Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Watch Your Mouth!

Pastor Sherry’s message for September 1, 2024

Scriptures: Song of Songs 2:8-13; Ps 45:1-2, 6-9; Ja 1:17-27; Mk 7:1-23

The following is a true story out of Charlotte, NC, that I shared six years ago.  I want to share it again because it is such a great example of truth being stranger than fiction.  A guy bought a box of very expensive cigars.  He also took out insurance on them against “decay, spoilage, theft, and fire.”  Then he proceeded to smoke the 24 cigars in the box over the next few weeks.  When he finished the box, he filed a claim with his insurance company, stating that the cigars were lost in a series of small fires. The insurance company rejected the claim (You can almost hear them say, “Oh, come on!”). But the guy sued the insurance company in civil court.

In an astonishing turn of justice, the man admitted he smoked the cigars, but still won his claim because of a technicality: the insurance company had failed to specify what sort of fire was excluded, and the jury awarded the fellow $15,000 in damages (Don’t forget, he had also enjoyed smoking the 24 fine cigars). However, when he exited the court, he was arrested and charged with 24 counts of arson.  After all, he had admitted to setting “the series of small fires” which had caused his property loss.  This time, the North Carolina court convicted and sentenced him to 2 years in jail and fined him $24,000.  His spurious lawsuit cost him 2 years of freedom, and a net loss, after legal fees, of $9,000.  This guy bet on the letter of the law instead of the spirit of the law, and lost.  Don’t we wish that courts would act similarly, all over the country, in such nonsense, nuisance law-suits?

(J. Fairless & D. Chilton, The Lectionary Lab, Year B, 2014, p.286.)

Our Gospel today, Mark 7:1-23—and this story—point to the danger of following the letter of the law while violating its intent.

Just prior to today’s passage, Mark describes Jesus’ multiplication miracle of feeding the 5,000 (maybe more like 15,000, if women and children were included in the count); Jesus’ walking on water miracle; and His healing an unknown number of people on the other side of the Lake (Sea of Galilee).

This event predates by about a year or two the confrontations with the Pharisees I preached about last week.

A committee of Scribes and Pharisees had come out from Jerusalem to observe and to test Him.  He is teaching and they challenge Him because His disciples do not wash their hands before eating.  They question Him (v.5)➖Haven’t You, Jesus, taught Your disciples the correct customs regarding cleanliness?

Now we know that hand-washing is not a bad practice. Prior to the Covid outbreak, the habit of hand-washing had been abandoned by many.  Since then, we have re-learned that washing our hands, especially before eating, helps to eliminate germs and to limit contamination.

Now Jesus was an observant Jew who treasured the Law of God. The Law was a gift from God, not a burden. In the Code of Hammarabi, a contemporary Mesopotamian set of laws, it was stated, for instance, that if you somehow knocked down your neighbor’s wall, he could rebuild it with you and your family plastered into the repair. The provisions for revenge were severe. But God’s Law put a humane limit on revenge. Furthermore, it didn’t just protect the rich and the powerful, but also safeguarded the poor and disadvantaged.  Our Lord intended for the Law to cut down on the extent of retribution, but especially to demonstrate the believer’s obedience (set-apartness) to God. The Hebrew Law demonstrated that God values human life, and that slaves, widows, orphans, and the poor—not just the rich and the influential—had rights that were to be respected.  At the time, these attitudes/provisions were unheard of in other religions or law codes. 

What Jesus confronts in today’s passage is that the Pharisees chose to obey the rules without remembering the relationships underlying the rules.

Don’t we do this too?  Should baptism be done by dunking or is sprinkling okay? Our tradition is to sprinkle water on infants. At what age should children be allowed to take communion?  Some want to wait until 10-12 years old, considered to be the “age of reason.” This way we can be sure the child understands what the bread and wine represent. I have a friend who was the chaplain at a preschool. They provided communion to the little ones at their chapel services. A mother complained. The chaplain asked her 3 year old son if he knew what was in the bread and the cup.  He replied, “Jesus is in there.”  That settled the argument. 

The story is told of a father of two teenaged sons who proudly bought a “Dodge Touring Car,” in 1918 for $785.00. It’s hard to imagine a new car for that sales price now. By three years later, however, he had grown frustrated over his sons’ increasingly hostile arguments regarding whose turn it was to drive it. The rule was that they shared and each could drive the car on alternate Saturdays. When the boys resorted to fist fights to settle their dispute, the father locked the car in a garage and pocketed the keys. Four decades later, a museum purchased the car—it was covered with dirt and chicken manure, and only had 1800 miles on the odometer. The father had gone to great lengths to teach his sons about the value of relationships over rules.

(J. Fairless & D. Chilton, The Lectionary Lab, Year B, 2014, p.288.)

Consider how many court cases get thrown out because some procedure (rule) was not followed exactly. The guilty are spared at the potential expense of keep citizens safe.  You see, the problem isn’t washing before eating, the right way to baptize, how to correctly discipline teens, or even keeping people safe. The real problem is the condition of our hearts!

To the Hebrew mind, the heart was where all moral decisions were made.

The prophet Jeremiah laments in Jeremiah 17:9➖The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?  The prophet Ezekiel asserts God’s intentions in Ezekiel 36:24-25➖I [God] will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a..  And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Our faulty human hearts must be transformed by God. Jesus lets the Pharisees have it because they have forgotten this important fact:  It’s not about rules, it’s about relationships; our relationship with God, our relationships with each other. There was no law from God that they must wash their hands before eating.  This was a tradition they had adopted. They were criticizing Jesus for not conforming to their traditions.  To address that issue, He tells them what goes into us is not the critical issue—like how clean our hands are, or what types of food we eat. The crux of the problem is rather what comes out of our mouths—which has its origins in our hearts.

Put rather crudely, it’s not what we excrete that causes sin problems, but what we vomit.

In the 300’s, St. Augustine said, there is a hole in our hearts that only God can fill, and our hearts are restless until they rest in God.  We have a sin problem, and we can’t fix it by living according to a set of religious rules.

Being a celebrity or a fantastic athlete won’t cure it.  Even rigid religious systems that require people to accumulate merit badges of good deeds do not address it.  Politicians can’t legislate it.  Having taught US History and World History for 15 years, I can safely assert that Socialism and Communism don’t work because they operate in ways counter to our built in “heart issues:” our tendencies toward self-justification, self-centeredness, and self-absorption.  We have a serious “I” problem.

To correct our sin problem, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to change our hearts!  We acknowledge that the shed blood of Jesus Christ makes up for our sin and replaces it with His righteousness.  And, as James teaches us in our New Testament lesson, we cooperate with the Holy Spirit by increasingly shunning sinful attitudes and behaviors, and living out attitudes and behaviors pleasing to God.  We need to approach God and others with love.

A child’s response to Sesame Street is a great illustration of this point.  In a live audience of kids watching Sesame Street, the kids nearly always watched the muppets rather than the grown-ups who manipulated them—even when they could see the puppeteers seated on the floor.  One little boy even saw Big Bird take off his top half and watched an actor step out.  Rather than focus on the fact that Big Bird was not real, the child told his mother, “Mom, Mom!  Do you think Big Bird knows he has a man inside?”  

(J. Fairless & D. Chilton, The Lectionary Lab, Year B, 2014, p.289.)

You see, the goal of the law was/is to remind us that we have a sinful human being inside us, in our hearts, in our souls, in the center of our being. This part of us is not focused on our relationship with God or with others. It just wants what it wants, when it wants it. Unfortunately, everyone else has a similar human inside of them as well. Fortunately, however, we also have inside us that part of us that longs for God…that finds its rest in God alone.

Perhaps you have heard of the Native American legend of the black wolf and the white wolf. The wise grandfather tells the grandson that we are a mix of both, but the one that comes to dominate our character depends upon which one we nurture or feed. If we want to please God, we need to watch our mouths to discover or to observe what is in our hearts. We accept that Jesus paid the price for the sinful human inside us; and we allow the wonderful Holy Spirit to remind us not to give our sinful hearts power over us, but rather to honor relationships over rules; and to live out of a loving vs. a self-centered or fault-finding nature.

Amen!  May it be so!

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

This Ole House

Pastor Sherry’s message for August 25, 2024

Scriptures: 1 Kgs 8:1, 6, 10-12, 22-30, 41-43; Ps 84; Eph 6:10-20; Matt 23:27-24:2

This Ole House

How many of you remember a song by Tennessee Ernie Ford called “This Old House”?  (Rosemary Clooney also recorded it).  The lyrics go like this:

This old house once knew my children

This old house once knew my wife

This old house was home and comfort

As we fought the storms of life

This old house once rang with laughter

This old house knew many shouts

Now it trembles in the darkness

When the lightning walks about.

Chorus:

Ain’t gonna need this house no longer

Ain’t gonna need this house no more

Ain’t got time to fix the shingles

Ain’t got time to fix the floor

Ain’t got time to oil the hinges

Nor to mend the window pane

Ain’t gonna need this house no longer

I’m getting ready to meet the saints!

This old house is getting shaky

This old house is getting old

This old house lets in the rain and

This old house lets in the cold

My old knees are getting chilly

But I feel no fear or pain

‘Cause I see an angel peeping through

The broken window pane

Repeat Chorus

When I heard this song as a child, I thought the man was talking about his home, a wooden house. But, the song is not really about a structure, is it? It’s a metaphor for the singer’s body, especially as he deals with old age. In Hebrew, the word “house” is also translated “Temple” or “Tent” or “Tabernacle.”  It can mean God’s special dwelling place on earth. And it can also mean our own bodies, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20—Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.

Let’s consider together what the Scripture passages appointed for today have to say to us about the Temple.

A.  Our Old Testament reading, 1 Kgs 8:1, 6, 10-12, 22-30, 41-43, focuses on King Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the 1st Temple in Jerusalem.  It had taken 7.5 years to build.  30,000 Israelites worked on it, together with 150,000 others, mostly Phoenicians.  Their king had agreed with King David to supply the cedar and the workers.  The Temple was made entirely of stone and richly ornamented with gold, cedar, mosaics, and beautiful embroideries.  But, unlike pagan temples, it held no statue of God (The second commandment outlawed idols, including sculptures and paintings trying to depict God.)  King David had devised the plans and collected the materials.  King Solomon, his son, oversaw the construction.

It was meant to house the Ark of the Covenant and the other holy furnishings from the Tent of Meeting.  Neither David nor Solomon viewed it as God’s dwelling place.  David understood that God is omnipresent–in a sense, He cannot be contained or “housed.”  People throughout the ages have tried to put Him in a box of their own understanding, but He will not be confined to a box or to a house, even one built especially for Him.  Later, the prophet Isaiah would write (6:1)—I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple.  Note that just his train filled the temple.  God himself in all of His immensity, in Isaiah’s vision, must have hovered over the Temple.  So David rightly conceived of the Temple as God’s footstool (Psalm 99:5).  It provided a space for prayer, worship, and animal sacrifices to atone for sins.

In today’s passage, King Solomon dedicates the Temple with a prayer of praise containing 7 petitions.  Solomon reminds God of His promise that David’s descendants will always sit on the throne of Israel (provided they are obedient to God and maintain their covenant with Him).  He asks God to hear the prayers of His people from the Temple.  He asks that He will (help Solomon) render fair verdicts in cases where there are no witnesses and only the word of the defendant (another plea of Solomon for wisdom).  He prays that if God brings drought due to the people’s sins, that He will forgive them and restore the land if they confess their sins and repent.  He hopes that the same will hold true if there are others kinds of disasters caused by individual or corporate sins.  Finally, he prays that Non-Israelites will come to know the Lord and develop a close relationship with Him.

For the Israelites, in Solomon’s time, the Temple represented a place where worshippers could approach or meet with God, individually and in large groups.

B.  Psalm 84 was written by some descendants of Korah.  This is important to know because Korah had led a rebellion against Moses, and was judged for it.  He and his family were jealous of Moses and Aaron, enlisted help and rose up against them.  God had the ground open up and swallow them…YIKES!  (The message was “don’t touch God’s anointed!”)  But, by God’s grace, some descendants of Korah, Levites who served in the new Temple, had been appointed as gate-keepers (bouncers).  In verse 10, these doorkeepers joyfully sing—Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

The psalm is a song of praise sung by pilgrims walking to Jerusalem, celebrating their enthusiasm for being able to come into God’s presence in His Temple, and their deep desire to meet with and worship Him there.

Additionally, verse 9, is a reference to the coming Messiah, Jesus—Look upon our shield [earthly king], O God; look with favor on Your Anointed One [Messiah, Jesus].

C.  Paul’s concern in Ephesians 6:10-20 is that we all be aware that our enemies are not humans, per se, but the demonic spiritual entities that act through them.  He wants us to guard our spiritual house, our Temple, by putting on spiritual armor.  The pieces of the armor are reminiscent of what Roman soldiers wore.   A foundation of peace, the shoes come first.  Then a belt of truth (pants aren’t mentioned, so I like to think of perhaps the lycra shorts that competitive bikers wear); a breastplate of righteousness, to protect our heart and other vital organs; the helmet of salvation (to protect our mind); the shield of faith, with which to defend us from Satan’s ideas and insinuations; and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (Scripture). The Bible and prayer are our only offensive weapons. The spiritual armor guards and protects our physical and spiritual house/temple from assaults from the evil one.

D.  Just before going to the Cross, Jesus lambasts the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy (Matthew 12:27-24:2).  He knows they are going to torture and kill Him soon, so what does He have to lose?

He publically, before crowds in the Temple, blasts them for misrepresenting God’s will and God’s heart to God’s people.  This is a serious sin—of which they seem to be oblivious—and they have thus incurred God’s judgment.

In this passage, He calls them out for (1) their desire for prestige; (2) their abuse of their teaching authority; (3) their false teachings on doctrine and practice; and (4) their preoccupation with teaching the people to focus on ethical minutia while overlooking the main points of God’s love, grace, mercy, and justice.  In the final episode of season four of “The Chosen” this is portrayed so well. Two Pharisees have joined Jesus at Lazarus’ home in Bethany to ask Him questions. One of them rejects Jesus when He disagrees with a human rabbi the man has quoted. The Pharisee is in the presence of God but refuses to believe in Him because he is wedded to the ideas of a human “authority.” The commentator, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, says Jesus implies that the Pharisees and Scribes are “spiritual zombies,” and that they are headed to Hell.

(Thru the Bible Commentary on Matthew, Thomas Nelson, 1991, p. 122.)

Jesus also predicts that this 2nd Temple (rebuilt through the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, and further spruced up and enriched by King Herod) will be destroyed, which it was by the Romans in 70AD.  He takes no joy in that; in fact He weeps over Jerusalem.  He knows because the religious leaders of Israel have rejected Him and the warnings of the prophets sent before Him, that all of Jerusalem will also be demolished.

But He will raise this Temple—meaning His body–in 3 days.  This means that no human or spiritual force can annihilate Jesus.  Nor can any human or spiritual force eradicate His Church.  (Matthew 16:18—And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.)  Both Jesus’ physical body and the Church, His spiritual body, are eternal temples.

So, please remember that you are not just “an ole house,” but you are a Temple of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit lives within each of us who love Jesus and who claim Him as our Savior.  We may need sprucing up and repair from time to time, but we are loved and we are saved.  We bring our individual temples to this house to worship God each Sunday.  And, hopefully, we meet with God daily through prayer and Bible reading.  We want to armor-up our personal temples (our body) daily also.   And we want to be humble but alive followers of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen!  May it be so!

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

True Wisdom

Pastor Sherry’s message for August 18, 2024

Scriptures : 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14; Ps 111; Eph 5:15-20; Jn 6:60-71

The story is told of…a Dean at a college Faculty Meeting who encounters an angel.  The angel informs him that the Lord has noticed his “exemplary and unselfish behavior” and wants to reward him. He is given the choices of … “infinite wealth, wisdom or beauty.”  Without hesitating, the dean selects infinite wisdom.

“Done!” says the angel, and disappears in a cloud of smoke and a bolt of lightning. Now, all heads turn toward the dean, who sits surrounded by a faint halo of light. At length, one of his colleagues whispers, “Say something.”

The dean looks at them and says, “I should have taken the money.” 

(Betsy Devine and Joel E. Cohen, Absolute Zero Gravity, Simon & Schuster, 1992, p.29.)

Compare that story with the following examples of the wisdom of children:  

Patrick, age 10, said, “Never trust a dog to watch your food.”

Michael, 14, said, “When your dad is mad and asks you, ‘Do I look stupid?’ don’t answer him.”

 Michael, wise man that he was also said, “Never tell your mom her diet’s not working.”

Randy, 9 years of age said, “Stay away from prunes.”  One wonders how he discovered that bit of wisdom.

Kyoyo, age 9, said, “Never hold a dust buster and a cat at the same time.”

(Rick Stacy, 6/16/02, as reported at www.sermoncentral.com, 8/22/24.)

These takes on wisdom make us chuckle, don’t they?  But they beg the question, “What is true wisdom?” J.I. Packer (the brilliant Anglican Bible teacher and theology professor who lived from 1926-2000) once defined wisdom as “the power to see and the inclination to choose the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it. “ To see and to choose the best, the highest, and—realizing that with God the ends don’t justify the means—deciding to pursue the best in the best way.

(J.I. Packer, Knowing God, IVP, 1973, p. 80.)

Our Scripture passages today all comment on true wisdom:

A.  Let’s begin with our Old Testament reading, 1 Kings2:10-12, 3:3-14.  The context is Solomon’s ascension to the throne of his dying father, King David.  Solomon, the 10th of David’s 19 sons, has outlived Amnon (the rapist) and Absolom (the embittered rebel).  Though he was God’s choice to be the next king, and David’s choice to succeed him, he had to have David’s 4th son, Adonijah—a usurper– killed to secure his right to reign.  He also ordered Benaiah, his army general to kill Joab, David’s 2nd cousin—the guy who killed Absolom against the king’s orders–and Shemai, who had mocked, insulted, and even cursed David on his retreat from Jerusalem.  David would not allow his soldiers at the time to kill Shemai because he believed God might be saying something true through the vocal traitor.

So, interestingly, Solomon initiated his reign by assassinating his father’s enemies—loyalty to his earthly father–but he was not as loyal to his Heavenly Father.  Scripture does not report that he consulted the Lord about these political killings.  Additionally, he worshipped at “high places” which in those days were typically shrines to pagan gods.  It appears that Solomon “covered all his bases” by believing in the One True God, but also offering sacrifices to pagan gods, just in case.

Furthermore, Solomon was not a warrior or a man’s man, as his father had been. He had been raised among the women of David’s household. He seemed to understand women and to enjoy them.  And, since he went on as king to acquire 700 wives and 300 concubines, we can say from this side of the Cross that he most likely had a sexual addiction.

Nevertheless, he started out fairly well with the Lord when he admitted he lacked the experience to rule, and then requested the gift of wisdom.  The wisdom he had in mind was “political wisdom” or the kind of discernment that resulted in making wise decisions in matters of state.  Over time, however, it became evident that he lacked spiritual wisdom.  He practiced idolatry; he began his reign with several murders; and he broke covenant with the Lord. 

However, because the Lord had promised King David that Messiah would come from his lineage, God was willing to offer Solomon grace, and blessed him with secular wisdom, wealth, and honor among men. He is not, though, a sterling example to us of a truly wise man.

B.  Psalm 111 is a hymn of praise to God for His works of creation and redemption.  His works reveal His character:  He is righteous, compassionate, gracious, faithful, just, trustworthy, long suffering, upright, holy, and awe-inspiring.  And He wants us, His followers, to be people who mirror His character.  Verse 10, the final line of the psalm, makes the point that—>Fear [awe, reverence] of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.  All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom.  Solomon actually reiterated this thought in Proverbs 9:10Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.  Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.  We might assume that he had learned by old age that dismissing God, or simply including Him among other gods, is a big, unwise mistake.

C.  Paul, in Ephesians 5:15-20, exhorts us to (v.15)So be careful how you live.  Don’t live like fools but like those who are wise.  Paul assumes we have choices in the ways in which we live.  We can choose to get drunk and to act foolishly; or we can refrain from this kind of behavior and instead remain within the will of God by…

1.) making the most of every opportunity;

2.) understanding what God would want us to do;

3.) being fillied with the Holy Spirit;

4.) making music in our hearts to the Lord;

5.) and giving thanks to God for everything.

This really sounds like the Doxology, doesn’t it?

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 

D.  By the end of this lengthy teaching of Jesus in which He calls Himself the Bread of Life (John 6:60-71), many of Christ’s crowds of disciples foolishly decide they cannot continue to follow Him.  They mistakenly thought He was encouraging cannibalism—eating His flesh and drinking His blood—and were disgusted.  Since “flesh and blood” is a euphemism meaning the whole person, He was intimating His bodily death to come on the Cross.  He was also referring to His later institution of Holy Communion, where bread and wine become a life sustaining means of intimacy with our Lord. They missed that He meant that He, not physical food, satisfies our spiritual hunger.  So, as He watches the crowds melt away, He asks the Twelve Are you also going to leave?  Peter answers for them all (except Judas who does not fully believe). Peter wisely recognizes that Jesus is God. There is no one else who can lead them into eternal life.

So how do we attain true wisdom?  Solomon had wisdom of a sort, but by not being as dedicated to the Lord as his father David had been, he missed the mark. Because of His promises to David that the Messianic King would be a descendant of David’s, God was willing to offer grace to Solomon. But true wisdom comes from worshipping God and Him only.

Similarly, our psalmist asserts that wisdom derives from trusting in the Lord, and committing ourselves to follow Him (trust and obey).  James reminds us in James 1:5If you need wisdom, ask our gracious Lord and He will give it to you.  He will not rebuke you for asking.  Just like Solomon, we too can ask for wisdom.

Paul believes we are wise when we live our lives in an “Attitude of Gratitude” to God for all He has done for us, despite how frustrating our current circumstances may be.

And Peter demonstrates wisdom when he says (John 6:58) Lord, to Whom would we go?  You have the words that give eternal life.  We believe, and we know that You are the Holy One of God.  This is true wisdom.  May we each desire it and achieve it!  Amen! 

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Who can Pull Us up out of the Pit?

Pastor Sherry’s message for August 11, 2024

Scriptures: 2 Sam 18:1-33; Ps 130; Eph 4:25-5:2; Jn 6:35, 41-59

In the first church I served, we were to have composed our sermons by Tuesday so we could alert the Music Director, who would then choose music that complimented and reinforced the message.  This about killed me. I am often struggling to finish my sermon by Friday night or Saturday afternoon.  So I have relied here, at Wellborn Methodist Church, on the Holy Spirit to guide the selections our musicians make.  This morning, Joy’s anthem, “Undo,” by a band called “Rush of Fools,” was perfect.  Isn’t that just what we look to Jesus to do for us?  We need Him to pull us up out of the pit.  As the song says, “Turn me around, pick me up, undo what I’ve become.  You’re the only One who can undo what I’ve become.”

Paul, in our New Testament reading today (Ephesians 4:25-5:2), continues to remind us that as Christ-followers, we are to put away our old fleshly life, and adopt a new way of living that imitates the life of Jesus. To that end, we are to (1) be truth-tellers, not liars; (2) control our tempers rather than let anger drive our behavior; (3) say things that are good and helpful rather than foul or abusive (limit criticisms and eliminate cursing!);

And (4) be kind to others rather than spew out bitterness, rage, anger, slander, or any evil behavior (like holding grudges).  As imitators of Christ, therefore, we are to live lives characterized by love, and that demonstrate self-sacrifice, just as Jesus did. This is a tall order, isn’t it?  It’s a high standard to try to attain.  But this should be the life standard toward which we each aim.  If not, we find we fall into a pit of our own making, and we need the divine rescuer, Jesus—Who we just might call “The Great Undo-er.”

As you know, we are in an election year and it would be very easy to locate examples of each of the fleshly behaviors Paul warns us to avoid in the behaviors of various candidates.  But rather than do that, let’s look to King David’s family, and the legacy of violence and rebellion exhibited by his relatives in 2 Samuel 18:1-33.  Our passage opens with King David telling his army commanders to take it easy with the young man Absalom.  Why? What’s the deal with Absolom? To find out we have to rewind and review some earlier chapters:

Remember that some years prior, Amnon, the eldest of David’s sons, raped his half-sister, the beautiful Tamar.  David was angry about this, but did not avenge Tamar.  Perhaps he was still feeling guilty about his own sexual immorality with Bathsheba.  Perhaps he thought, “Who am I to punish him for actions I also took?  Maybe he realized this was part of the playing out of the consequences of his past sin.  The prophet Nathan had told him—even though God had forgiven him— Now, therefore, the sword [violence, rebellion] will never depart from your house [dynasty; extended family] (12:10).  Maybe David feared taking any punishing action would bring about more bloodshed. So, even though he could have insisted Amnon marry Tamar, thereby legitimizing her status as a wife, David did nothing.

This apparent inability of King David, to discipline his wayward son Amnon and to help restore his daughter Tamar, incensed Absalom, Tamar’s full brother.  Absalom slyly and covertly plotted revenge against Amnon for 2 years.  He invited Amnon, together with his father’s other sons by other wives, to a sheep-shearing festival at his country home.  Absalom got Amnon drunk, then had him killed.  Now, just as David had had Uriah killed so he could marry the pregnant Bathsheba, Absolom has had another person kill his half-brother.  David must realize Absalom’s murder of his eldest mirrors his own homicidal act. Furthermore, Absolom has demonstrated that murderous rage leads to bitterness and to evil behavior.

Absalom hits the road and is exiled from his father for 3 years.  Scripture tells us that, all that time, David longed to see Absalom—now his eldest, his heir, his favorite—and mourned his absence (13).  Curiously, though, he did not send for him.  Absalom is as good as banished.  In effect, David has now lost his 2 eldest sons—1 dead, 1 exiled. 

In a complicated strategy, Joab, David’s cousin and general, (14) manipulates David into calling his son home.  David agrees, but does not invite Absalom into his presence (Is he holding a grudge?).  Another 2 years go by and Absalom grows embarrassed and increasingly embittered.

Let’s examine David’s behavior toward Absalom:  David is uncharacteristically unforgiving!  He has nursed an offense toward his son.  The King has to be urged by his cousin to recall Absalom to Jerusalem.  Then, 2 years later, he has to be again urged by Joab to reconcile with Absolom.  So, 5 years after Absalom kills Amnon (7 yrs. after the rape of Tamar), David finally summons him.  The King greets him with a kiss, but this is too little too late.  The damage to their relationship has been compounded.  Many cultures in the Ancient Near East then, as now, were “Shame-based cultures” (Honoring the family was the supreme virtue). A son, even a prince, did not shame his father. By taking a father’s right to discipline Amnon, Absalom has shamed the King.  David had exhibited his corresponding displeasure by not inviting his son back home, thus shaming Absolom.  (Contrast this with God’s example of the father in the Prodigal Son story.)  Privately David loves Absolom and misses him, but publically his pride has taken a hit, and he harbors an offense against Absalom.  He builds up a wall in his heart, and he emotionally abandons his heir.

Now let’s look at Absalom’s behavior toward his father:  After having taken himself into exile for 3 years, then feeling ignored for another two, Absalom is embittered. Like Father, like son.  He too has registered a hit to his pride. He too has taken offense and held onto it.  He too has established walls in his heart against his father.  From all of this, it’s a simple step to betrayal.

  So (15) describes how Absolom campaigns—over the next 4 years—to win over his countrymen. He was exceedingly handsome and famous for his beautiful, luxuriant hair. Though he had slain his ½ brother at his own table (a huge violation of Ancient Near East hospitality rules), he is now nice as can be to everyone. It’s a presidential campaign! He is kissing babies, promising tax cuts, and telling people what they want to hear. He is also trying to usurp his aging father’s public popularity.

Then, before David even suspects what is happening, Absalom launches a coup, and a Civil War erupts between the followers of the father and those who are loyal to the son (Chapters 16-17).  David, the seasoned warrior, flees the city (He desires no fighting in Jerusalem). He has his experienced and loyal army with him (Green Berets, Navy Seals). One of his Mighty Men, for instance, was Benaiah. He was famous for having jumped into a pit on a snowy day, where he killed a lion with only his spear (1 Chronicles 11:22).  David’s military was brave, bold, and highly skilled. They beg David, due to his age, not to go into battle with them. They realized that if the king were captured or killed, Absolom would win the war. So David agrees, sees them off, but asks them to spare his son’s life (18).

Now remember Absalom is not a warrior (he is instead a shrewd politico). Lacking an army, he has to call in Israelite citizens to bear arms for him. These are like the “national guard.”  They have some training, but limited experience. The armies encounter each other in a large forest.  Absalom’s forces pick this place, but it is not a wise battle-site, as trees, hills, and cliffs appear to have impeded troop movements. David’s veterans overcome the larger, inexperienced forces.  Absalom may have been trying to retreat or desert, when his rich, lush hair entraps him. Even though Joab, David’s cousin, had been told to capture but not kill the rebel prince, he insubordinately kills him anyway and buries his body in a pit (adding insult to injury). By the way, isn’t this the same cousin who brought Absolom back to Jerusalem, only to murder him 4 years later? Perhaps Joab reasoned that Absalom was a trouble-maker who would never fall into line; that he would always present a threat to David’s reign.  Whatever his motivation, he ruthlessly brings a sad chapter in King David’s life to an end. Joab, a second cousin, kills a second cousin. And a bereft King David loses his favorite son and heir.

What might God be saying to us today through Paul, Absolom, and King David?

      (1) What do we do when relatives take offense? We cannot hang on to offenses. They expand over time. They harden into bitterness.  They shrivel our hearts and set our spirits up against God. We must recognize and take responsibility for our own sins of pride.  We must forgive the offense and pray for the person who offended us. We must make an attempt to make amends. From the perspective of time and distance, we can see where either Absalom or David could have attempted to mend the breach.

       (2) Isn’t it true that we reap what we sow?  David kiiled a man so that he could have that man’s wife. In the very next generation, one son is sexually immoral, ravaging a woman who was not his wife. The second son kills the first.  God forgave David and forgives us of our sins, if—like David—we just humble ourselves and ask it of Him. Nevertheless, He often lets us experience the fruit or consequences of our mistakes, either in our own lives, or in our children’s or grandchildren’s generations. I have seen this so often in my counseling practice.  Similar sin patterns run down the generations in a given family. One family may be characterized by multiple suicides, another—like the Kennedys—for violent deaths; another for pornography, adultery, and serial affairs.  Intergenerational sin patterns that are not recognized and repented of can be and are passed down.

        (3) We want to forgive, before it’s too late. I picture King David wailing, keening his grief, sobbing with regret, wishing he had handled Amnon, Tamar, and Absalom differently.  The child born of David’s adultery died, but three of his other children’s lives were also ruined.  I believe he must have been so sorry that he had not been as competent a father as he had been a king or a warrior.

(4) Who could have pulled King David out of the pit of despair?  It is the same God who pulls us up out of the pit. Psalm 130:1-2—Out of the depths [the pit] I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice.  Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.  We turn to the Lord for help. As Jesus advises in our Gospel lesson (Jn 6:35, 41-59), we stay intimately connected to our Lord, through communion conversation, and worship.

When we find ourselves in the pit, let’s remember to call upon the Lord.  As the song says, “He is the only one to undo what we have become.” Let’s ask Him for wisdom and discernment; for strength to endure (resilience); and for assistance in living a life like that of Jesus.  Amen!

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Metaphors or Examples?

Pastor Sherry’s message for August 4, 2024

Scriptures: 2 Sam 13:1-31; Ps 51:10-19; Eph 4:17-24; Jn 8:1-11

Joe DiMaggio was a baseball centerfielder for the New York Yankees from 1936-1951, interrupted by 3 years army service during WWII.  He is probably most famous for maintaining a streak of hits in 56 consecutive games; for helping the Yankees win 9 World Series in his 13 years as an active player; and for having been married briefly to the actress Marilyn Monroe.  Curiously, there is a line about him in Paul Simon’s iconic song from the 1960’s called “Mrs. Robinson”—What’s that you say, Mrs. Robinson?  Joltin’ Joe has left and gone away…hey, hey, hey.”  Joe apparently wrote to Simon after the song came out and said, “What do you mean, where have I gone?  I haven’t gone anywhere!  I’m still around selling Mr. Coffee.”  (He advertised Mr. Coffee for a number of years on TV.)  Paul Simon mentioned his letter in a “60 Minutes” interview and told Mike Wallace, “Obviously Mr. DiMaggio is not accustomed to thinking of himself as a metaphor.”

(Anecdote borrowed from Scott Hoezee, www.sermons.com, July 30, 2024.)

I read this recently and thought, “Well, who does think of themselves as a metaphor?”  Jesus used metaphors to describe Himself:  I am the Bread of Life, the Good Shepherd, the Vine, the Living Water, the Gate, the way, the truth and the life, the Resurrection and the Life, etc., but He was and is God.  The rest of us tend to think of ourselves as ordinary, regular persons.  How would you describe yourself?  I would say I’m a mother and grandmother, a follower of Jesus Christ, a pastor, a friend, a neighbor, a psychologist, a daughter to deceased parents, an American, and so on. It might be fun to ask our families to come up with some poetic image they might use to capture in a word or phrase who we are to them.  Would they say we are “the Rock of Gibraltar? Or might they say we are “a pain in the neck”? 

Most of the time, in Scripture, the stories are of real people like us, facing real and sometimes tough situations, and are useful to us as examples, rather than metaphors.  Our Scripture lessons today contain several didactic examples and maybe a few creative metaphors.

A.  Let’s start with our Old Testament lesson from 2 Samuel 13:1-31.  If I’m not mistaken, this story never appears in our lectionary.

Perhaps it’s too violent, too upsetting, or too triggering.  But I appreciate that our God doesn’t try to “candy-coat” human behavior.  In certain stories, He shares with us how very depraved human beings can be if they are not following hard after Him. The story of Amnon, Tamar, and Absolom illustrates for us the initial outworking of Nathan’s prophesy to the guilty King David (2 Samuel 12:10)—Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.  In other words, David would reap a harvest of violent and reprehensible behavior among his own children.

It begins when Amnon, David’s eldest son and heir (by his 3rd wife Ahinoam), thinks he’s desperately in love with his half-sister, Tamar.  Tamar was reputed to be very beautiful.  Her full brother was Absalom, David’s favorite son.  Their mother was Maacah, David’s 4th wife.  She was a princess, daughter to Talmai, King of Geshur, so the marriage may have been a political one.

The true tale is accelerated by a wily cousin, Jonadab.  He recommends to Amnon that he lure Tamar into his bedroom.  (Beware of wily cousins.  I have to wonder how aiding Amnon to do wrong would profit Johadab.  Remember, last week I encouraged us to be somewhat skeptical of human reason.)  Amnon takes his advice, even asking his father to assist by directing Tamar to tend to Amnon.  David was a mighty general and a gifted leader, but he appears to have been pretty clueless or naive regarding his sons.

Amnon’s victim, Tamar, realizes his intentions are sinister when he grabs her, and she begs him to let her alone.  She first appeals to his morals, (v.12, NLT)—Don’t be foolish!  Don’t do this to me!  Such wicked things aren’t done in Israel.  She then asks him to consider what this would mean to her future, (v.13)—Where could I go in my shame?

Next, She reminds him of what this will do to his reputation (v.13)—And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel.  She even offers him an alternative (v.13)—Please, just speak to the king about it and he will let you marry me (probably not, but it may have bought her time or an opportunity to escape). 

Despite her pleas, Amnon won’t be persuaded and he assaults her.  Would real love lead a person to rape the one they claim to love?  No, he misperceived his lust for love.  After getting what he wanted, he then despises her and rejects her.  He doesn’t take responsibility for his sin, but instead blames his victim.  She is physically hurt, violated, humiliated, and grieved.  But notice she does not go to their father for help.  She knows that Amnon is his heir; no doubt she thinks, “Who am I compared to him?”She then runs to her brother, Absolom, for refuge.

King David hears about it afterward, gets angry, but does nothing.  Absolom despises Amnon and patiently plots revenge.  It takes 2 years, but he commands his servants to kill Amnon at a harvest celebration he hosts.

The rumor runs ahead that all the king’s sons are assassinated.  Wily cousin Jonadab tells the king that Absolom killed just Amnon—not the other sons—due to Amnon’s rape of his sister.  (Again, what was Jonadab after?)

David mourns Amnon’s death, but he again does nothing to his favorite son—now his heir–Absolom.  Absolom “gets out of Dodge” by taking refuge with his maternal grandfather, the King of Jeshur, for 3 years.

The grave, violent sins of two of his sons further grieves King David.

One kills the other.  The murderer, Absolom, no doubt develops contempt his father, David.  David has let his grief and favoritism get in the way of doing the right thing.  And to add insult to injury, he abandons his daughter—Scripture does not tell us how her life turned out.  (I want to ask about this when I get to heaven.)  These two sons are examples of entitled kids who go wrong. They are both godless and immoral.  They may even be metaphors for what happens when parental figures do not confront grave sin in their children.

B.  Paul seems to have had the Amnon-Absolom saga in mind as he penned Ephesians 4:17-24.  He clearly could have been referencing those two selfish and indulged princes when he wrote (vv.17-19)—Live no longer as the Gentiles [non-Jews but also nonbelievers] do, for they are hopelessly confused.  Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against Him.  They have no sense of shame.  They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.  He exhorts us all to remember that if we believe in Jesus, we will not behave in sinful or depraved ways.  Instead, we should (vv.23-24)—…throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.  Instead, let the Spirit renew our thoughts and attitudes.  Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.  In other words, don’t behave like Amnon or like Absolom.

C. Finally, Jesus sees the larger picture in the case of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11).  Unlike the seemingly naïve King David, Jesus immediately perceives the motives of the religious leaders who drag in the female adulterer: 1st, they rudely interrupt His teaching at the Temple.  Rather than taking Him aside privately, they thrust the poor woman onto the ground before Jesus and the crowd, and make their demands. This is staged-outrage, designed to discredit our Lord.  2nd, they are not really concerned about justice or correct theology.  It’s another trap, like paying taxes or healing on the Sabbath.  3rd, the woman has been caught in the act (they probably dragged her in from bed); there’s no question that she’s guilty.  The true question is, “Where’s the guy?”  This is not a sin that is committed without a partner.

The trap is this:  If He says, “You are right, stone her,” they can rat Him out to the Romans (only the Romans could authorize the death penalty).  If He urges mercy for her, they can claim He violates Jewish Law.

What’s interesting is that in trying to trap Jesus, they have themselves violated the spirit of the Law:  Leviticus 20:10—If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—the wife of a neighbor—the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.  Deuteronomy 22:22–If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.  Notice, the means of death is not cited, and the Law is primarily aimed at the male.

The scribes and Pharisees very publically demand to know what Jesus would do.  Notice Jesus doesn’t say a word.  Instead, He begins to write in the dirt with His finger.  What could He have been writing? Perhaps He looked at them one-by-one and wrote their name next to a big, secret sin.

This makes sense because, after having apparently listing their hidden sins, He then states, (v.7)—IF any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.  The only sinless person there is Jesus.  One-by-one, they leave, in age order (maybe the eldest had accumulated more sins?)  So then Jesus turns His attention to the woman:  Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?  She respectfully replies, No one, Sir.  And Jesus responds, Then neither do I condemn you.  Go now and leave your life of sin (sin no more).  The only one who could have legitimately judged her did not.  He called her behavior sin, tells her to amend her life, and offers her grace and forgiveness.

So what does this mean to us?  Several things:

(1) Scripture tells us, (Romans 6:23)—The wages of sin are death.  As far as we know, both Amnon and Absolom died with serious sins on their souls.  They predated Jesus and they did not seem sorry for the wrong they had done.  They probably now reside in hell.  

(2) But, for us, this side of the Cross, Jesus’ mercy triumphs over justice.  Thank God!  As Paul reminds us in Romans 3:23—For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  And as John writes in 1 John 1:8—If we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  We are all sinners in need of a Savior.

(3) And, praise God, we have One!  Jesus is our Savior! 

(4) So let us learn from the examples of the wrong-doers in Scripture.  Let us live like metaphors of those who want to please our Lord.  And let us praise Him!  Amen!

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

What’s Our Standard?

Pastor Sherry’s message for 7/28/24, 

Scriptures: 2 Sam 11:26-12:23; Ps 51:1-12; Eph 4:1-16; Jn 6:24-35

What’s our Standard?  What yardstick do we use by which to measure our behavior?

Many people today recommend human reason (including scientific findings) as their standard.  They maintain that we can solve all of our social, economic, and political problems by just agreeing with certain “experts”—even social media—and acting on what they recommend.  But I have to say I don’t really trust human reason all that much.  

In my counseling office over the years, I have heard people justify all kinds of wrong behaviors:  theft; betrayal; harming or ignoring the needs of a child; continuing an addiction; and even murder.  Isn’t it true that we can do all kinds of wrong things for what we may consider right reasons?  We justify lying to keep someone from firing us or leaving us. We justify stealing because we think we need or deserve whatever it is.  We have to remind ourselves that in God’s Kingdom, the ends never justify the means.

And haven’t we learned since the outbreak of Covid that the supposed facts of Science can be altered to support a particular political agenda?  We learned later on that masking, social distancing, and business, church, and school closures didn’t really help.  I’m glad I didn’t die from Covid—I’m glad that no one in this congregation died from Covid–but the second vaccine shot eliminated my sense of smell—thank God it wasn’t my eyesight—and I still can’t smell much of anything after all this time.  I maintain a healthy skepticism of human reason.

Another standard some folks tend to trust in are traditions. These are time-tested ways of thinking, believing, and acting. Some traditions are worth adhering to: Giving to the disadvantaged at Thanksgiving and Christmas; and patriotism for our country, thanking our service men and women for their service, and respecting our flag. But some are misguided and passé. The traditional view that the world was flat, and the belief that you would fall off if you sailed too far, restricted world exploration by sea for centuries. Wrapping a feverish person in multiple blankets to aid him/her in sweating out a fever, instead of trying to cool them off, probably killed a lot of folks. How about blood-letting to allow harmful “vapors” to escape an already weakened patient?  I just learned that General Stonewall Jackson of the Civil War did not die from having his arm amputated but from being told by field doctors to lie flat as he recovered.  As a result of his bed posture, he died of Pneumonia.  Singing “We are the Boys from Old Florida” at the start of the 4th quarter of Gator football games, when many UF students and fans are women, is fun but outmoded.  

I’m as careful about evaluating traditions as I am about accepting human reason. Hold off your acceptance. Take time to carefully evaluate human reason and traditions.  For my money—and I believe for yours too—I find the Bible provides us with the truest and best standards to follow.

Our Scriptures today all express this truth:

A.  In our Gospel lesson (John 6:24-35), Jesus conveys several profound and trustworthy truths:  (1) He is able to correctly perceive human motives.  He knows the crowd has followed Him across the lake for more food.  He tells them (v.24, NLT)—I tell you the truth, you want to be with Me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.  Just previous to this, He had fed the 5,000 (including uncounted women and children, the number was more like 15,000) at the Sermon on the Mount.  Rather than (2) appreciate Jesus’ multiplication miracle, or (3) His authority over material things, they come looking to see if He would again manufacture food for them.  Instead, He directs them to (4) believe in Him because He is the Bread of Heaven (All of His I AM statements in John’s Gospel are Jewish ways for Him to say He is God.  Because He is God, He is able to create food enough to feed a multitude from just a little (5 loaves + 2 fish +Jesus= food for 15,000 and 12 baskets of leftovers).  The truth is Jesus is God.  He loves us and He can supply all our needs. (He may not supply all our wants, but He does take care of our needs.)

B.  King David, in our Old Testament reading (2 Samuel 11:26-12:23), provides us with a set of colossal sins and David’s Biblical responses to them. He has sinned by coveting and entering into an adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife; and by arranging for Uriah’s death when their adultery results in a baby.

Though his sins are state secrets, Scripture records he did not get off “scot-free.”  Only Bathsheba, the servants who David sent to gather her, and Joab, David’s general, know of his treachery, and they are not talking! They realize he could have them arrested and executed.  His secret sins are relatively safe, but nevertheless, King David feels wretched. Several of the psalms he wrote at this time, including today’s psalm, Psalm 51, tell of his great, private shame, remorse, and misery: (v.4) For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  In Psalm 31:10, he wrote—My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.   Similarly in Psalm 32:3—When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  We could say that the Holy Spirit has brought him under conviction and he is suffering the resulting emotional and spiritual anguish.

The only One who knows of his sins besides those who refuse to talk is the Lord. Notice that God does not abandon King David. Instead, He sends the brave prophet, Nathan, to call him to account. Nathan tells David a story about a poor man taken advantage of by a rich man.  David, thinking this is a report about someone in his kingdom, is outraged! He wants the rich man brought to justice. So Nathan confronts him (v.7)—You are the man!  The story was only a metaphor. Nathan conveys God’s disappointment in David. God had given him so much!  In fact, he already had 6 wives by this time; Bathsheba made #7. (How many wives does a man need?  Often one provides enough drama and interest.)  But David’s sinful actions convey to God that David instead lacks gratitude to and has contempt for the Lord. What a novel way to consider sin: Our sins show our contempt for God. YIKES!

Now David has 3 choices in the way he could respond:  (1) He could deny his sin altogether—as so many government leaders do today (This is an example of human reason at work).  (2)  He could have had Nathan executed—as any despot or dictator would (a “time honored” but ignoble tradition).  (3) Or he could admit the truth, the Biblical standard. This, and the fact that David never was an idolater, is what makes King David a man after God’s own heart.  He desperately desires to recommit himself to God.  So, He admits his sin, he repents, and he asks God to forgive and restore him.

Remember, this is a saga from the Old Testament. It predates the saving work of Jesus Christ.  God graciously forgives David and Bathsheba.  He spares them the punishment for adultery (and murder) which would have resulted in them both being stoned.  But God does not prevent the grave consequences of David’s sin from affecting him. Notice how the Law of Sowing and Reaping then plays out in David’s life:  (1) The child born to Bathsheba, a firstborn son, dies after birth (his death for Uriah’s death).

(2) Later, one of David’s other sons, Amnon, covets and rapes his beautiful step-sister, Tamar (a sexual sin, rape, for a sexual sin, adultery).   (3.) Absalom, Tamar’s full brother, kills Amnon out of revenge (another death for a death).  (4.) Still later, Absalom will try to wrest the throne from King David (lawlessness and rebellion against David for lawlessness and rebellion against God).

C.  King David models for us in Psalm 51, that we can return to a close relationship with God when we honestly acknowledge our sins.  As we read responsively verses 1-12, it is clear that David has sincere grief and regret over what he has done.  He openly begs for God’s forgiveness, asking for mercy.  He also recognizes that it is only God Himself who can cleanse him (v.10)—Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.   He affirms his faith that God will forgive him because he has asked (v.15)—O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise, and (v.17)—The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken spirit and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.  

D.  Paul advises his protégé, Timothy, in 2 Timothy 4:2-4a—Preach the word, be prepared in season and out of season, correct, rebuke, and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction—for the time will come [and is now here] when men [and women] will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth….. In our Ephesians reading today (Ephesians 4:1-16), Paul asserts that we grow up or mature in our faith when (v.14)–>…we will no longer be infants tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.   In other words, we become mature Christians when we are able to discern Biblical truth from human reason or tradition.

The Truth is contained in Scripture.  Jesus Christ is the way, the Truth, and the life.  Our standards are spelled out for us in the words of The Bible and in the way that Jesus modeled for us.  Remember back in the 1990’s when many people wore bracelets that said “WWJD”?  That stood for “What Would Jesus Do?” There’s our standard.  Let’s be skeptical of human wisdom and of human tradition. Let’s look to our Lord for how we should live and what we should believe.  AMEN!  

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Gather up for Snacks!

Pastor Sherry’s message for July 7, 2024

Scriptures: 2 Sam 5:1-10; Ps 48; 2 Cor 12:2-10; Mk 6:1-13

Do you remember, when your kids/grandkids were little, going to their T-ball or Coach-pitched baseball games?  I apologize now, but I thought they were both adorable and hilarious!  I often laughed my head off!  The kids were about 6-7YO and, as one wag has said, “had lots of enthusiasm, but the attention span of a gnat.”  While the coaches and assistants of the kids in the outfield kept yelling for them to pay attention and keep their “heads up,” or their “eyes on the ball,” the children playing the outfield would be searching the grass for bugs, looking up in the sky, adjusting their hats, or focusing on their friend at 2nd base.  Then, when the occasional opponent player actually hit the ball, no one was prepared to catch it. It would usually plop down in someone’s vicinity and the rest of the team would then abandon their positions to converge on the ball as if it were a rugby scrum.  So, when the game ended, you could always hear some child asking, “Did we win?  Did we win?  (They hadn’t tuned in enough to know.)  If the coach answered that they did, the kids would jump up and down and cheer in delight.  If he said they’d lost, they would kick the ground or throw down their hats in the agony of defeat.  But then they would quickly perk up again when coach called out, “Gather up for snacks!”

Winning and losing tends to be much more complicated for grown-ups, doesn’t it?  Isn’t it true that many of us lose, fail, or are disappointed more often in life than we win?  For the sake of our mental health, we need to figure out how to bounce back from setbacks, defeats, insulting words, and poor performances.  We need to develop some of what psychology calls “emotional resilience.”  And even the best of snacks is not likely to cheer us up or help us feel better.

(Concept borrowed from Fairless and Chilton, The Lectionary Lab Commentary, Year B, 2014, p.235)

Our Scripture passages today all deal with folks who are struggling with failure or disappointments of one form or another:  vocational failures, health struggles, faith challenges, and even life defeats.  They provide us with some good examples of how a mature believer might bounce back from such troubles.

A.  In our Old Testament lesson (2 Samuel 5:1-10), King David is finally crowned king of Israel.  Remember, he had been anointed King by the prophet Samuel when he was about 16YO.  He remained a shepherd until called by God to go up against Goliath (perhaps 17 year old).  Then, as a talented musician, he played soothing music for the troubled King Saul. He was also enlisted in Saul’s army.  He developed a deep friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan, and married Saul’s daughter, Michal.  He served in Saul’s army until his father-in-law grew murderously jealous of his continued success as a warrior.  Saul tried to kill David both in his palace and in David’s home.  The as yet uncrowned King David then lived as an outlaw, in the wilderness, (for 10-12 years) until King Saul died.

So, here he is at age 30, finally crowned king of Judah (and Simeon). These 2 tribes recognized his authority, while the 10 remaining tribes supported Saul’s son, Ish-Bosheth.  Civil war broke out and lasted 7 years. Can’t you just hear David’s frustrated thoughts, “God said I would be king. This isn’t supposed to be happening”?

Then someone—not King David—assassinates Ish-Bosheth.  Finally, the 10 tribes who had supported Saul’s son approach David to reunite all of Israel as king. They claim their relational ties to him and recall that God Himself had anointed him for the role of king.  After seven years of civil war, they are only remembering this now? Why hadn’t they considered this seven years earlier?  Well, the truth had obviously not fit their narrative until they found themselves between the proverbial rock and a hard place.  Nevertheless, this rapprochement ends about 20 years of disappointment, frustration, and struggle for David.

In one of his first acts as king of the reunited Israel, David decides to move his capital to Jerusalem, which was said to be an impenetrable citadel. He tells his army commander to find a way up through their water supply tunnel.  He then overwhelms the Jebusites—the Canaanites who had underestimated him—and claims Jerusalem, from which he reigns for the next 33 years.

The lesson from David is never give up (predating Winston Churchill by millennia)! Despite setbacks and delays, persist!  He waited for years to actually become king of Israel. He had to have felt discouraged and wronged. Perhaps he even wondered if God had changed His mind, or if he’d sinned too much for God to honor him, or if God had forgotten him. But his patient, persistent faith, his resilience–despite delays and what appeared to be life defeats–paid off.  May it be so with each of us!

B.  Psalm 48 is what scholars refer to as a Millennial Psalm.  It celebrates Jesus’ great victory to come, when He reappears on earth and brings everyone under the sovereign rule of Messiah.  He will be victorious over the forces of evil and He will reign from Jerusalem, King David’s capital.  In His 1st coming, Jesus won for us salvation and eternal life; but the world will not know He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords until He comes again in glory.

Even Jesus must patiently wait, with faith, in God’s timing. Remember His disciples asked Him when He would come again and He replied that no one except the Father—and including the Son—knew the hour or the day.  May we learn to be as patient as Jesus and as King David.

C.  Paul, in our 2 Corinthians 12:2-10, bemoans a thorn in his flesh. In verses 2-5, he cryptically refers to a time he was lifted up into the 3rd heaven (1st heaven is where birds and airplanes fly; 2nd heaven is where the stars and planets exist; 3rd heaven is God’s dwelling place).  Then he claims that—to keep him from becoming conceited over this experience—God gave him a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me. 

What was it?  We don’t know.  I hope to ask Paul when I get to heaven.  Some scholars believe it was impaired eyesight, maybe cataracts?  We know that his hand writing and signature grew larger until he stopped writing himself and dictated his epistles to a secretary.  Others think maybeit was sciatica, pain in the hip as with Jacob after he had wrestled all night with the pre-incarnate Jesus.  Others think it might have been the Jewish folks who rejected Jesus who then followed Paul about, heckling him and agitating against him.

Whatever it was, He asks God three times to be healed of it and God tells him essentially “no”: (v.9)—My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.  In other words, this unnamed problem reminded Paul daily that he is not ministering in his own strength, skill, or gifting; rather, it is God who empowered and made a way for him.  In other words, our setbacks may be a way to wean us from our own pride and self-reliance and to teach us to depend more upon our Lord.

As with King David, the message from Paul is persist in faith, no matter our health or other obstacles.  May it be so with each of us!

D. Last, but not least, we have Jesus’ example in Mark 6:1-13.

Some scholars believe this trip to Nazareth was His second.  In Luke 4:14-30, His first visit as Messiah, they got so mad they tried to throw Him from a cliff.  But these are His friends and relations, so He returns in today’s passage, to try again to win them over.  This time they both marvel at His wisdom and understanding, but also doubt Him because they think they know Him.  He’s the hometown boy who worked as a carpenter.  His brothers and sisters are still among them, and they don’t appear to accept Him as Messiah. They can’t believe He could be anything other than what they had always supposed of Him.

Jesus is saddened by their lack of belief.  He admits (v.4)—Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house, is a prophet without honor.  And they lose out because His ability to heal folks is limited by their lack of faith.

But notice what He does next.  He doesn’t collapse into depression, wallowing in what appears to be a vocational failure.  He continues on to other towns and villages to teach and heal.  And He sends His disciples out, 2 by 2, to do the same.

Jesus is disappointed by the hometown rejection, but not defeated. He couldn’t do miracles in Nazareth because of their lack of faith in Him; He was stunned by this. If Jesus, who is God, the logos who spoke creation into existence, can or even needs to learn anything, He no doubt realized that you can control what you say, but not how people interpret it. You can control your own behavior, but not how other people respond to you. You can even control how you demonstrate your love to others, but not that they will receive it. Can we make another person love us?  No. Sadly, He recognized that lack of faith limits what He is able to accomplish in them and in us.

But His disciples didn’t seem to be discouraged by what happened there. They had seen Him, through the first 5 chapters of Mark’s Gospel, do miracle after miracle. So when He sent them off to do what they had seen Him do, they went with faith the Nazarenes lacked. As Paul would later write, they knew their weaknesses were made perfect in Jesus’ strength and power; and that His grace—His provision, His protection, His faith in them—was truly sufficient for them.  May it be so for us!

Well, there we have it!  Our journey with Jesus is not about winning or losing, is it? It’s about persisting in faith, even despite setbacks, waiting, and obstacles. It’s about keeping our “heads up” and our “eyes in God’s game.”  Who knows, we may even enter heaven like those little baseball kids, wondering if we won. Did we accomplish what God set out for us to do? Did we love Him and love our neighbors?  Did we obediently do what He set before us?  My hunch is that our Lord will then say, Glad to see you!  Gather up for snacks! 

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Touched by Mercy

Pastor Sherry’s message for June 30, 2024

Scriptures:1 Sam 1:1, 17-27; Ps 130; 2 Cor 8:7-15; Mk 5:21-43

This morning I want to share with you two brief stories in which mercy is granted to someone:

In the first, “A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death. ‘But I don’t ask for justice,’ the mother explained. ‘I plead for mercy.’ ‘But your son does not deserve mercy,’ Napoleon replied. ‘Sir,’ the woman cried, ‘it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for.’ ‘Well, then,’ the emperor said, ‘I will have mercy.’ And he spared the woman’s son.” 

(Luis Palau, “Experiencing God’s Forgiveness”, Multnomah Press, 1984.)

The second is a true story from the life of President Calvin Coolidge (our 30th President, 1923-1929), which only came to light years after his death:  “In the early days of his presidency, Coolidge awoke one morning in his hotel room to find a burglar going through his pockets. Coolidge spoke up, asking the burglar not to take his watch chain because it contained an engraved charm he wanted to keep. Coolidge then engaged the thief in quiet conversation and discovered he was a college student who had no money to pay his hotel bill or buy a ticket back to campus. Coolidge counted $32 out of his wallet–which he had also persuaded the dazed young man to give back; declaring it to be a loan, he advised the young man to leave the way he had come so as to avoid the Secret Service! (Yes, the loan was paid back.)”

(Today in the Word, October 8, 1992).

Both of these stories illustrate the fact that mercy differs from justice.  Justice would require that both the French woman’s son and the felonious college student were punished for the crimes they had both truly committed.  Each had been caught doing wrong.  Each deserved the penalty required for their behavior.  But Mercy saw them both get off, hopefully to turn their lives 180 degrees around.

All of our passages today deal with mercy.  Let’s see what they have to teach us:

A.  In our OT lesson (2 Samuel 1:1,17-27), we see King David honoring the deaths of King Saul and Saul’s son, Jonathan.  Both logic and human nature would tell us that David had many reasons to be glad King Saul was dead.  We understand David’s deep and sincere grief for Jonathan, his best and truest friend.  But Saul, knowing God had anointed David as his successor, had repeatedly wronged David; jealously hunted him down, intending to kill him; and—because Saul ignored God’s will—would probably have killed David if he had ever gotten his hands on him.  (He never did because God protected David.)  In today’s cancel culture, many would have thought David justified in celebrating Saul’s death.

But such a way of thinking is neither Christian nor godly.  Remember, before Saul discovered that God had appointed David as his successor, David had played and sung music that calmed Saul’s troubled spirit.  David got to know Saul very well.  He became best friends with Saul’s son, Jonathan.  He married Saul’s daughter, Michal.  And, as we considered last week, Saul had allowed the youthful David to challenge and kill the pagan bully, Goliath.

So, in this passage, we see David illustrate the concept of mercy by honoring the good rather than only vilifying the bad.  He would have been justified in pointing out all the unjust ways in which Saul had treated him.

But instead, he laments Saul’s death, recalling the good the fallen king had done for Israel.  King David knew God had been merciful to him and so was willing to be merciful to his former enemy. 

B.  In fact, this is the point of Psalm 130—it is a prayer for mercy when someone is seriously troubled.  We don’t know the author.  But whoever he (or she) is, this person is well aware of God’s mercy.  He or she acknowledges their sinfulness (v.3)—If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?  This psalmist also celebrates the fact that the Lord forgives us, thanks be to God!  Ultimately, this psalm urges us to trust in God’s mercy.

C.  Paul, too, in 2 Corinthians 8:7-15, is focused on how we, as followers of Christ, must be merciful toward others.  He does not command the Corinthian Church to provide cash gifts to the poor, suffering church in Jerusalem (They were suffering due to a prolonged famine).  But it is clear from the passage that he wants them to do so.   He says essentially, (v.14)—At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need.  Then there will be equality.  The principle he outlines is that we are to give, when we have the means, because the time may come when we are in need and others will give to us.  This is a variation of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  If we have extra, mercy requires that we give to those less fortunate than us.

D. Jesus, in Mark 5:21-43, dispenses mercy to persons of very different social statuses:

Jairus, is a synagogue president, a privileged “insider.” 

He’s an important, socially prominent person.  We could say he was the  General Manager of the Synagogue.  He appears to be devoted to God, and he is very concerned about his daughter.  He is probably also rich, but his wealth could not cure his child.  Desperate for her healing, he falls at Jesus’ feet and says (v.23)—My little daughter is dying [is as good as dead].  Please come and put Your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.  He specifically asks Jesus to touch her.  Was he present in the Synagogue when Jesus quieted the demons or healed the man with the shriveled up hand?  Whatever the case, he has faith in Jesus’ ability to heal his child.  This 12YO child is precious to him and so he is motivated to seek mercy from Jesus.

By contrast to Jairus and his sick child, the chronically bleeding woman is a destitute “outsider.”  She suffered from whatever caused the bleeding.  She had also suffered from the medical treatments which failed to heal it.  She had suffered financially, having spent all of her money on doctors and prescriptions.  She suffered socially and spiritually, being considered ritually unclean.  Being ritually unclean–almost like a leper—she would have been exiled from her worshipping community.  Being ritually unclean also meant she had been exiled from her social community, including her family.  If she touched anything, it would become unclean (Leviticus 15:25-27).  No one could touch her either.  Imagine living for 12 years with no hugs or pats or handshakes.  If the crowd had recognized her, she could have been stoned for accidentally touching them.  She certainly could not touch a rabbi, like Jesus.

But look at her faith.  She must have heard that Jesus touched unclean persons (the leper); and that when He did, the unclean become clean; the broken, whole.  So she touches His garment in faith that doing so will heal her.  Some scholars contend that her faith was weak or superstitious.  I disagree!  She had faith that He could heal her, but was reluctant to draw any attention to herself.  Her only recourse was to touch His garment.   

Verse 30—Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him.  As Timothy Keller writes, “He has lost power so she could gain it” (King’s Cross, Dutton, 2011, p.61).  (Verse 29)—Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

Jesus wants to know who touched Him.  Why won’t Jesus allow her to remain anonymous?  He wants her to have a relationship with her Healer, her Savior.  He says (v.34)—Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.  She needs to know it was her faith and His mercy that healed her.  Before the crowd, He restores her physically spiritually, and socially.

Jesus also won’t allow her to remain anonymous because Jairus and others were watching.  He is saying to Jairus, Trust in Me, lean not upon your own understanding.  Meanwhile, (v.35)—Jairus is told that his daughter has died.  Jesus reassures him (v.36)—Don’t be afraid, just believe (keep on believing).  Trust me, be patient.  There is no need to hurry (death cannt defeat Me).   He takes Peter, James, and John with Him (the Law required 2-3 witnesses to confirm a truth), plus Jairus.

He takes the girl by the hand, and He says the equivalent of Honey/Little Lamb , get up!  On His mercy, He brings her back from the dead.

So what does this mean to us?  We are to demonstrate mercy toward others.  Isn’t it true that we often wish God would dish out justice for other wrong doers, but mercy towards ourselves?  But today, our Scripture passages show us that 

(1) King David offers mercy to someone who had repeatedly tried to kill him;

(2) Our God offers us mercy even though we are all sinners

(3) Paul urges us to offer the needy mercy through gifting them with money or food (a tithe to the poor);

(4) And Jesus offers merciful healing and resurrection life, regardless of a person’s social status.

This week, I challenge us all to think of times we have been touched by God’s mercy, and—like Napoleon and Calvin Coolidge—offer mercy to others.  Amen! 

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Empowering Faith

Pastor Sherry’s message for June 23, 2024

Scriptures : 1 Sam 17:5-50; Ps 9:9-20; 2 Cor 6:1-13; Mk 4:35-41

I have borrowed the following illustration from a pastor named Vince Gerhardy (“Sucked In, Washed Up, Blown Over,” www.sermons.com, June 18, 2024).  It’s about a traumatized Parakeet named Chippie:

“The problems began when Chippies’ owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage.  The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up.  She’d barely said, “hello,” when “ssssopp!” Chippie got sucked in.

“The bird’s owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum cleaner, and opened the bag.  There was Chippie—still alive, but stunned.

“Since the bird was covered with dust, hair, and all the stuff you find in a dust bag, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and held Chippie under the running water.  Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do…she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air.  

“Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.

“A few days after the trauma, a friend who had heard about Chippie’s troubles contacted his owner to see how the bird was recovering.  ‘Well,’ she replied, ‘Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore—he just sits and stares.’”

The poor critter had a severe case of parakeet PTSD.  He’d been “Sucked In, Washed Up, and Blown Over.”  Trauma like that would steal away anyone’s reason to sing!

I imagine the disciples felt a lot like this when they encountered a fierce storm on the Sea of Galilee, while Jesus lay asleep in the stern (Mark 4:35-41).  We know what happens:  They panic, wake Jesus up, and He immediately quiets the storm.  Then, interestingly to us I think, He rebukes them for their lack of faith.  They had let the rough seas and the high winds replace what faith they had with fear.  

Now, remember we think John Mark wrote down Peter’s reminiscences for a mostly Roman audience.  So his Gospel is action-packed to appeal to men of action like Roman soldiers.  Soldiers would likely relate best to Jesus if they understood His authority.  So Mark’s Gospel begins with stories of Jesus that demonstrate His power.  The disciples had observed Jesus reveal His power over evil spirits, and over physical illnesses like fevers, paralysis, and leprosy.  They had witnessed Him debate and stymie the Pharisees.  They had heard Him declare Himself the Lord of the Sabbath.  But, to be fair to them, perhaps they had not yet perceived His power over and ability to control tumultuous nature. 

What if you had been in the boat with them that day?  Would you too have let your fear overcome your faith?  You know fear is a negative faith; it is faith in a negative outcome.  We who trust in Jesus are not to fear.  We worship the God of all hope.  We may go through tough times, but we can trust that the Lord is with us as we do.  If we believe in Jesus, we are not to be crippled by fear. 

Our Old Testament lesson (1 Samuel 17:4-50) provides us with a great example of how to overcome legitimate fear with faith.  The context is an ongoing war between the Philistines and the Israelites.  (By the way, did you know that the Philistines, perennial enemies of Israel, are the ancestors of present day Palestinians?)  The Philistines had invaded Israel and had amassed their army at Socoh, 15 miles west of Bethlehem.  They were now engaged in a stand-off against the Israeli army led by King Saul.  Daily, their champion, the giant Goliath, cursed and ridiculed them, trying his best to egg them on the send out one Israelite champion to fight him.  Mano-a-mano might not have been so intimidating except that Goliath was over 9 feet tall.  His chest armor weighed 125 pounds; the metal point of his spear weighed 15 pounds.  Archaeologists believe they have located the remnants of his bed, which is 13 feet long.  The guy was a beast!  He was totally intimidating!

Additionally, for 40 days, Goliath taunted the Israelites and not one of God’s chosen people volunteered to face off with him.  Three of David’s elder brothers were there–Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah—and they hadn’t volunteered.  Neither King Saul nor his son Johnathan had been willing to take Goliath on.  Saul did offer a huge reward as an incentive for some warrior to step up and win: significant cash; Saul’s daughter, Michal, in marriage; and the promise of no taxation for life for the family of the warrior who might be brave enough.  Still no one came forward.  Do you think anyone was praying?  Praying for a brave soul or praying for God to intervene?

Into this tense situation, the young man, David (16-17 years old) arrives with food provisions for his brothers.  (In those days, there were no suppliers who traveled with the armies, provisioning them with rations.  Either your relatives sent you food, or you took everything not nailed down as your army passed through a locale.)  David hears Goliath’s taunts and is appalled (v.26)—Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?  Do you hear the faith that David has in God?

He recognizes that Goliath is not just a big, oversized bully.  Goliath is an enemy of God’s people and an enemy of God Himself.  David’s brother Eliab—probably jealous or perhaps even feeling guilty—lashes out at David and misperceives his brother’s motives.  David’s not conceited, thinking of how Goliath’s taunts demean him.  David is righteously outraged that a nonbeliever should be defaming God.

Saul tries to put him in armor with which David is not familiar.  He cannot believe that a teen could possibly pull this off.  But David lists his credentials (vv.36-37)—Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear [while guarding sheep]; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.  [Now listen to his statement of faith] the Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.  

When teaching psychology in college some years back, I encountered several young men whose bravado had led to serious consequences for them.  Two of them were in wrecks while driving cars on dirt roads going 120 mph.  Both had been thrown from their cars and survived, by God’s grace.  The truth is that the amygdala, a tiny, pea-sized organ in our midbrain—that tells us to fight, flee, or freeze when confronted with danger–is not sufficiently connected to the frontal cortex in young men until they reach the age of 25.  Our frontal lobes are the seat of logical thinking and accurate risk assessment.  This weak connection is what is responsible for young men taking unnecessary risks prior to age 25.  Car insurance companies have known that young men are more likely to be involved in wrecks prior to their mid-twenties and have therefore charged them high insurance premiums until age 25.  They had based their decisions on statistics but, until recent brain research, did not understand why.  The amazing thing in this story is that David is not suffering from inadequate risk assessment.  He recognizes the threat Goliath represents, as he has had experience with killing other apex predators.  Instead, his faith in God the Father outweighs or overwhelms his fear.     

He takes his slingshot and gathers 5 smooth stones.  He confronts Goliath verbally first, saying (vv.45-47)—You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.…All those gathered here will know that is it not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give all of you into our hands.  

Such confident faith in God!  By the way, Biblical scholars think the stones David had were about baseball size, and hit Goliath at about 100 mph.  That kind of strike to the head would kill anyone.  Scholars also believe the extra stones were just in case Goliath’s four sons came for David after the giant’s death.

But look at what happens:  Praise God, David is victorious! The Philistines turn tail and run.  The Israelite army pursued them all the way back to their cities and killed many of them.  David’s unwavering faith in God—despite any fear he had—carried the day!  Real courage is feeling fear rather than denying it, but choosing empowering faith to overcome it. 

Our Psalm (9:9-20) provides further commentary on David’s unfailing faith in God’s protection.  King David appears to have written this psalm later on in his life, as an older, more experienced ruler.  In it, he celebrates God’s vindication of His people.  Some scholars even believe the older, more settled King David was thinking back to this battle with Goliath as he composed it.  David clearly views God as his protection, using images for the Lord like refuge and stronghold.  He is making statements about God drawn right out of his own experiences with the Lord:  In verse 10 he states—Those who know Your name will trust in You for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.  Additionally, the mature David has seen how those who oppose God reap what they sow (vv.15-16)—The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden…the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.

Then we have Paul, in 2 Corinthians 6:1-13, remind us that because we are “in Christ,” we are not to live carnal lives but to demonstrate our faith with our behavior.  We are servants of Christ who endure and persevere through tough times.  We live out purity, love, kindness, understanding, and patience.  We remain truthful even if others slander us.  How do we have the ability to do this?  We are empowered by the Holy Spirit, due to our faith in Jesus.

Like that traumatized parakeet, we may feel at times like we have been sucked in, washed up, or blown over, but we do not give up or give in to fear.  Instead, we hold on to our faith.  We continue to trust in our God.  We do not allow any fear to overcome our faith, but rather call upon our faith to empower us to overcome any person or circumstance we fear.  Amen!  May it be so! 

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Faith of our Fathers

Pastor Sherry’s message for June 16, 2024

Scriptures: 1 Sam 15:34-16:13; Ps 72; 2Cor 5:6-13;Mk 4:26-34

Happy Father’s Day to all of our fathers with us today. In honor of Father’s Day, I want to share a story of a heroic father.  The man’s name was the Rev. John Harper.  He, along with his 6YO daughter, sailed aboard the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic. We know that on the night of April 14, 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg.  Six watertight compartments were flooded, compromising the remainder of the ship.  As the supposedly unsinkable ocean liner began to submerge into the sea, pastor John Harper, was observed to place his daughter in a life boat, hug and kiss her, and tell her he would see her again someday.  He next walked up the deck of the tilting ship yelling, “Women, children, and all unsaved, into the lifeboats!”  He encouraged the ship’s orchestra, located on the fantail, to play, “Nearer my God to Thee.”  Along with many other stranded passengers, he then jumped into the icy waters and proceeded to swim from person to person trying to lead them to Christ.  He approached one young man holding onto a piece of floating debris.  When Harper asked him if he were saved, he said “No,” and that he wasn’t interested in hearing about Jesus.  Harper then gave him his own life-vest and said, “Then here, you need this more than I do.”  Harper swam over to others, urging them to believe in Jesus.  Passing the young man again, he did succeed in leading him to accept Christ. 

Of the 1,528 people who had jumped into the frigid waters that night, only 6 were rescued by lifeboats.  (Seventy percent of the women and children aboard the Titanic were saved, while only 20% of the men survived.)  One of the men rescued was Agrilla Webb, the young fellow who Harper had at last convinced to confess Jesus.  At a Titanic survivors’ meeting held 6 years later, Webb, in tears, recounted how John Harper had led him to faith. He also said he had witnessed Harper finally succumb to hypothermia and slip down into the frigid sea. Agrilla Webb reported Harper’s final words were, “Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”

(Graham Twelftree, Your Point Being?, Monarch Books, 2003, pp.64-65.)

This is an extraordinary story of both bravery and faith, isn’t it?  John Harper’s daughter, Annie Jessie, survived to become the longest living Scottish survivor of the Titanic.  Hopefully she heard the testimonies of her father’s efforts to lead others into eternal life and his own dying words. 

Several of our Scriptures today have things to say about  Fathers.

A.  In our Old Testament reading, 1 Sam 15:34-16:13, we learn that God has fired Saul as king of Israel and has anointed David in Saul’s place. Apparently Saul, like so many monarchs after him, became too full of himself to seek the Lord.  He was disobedient to God.  He did not really worship God, love Him, or trust Him.  He took credit for what others did and denied responsibility for his wrong actions.  He did not humble himself and ask God’s forgiveness when he sinned.  In sum, Saul seemed to have forgotten that all Israelites kings served at God’s pleasure.

So the Lord sent the prophet Samuel to Bethlehem to seek out the sons of Jesse, to crown from among them Saul’s replacement.  Notice, the prophet does not know ahead of time which of Jesse’s eight sons God has chosen.  Note also that the prophet fears Saul’s retaliation (should he discover why Samuel is there), so he journeys to Bethlehem under a “worship ruse.”  He asks to see Jesse’s sons, and is introduced to Eliab, Abinadab, Shammah, Nethanel, Raddai, Ozem, and Zeruiah, by birth-order.  They are each tall and handsome—much like King Saul.  But God has read their hearts (v.7) and passes on each of them.  Jesse, David’s father, seems to have overlooked his youngest son.   This is not behavior we would expect or admire in a good father.  A good father recognizes his childrens’ gifting and potential, and tries not to “play favorites.”  But Samuel has to request that David be brought forth.  Surprising everyone, including the prophet, David is God’s choice.  Verse 7 explains God’s reasoning for His choice—The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.  Then, according to v.13—…and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.   God then granted David gifts of leadership and a deepening of his faith.  Now God is a good Father!

B.  Psalm 72 was written by King David much later in his life, and constitutes his prayer for his son and successor, King Solomon.  David’s record as a father, unfortunately, is spotty at best.  As a consequence of his sins of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah, the Lord ordained that (2 Samuel 12:10)—Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your [King David’s] house.  David appeared to have ignored and never fully addressed the jealousy and bad feelings between his sons and daughters by different mothers.  He seemed to have favored some over others, and did not discipline his children or intervene to redirect them  as he should have.  But in this psalm, we see he did love Solomon and wish the best for him as King. 

Some portions of the psalm point to the King of Kings, when Jesus will return to earth a second time.  But others are direct prayers that the Lord will help Solomon to love justice and righteousness; to judge his people rightly; to treat the marginalized fairly and mercifully; and to defend the defenseless.  

King David’s example shows us that a good father prays for his children.

C. Our Gospel lesson, Mark 4:26-32, presents us with two parables involving seeds:

The first involves scattering seed on the ground.  No matter what the man does, waking or sleeping, the seed “does its thing.  The man may apply some fertilizer or water, but God superintends the growth!  In a sense, how the seed grows is a mystery.  We know the seed takes root, sends a shoot erupting through the earth, which then becomes a stalk, finally bearing fruit as it ripens.  But we don’t really know how it happens.  The planter/farmer harvests what God has caused to grow.  Notice, the role of the person:  The man broadcasts the seed, but he cannot really control the growth.  In God’s Kingdom, that part is left up to God.

Pastor John Harper called those who faced death on the Titanic to new life in Christ Jesus.  He spread the word.  Jesus brought in the harvest!

Think about what Christ did with this one man.  He used him to rescue the lost into lifeboats, then to bring the drowning to a saving faith in Christ.

Consider who sowed into your life?  On this Father’s Day, was it your dad–or another Father-figure (a spiritual father)?  Perhaps it was a spiritual Mother?  My Grandmothers both told me about Jesus.  Did the peace and joy of a Christian friend convince you?  You may want to thank whoever it was.

The second parable is the famous one of the mustard seed.  My father’s mother gave me a necklace containing a mustard seed when I was a child.  I understood it meant that my faith might start small, but like the tiny seed, it could grow into a large tree if I nurtured my relationship with Jesus.  Looking back on this as an adult, I also think she meant to remind me that God likes to use little things–little people, like Jesse’s youngest child, David–to do great works. 

Both of these interpretations of the mustard seed are correct, but they also seem just a little too safe!  Jesus taught in parables in order to challenge people’s thinking.  He hoped to overturn their usual assumptions, to frustrate and then transform them–and us.  It was a hated Samaritan who nursed the Jewish man back to health; the shepherd left the 99 to go rescue the one lost sheep; the father forgives the prodigal son and reinstates him—even though he had wasted his father’s resources–while the righteous elder son sulks; the last laborer gets the same pay as those who toiled longest.  Pick your favorite.  In most all of them, Jesus turns human logic on its ears.

So we want to look for what might be radical about a mustard seed, or the ways in which Jesus might just be challenging our common conceptions.  As a result, I think Jesus is directing us not toward cultivated mustard, which grows in rows, and is used in medicines and as a spice.  I think He is referring to wild mustard, the Biblical equivalent of Kudzo!  Wild mustard is a weed that you would hate to take root in your yard or garden.  Like bamboo, ivy, potato vines, or dandelions, it just takes over!  Normally, cultivated mustard grows in shrubs that reach 3-4 feet high.  Wild mustard, can however, become tree-sized, if allowed to run amok. 

Could our Lord be telling us, tongue in cheek, I’m not saying God’s Kingdom grows like a tame and cultivated variety of plant, carefully shaped by humankind into something resembling an English garden (or clipped and snipped to look like Mickey Mouse).  Oh no!  I’m talking about God’s Kingdom reaching out and overtaking people, one sinner, or one swimmer, at a time.

The Kingdom of God—or God’s reign—is not something you or I can limit or manage.  Our job is to tell people about Jesus.  We put the word out there.  Then God superintends the growth.  He is not looking for results from us but obedience.  Then, like the seed described in the 2nd parable, and like Pastor Harper, God’s Kingdom moves at the direction of the Holy Spirit.

On this Father’s Day, and always, may our love of Jesus spread like Kudzo.  AMEN!  May it be so!

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams