Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song and Praise Faith Lutheran Church, Okemos, MI

This is a special musical presentation of Rain Dance by Calvin Kadrofske on Marimba at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan

Have you noticed that some people feel called to put themselves in the middle of conflict? Sometimes those of us are transitional or interim pastors can find ourselves there. I have seen some people run from it and others run to it. I feel that I am some place in between the two.
My husband and I were members of a church where I began being the director of the contemporary group. We did worship every Sunday. The pastor retired and he had not dealt with conflict the entire time that he was there. 2 Interim pastors came. One took the regular pastoral responsibilities, and he ran from conflict and the other did the transition work and she ran to it.
I did my best to only observe. The transitional pastor actually helped form and put together the training for the intentional interim pastors. One needs to understand that there will be conflict and disagreements. It takes the ability to separate out yourself and set boundary lines. One needs to have the ability to listen to all people.
Conflict is normal and you have experienced it here. It is interesting what we chose to dig our heels in on. Often we have the support of our families in our individual lives when we experience conflict. In our Gospel lesson today, Jesus did not. He was causing such a stir among the church leaders that his family felt he was making them look bad.
His family did not understand at this point who he really was and what he had been called to do. Maybe you have had a family member at one time, or another pull you aside and ask you if you really wanted to die on this hill. Depending on how you felt about it, you may have considered it and backed down or felt your were called to continue.
Jesus’ family were to the point that they wanted to restrain him and probably take him home as people thought he was crazy. Then came the church leaders who put him in league with the ruler of the demons as Jesus had been casting out demons. Jesus of course challenged them and asked them, “How could satan cast out satan?” If one is casting out the other, the house is divided and will fall. If satan has risen up against himself, how can he stand?
Jesus had reduced the church leaders thinking to absurdity. He goes on to say that if anyone enters a strong person’s house, the strong person being satan,  cannot take their property unless they are tied up. Jesus is separating himself from satan by saying that he is stronger than satan.
He becomes bolder and says that everyone’s sins are forgiven except those that put he and satan in league together. The Greek word translated never here is not a good translation as recent scholars have felt it is misleading. Jesus has always said that forgiveness is for all, but it needs to be received. If satan does not give forgiveness and one equates Jesus with satan, why would you be looking for forgiveness.
In a sense Jesus now turns on his family as when they came to call him out and probably expect to take him home, Jesus asks the question, “who is my family?”. I’m sure this threw everyone for a loop. He then said to them my family are those who do God’s will. Of course this could have included his biological family.
What is Jesus trying to teach in all of this turmoil and misunderstanding? Could it be that Jesus is trying to tell all of them and us that not everyone will agree or understand what Jesus is saying and doing? Jesus is describing what the beloved community looks like.
There are many different variations on this picture, but in the end not everyone will see things the same way. We will have many misunderstandings. Messages will not always be clear. What one sees may be different from another and the interpretations can be different. Does this sound familiar?
Ramona described a church that she belonged to that ended up closing. But through the years, even though there were many different ways of thinking, they worked together to try and move the church forward. It wasn’t meant to be a

This is a special musical presentation of Majesty by Addie Thompson and Deb Borton-McDonough playing the handbells at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan

What is sabbath or what is the sabbath day? Different religions have different days, thus we can’t say one day is totally right or wrong? Christians have said throughout history that Sunday is our sabbath. But what about Christian churches who have Saturday night services?
At one point in our history, Sundays were strictly observed as “the sabbath”. Stores and even restaurants were closed. Chick-Filet even today is closed on Sundays. Life has evolved and some may say things have progressed. Others might say that we have gotten off track.
We now have sports games on Sunday mornings. They seem to take precedent over worship services. Notice I didn’t say sabbath. The original Hebrew root of the word means to cease or desist. The double b creates an intensive force. We have often thought of sabbath as rest and relaxation, but it’s original root only means cease from activity.
Of course, with any word or in a sense concept it has a history. To go through the whole history would not be helpful in the midst of a sermon. In the initial stages of its evolution the sabbath was observed by ceasing from all physical labor and it was considered as taboo if they didn’t cease. It was regarded as an unlucky day, an evil day under control of gods or spirits. Thus, one didn’t want to allow gods or spirit to take control.
The sabbath is of Jewish origin and eventually became a day with positive respect to the Deity. The observance of the seventh day of the week was a sign between God and God’s people that on that seventh they would rest as God rested on the seventh day of creation. Of course this was Saturday. In trying to enforce it, it became a burden.
In our Gospel lesson today, Jesus is trying to reframe the importance of sabbath to not make it a burden. The burden developed from human beings trying to interpret the law and enforce it to maintain control. Jesus never came to do away with the law, but to allow it to breath and support human beings with guidelines in which to live in relationship with God and neighbor.
The Pharisees in our Gospel lesson were the keepers of the law. Thus, they were always looking for any infraction. The disciples were hungry, thus as they were walking through a field of grain, they began to pluck heads of grain. They were guilty of two infractions of the law.
The disciples were travelling and  harvesting on the sabbath. They should have stayed where they had been the day before and prepared their food. Now I would guess that the Pharisees thought they should have fasted or essentially gone hungry since they were not prepared. 
Jesus reminded the Pharisees of a time when David and his companions were hungry. David entered the house of God and ate the bread of the presence. It is not lawful for anyone to eat this bread except the priests. David gave some to his companions also.
Jesus in trying to reframe the law about the sabbath, told the Pharisees that that the sabbath was made for humankind and not humankind for the sabbath.  He was trying to point out that it’s not about worshipping the law to the detriment of people. I’m sure the Pharisees did not like to hear this.
Then to be more bolder, Jesus said that the son of Man was lord even of the sabbath. I guess Jesus told the Pharisees that they did not know what they were talking about. There is no doubt that their anger was grower quickly. Who does this Jew think he is?
Now Jesus entered the synagogue and came across a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees eyes were on Jesus now ready to pounce on anything that he did. Jesus knew what was going on. He called the man forward and said to them “Is it lawful to do good or harm on the sabbath, to save or kill? They didn’t know how to answer the question, thus, they remained silent.
Jesus looked around with anger and grief at their hardness of heart and then said to the man, “stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. Now Jesus

This is a special musical presentation of Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by soloist Bob Nelson at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, MIchigan

When I worked on my pastoral counseling degree at the Moravian Seminary in Bethlehem, PA, I learned a new way of approaching scripture. It was to ask questions of the text in order to gain more understanding. In other words, what do I need to know in order to have somewhat of a grasp on the text.
This approach works for me as I like to be a detective with a text. I want to know the context. Who are all of the characters? Where are they? Setting – town, desert, on or by a lake, etc. What may be some of the words to examine in the original language? There is a free website called the Blue Letter Bible. It’s commentaries are a bit conservative, but you can do word studies. Greek words often have more than one meaning and it is up to the translator to pick the English word.
In Hebrew, there can often be seven English words for one Hebrew word. Depending on what word is used, it can change the meaning of the whole passage.
When scholarship progresses, translators may change the English word.
In order to understand the original message, knowing the context and setting is necessary. As well as getting a grasp of the original language words. It’s not about taking a verse or two and making it fit our way of thinking. It is about first getting a grasp of the message to the people who are listening in the text, their possible dialogue and what it means to them.
Very often there were people asking questions. This didn’t mean that they didn’t believe, but that they wanted to grow in their faith. Sometimes we are afraid that to ask a question means that we may look stupid. Actually, asking the question can further our knowledge and understanding. Just as in a text people may come from different backgrounds or different teachings. This all plays into the understanding of what is being said in context.
Today in our Gospel lesson, we have Nicodemus, who was a Pharisee and a leader of the Jews coming to Jesus who was known as a kind of a rebel Jew.  He felt that coming to Jesus might help him better understand what Jesus had been teaching. Nicodemos also came at night so as not to be seen by other Jews and their leaders as he was not ready for their perceptions. There was something that Jesus had been teaching that Nicodemos wanted to better understand.
Nicodemos acknowledged that Jesus was a teacher from God. This may not have been something he did in public as most of the Jewish leaders did not like that Jesus was rocking the boat for them. Because of what Jesus had been doing, Nicodemus acknowledged that only someone sent from God could do what Jesus had been doing.
What had Jesus been doing in the Gospel of John up until this point? Jesus had turned water into wine at the wedding. Jesus had cleared the temple. These are what John chose to put in his Gospel.
Jesus was someone that Nicodemos trusted, someone that could give him a better understanding of God. Of course, Jesus makes a statement that makes Nicodemos scratch his head. “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
Of course, Nicodemos could have just said okay without really understanding, but he continued this dialogue of faith as he wanted to understand what Jesus was talking about. He asked Jesus, how can anyone go for a second time into their mother’s womb. Nicodemos was taking this literally. Another translation is being born from above.
This says our connection is with God. Yes we are physically born, but at baptism we are born again. At that time, it is acknowledged that we have eternal life. Parents and sponsors answer at an infant/child baptism for them in affirming this connection or relationship. At confirmation, we affirm that we are continuing in this relationship with God in Jesus Christ.
I believe that as adults we are called to create a safe environment for kids to ask questions. Now sometimes we don’t have the answers and that is okay as long as we acknowledge that and try and d