Message Title: The Weird Thing About Grief
Theme: Reruns & Glory Days
Season: Ordinary
Main Text: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15
RCL Scripture: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27; Lamentations 3:22-33; Psalm 130; Psalm 30; 2 Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 5:21-43
Focus: David grieves two deaths.
Function: To talk about our interaction with death and grief while considering tools for grief.
Other Notes:
Blessed Be the Tie: “Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above

SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 ⁷ Be the best in this work of grace in the same way that you are the best in everything, such as faith, speech, knowledge, total commitment, and the love we inspired in you. ⁸ I’m not giving an order, but by mentioning the commitment of others, I’m trying to prove the authenticity of your love also. ⁹ You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Although he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that you could become rich through his poverty. ¹⁰ I’m giving you my opinion about this. It’s to your advantage to do this, since you not only started to do it last year but you wanted to do it too. ¹¹ Now finish the job as well so that you finish it with as much enthusiasm as you started, given what you can afford. ¹² A gift is appreciated because of what a person can afford, not because of what that person can’t afford, if it’s apparent that it’s done willingly. ¹³ It isn’t that we want others to have financial ease and you financial difficulties, but it’s a matter of equality. ¹⁴ At the present moment, your surplus can fill their deficit so that in the future their surplus can fill your deficit. In this way there is equality. ¹⁵ As it is written, The one who gathered more didn’t have too much, and the one who gathered less didn’t have too little.^[b]

RERUNS: TV shows & Death

1. Tv shows have a difficult job of incorporating real life into their stories. Sometimes story telling is about joy, new life, new beginnings, and hope. Sometimes story telling is about loss, grief, and hopelessness.
2. This week I asked on Facebook what tv shows had an episode about loss or death that hit you hard.
   1. Some of your answers included: Dallas, Grey’s anatomy, Downton Abbey, Bones, …….
      1. Both Grey’s Anatomy and Game of Thrones have enough death for every other show combined.
   2. One of my answers was Avatar: the Last Air Bender
      1. A character named Uncle Iro has a story about loss that tears you to the core.
   3. The other answer would be from Glee–
      1. After the unexpected death of actor Cory Monteith, the writers of Glee had to figure out how to tell that story. In real life, Cory was dating one of his costars and she, while grieving her boyfriend, had to perform on the show. That hit viewers “in all the feels” as you’re sure some of her genuine feelings were part of her character’s portrayal.

TRANSITION: Our story tellers don’t have it easy. Portraying death or grief is never fun. We get uncomfortable. We feel emotions we don’t normally feel. Sometimes we say stupid things or try to rewrite the past to comfort ourselves.

In our text today, David is going to get news that hits him hard. His response reminds me of the human experience. As we read this text, let’s listen to the humanity in the words. And perhaps see moments of tiny grief bandages covering his prose.

1. Last week on Israel-
   1. We saw Saul tried to kill David. David made connections, allies, and relationships that paved the way to his kingship.
2. What We Missed! Between texts
   1. 19-20: Saul tries to kill David. David gets married to wife #1 Michal.
   2. 21- 23: Saul tries to kill David. Saul kills people helped him. David continues to be faithful to Saul.
   3. 24-26: David spares Saul’s life. Saul likes David again. Samuel dies. David gets wife #2 Abigail. Saul chases David again.
   4. 27-29: David runs away to Philistine territory. David & his soldiers camp with the Philistine army. Saul consults with a ‘fortune teller’ or ‘medium.’ Saul learns his end is coming.
   5. 30-31: Amalekites raid a city and take David’s 2 wives captive. David conquered that group and got his wives back. His soldiers shared the spoils of war. Philistines killed Saul’s 3 sons (including Jonathan). Saul was wounded, he ‘fell on his sword’ so that the philistines couldn’t torture him. 

MAIN TEXT: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 After Saul’s death, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, he stayed in Ziklag two days.…¹⁷Then David sang this funeral songfor Saul and his son Jonathan. ¹⁸David ordered everyone in Judah to learn the Song of the Bow.(In fact, it is written in the scroll from Jashar.) ¹⁹Oh, no, Israel! Your prince lies dead on your heights. Look how the mighty warriors have fallen! ²⁰Don’t talk about it in Gath; don’t bring news of it to Ashkelon’s streets, or else the Philistines’ daughters will rejoice; the daughters of the uncircumcised will celebrate. ²¹You hills of Gilboa! Let there be no dew or rain on you, and no fields yielding grain offerings. Because it was there that the mighty warrior’s^[g] shield was defiled—the shield of Saul!—never again anointed with oil. ²²Jonathan’s bow never wavered from the blood of the slain, from the gore of the warriors. Never did Saul’s sword return empty. ²³Saul and Jonathan! So well loved, so dearly cherished! In their lives and in their deaths they were never separated. They were faster than eagles, stronger than lions! ²⁴Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul! He dressed you in crimson with jewels; he decorated your clothes with gold jewelry. ²⁵Look how the mighty warriors have fallen in the midst of battle! Jonathan lies dead on your heights. ²⁶I grieve for you, my brother Jonathan! You were so dear to me! Your love was more amazing to methan the love of women. ²⁷Look how the mighty warriors have fallen! Look how the weapons of war have been destroyed!

EXPLAINATION: David laments the death of Saul and Jonathan.

1. David learns of the death of Saul & Jonathan. If you keep reading there are TONS more details. Including the question if Saul killed himself or was killed.
2. David responds with a poem, a song, of lament. (Saul & Jonathan weren’t the only ones that died that day… but they were the only ones mentioned in the song).

INTERPRETATION:

1. If you notice David’s song, you’ll notice that he doesn’t remember Saul completely.
   1. He notes the relationship between Saul & Jonathan.
   2. He notes how Saul provided for his country.
2. His grief shines through
   1. ‘don’t talk about it’ – they’ll rub it in our faces
   2. Then he laments specifically the loss of Jonathan. His love for Jonathan surpassed that of a woman. (… remember… he’s got 2 wives…)
3. We do weird things to deal with grief.
   1. We talked last week about God redeeming any story. Here, it seems David, has changed the story or forgotten the story as an act of honoring the deceased.
4. At funerals we seem to do this same thing. We gloss over the lives of our deceased loved one. In that moment, at least for the funeral, we forgive their faults and remember their celebrations.
   1. David’s actions in lamenting Saul match our current day human struggles with grief.
   2. It also seems like David’s love for Jonathan tempers his feelings about Saul. As scripture says, David loved Saul more than he loved women.
5. Seminary Class- Death, Loss, & Mourning- when I was in seminary, I took a class called “Death, Loss, & Mourning.” Yes. It was exactly what you picture. We visited funeral homes. Talked about different forms of loss. And we read a lot of books about the ways different cultures deal with loss.
   1. Assignment- Loss Chart- one particularly difficult assignment was a loss inventory.
      1. all types of loss: break ups, job changes, moves, deaths, loss of innocence, etc
      2. at the time of the assignment- I was 29 and had experienced 22 family deaths. I was very familiar with death.

APPLICATION: To talk about our interaction with death and grief while considering tools for grief.

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1. The Ball & Box analogy: Grief can hit us in unexpected ways and manifest in unusual forms. One of the best ways to understand the human interaction with loss is an analogy called The Ball and The Box. This comes from a twitter thread by @LaurenHerschel Dec 29, 2017 https://twitter.com/LaurenHerschel/status/946887540732149760?s=20
   1. “So grief is like this: There’s a box with a ball in it. And a pain button. And no, I am not known for my art skills.”
   1. “In the beginning, the ball is huge. You can’t move the box without the ball hitting the pain button. It rattles around on its own in there and hits the button over and over. You can’t control it – it just keeps hurting. Sometimes it seems unrelenting.”
   2. “Over time, the ball gets smaller. It hits the button less and less but when it does, it hurts just as much. It’s better because you can function day to day more easily. But the downside is that the ball randomly hits that button when you least expect it.”
   3. I found this explanation of grief so helpful.
2. We’re allowed to grieve. We’re allowed to feel. Healing doesn’t mean that you will never feel pain again about that loss.
   1. Sometimes grief takes us on a weird journey.
   1. God is not expecting you to be ok in your grief. God is not telling you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. You have permission to feel and to grieve.

CONCLUSION

6/20/2021

Message Title: Who Wrote This Script?
Theme: Reruns & Glory Days
Season: ordinary time
Main Text: 1 Samuel 17:57-18:5, 18:10-16
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13
RCL Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:57-18:5, 18:10-16 or 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49; Job 38:1-11; Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32; Psalm 9:9-20; Psalm 133; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Mark 4:35-41
Focus: David and Saul’s relationship is a chaotic downward spiral.
Function: To see the redemption in our stories.
Other Notes:- father’s day

SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 ¹ Since we work together with him, we are also begging you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² He says, I listened to you at the right time, and I helped you on the day of salvation.^[a] Look, now is the right time! Look, now is the day of salvation!  ³ We don’t give anyone any reason to be offended about anything so that our ministry won’t be criticized. ⁴ Instead, we commend ourselves as ministers of God in every way. We did this with our great endurance through problems, disasters, and stressful situations. ⁵ We went through beatings, imprisonments, and riots. We experienced hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger. ⁶ We displayed purity, knowledge, patience, and generosity. We served with the Holy Spirit, genuine love, ⁷ telling the truth, and God’s power. We carried the weapons of righteousness in our right hand and our left hand. ⁸ We were treated with honor and dishonor and with verbal abuse and good evaluation. We were seen as both fake and real, ⁹ as unknown and well known, as dying—and look, we are alive! We were seen as punished but not killed, ¹⁰ as going through pain but always happy, as poor but making many rich, and as having nothing but owning everything. ¹¹ Corinthians, we have spoken openly to you, and our hearts are wide open. ¹² There are no limits to the affection that we feel for you. You are the ones who placed boundaries on your affection for us. ¹³ But as a fair trade—I’m talking to you like you are children—open your hearts wide too.

RERUN: “The Recap Sequence”

If you have watched more than one episode of cable television, you may have heard the phrase “previously on….” At the beginning of a show to catch the viewers up on the story.

This “recap sequence” technique has morphed along with the changes in entertainment over the decades. In 1955 a show premiered titled The Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp. This show used recaps weekly to keep the story alive for viewers.

Recaps faded from use in the mid 50’s & 60’s as stand alone ‘rerun’ compatible episodes ramped up. Think of shows like I love lucy or The Dick Van Dyke Show. Some shows used a theme song to get people into the story with minimal back story. I.e. Green Acres or Gilligan’s Island.

However, the recap sequence made a come back in the 70’s and had a steady incline through the 90’s and 00’s as shows with multiple seasons developed ongoing stories. Some even stylized their recap to fit the theme of their show. i.e. Glee’s recap typically sounds like a gossip circle.

Today we’re back to losing our need for recap with the rise of internet tv and death of the structured cable format. Netflix even gives you the option to skip recaps & theme songs all together. Binging a show means you don’t need a reminder what happened in the previous episode.

TRANSITION:  From radio shows to Netflix originals, stories have a need to carry on themes as the viewer stays engaged over time.

Our scripture reading from last week included the passage we missed in our Reruns series. Since we weren’t together last week, let’s to a little recap sequence.

Recap: “Previously on Israelites in the Holy Land” – The Israelites demanded a king, even with a staunch warning. King Saul seemed to be everything they wanted…. Until he wasn’t. God chose a new king for Israel- David the youngest son of Jesse was anointed by Samuel. A shepherd would be Israel’s king. Though Saul’s successor was already picked out… Saul was still in charge. And now the future king will cross paths with the current ruler.

Our text for today will hop around. Join me on this soap opera of a bible story as we wonder what God will do next…

MAIN TEXT: 1 Samuel 17:57-18:5, 18:10-16

⁵⁷ So when David came back from killing the Philistine, Abner sent for him and presented him to Saul. The Philistine’s head was still in David’s hand. ⁵⁸ Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, my boy?” “I’m the son of your servant Jesse from Bethlehem,” David answered.

18 As soon as David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan’s life^[a] became bound up with David’s life, and Jonathan loved David as much as himself.^[b] 2 From that point forward, Saul kept David in his service^[c] and wouldn’t allow him to return to his father’s household. ³ And Jonathan and David made a covenant together because Jonathan loved David as much as himself. ⁴ Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his armor, as well as his sword, his bow, and his belt. ⁵ David went out and was successful in every mission Saul sent him to do. So Saul placed him in charge of the soldiers, and this pleased all the troops as well as Saul’s servants.…

¹⁰ The next day an evil spirit from God came over Saul,^[e] and he acted like he was in a prophetic frenzy in his house. So David played the lyre as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand, ¹¹ and he threw it, thinking, I’ll pin David to the wall. But David escaped from him two different times. ¹² Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with David but no longer with Saul. ¹³ So Saul removed David from his service, placing him in command of a unit of one thousand men. David led the men out to war and back. ¹⁴ David was successful in everything he did because the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ Saul saw that he was very successful, and he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ Everyone in Israel and Judah loved David because he led them out in war and back again.

EXPLAINATION:

1. David has come to gather news for his father and brin ghis brother supplies.
   1. While there he sees the front lines of the ongoing conflict with the Philistines.
   2. He is stirred by the taunts of Goliath and offers himself as champion.
   3. The shepherd beats the seasoned soldier.
2. Saul wants to celebrate his champion-
   1. It seems  like in introduction happens here but earlier in ch 17, Saul enlists David to play music for him when he is troubled of spirit. … so did they just meet now and they told the story out of order or does Saul have a short attention span?
3. David meets Jonathan, Saul’s son and presumptive heir. They connect in a way that has left Christians debating for centuries… could be a good Bible study topic if you wanna dive into all the angles with me.
   1. A covenant is formed between David and Jonathan.
4. Then David is enlisted in to Saul’s service – sometimes as a musician and sometimes as a warrior.
   1. David comes back from a battle and the crowds brag of David’s successes being bigger than Saul’s.
   2. What does Saul do? Try to kill David… who is playing music for his troubled spirits.

INTERPRETATION: Honestly the whole saga of Saul and David fills me with a million questions for God. Alas, not all can be answered by academic research. If you have questions—we can meet together and chat or I invite you to our Wednesday night bible study where we regularly wrestle with tough topics.

1. The aspect I want to focus on is how God’s plans start to unfold.
   1. Saul was anointed king in 1 Samuel 9. By the middle of 1 Samuel 10, Saul has demonstrated that he will not be faithful to God as a king and God rejects Saul as the king of Israel. However, Saul isn’t removed from office.
      1. In 1 Samuel 16:14 we hear that the Lord’s spirit leaves Saul and an “evil spirit from the Lord” torments him. So frequently we take scripture like this and use it to explain the terrible things in our lives or the terrible choices other’s make. “God tempted me.”
      2. I want to suggest another way to look at this- Saul was already disobedient before God’s spirit left him. Saul was already making decisions against God’s guidance. Yet God’s will continues to unfold, just no longer through Saul. God uses Saul’s rebelliousness as a pathway to restore the story. Saul’s actions pave the way for David to become Israel’s king.
         1. Could the torment be his guilty conscience? Perhaps we wont fully know why he was being tormented.
   2. In 1 Samuel 16 David is anointed to be the next king of Israel, but once again, this transition of power doesn’t happen instantly. Instead, the end of Saul’s reign unfolds over the remainder of 1 Samuel.
      1. Saul was unfaithful. David was faithful.
      2. David, the anointed king, begins to gain the trust and favor of not only Israel but also Saul’s family.
      3. Jonathan ties his soul to David and commits to protecting him, which we see continue in the following chapters.
      4. Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s wife, protects David from her father’s assassination attempts.
      5. The Israelites celebrated David’s successes.
2. Misconception about God forcing us into bad things or tempting us to do bad things
   1. God is redeeming the choices we have made for God’s purpose

APPLICATION: To see the redemption in our stories.

1. Saul’s kingly line unfolds as David’s reign develops. This story is like a biblical soap opera- who loves who, assassination plots, and the game of thrones.
2. Today is father’s day– and there are so many complicated feelings about father’s day, much like Mother’s day.
   1. There aren’t enough words to explain every angle of feelings connected with this day.
3. Redeemer of stories: Regardless of the story you carry connected to Father’s Day, I want you to hear that God is the redeemer of stories.
   1. No, I’m not telling you in this moment you have to forgive *that* person what they did. Nor am I telling you that God put you through terrible things to make you better. Our God is a god of order not chaos. Our God wants our flourishing not our destruction.
   2. Instead, I’m telling you that any story can be used to glorify God. No story is outside of pointing back to God.
      1. And sometimes, humans have made such a mess that only God can restore a story.
      2. I mean, only God could help David continue to honor Saul, even when Saul repeatedly tries to kill him. Continue reading in 1 Samuel and find the story about Saul peeing in a cave—see how David honored him even then.
4. A word of caution: Redemption is a story in God’s hands. You are not the savior. It is not your job to save those who have hurt you by continually subjecting yourself to pain in hopes of swaying them someday.
   1. Please hear this– Jesus died on the cross; you don’t have to.
   2. Instead, we continue to grow with God and God will show us the avenues towards healing.
      1. Sometimes that leads to reunions and earthly healing. Sometimes, that healing can only happen in eternity.
   3. Your role in redemption is to continue to listen to God’s spirit and follow faithfully. God will work out the rest.
   4. I want to invite you to pray the Lord’s prayer with me again. – Heather, could you pull that slide up again? –God’s the one doing work here.

CONCLUSION: I won’t be able to resolve all of your questions and problems with the passage we read today. But I can tell you that God isn’t done yet. God isn’t done with this story (we’ll continue it next week as we start in 2 Sam) and God isn’t done with your story.

May God redeem and restore your story in ways you didn’t know were possible.

6/6/2021

Message Title: Comparison is a Thief
Theme: Reruns & Glory Days
Season: Ordinary Time
Main Text: 1 Samuel 8 (Israel demands a king/Saul)
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
RCL Scripture: 1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15) or Genesis 3:8-15; Psalm 130 or Psalm 138; 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1; Mark 3:20-35
Focus: Israel demands a king even after receiving a warning.
Function:
Other Notes:

Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 4: 13-5:1 ¹³We have the same faithful spirit as what is written in scripture: I had faith, and so I spoke. We also have faith, and so we also speak. ¹⁴We do this because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus, and he will bring us into his presence along with you. ¹⁵All these things are for your benefit. As grace increases to benefit more and more people, it will cause gratitude to increase, which results in God’s glory. ¹⁶So we aren’t depressed. But even if our bodies are breaking down on the outside, the person that we are on the inside is being renewed every day. ¹⁷Our temporary minor problems are producing an eternal stockpile of glory for us that is beyond all comparison. ¹⁸We don’t focus on the things that can be seen but on the things that can’t be seen. The things that can be seen don’t last, but the things that can’t be seen are eternal. ^5:1We know that if the tent that we live in on earth is torn down, we have a building from God. It’s a house that isn’t handmade, which is eternal and located in heaven.

Intro to Summer Series: Movie Midnight in Paris– Every generation looks back and thinks THAT was the good ole days. (unless you are part of a minority or oppressed group).Sometimes living the good ole days involves watching our favorite shows on repeat. It seems every generation does this. Over the course of the summer, we will be looking at passages in 1^st Samuel – 1^st Kings and looking at Israel’s “Glory Days.” We may also look at glimpses of our past through movies, history, or personal stories, though some of our “pasts” are more recent than others.

RERUNS: This week, I wanted to start off with a cute story about my mother. If you don’t know my mother well, you wouldn’t know that she hates chocolate. Sure, she’ll eat a brownie or snickers on the occasion but she is NOT a chocolate fan. My mom learned to hate chocolate as a child and it’s all her own fault.

When she was in elementary school, she would bring a lunch from home. On this particular day, My grandmother sent my mom to school with a quart of chocolate milk. My mother was supposed to share this milk with her older sister. Instead, she drank the whole quart herself. No surprise to any of us: she got sick and now has an aversion to chocolate.

TRANSITION: I’m sure we can all relate to my mother’s childhood. Josh ate a 5-pound burrito Friday. I can eat circus peanuts, candy corn, or red vines until I’m sick.

Sometimes our desires actually lead to our demise. As we kick off our summer series, we will see the beginning of the monarchy in Israel. This one event sets a trajectory for Israel’s future… and it’s not great. 

We are reading all of 1 Samuel 8. I encourage you to open your bible either physically or digitally and read along. The text WON’T be on the screen behind me.

BACKGROUND: In the Jewish scriptures Bibles we have 1 & 2^nd Samuel are under the unified name of “Samuel”. Christian bibles divide the book into two, matching the scrolls that contain the text- this is the same case for 1 & 2 kings, or 1 & 2 Chronicles.

Each of these twin books tells a history of Israel. Though if you compared Chronicles to Samuel or Kings, the story would not be exactly the same as the goal is a reflection through the lens of history rather than a step-by-step detailing.

MAIN TEXT: 1 Sam 8 Now when Samuel got old, he appointed his sons to serve as Israel’s judges. ² The name of his oldest son was Joel; the name of the second was Abijah. They served as judges in Beer-sheba. ³ But Samuel’s sons didn’t follow in his footsteps. They tried to turn a profit, they accepted bribes, and they perverted justice.⁴So all the Israelite elders got together and went to Samuel at Ramah.

⁵They said to him, “Listen. You are old now, and your sons don’t follow in your footsteps. So appoint us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” ⁶It seemed very bad to Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” so he prayed to the Lord.

⁷The Lord answered Samuel, “Comply with the people’s request—everything they ask of you—because they haven’t rejected you. No, they’ve rejected me as king over them. ⁸They are doing to you only what they’ve been doing to mefrom the day I brought them out of Egypt to this very minute, abandoning me and worshipping other gods. ⁹So comply with their request, but give them a clear warning, telling them how the king will rule over them.”

 ¹⁰Then Samuel explained everything the Lord had said to the people who were asking for a king. ¹¹“This is how the king will rule over you,” Samuel said: “He will take your sons, and will use them for his chariots and his cavalry and as runners for his chariot. ¹²He will use them as his commanders of troops of one thousand and troops of fifty, or to do his plowing and his harvesting, or to make his weapons or parts for his chariots. ¹³He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, or bakers. ¹⁴He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves and give them to his servants. ¹⁵He will give one-tenth of your grain and your vineyards to his officials and servants. ¹⁶He will take your male and female servants, along with the best of your cattleand donkeys, and make them do his work. ¹⁷He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and then you yourselves will become his slaves! ¹⁸When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you chose for yourselves, but on that day the Lord won’t answer you.”

¹⁹But the people refused to listen to Samuel and said, “No! There must be a king over us ²⁰so we can be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and lead us and fight our battles.” ²¹Samuel listened to everything the people said and repeated it directly to the Lord. ²²Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Comply with their request. Give them a king.” Samuel then told the Israelite people, “Go back, each of you, to your own hometown.”

EXPLAINATION:

1. God had designed creation to be in constant relationship with God. That God would govern God’s people directly.
   1. We see this reinforced in Abraham’s story and again when Moses received the 10 commandments and made a covenant with Israel.
   2. God intended for Israel to stand out from the rest of the world. Israel would be a beacon pointing people to the one true God by their unique rule.
2. However, Israel struggled with being different and DEFINITELY struggled with change. As they anticipated the change of Samuel’s role of judge ending, they looked to the future and were filled with anxiety.
   1. Their solution was to demand a king like the rest of the nations. “Enough of this judge & God set up. We want a government like the rest of the nations.”
3. Samuel tells God and God doesn’t protest. God says ‘give them what they wish. But offer a warning.’
4. Even with the warning, Israel wanted a king.

INTERPRETATION:

1. More to the story:
   1. This is Chapter 8. Samuel doesn’t die until Chapter 24.–Why were they wanting to get rid of Samuel?
      1. Ch 9 they will get a king. King Saul. He fits the bill – tall, strong, young. BUT he doesn’t stay faithful to God. Ch 15 Saul is rejected as king. He won’t get to pass on his crown to his son.
   2. So, Israel went against God’s design and demanded a king. This king will do EXACTLY what Samuel said a king would do.
2. Reflection:
   1. Samuel was resistant, but God gave the people what they wanted
      1. Samuel was resistant- He is seen as an upright guy, but he decided his sons would inherit the role, however that wasn’t the plan for judges normally. And his sons were bad guys. The people rejected Samuel’s sons and demanded a king.
      2. But this shouldn’t taint Samuel’s character. Perhaps he was resistant to change just as much as the Israelites were anxious about change?
   2. Unlike Samuel, God let them have the consequences of their desires
      1. Remember last week? “I can work with that?” Here we are, God is working with the people where they are in their spiritual journey.
3. The Point: The point of this passage is not politics but loyalty to & dependency on God.
   1. This passage is a reminder that human leaders will fail us; whether we voted for them or not; whether we placed our hopes in them or not. It doesn’t matter what party you’re from or what
   2. However, the goal isn’t anarchy. This passage isn’t telling Americans to overthrow the American government.
      1. Nor is it saying Americans should base their policies off of what the world is doing.

APPLICATION:

1. Our wants aren’t always best for us—too much chocolate/food, too much power/fame/money,
2. Sometimes we compromise our morals/beliefs to get what we want—i.e. specific political candidates, power, money, etc.

COMMUNION:

CONCLUSION:

5/30/2021

Reflection: This sermon was a combo breaker. I did not create a full manuscript this time. I read commentaries. I listened to podcasts. I discussed the details with a few people and finalized my outline . I then preached with an outline.

Message Title: Is this Doctrine a Deal Breaker?
Theme: Trinity
Season: ordinary time
Main Text: Romans 8:12-17
Scripture Reading: Psalm 29
RCL Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12-17; John 3:1-17
Focus: Paul points to the involvement of the Spirit in our salvation.
Function: To engage in a conversation about the doctrine of the Trinity while finding freedom in uncertainty AND confidence in our salvation.
Other Notes: Trinity Sunday (Talk about the Spirit again) MEMORIAL DAY

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 29 You, divine beings! Give to the Lord—give to the Lord glory and power! ²Give to  Lord the glory due his name! Bow down to the Lord in holy splendor! ³The Lord’s voice is over the waters; the glorious God thunders; the Lord is over the mighty waters. ⁴The Lord’s voice is strong; the Lord’s voice is majestic. ⁵The Lord’s voice breaks cedar trees—yes, the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon. ⁶He makes Lebanon jump around like a young bull, makes Sirion jump around like a young wild ox. ⁷The Lord’s voice unleashes fiery flames; ⁸the Lord’s voice shakes the wilderness—yes, the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. ⁹The Lord’s voice convulses the oaks, strips the forests bare, but in his temple everyone shouts, “Glory!” ¹⁰The Lord sits enthroned over the floodwaters; the Lord sits enthroned—king forever! ¹¹Let the Lord give strength to his people! Let the Lord bless his people with peace!

INTRODUCTION:

1. Silly activity: Blindfold food test
   1. 2 volunteers- no dietary restrictions and willing to be blindfolded
   2. Part 1: 2 minutes – Eat an item and describe the flavor without using the word for the flavor.
      1. Both are blind, one eats and describes, the other tries to guess what the food is
      2. I.e. can’t say it tastes like an “orange” to describe an orange.
   3. Part 2: 2 minutes Hold an item in your hand and describe the item without using the word for the item.
      1. Other partner tries to guess the thing
      1. i.e an orange is round, has porous skin, smells citrusy
   4. Multiple, for every one you get right, you get a prize

TRANSITION: This may have been a silly exercise but I think it emphasizes the point quite well:

Language is a limitation to experience and understanding.

Where words fail our senses and emotions fill in the gaps. Today is the day in the church calendar when we celebrate the Trinity. This topic is limited by language and full of mystery. As we engage with a passage from the Letter to the Romans, we will test the limits of our language and invite God to fill in the space between.

SCRIPTURE: Romans 8:12-17 ¹²So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but it isn’t an obligation to ourselves to live our lives on the basis of selfishness. ¹³If you live on the basis of selfishness, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the actions of the body, you will live. ¹⁴All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and daughters. ¹⁵You didn’t receive a spirit of slavery to lead you back again into fear, but you received a Spirit that shows you are adopted as his children. With this Spirit, we cry, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶The same Spirit agrees with our spirit, that we are God’s children. ¹⁷But if we are children, we are also heirs. We are God’s heirs and fellow heirs with Christ, if we really suffer with him so that we can also be glorified with him.

EXPLAINATION

1. Background to the letter: Epistles are letters, we’re entering the middle of the conversation
   1. Author: Paul- Apostle to the Gentiles directly commissioned by the resurrected Jesus
   2. Dating: later in Paul’s career
   3. Audience: Jewish & non-Jewish believers in Rome worshiping in house churches
      1. Major divisions between Jewish & non-Jewish believers
      2. Paul’s intention was to make the Roman church a home base for missions into Europe (Spain)… that never happened because he was arrested and executed before he could fulfill that goal
      3. This church HAD to get IT right in order to be a base for missions.
         1. This letter is rich with teachings on the fundamentals of Christianity.
   4. Bigger context:
      1. Give your allegiance to Jesus above all else
2. This passage: Living by the Spirit

INTERPRETATION

1. Language limitations:
   1. trying to explain the trinity
      1. Russian nesting dolls
      2. Eggs
      3. Water
2. Creed & language of the trinity
   1. Council of Nicaea in 325 AD

APPLICATION

1. Flexibility & grace in language
   1. Reverence is relative
2. God meets us where we are
   1. Faith journey: “I can work with that”

CONCLUSION

MEMORIAL DAY SPECIAL: Flowers/reading of names & prayer

1. Another emotion that is hard to express is the level of gratitude Americans have for our soldiers both past and present. Today is not only Trinity Sunday but also Memorial Day weekend.
2. A new tradition of Liberty is the reading of names at Memorial day for our service men & women who have passed away and giving flowers to the families left behind.
   1. Lets join together and remember
   1. READ THE NAMES
3. Prayer:

God of power and mercy,
you destroy war and put down earthly pride.
Banish violence from our midst and wipe away our tears,
that we may all deserve to be called your children
Keep in your mercy those soldiers
who have died in the cause of freedom
and bring them safely
into your kingdom of justice and peace.
We ask this though Jesus Christ our Lord.

(adapted from https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/memorial-day-prayer)

Post-preaching reflection: I rewrote this sermon three times. When I first started, it was very academic and focused on ‘facts’ about the Spirit. The irony of not speaking spiritual truth about the Spirit on Pentecost was not lost on me. I took more time to spiritually reflect and the sermon adapted…. and adapted again. I used a mixture of the Ignatian Contemplation method, “manuscripting”, and word studies to see the bigger picture.

I will show you two versions of my sermon below and also the recording which became a ‘no notes’ sermon.

Message Title: Mother Tongues & Tongues of Fire
Theme: Holy Spirit
Season: PENTECOST
Main Text: Acts 2:1-21
Scripture Reading: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
RCL Scripture:  *Acts 2:1-21 or Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Romans 8:22-27; John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
Focus: The Holy Spirit is poured out on Jewish believers.
Function: To open our eyes to the movement of God and consider the small ways we could be part of the Spirit’s work.
Other Notes: PENTECOST

SCRIPTURE READINGS:

FIRST: John 15:26-27 26 “When the Companion comes, whom I will send from the Father—the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 You will testify too, because you have been with me from the beginning.

SECOND: John 16:4b-15 4 But I have said these things to you so that when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them.“I didn’t say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I go away to the one who sent me. None of you ask me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Yet because I have said these things to you, you are filled with sorrow. 7 I assure you that it is better for you that I go away. If I don’t go away, the Companion won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will show the world it was wrong about sin, righteousness, and judgment. 9 He will show the world it was wrong about sin because they don’t believe in me. 10 He will show the world it was wrong about righteousness because I’m going to the Father and you won’t see me anymore. 11 He will show the world it was wrong about judgment because this world’s ruler stands condemned. 12 “I have much more to say to you, but you can’t handle it now. 13 However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth. He won’t speak on his own, but will say whatever he hears and will proclaim to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and proclaim it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine. That’s why I said that the Spirit takes what is mine and will proclaim it to you.

Version 2 (the version before this was lost in the edit)

PENTECOST INTRO: Welcome to Pentecost, the day we celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit to all peoples and the birthday of the church.

1. AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT: Ever been impatient waiting for God to answer a prayer? Ever prayed a prayer and gotten mad when God didn’t respond in a blatantly obvious way?
   1. There’s a Garth Brooks Song that romanticizes this: Unanswered Prayers
2. If I’m honest with you, I can rush God. I can try to extrapolate spiritual wisdom from scripture in a condensed period of time. Or hard focus on the scholarly details that I forget to take time for the spiritual message. There’s a joke that reminds me about the importance of slowing down and paying attention in order to hear from God.
   1. Joke about us not listening:
      1. God, flood, news, boat, helicopter
      2. “God why didn’t you save me?”
      3. “I sent the news, a boat, and a helicopter.”

TRANSITION: I will be the first to admit that I can be dense. I can totally miss God working until it’s already happened and I’m looking back on the moment. In our text for today, we will see the miracles of God unfolding and people struggling to believe their eyes and ears.

This is a longer passage; I encourage you to read along on the text behind me or in your own Bible. Let’s see if we can notice what they almost missed:

SCRIPTURE: Acts 2:1-21 When Pentecost Day arrived, they were all together in one place. ²Suddenly a sound from heaven like the howling of a fierce wind filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³They saw what seemed to be individual flames of fire alighting on each one of them. ⁴They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak.

 ⁵There were pious Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered. They were mystified because everyone heard them speaking in their native languages. ⁷They were surprised and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all the people who are speaking Galileans, every one of them? ⁸How then can each of us hear them speaking in our native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; as well as residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the regions of Libya bordering Cyrene; and visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), ¹¹Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the mighty works of God in our own languages!”

 ¹²They were all surprised and bewildered. Some asked each other, “What does this mean?” ¹³Others jeered at them, saying, “They’re full of new wine!”

¹⁴Peter stood with the other eleven apostles. He raised his voice and declared, “Judeans and everyone living in Jerusalem! Know this! Listen carefully to my words! ¹⁵These people aren’t drunk, as you suspect; after all, it’s only nine o’clock in the morning! ¹⁶Rather, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young will see visions. Your elders will dream dreams. ¹⁸Even upon my servants, men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. ¹⁹I will cause wonders to occur in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. ²⁰The sun will be changed into darkness, and the moon will be changed into blood, before the great and spectacular day of the Lord comes. ²¹And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

EXPLANATION:

1. Background: what has been happening just before this passage?
   1. After Easter/Resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples for 40 days and provided some last instructions.
      1. Ascension Day (10 days ago)- Jesus commissioned his disciples and ascended into heaven.
   2. Judas died by suicide
      1. The 11 cast lots to replace Judas- Matthias was added.
   3. Jewish Festival of Pentecost
      1. 50 days after Passover (so 50 days after easter)
      2. “Festival of Weeks – holiday for harvest & giving of the law
      3. Typically celebrated by reading the story of Ruth (harvest plays a big part of her story)
2. Recap:
   1. Where were the disciples before this point?
      1. “all together” – likely in “the upper room” where they had the last supper & Jesus appeared to them.
   2. The Disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and that manifested in speaking in known languages, that they did not know before.
      1. A crowd gathered
   3. Audience Engagement:
      1. What was the response?
         1. How do you know my language?
         2. Are you drunk?
         3. How is this possible?
         4. We are hearing the works of God!

INTERPRETATION:

1. Walk with me through their reaction:
   1. I’ve made a pilgrimage for my faith. I’m not in my native land.
   2. WAIT! Someone is speaking my language! Many us travelers are ALL hearing our language!
   3. They’re speaking of the wonders of God!
   4. How is this possible? How could these rural fishermen know MY language? Or ALL of these languages?
2. Peter responds by finding common ground: Hello fellow Jews! We may be of diverse cultures, but we are of one faith.
   1. You are hearing this message in your own tongue but don’t need to be surprised. Our scriptures spoke of this day!
3. Take a moment to recognize the beauty of what Peter says: All peoples will receive the Spirit
   1. Your gender doesn’t determine your worthiness to receive the Spirit
   2. Your economic status doesn’t determine your worthiness to receive the Spirit
   3. Your cultural heritage doesn’t determine your worthiness to receive the Spirit
   4. Your age doesn’t determine your worthiness to receive the Spirit
4. All peoples will receive the Spirit. Our differences don’t hold us back. BUT God didn’t remove all these differences and make everyone the same. Instead, God built bridges between the cultural gaps by enabling the disciples to speak in these languages.
   1. Our differences are not something to get rid of or ignore. Our differences enrich our faith rather than distract from it.
5. Jesus had commissioned his disciples, the Holy Spirit equipped them, and immediately started speaking the truth of God.

APPLICATION: To open our eyes to the movement of God and consider the small ways we could be part of the Spirit’s work.

1. Though the disciples were given the Spirit, the language, and the words to say. There still was confusion in the crowds about how to respond to the message.
   1. AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT:
      1. Does anyone in this room enjoy calls from telemarketers?
      2. What about ads on television or facebook?
      3. If you’re looking to make a big purchase, where do you turn first? Ads ?
   1. Tricked into Listening to a pitch -Yes, we trust our friend’s opinion most when it comes to trying something new BUT that relationship has to be rich for the opinion to hold weight.
      1. We’ve all had that friend add us on Facebook that we haven’t talked to in forever. We’re excited to hear from them AND then we learn they are working for some multi-level marketing company and want to give you their business pitch.
      2. Nothing more frustrating than using a friendship to make money. Even if it is a great product! It doesn’t work. Right?
   1. We all feel this way about advertizements… imagine how non-Christians feel about us talking about Jesus, church, or salvation?
2. Successful Missions- from the people who “get” us
   1. Church statistics say that evangelism is most successful when a relationship has been previously established AND is also more successful/well received when you share a similar context (culture/language/profession)
   2. Acts 1:8 “Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
3. Mission of the Church: To share the hope of Christ with the world, nurture new disciples, grow the family of God.
   1. Different denominations disagree about how the Mission of the Church is best carried out
      1. Track Ministries
      2. overseas missions
      3. Evangelists- Street or Television
      4. (Jehovah’s Witnesses & Mormons coming door to door)
      5. Revivals or big events
      6. Weekly Invitationals
4. The Holy Spirit does grand things like speaking in tongues but also small things like keeping someone in your mind or prompting you to admit when you’re wrong.

CONCLUSION: Back to the intro: I can try to rush God or over fill my schedule so that I don’t have time to slow down and listen. Our Wednesday night bible study has really revived that need to slow down in me.

Version 3 (my preaching “notes” that i ignored while preaching)

1. intro
   1. prayers & impatience
   2. Joke
   3. I can rush God & miss the message
2. transition: a story of God working unexpectedly and people almost missing it
3. Scripture: acts 2:1-21
4. Background:
   1. Pentecost (50 days) after Passover
   2. ascension (10 days ago)
   3. picking a replacement for judas –> Matthias
5. Interpretation
   1. reaction of the crowd
   2. can you blame them?
      1. how would you know my language?
   3. MLM companies, mission stats, & evangelism
      1. evangelism is most successful when less cultural divides exist
6. Application:
   1. God can work in ways we donn’t understand or expect.
   2. so frequently we expect god to answer prayers in grand/miraculous ways and then discredit the small ways God can work.
   3. yes, God can work through fire & storm and the gift of languages BUT God can also work through an apology or a casserole.
   4. This group was surprised that God worked through their native language–
   5. i can struggle with seeing God move when i’m tired, stressed, or impatient. my emotions don’t mean God has left, it may mean my spiritual radar has turned down.
7. Conclusion: For Pentecost this year, let’s look for the little ways God works and be part of those little movements.

Version 4 the recording – you’ll notice my sermon changed significantly from version 2 to the recording in version 4. Even now, I can hear God pruning that sermon if i were to preach it again.

This posting shows in greater depth writing my sermons. Do I think my previous sermons were bad? No, but they were a little like a spaghetti bowl. Unfortunately, a spaghetti bowl of thoughts can overwhelm your congregation rather than give them peace. Learn from my experience. Yes, take time to practice and edit your sermon, but also leave space for the Spirit to work.

Message Title: The Word Made Flesh
Theme: Even the Rocks Will Cry Out
Season: Easter
Main Text: John 17:6-19
Scripture Reading: Psalm 1
RCL Scripture: *Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; Psalm 1; 1 John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19
Focus: Jesus prays for his disciples.
Function: To engage with scripture academically and spiritually.
Other Notes: Next week is Pentecost!

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 1 The truly happy person doesn’t follow wicked advice, doesn’t stand on the road of sinners, and doesn’t sit with the disrespectful. ²Instead of doing those things, these persons love the Lord’s Instruction, and they recite God’s Instruction day and night! ³They are like a tree replanted by streams of water, which bears fruit at just the right time and whose leaves don’t fade. Whatever they do succeeds. ⁴That’s not true for the wicked! They are like dust that the wind blows away. ⁵And that’s why the wicked will have no standing in the court of justice—neither will sinners in the assembly of the righteous. ⁶The Lord is intimately acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is destroyed.

NATIONAL PARKS:

1. Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
   1. The Lost Colony by Paul Green- tells the story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke.
      1. “The origins of one of the America’s oldest unsolved mysteries can be traced to August 1587, when a group of about 115 English settlers arrived on Roanoke Island, off the coast of what is now North Carolina. Later that year, it was decided that John White, governor of the new colony, would sail back to England in order to gather a fresh load of supplies. But just as he arrived, a major naval war broke out between England and Spain, and Queen Elizabeth I called on every available ship to confront the mighty Spanish Armada.

In August 1590, White finally returned to Roanoke, where he had left his wife and daughter, his infant granddaughter (Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the Americas) and the other settlers three long years before. He found no trace of the colony or its inhabitants, and few clues to what might have happened, apart from a single word—“Croatoan”—carved into a wooden post.” -History.com

1. “In 1587, 117 English men, women and children came ashore on Roanoke Island to establish a permanent English settlement in the New World. Just three years later in 1590, when English ships returned to bring supplies, they found the island deserted with no sign of the colonists. After nearly 450 years, the mystery of what happened to the colonists remains unsolved.” – Lost Colony Website
   1. Sources:
      1. https://www.thelostcolony.org/
      2. https://www.history.com/news/what-happened-to-the-lost-colony-of-roanoke
      3. https://www.nps.gov/fora/index.htm
      4. https://www.thelostcolony.org/ticket-info/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw4v2EBhCtARIsACan3nzuvWpAbzLs1ywAWvJVSTzFgZIRVXsIsKyCk06HQFNMH4Bj2C3j-qQaAtJ3EALw_wcB

TRANSITION: This national historic site strives to keep the story of the founding colonies alive through drama.

Today, instead of rocks, I want to let the words of Jesus shout as a prayer becomes a lesson. I’m sure we’ve all figured out my routine for sermons. Today we’re taking things out of order! Let’s gather some information!

APPLICATION:

1. Bible Study: Tools for Study
   1. Bible study just finished our lesson series where we looked at the four gospels and compared their version of the same story. We also learned new spiritual practices for engaging with scripture.
      1. We learned to ask questions and dig in deep. Scripture came alive.
      2. This Wednesday we’ll be picking a new study. Want to join? Come on down 6:30 pm Wednesday.
   2. Synoptic Gospels: Through our study, we noticed 3 of the gospels overlap in details frequently.
      1. Synoptic sourcing
   3. John, is not pat of the synoptic Gospels. John frequently tells a completely different story than the other three Gospels.

Our text for today is a perfect example of this divide.

EXPLAINATION:

1. The last few weeks, we’ve been in John and the passages have been on Maundy Thursday. We’re still in that same time.
   1. Jesus has had his final Passover meal with his disciples.
   2. He washed their feet.
   3. He gave final instructions.
   4. Then Jesus prays.
      1. I’m assuming you will be more familiar with the next events from the “synoptic gospels”
      2. Jesus takes 11 disciples to the Garden of Gesthemane (judas has already left)
         1. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John away from the group to pray
         2. The disciples fall asleep while Jesus prays “take this cup from me… yet your will be done.”
         3. Luke even says Jesus was so stressed and sad that he sweat drops of blood.
   5. But John’s gospel? TOTAL DIFFERENT?

INTERPRETATION:

1. John’s Gospel has focused on telling the story of God in the flesh. The Infinite God entered humanity in Jesus with the intention to redeem creation.
   1. John’s Jesus prays but not for himself and not out of stress or fear. John’s Jesus prays for his disciples.
   2. John’s Jesus connects his ministry with the work of God since creation.
2. God wanted a relationship with creation from the beginning.

SCRIPTURE: we are going to read the whole of Chapter 17. As you hear these words through our readers, listen for the promises God is making. Listen for the healing.

John 17

CONCLUSION: The Synoptic Gospels’ Garden prayer showed a relatable and human Jesus. They showed a Jesus who understands our stress and pains. John shows us the divine Jesus who will make all things right again. Together, all four Gospels proclaim the glory of the God we follow. The Word of God proclaims the Word.

Conclusion of Series: Palm Sunday the Pharisees told Jesus to silence his followers and Jesus said if he did, even the rocks would cry out the truth. We’ve seen wonders of National parks, forests, and historic sites proclaiming the beauty of America and the wonder of our Creator. God can use rocks and trees. God can use fires and storms. God can use the low and broken. All parts of creation are part of his glorious design for redemption and even Jesus’ prayer proclaims it. 

Message Title: What Friends Are For
Theme: Even the Rocks Will Cry Out
Season: Easter
Main Text: John 15:9-17
Scripture Reading: Psalm 98
RCL Scripture: *Acts 10:44-48; Psalm 98; 1 John 5:1-6; John 15:9-17
Focus: Jesus charges his disciples to act as friends.
Function: To engage with the Chosen Family of God rather than divide.
Other Notes: Mother’s Day

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 98 Sing to the Lord a new song because he has done wonderful things! His own strong hand and his own holy arm have won the victory! ²The Lord has made his salvation widely known; he has revealed his righteousness in the eyes of all the nations. ³God has remembered his loyal love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; every corner of the earth has seen our God’s salvation. ⁴Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth! Be happy! Rejoice out loud! Sing your praises! ⁵Sing your praises to the Lord with the lyre—with the lyre and the sound of music. ⁶With trumpets and a horn blast, shout triumphantly before the Lord, the king! ⁷Let the sea and everything in it roar; the world and all its inhabitants too. ⁸Let all the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains rejoice out loud altogether ⁹before the Lord because he is coming to establish justice on the earth! He will establish justice in the world rightly; he will establish justice among all people fairly.

NATIONAL PARKS:

1. Audience Engagement: How many Hoosiers like the TV show Parks and Recreation?
   1. For those who haven’t seen the show, it is not for everyone, the premise focuses on a small town Parks and Recreation department of a fictional town in Indiana. One of the main characters is a man named Ron Swanson. Through most of the show Ron is quite persnickety or difficult individual
   2. 3 and sometimes makes Leslie Knope work harder.
      1. Major Spoiler Alert: The ending of Parks & Rec includes a happy ending for the grumpiest Ron Swanson. He becomes the Superintendent of the new National Park of Pawnee, Indiana.
2. Audience engagement: Do you know how many national parks Indiana has? Not State parks but National.
   1. The National Park Website lists 4:
      1. George Rogers Clark Historic Park
      2. Indiana Dunes National Park
      3. Lewis & Clark Trail (a stop on the trail, there’s a bicentennial park on the Ohio River.)
      4. Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
   2. Bonus: Hoosier National Forest
3. Sources:
   1. https://www.nps.gov/getinvolved/volunteer.htm
   2. https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/workwithus.htm
   3. https://www.nps.gov/libo/index.htm
   4. https://www.nps.gov/lecl/planyourvisit/maps.htm
   5. https://www.nps.gov/indu/index.htm
   6. https://www.nps.gov/gero/index.htm

TRANSITION: “Our 4 national parks and dozens of state parks are definitely something to boast about! We love to brag about our wonderful state. There are certain things we do for love.

In our text for today, we are continuing the conversation from last week. Last week, we learned about pruning in order to produce good fruit.

SCRIPTURE: John 15:9-17 we will read this in pieces

EXPLAINATION & INTERPRETATION: As Jesus continues the conversation with his disciples he steps away from the husbandry language briefly and towards the language of relationships.

vs 9-12 ⁹“As the Father loved me, I too have loved you. Remain in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. ¹¹I have said these things to you so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete. ¹²This is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you.

1. “Remain in my love”
   1. abide, dwell
2. “Keep my commandments”
   1. What are his commandments? Love God and love others.
      1. His “commandments” boils down to “love”
3. “so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete”
   1. This is before Jesus’ tragic execution and triumphant resurrection
   2. repeated theme in 16:20-22, 24(WP)
4. “love each other just as I have loved you”
   1. Jesus has set the example so far in his ministry. Little do the disciples know, on this very Maundy Thursday he will be setting an even bigger example of love.

vs 13-15 ¹³No one has greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵I don’t call you servants any longer, because servants don’t know what their master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because everything I heard from my Father I have made known to you.

1. “to give up one’s life for one’s friends.”– Remember, we’re at Maundy Thursday. Jesus is preparing them for the biggest lesson of love. I will love you even to death and back again.
2. “if you do what I command you”
3. “I call you friends,” -Jesus has changed the language. This isn’t just about being faithful subjects who fear their master. Jesus is compelling his disciples to demonstrate what they have learned. Don’t just be my students or servants, be my friends. Be my chosen family.

Vs 16-17 ¹⁶You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you could go and produce fruit and so that your fruit could last. As a result, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. ¹⁷I give you these commandments so that you can love each other.

1. “I chose you and appointed you”
   1. We don’t earn God’s favor with our actions, it’s been given to us out of God’s goodness. Because God is good, God loves.
   2. Jesus’ words point forward to Paul’s famous words of Ephesians, which James tempers.
      1. “For by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Eph 2:8-9
      2. ^“17 In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity.” James 2:17
2. “¹⁷I give you these commandments so that you can love each other.”—We are faithful to Jesus’ commandments not because we are earning God’s love with brownie points but because we have been loved. We act out of gratitude, not fear.  

APPLICATION: To engage with the Chosen Family of God rather than divide.

1. Today is Mother’s Day, and that can be a very complicated day for many.
   1. Statistics say 1 in 4 women have had an abortion and 1 in 8 have fertility issues. That alone brings pain to this day.
   2. Perhaps you have lost a mother or a child.
   3. You desire to be a mom, but something is limiting that.
   4. You are estranged from a child or mother.
   5. You feel society’s pressure to fit feminine roles.
2. Mother’s Day can be a very joyful time and we have celebrated many wonderful women today.
   1. Amid the joy, we also notice that sometimes biological family don’t act like the family you need.
3. Whether your family is one of joy or pain, the church is our Chosen family. God gathers us up into a new family. This one is stronger than blood. Our chosen family isn’t just about biology, but about intentionally engaging in relationships.
   1. Jesus calls his disciples friends. This was a way of saying they may not be blood, but they are his intimate companions. They are the ones he journeyed with.
4. Sources.
   1. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-pacific-southwest/blog/1-in-4-american-women-will-have-an-abortion-by-age-45
   2. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/index.htm
   3. https://resolve.org/infertility-101/what-is-infertility/fast-facts/

CONCLUSION:  You are welcomed into the family of God. We are not perfect people but we will love you.