on the street, I don’t fear for my life.  But a young black man in a hooded sweatshirt is at risk.

Can we ever understand what it is to live in such fear?

To live fearing that the officers who are supposed to keep you safe, may in fact gun you down?

Can we love, and yes, forgive, these young men who so often have their lives at risk?

And wanting to justify himself, the young man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

---

Who is my neighbor?

Who am I to love?

Those questions have far reaching impacts on our lives, and they touch on many more issues than simply the violence of this last week.

Matthew Shepherd, a gay man studying at the University of Wyoming, was beaten, tortured, and left to die.

And wanting to justify himself, the young man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

Millions of undocumented people make our beds, do our landscaping, cut our beef, and whatever else they can do to make a living for their families.  Yes, they come from south of the border.  You don’t hear of many undocumented Canadians residing in the country.

Build a wall, keep them out.

Load the bus, and ship them home.

And wanting to justify himself, the young man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

The Mediterranean Sea is adrift with refugees fleeing the violence of the Middle East.

And wanting to justify himself, the young man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

---

If we are honest there are a whole lot of people out there that are difficult for us to love.  Really difficult.

And so we prefer to avoid the whole issue and pass by on the other side of the road.

I have to admit, I’m glad I don’t live in Dallas, or Falcon Heights, or Baton Rouge.  It’s much easier to be righteous at a distance.

I have to admit, that the other day, when a young black man came to my door (really a rarity in a white community like Sandpoint), I was nervous.  Turns out he was just a youth doing door to door sales, nothing to be alarmed about.  Nothing at all.  But I have to be honest that my reaction was different than it is when a white man shows up at my door.

It’s easier to love all people at a distance.

---

In the midst of all of this, Jesus tells us the story of the Samaritan man who saw the man who was lying beside the road, a victim of robbers, and who cared for him.

The priest and the Levite had passed by, not wanting to get involved.

But the Samaritan stopped and showed mercy, tended to his wounds, taking him to an inn, and seeing that he was cared for.

And who is my neighbor?
“The one who showed mercy.”

---

There is a real danger in our world today, one that is always with us.

The natural tendency is to respond to violence with even more violence. 

Jesus, however speaks of mercy.

Mercy, not violence.  Love, not hate.

In the end, it doesn’t matter WHO our neighbor is.

·         If we respond to the world around us with hatred and violence, our own lives are destroyed.

·         But if we can be loving and merciful, as God has been loving and merciful to us, then we shall live.

In the end it’s that simple. 

Choose one pathway and you die.

Choose another and you live.

I think that at times like this it is easy to want to simply turn it over to God, and say “Fix it.”

And God does want to fix it. 

But the solution does involve us.  We bear the responsibility to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this world.  We are called to be witnesses to his love and mercy.  We simply cannot pass by on the other side of the road and expect things to change.

If you want to have a neighbor,  you have to be a neighbor.  If you want to be loved, you have to be willing to love. 

God’s solution involves us.

That’s the uncomfortable truth.  And an incredible responsibility.  Amen

Year C, Proper 10, Luke 10:25-37, And who is my neighbor?

To your neighbor as you love yourself is easy enough in theory, more challenging in reality.

Who is my neighbor?  That the young lawyer in today's Gospel lesson asked this question in an effort to justify himself is a clear indication that there were those who he determined were not his neighbors and hence not covered by this commandment.  Which of course, makes keeping the commandment so much easier.  It is one thing to love everyone in theory, another thing to love one person in particular.

A young woman who was a member of my former parish, a recovering alcoholic, and who also was transitioning into being a man, approached me one day.  "People are always saying they'd like to grow and attract more young people as a congregation.  Why not become a Reconciled in Christ congregation and openly state our welcome to the GLBT community?  Or why not reach out to all the folks meeting at our Church in AA programs?  These are both groups of people that are actively seeking spiritual growth.  Why not offer them a place to be part of the Church?"  That was the essence of the conversation.

Mostly out of curiosity, I posed her/his two questions to the council.  I knew that it would take a miracle for the council to say "Yes", but I wanted to hear what the response would be.

"Of course, all people are welcome here, but if we have to specifically say gays are welcome, then we will leave the congregation."

And who is my neighbor?

AA groups are an interesting mix of people.  They gather in our churches as they seek to further their sobriety.  With one foot already in the door, you would think that they might be prime candidates for inclusion in the Church.  Sometimes they are, drawn to the Church as they grow in their own spirituality through the 12 Step program.  But often they are not.

One of the things that would be offensive to many in the Church, is how often the "F word" is part of the conversation in AA.  Do we even want that word spoken in our Churches?  Let alone welcome those who are so 'vulgar and crude'.  We are quick to make judgments based on the perceptions we have of alcoholics.  All are welcome, yes, so we say.  But it is difficult to love one, particularly if they are still going in and out of the program.

And who is my neighbor?

And the list goes on.  What about the Muslim.  Or the undocumented?  What about the poor?  What about people of color?  Does it make a difference to us whether one is perceived as a liberal or conservative?  What about people with a checkered past, perhaps a criminal record?  Can we love one who is on the sexual offenders list?  And if there is no possibility of love, what chance is there of grace happening?

And who is my neighbor?

The problem for us is that though, in our best moments, we may realize that we are called to love all people, the painful truth is that there are many we'd rather not associate with. Either that, or we are inclined to limit who we consider to be our neighbor, so that we might be justified in our own inability to love some people.

"Do this, and you will live."

Interesting that Jesus doesn't reference eternal life, as the lawyer did.  He simply says "Do this, and you will live.

Perhaps what he is saying to us is simply this.  That as we learn to love, more and more people, we will discover what 'living' is all about.

Here is the secret:  Love graces the life of both the lover and the beloved.  And in the act of loving and being loved, we are made whole.