mission

Sunday’s Sermon – Creation’s Cries – Romans 8:18-25

July 21, 2019 Leave a Comment

This July, our summer sermon series pairs Scripture texts with well-known and loved books by Dr. Seuss as modern parables to deepen our exploration of faith in the world together. This week our Dr. Seuss classic is Horton Hears a Who!

Have you heard the expression “mom brain”? It’s usually a joking-but-true phrase we use to ascribe the phenomenon of how after having children, a woman sometimes loses the ability to keep things straight and are forgetful, to say the least. This is particularly true in those early, sleep-deprived months, but its effects are surprisingly long-lasting. The parenting load is no joke, and the struggle is real. But, truth-be-told, the idea that having children changes things is a scientifically proven fact.

Research shows that pregnancy changes the architecture of the brain for at least two years in areas that govern the understanding of the thoughts, feelings, beliefs and intentions of others[i].

One of the ways this is seen is in a woman’s response to her crying baby.

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health watched the behavior of 684 mothers who had infants approximately 5 months old in North and South America, three countries in Western Europe, two in sub-Saharan Africa, one in the Middle East and two in East Asia. Mothers in all of those places were more likely than not to do the same thing when their infant cried in distress: they picked them up, held them and talked to themⁱ.

And while this might seem like a common response, the neurological responses showed a much different reaction between mothers and other women without children. In mothers,

these responses were deeply wired into the nervous system at a level that is typically associated with instincts. . . the crying of babies triggered the moms’ brains to move and prepare to talk, even before the mothers had necessarily processed what was happening and what they needed to doⁱ.

In summary, those who were parents had an innate instinctual connection with those crying out, and a response of care almost before they could even think about it.

If such a connection is hard-wired into us as humans, how much more must it be hard-wired into God’s relationship with us as Creator? The entire witness of Scripture reveals a God who longs to be in relationship with God’s creation. Over and over again, God seeks out covenant with God’s people, offering grace and love in the Hebrew and New Testament scriptures alike. And here, in Paul’s letter to the Romans, we are reminded of God’s care and presence for what God has created even in the midst of creation’s cries.

N.T. Wright describes this Spirit-inspired prayer as “the beating heart of [Paul’s] whole sequence of thought[ii].”

No matter what, Paul says, God is listening and preparing to free God’s people from bondage and usher in a new age of redemption, where cries will be no more. Through Christ, God responds to the cries of creation for wholeness.

Just as God led God’s people through the wilderness to freedom, so the Spirit leads all of God’s children to a life of freedom.
. . .
Paul’s claims are expansive: everything will be redeemed – all of creation, our bodies, the substance of this earth[iii].

The knowledge of all of this leads Paul into a description of hope; a hope for what is not yet seen. Blair Alison Pogue notes that we don’t really live in a world of hope, saying:

Most Americans are optimistic, but not hopeful[iv].

In the midst of struggle, we want things to work out for the best, but aren’t necessarily convinced that it’s really possible. Vaclav Havel, 20^th century Czech writer, statesmen and former president, talked about hope as prophetic and more as:

an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart. It transcends the world that is immediately experienced, and is anchored somewhere beyond its horizons[v].

Put this way, then, hope is about anchoring our hearts beyond ourselves. This is what Paul was writing about to the Romans. For Paul,

Christian hope is not pie in the sky; it is hope rooted in what Paul calls “the first fruits of the Spirit” (v. 23). This metaphor of the first fruits means that in Christ we already have come to know the power of life over death. We already know freedom. We already know love. We have tasted the first fruits, and they have whetted our appetite for the final banquet. We do have out-of-hand expectations. Because we know the first fruits, we rejoice at the loving, the living, and the freedom. We hunger for more, and we cry out wherever love is absent, life is shortened, and freedom is taken away. The church of Jesus Christ is the community of sisters and brothers who live in anticipation of a new birth of freedom, a new day of loving, and an inheritance of life abundant[vi].

What does it look like to live in this kind of community? Horton the elephant gives us a clue in the Dr. Seuss classic, Horton Hears a Who!. In the midst of his everyday life, this elephant pauses to listen for a call to help. And rather than ignore it, or pass it on as someone else’s problem, Horton makes it his mission to protect and care for that little voice on the speck of dust, because “a person’s a person, no matter how small.” He goes to great lengths, extraordinary lengths, to attend to what we learn is not just one little voice, but a whole people down in Whoville who are at risk. He embodies what it means to be a caretaker of God’s creation, even at the risk of his reputation and at times his safety. He is mocked and ridiculed by others who cannot, or perhaps choose not, to hear the cries of those small voices. He goes out of his way, quite literally, to seek out the speck in a whole field of clover, determined to not let it get lost now that he is aware of its presence. And he endures harsh treatment and even imprisonment for daring to advocate for the smallest of the small, all while trying to encourage their voices.

Where are the “specks” in our world? The list is likely larger than the three million clovers Horton sorted through in that field to find his friends. I wonder if that scene might remind us that there are countless issues and concerns, the majority quite worthwhile, but that some will quite literally call to us more than others, and be the ones the Spirit is nudging us to be passionate about. Throughout Scripture, we hear such calls, to care for and attend to the lost and the lonely, the widow and the orphan, the stranger living among us. Those, along with others on the margins of society, were the ones Jesus himself spent the most time with, and are the ones that are crying out, waiting and longing to be heard. And creation needs, God needs, Hortons in the world to hear and respond: to the older adult who feels forgotten, to the prisoner whose family can no longer visit because he’s been moved even farther away, to the child at the border who does not know if or when she will see her mother again, to the young adult who is struggling with addiction, to the child terrified to go back to school because of bullies. For these, and all of those instances where creation is crying out, who will listen? Who will respond?

This morning, I have a present for each of you. I have a basket full of “specks” and invite you, following worship, to take one home with you. Carry it around for a while, kind of like Horton did, as a prompt to engage in active listening for who God might be calling you to hear. Living in this kind of anticipation puts us into an active relationship with the world, not just as we know it, but in the fullness of all who is. And we might just be able to hope for things we do not even see as a result.

Vaclav Havel reminds us that:

Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously headed for early success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed. The more unpromising the situation in which we demonstrate hope, the deeper that hope is. Hope is not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. In short, I think that the deepest and most important form of hope, the only one that can keep us above water and urge us to good works, and the only true source of the breathtaking dimension of the human spirit and its efforts, is something we get, as it were, from ‘elsewhere.’ It is also this hope, above all, that gives us the strength to live and continually to try new things, even in conditions that seem as hopeless as ours do, here and now[vii].

So may we listen, and act, and live into being the good caretakers and stewards of creation that God intended us to be – for all of God’s children and all of God’s world. Even when it seems impossible or futile, even when it means we’re putting ourselves out there. May this be our call: not just being satisfied with the present, but living into the future promised by God. For this, all of creation cries out. Amen.

~Sermon preached by Rev. Elizabeth Lovell Milford, July 21, 2019

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[i] Belinda Luscombe, “Here’s How Mothers Around the World React When Their Babies Cry,” https://time.com/4992130/motherhood-crying-babies/, accessed 7/20/19

[ii] N.T. Wright, “Romans,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible (Nashville: Abingdon, 2002), 10:591. As quoted by Karen Chakoian in “Exegetical Perspective: Romans 8:12-25,” Feasting on the Word: Year A, Volume 3, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, editors (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011).

[iii] Karen Chakoian,“Exegetical Perspective: Romans 8:12-25,” Feasting on the Word: Year A, Volume 3, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, editors (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011).

[iv] Blair Alison Pogue, “Homiletical Perspective: Romans 8:12-25,” Feasting on the Word: Year A, Volume 3, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, editors (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011).

[v] Vaclav Havel, Disturbing the Peace, as quoted by the Vaclav Havel Library Association, https://www.vhlf.org/havel-quotes/disturbing-the-peace/, accessed 7/20/19.

[vi] David M. Greenhaw, “Pastoral Perspective: Romans 8:12-25,” Feasting on the Word: Year A, Volume 3, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, editors (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011).

[vii] Vaclav Havel, Disturbing the Peace, as quoted by the Vaclav Havel Library Association, https://www.vhlf.org/havel-quotes/disturbing-the-peace/, accessed 7/20/19.

Sunday’s Sermon – Sent – Luke 10:1-11

July 14, 2019 Leave a Comment

“Congratulations! Today is your day!” our book this week begins. It could also be a modernization of Jesus’ instructions to his disciples. While often we think about Jesus sending the disciples out into the world with the Great Commission in Matthew 28 which called us into worship this morning, our text from the gospel of Luke reveals another sending of the disciples that is equally compelling. On his way toward Jerusalem, Jesus sends out disciples to spread the good news to all the world. And did you catch the number? It’s more than “the 12” we tend to cite. It’s 70, and that number is significant. It mirrors the number presented in the list of all nations in Genesis 10 alongside the story of the tower of Babel. Thus, we are meant to understand it to be complete. It is a monumental moment in the gospel, furthering Luke’s insistence on sharing stories that reveal God’s desire for the gospel to truly be for all peoples and all nations, a theme that continues well into the book of Acts. One step further, this is a story about what it means to be in community together. The disciples are even sent out two-by-two. Mitties McDonald DeChamplain offers that:

Jesus is clearly affirming that proclaiming the good news of the kingdom is not a solo performance, but a communal and relational activity – a concert of the whole body of those commissioned. The message is ever inclusive and expansive[i].

But, before the disciples can race on their way, Jesus has some words of wisdom for what they might expect. He lays out the possibilities for them for the road ahead. You know the countless locker room scenes shown in tv, the movies, or even real-life sporting event coverage? The coach tends to have an uplifting, inspiring speech. The players are captivated and focused, and everyone leaves cheering because of how pumped up they are? Yeah – this isn’t quite that pep talk. You see, Jesus lays out for them not just the exciting and wonderful good news that is the message they will deliver; he also tells them to brace for things that are difficult. They’ll have to figure out their way without carrying much of anything with them. But more disturbing, they may face total rejection. Here in 11 verses, Jesus describes what life looks like as a disciple, and it’s full of ups and downs.

Dr. Seuss’s last book, published in 1990, was Oh! The Places You’ll Go!. It quickly became a best-seller and reached #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. It still remains near the top of those lists, especially in the springtime, when there is a bump as it’s purchased for its words of wisdom to new graduates. Ready for the roller coaster? The book begins with that uplifting notion, quite literally with a hot air balloon soaring. But then bang-ups and hang-ups happen. You can be left in the Lurch. Confusion sets in on which way to go. You get stalled out in the tediousness of waiting. Until you don’t, and then you’re barreling ahead to fame and fortune. Or the bottom can fall out and leave you lonely, or scared. Surrounded by fears that threaten to overwhelm. And you get mixed up with all sorts of strange birds. But you can, and will, do amazing and marvelous things in the end. Whew! It’s a whirlwind of experiences, all wrapped up neatly in rhyme. But, isn’t it also a depiction of the realities of the journeys of life?

That same kind of comprehensive description of the way things might be is what Jesus gives to the disciples in Luke’s gospel. I love that Jesus paints such a realistic picture of life. He doesn’t look at the crowds that have been following them and promise them something that is perfect. He doesn’t promise riches or good health or any form of guaranteed benefit for doing this work. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not a guarantee of “the good life” here and now. In fact, sometimes it’s quite the opposite. DeChamplain continues saying:

The reality that many things can devour and diminish the commitment of Jesus’ disciples, and the likelihood of rejection on the journey is strong. Those commissioned, however, are not to be people pleasers but God bearers – offering God’s peace to all[ii].

Some days, that will be received well, and community will be formed. Meals will be shared, people will be healed, and the kingdom of God will be glimpsed. But other times, well, it’s just not pretty. And when that happens, Jesus calls his disciples to leave, and not even take the dust from that place with them on their feet. Move on, there is more journeying to do.

We often like to imagine that beautiful mountaintop scene from Matthew, with discipleship being all about going out, preaching the gospel, baptizing babies, and celebrating God’s presence with everyone joining hands and singing happily. But Luke’s version of the kingdom of God is grittier than that, reflecting that life as a disciple can be a bit of a roller coaster. Personally, I find that kind of honesty about life refreshing, because it carves out space for God to be a part of every aspect of our journeys, with us at every twist and turn in the road. And if we know that to be the case from the start, it might be easier for us to find God in the midst of the “Great Balancing Act” we know as life. And if we can do that, we might have a chance at this thing called discipleship.

We know that living a life of faith has its ups and downs. Some days, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and enthusiastic about spiritual practices. Our prayer life feels focused, we are eager to read the Bible or some other devotion. We serve others with love and compassion. We might even come to church with a spring in our step, excited about participating. The music is uplifting and the sermon really hits home with us. Other days, though, it’s not so easy. Our Bibles gather dust on the shelf because life is too chaotic. We rush through prayers or forget them all-together. We would rather hit snooze or go to brunch than attend worship. Or maybe the sermon is a dud. It happens. Or, we want to engage in fellowship, but feel disconnected from others. Maybe we fight some with each other, or grieve the loss of what once was in our faith communities. The list goes on. If we took stock of our lives, attentive to the faith aspects, I imagine we’d also find it full of ups and downs. The good news of today’s text, I think, is that Jesus tells us that’s normal and to be expected. He also calls us to go anyway.

Robert Short gives us wisdom for the journey, saying:

To get lots of mileage, you must have a great mission. If you really want to go great places, then you’ve got to have something great to go for. The greater the goal, the farther you’ll go . . . Furthermore, if you really want to be unconquerable in this quest, if you want to be a winner no matter what happens, then what you are going for must also be unconquerable. It must already be the winner[iii].

He then reassures us that all of this can be accomplished (yes, we’ll do great things! Move mountains even!) – not because of us, but because the work has already been accomplished in Jesus Christ. We are simply called to take that message into the world and share it in as many ways and in as many places as we can, trusting that God has been, is, and will be, responsible for what happens from there.

Two lesser-known theologians, Jake and Elwood Blues quipped “We’re on a mission from God!” Being disciples is not just about coming to worship and professing faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It’s about recognizing that our Lord and Savior launches us into the world. We were not meant to be stagnant beings just biding the time until Jesus comes back. No, we are to go ahead and proclaim his coming. That’s what the seventy were sent to do in Luke, and two thousand years later what we are called to as well.

I think we often forget this part of discipleship – the going part. Especially as a community of faith. Sometimes we treat the church too much like a destination and endpoint for our faith, an offramp instead of an on-ramp on which we accelerate into the world. Carol Howard Merritt challenges us on this complacency, saying:

Too often Christians are shut up in sanctuaries, concerned about leaky roofs and outdated boilers, counting the attendance, and wringing their hands because people do not seem to be worshiping God as they did in the past. Congregations spend so much time caring for their own and feeling anxious about their demise that they sometimes forget that they, like the seventy, have been sent out with the gospel of God’s love and justice and mercy. How can we get out of the pews and join in the mission of God to the world? How, like the seventy, do congregations recognize and embrace their active participation in the reconciling work of God beyond the narrow confines of their own fears and needs?[iv].

The answer, I think, lies in our ability to simply keep going, and stay focused on the call we have been given as disciples. Ultimately, that’s what Jesus tells his followers to do. Don’t carry extra things that will distract or weigh you down, rejoice in the message you’ve been given without trying to bounce around from place to place, and if things happen that block or impede the message, just move on.

In addition to the words from Jesus and Dr. Seuss, this morning we might borrow the lyrics of another poet, Frank Lebby Stanton, who was a popular editorial columnist for the Atlanta Constitution who was named Georgia’s first Poet Laureate in 1925. Among his many writings is a turn of the century poem titled, “Keep a’Goin.” It reads:

If you strike a thorn or rose, Keep a-goin’!
If it hails or if it snows, keep a-goin’!
‘Tain’t no use to sit and whine when the fish ain’t on your line;
Bait your hook an’ keep a-tryin’- keep a-goin’!

When the weather kills your crop, keep a-goin’!
Though it’s work to reach the top, keep a-goin’!
S’pose you’re out o’ ev’ry dime, getting’ broke ain’t any crime;
Tell the world you’re feelin’ prime – keep a-goin’!

When it looks like all is up, keep a-goin’!
Drain the sweetness from the cup, keep a-goin’!
See the wild birds on the wing, hear the bells that sweetly ring,
When you feel like sigin’, sing – keep a-goin’![v]

No matter what, we are called to keep going on the mission Christ has given us – to go into the world, our topsy-turvy, chaotic, ups and downs world, and share what we know to be good news, the very gospel itself. So, let’s do it. We’ve got writers giving us inspiration, Christ himself cheering us on, and we aren’t alone; we get to do this together. Today is our day! With God’s help, we’re off to great places! So, let’s get on our way! Amen.

~Sermon preached by Rev. Elizabeth Lovell Milford, July 14, 2019

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[i] Mitties McDonald DeChamplain, “Homiletical Perspective: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20.” Feasting on the Word: Year C, Volume 3, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, editors. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010).

[ii] Mitties McDonald DeChamplain, “Homiletical Perspective: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20.” Feasting on the Word: Year C, Volume 3, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, editors. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010).

[iii] Robert L. Short, The Parables of Dr. Seuss, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008).

[iv] Carol Howard Merritt, “Pastoral Perspective: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20.” Feasting on the Word: Year C, Volume 3, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, editors. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010).

[v] https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/KEEP_A-GOIN%27_by_Frank_Lebby_Stanton_1c.jpg

Sunday’s Sermon – Key Changes – Acts 9:1-20

May 5, 2019 Leave a Comment

This sermon was preached as a part of “Visioning Sunday,” sharing and celebrating God’s call to a new chapter together at Heritage. For more about the context of our new mission/vision statement as well as core values, please go to https://www.heritagepres.com/visioning/

If there’s one thing we post-Resurrection people know about God, it’s that our God is a God of tremendous change. Change is at the heart of our theological identity. Throughout the biblical narrative we see how God is changing the world, and perhaps more importantly, changing the people who are in it. Our text from Acts 9 delivers on this in dramatic fashion. Clearly Saul undergoes a tremendous change on the road to Damascus. He makes an about face, quite literally turning his life around. We hear songs of praise about “seeing the light.” We marvel in his apparent conversion and his dramatic experience of Christ along the way. We say to each other, “yes, this is the kind of change God brings about.”

This text paired with our visioning might bring about some anxiety to you this morning as we think about what the future holds for our congregation. As we consider the proposed mission and vision statement and core values, we become keenly aware that change is on the horizon. Our next step, strategic planning, will include analyzing ministries and sharing ideas for new initiatives. It seems that change is inevitable.

David LaMotte, a singer/songwriter, peacemaker and speaker, writes about change in a book titled Worldchanging 101: Challenging the Myth of Powerlessness. He challenges the ways we often view change and our role in it in the world in relation to a “Hero Narrative.” That is, we asasume that “things change when someone extraordinary encounters a moment of crisis and does something dramatic[1].” Sound familiar? We are quick to assume that all of our experiences of great change, in life or in faith, have to happen like they did with Saul on the road to Damascus. But nestled within this text is another story of change that I think might be more compelling and applicable as we engage in visioning together in the character of Ananias.

Have you ever been singing along to your favorite song on the radio, grooving with your windows down, drumming on the steering wheel, when all of a sudden the music shifts? A bridge comes in, throwing you off the predictable verse and chorus pattern and changing the feel of the song? Often, this shift brings along something else with it – a key change. Key changes present a similar melody heard in a different way. They indicate growth. They challenge us – that note that was just at the top of our range now threatens to be out of reach. They can change the whole feel of the song. Although they are less dramatic than say, changing the radio station entirely to get to a new song, I think these more subtle changes, key changes, add incredible dimension to our favorite songs, and are worth our attention and appreciation. They remind us that change isn’t always about learning a totally different song; it’s about modulation, which simply adds interest and dimension to the rich melody and pattern that already is there.

This is the story of Ananias. Not much is said about him, but we assume he’s your status-quo new Christian. He’s a faithful disciple living to Damascus, and like any good disciple, has volunteered when called upon by God. That is, until he hears what God wants him to do. You can imagine him saying, “Hold on just a minute, God, you want me to do WHAT? Don’t you know WHO this guy is? He’s out to get all of us, by any means necessary. You’ve got to be kidding me.” God, of course, doesn’t miss a beat, assuring Ananias that God does know what God is doing. God is in charge, and will take care of what needs to be taken care of in regards to Saul. But God has bigger plans for Saul that involve sharing the most incredible story of all to not only God’s people Israel, but to the Gentiles, too. Although it shouldn’t be too surprising to Ananias or us that God uses an imperfect person with a troubled past to share the good news, the reality of it being Saul, an active, avid, rabid persecutor of Christians, makes it almost impossible to imagine, much less support. Some doubt is understandable and expected. After all, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” And we are all familiar with the idea of “fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” We approach things cautiously, particularly when it involves personal risk of harm. This, in the most critical of ways, is the experience of Ananias.

To be clear, God isn’t asking Ananias to have the kind of reversal or conversion that it appears Saul is undergoing. But God is asking Ananias to change his tune, to elevate his discipleship to a new level that may very well be a reach for him. God is asking Ananias to experience a tremendous life-view change that widens his understanding of who is included in God’s kingdom, who God is calling to lead, and what it literally looks like to follow Christ.

David LaMotte reminds us that,

It is not naïve to think that you can change the world. In fact, it is naïve to think that you could possibly be in the world and not change it. Everything you do changes the world whether you like it or not. So the questions we must ask ourselves are, ‘Which changes will we make?’, and ‘How will we go about making them?’[2]

Cue the bridge and key change, because Ananias follows God’s instructions. He enters the house and completes the task at hand, laying his hands on one who by all accounts would be his enemy, and trusting the Holy Spirit to cover the rest. It is an incredible moment of reconciliation, as Ananias names Saul as a brother in faith. His faithfulness allows Saul to complete his conversion and go on to proclaim Jesus as Lord. And, of course, we know that Paul’s story doesn’t end here. He has a lot more to say about Christ, and the church is richer because of his wisdom and writings even today.

For Ananias, change came because of God’s vision, and his willingness to listen. Even when it seemed counterintuitive, he was willing to shift, just a little bit, and open himself to the possibility that God had a bigger perspective than he did. He trusted in God’s guidance and was willing to follow and see where it led.

I love that this is the text for us today, because it reminds us that we don’t have to rewrite the songs or invent a totally new melody in order to be a part of what God is doing. Perhaps we are simply called to take the good news that we know and put it through a key change. That’s what our Visioning process is all about. It’s less about those grand hero moments and sweeping changes, and instead about finding out the work that is ours to do next. To be willing, as Ananias was, to discover God’s vision and have the courage to say we will try to be disciples in ways that are familiar AND in ways that are surprising. So that the song God has given us, as individuals and as a community of faith, might take on new life to carry us into the future. May it be so. Amen.

~sermon by Rev. Elizabeth Lovell Milford, Heritage Presbyterian Church, May 5, 2019

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[1] David LaMotte, Worldchanging 101: Challenging the Myth of Powerlessness. (Black Mountain, NC: Dryad Publishing, 2014).

[2] LaMotte.

Sunday’s Sermon – Caretakers of Creation – 1 John 3:16-24

April 22, 2018 Leave a Comment

Being in love can make us do some pretty unusual and outright crazy things. Remember when Tom Cruise jumped on Oprah’s couch? Perhaps you have a “friend” with an impulsive tattoo. Affection for another changes our brain chemistry, and alters the way we interact in some ways. It doesn’t always have to be extreme, necessarily. It could be as simple as picking up a favorite candy bar or flowers, just because you saw them and thought of that special someone, or taking on that extra task around the house because you know they hate to do it, even though truthfully you do as well. That’s love. It’s not restricted to a significant other, of course. Parents are known for actions towards their children that clearly are only done out of love, whether it’s putting out a hand for their toddler’s half-chewed food, or sitting through eighteen intermediate piano students playing “The Entertainer” at a concert. We also extend such loving courtesies to friends. How many times have you ever done someone a favor and replied “you know I’m only doing this because I love you, right?” In a variety of ways, it is clear that one way we show love is through our actions.

That is the heart of today’s message from 1 John. In this letter, the writer essentially interprets the gospel of John for a new generation. Throughout this general letter, patterns of recurring themes emerge. He fleshes out a bit more about what Jesus meant by that commandment to “love one another,” and “serve each other” in ways that were directly relatable to those reading his words. He is a wise veteran Christian leader, who: continues to help the young believers and their struggling churches to deal with the challenges of their new faith[i].

Although his context is not immediately clear, his interpretation of the relevance of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection is to the point.

I love how Eugene Peterson paraphrases the central idea of the text in verse 18:

My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality[ii].

The writer of 1 John knows that love is revealed in one’s actions, and love always starts with God. The origin of this, of course, is in remembering the love with which God sent Jesus Christ into the world, and the love of Christ’s action of laying down his life for us. There is no greater love than this. The actions of God reveal to us God’s love. Jesus Christ, in the flesh, is evidence of God’s love in the world.

The pairing for this text in the lectionary is from John’s gospel, which alongside other texts for the day, is what gives this fourth Sunday of Easter the nickname “Good Shepherd Sunday.” On this day, we are called to think about the role Christ played as Shepherd, and God plays as caretaker in our lives. Specifically, we are invited to note the way the shepherd sets aside selfish ambition and personal interests for the needs of the sheep – sacrifice. This framework offers a perfect backdrop for the instructions in 1 John, because it sets up the foundation of serving and caring for others as the basis for our lives, if we truly wish to be ones who consider ourselves followers of the Good Shepherd.

The love of God through Jesus Christ should inspire us. That’s the writer’s point. It’s a pretty simple and straightforward understanding of discipleship: because God loves us, we are called to love one another. On the whole, I think we are good with articulating this vision of what it means to be Christian, particularly inside these walls on a Sunday morning. We can even become quite good about talking about God’s love for us, and how we should love our neighbors. Of course, it’s not quite as easy to live out as it is to say. The grit of everyday puts countless opportunities in front of us to love people, not in some theoretical, abstract way, but in the right in front of you, staring you in the face kind of way. And more often than not, what stares you in the face is exactly what gets on your last nerve, or what you don’t have time for that day. This is where the rubber meets the road in our faith, and our text reminds us of our calling. Or, to put it another way, as author and pastor A. W. Tozer said:

we cannot pray in love and live in hate and still think we are worshipping God.

Instead we are called to love. And it starts with what is right in front of us. So while this may seem like a passage that doesn’t exactly break any revolutionary news to us about what it means to follow Christ, it probably is one we need to hear repeatedly in order for it to really sink in. Going further, he reminds us that the presence of such loving actions is how we know that we are truly following God and living in God’s kingdom here and now.

One example of this is through Santa’s Caravan, who will welcome the Georgia Boy Choir here this afternoon at 4 pm for an incredible benefit concert followed by dinner. It’s more than just a time to enjoy world-class music. It is supporting a ministry that lives out what 1 John is talking about. The roots of this program came from a wonderful volunteer working in our food pantry looking in the eyes of brothers and sisters in need, realizing that for some children, right in our adjacent neighborhoods, Christmas would not be bringing the same kind of joy that so many others had. Now, years later, we still look eye to eye with our brothers and sisters in need, and Santa’s Caravan is one way we live out the love in action of the gospel, providing gifts and food yes, but also providing connection and hope, acknowledgement and support. There is no doubt in my mind, having experienced only two of these incredible seasons so far, that God’s Spirit is present in this work.

There are many other examples, of course, of what it looks like to care for those around us. But today I want to offer one more that might take us on a slightly different course, yet still within the realm of I think where the passage leads. As you might have noted on your calendars, today is also Earth Day, a now worldwide tradition spanning back 48 years. According to EarthDay.org, the idea of this day came from then U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969. He tapped into the emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution and brought environmental protection onto the national political agenda, by encouraging Congress to pursue a “national teach-in” on the environment. What resulted was about 20 million Americans demonstrating on April 22, 1970, realizing that although their specific passions were different, from oil spills to polluting factories to loss of wilderness and extinction of wildlife, they shared common values – they wanted to be caretakers of creation. Today, it is estimated that over 1 billion people in 192 countries[iii].

If we are called, as God’s created and loved beings, to care for one another, not just in words, but also in action, doesn’t it make sense that some of that responsibility applies to how we treat all of what God has created, from our fellow humankind to animals to the earth itself? It follows, from 1 John and John 10, that being “caretakers of creation” is meant to be an all-encompassing idea. After all, by caring for the world in which we live, we are working to make a better world for our brothers and sisters now, and those who will come in the future. We are not called to be self-serving consumers, grabbing all we can get. Instead, we are called to take what we have, particularly our material resources, and share them with others – or at least protect them so more can use it.

Creation care is another way, then, that we live out God’s instructions to love. It can be as simple as seeing a piece of trash and picking it up, or following the classic “reduce, reuse, recycle.” It can look like considering own usage of plastic products, which have been identified as one of the most dangerous threats to both nature and wildlife. Presbyterians have been doing this for years. In fact, since 1995 we even have an organization within our denomination expressly for this purpose: Presbyterians for Earth Care. Their purpose is:

Connecting members through a grassroots network of people seeking to keep the sacred at the center of earth care, advocacy and action both inside and outside the walls of the church.
Equipping members with resources, ideas and information for a shared journey toward a healthier planet by growing and sharing theological understandings and perspectives on eco-justice issues.
Inspiring members through stories of individuals and groups who have responded to the sacred call to care for the earth – stories told person to person at events, and by newsletter, email, social media and devotions[iv].

Their work helps us pay attention to our call to be caretakers of creation, whether it’s making our physical buildings more eco-friendly or advocating for better responses to climate change. Here at Heritage, we are a part of similar work. Kevin’s Garden provides opportunities for our community to care for the land we have been given and provide food for others: it is a movement towards justice in that way. Our worship committee chose the Palms we did this year for Palm Sunday from a company called “Eco-Palms,” who in addition to providing a fair wage for their laborers, commits to harvesting practices that are more ecologically sustainable[v]. It is a small way we can live into the calling we have from 1 John 4 to use our means to act in love for God’s people, and God’s creation. Being caretakes of creation connects us to one another. Our PCUSA Co-Moderator, Rev. Tawnya Denise Anderson, reported on Facebook yesterday that during the Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Washington D.C., a pastor from Flint, Michigan, Rev. Monica Villarreal, shared in a workshop that she can’t even baptize with the water that comes out of her church’s tap. As brothers and sisters in faith, we cannot hear that news and simply respond with our “thoughts and prayers.” We have to put our love in active response. The opportunities will always be right in front of us.

Friends, we are called to pay attention, to see the needs of the world around us, in every sense of the word, and respond in love-filled action. In this, we become caretakers of creation, following the Good Shepherd who continues to lead us in acts of compassion and justice, who put everything on the line for us, that we might have a freedom to love as radically as possible. So may God’s love for you through Christ give you that freedom and courage to act, for the sake of the gospel. Amen.

~Rev. Elizabeth Lovell Milford
April 22, 2018

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[i] William I. Self, “Homiletical Perspective:1 John 3:16-24,” Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 2, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, editors, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008).
[ii] Eugene H. Peterson, The Message Remix (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2006).
[iii] https://www.earthday.org/about/the-history-of-earth-day/
[iv] http://presbyearthcare.org/
[v] For more about eco-palms, go to https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/compassion-peace-justice/hunger/enough/eco-palms-2/

Sunday’s Sermon – Well-Fed – Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Matthew 25:31-46

November 26, 2017 Leave a Comment

Today is Christ the King Sunday, one of those lesser known “high and holy” theological days that actually is the last one in the liturgical year. As you might expect from the name, this Sunday celebrates the rule of Christ as Lord over all creation, the King of Kings. And in this, we have the opportunity to pause and consider what it means exactly to call Jesus our Lord, and what king of King he really is. But frankly, royalty isn’t really a concept we deal with too often nowadays. The most news I seem to hear about royalty revolves around the hairstyle and clothing choices of Kate Middleton, or glimpses of royalty with King Friday and Prince Tuesday in the land of make believe in Daniel Tiger. None of these seem to be particularly helpful to me in understanding Jesus. In fact, that make it quite comical.

Fortunately, the Bible is full of illustrations of kingship, including our texts today, which call attention to Jesus and God as a shepherd. Interestingly, this was quite the common way to refer to kings and rulers in secular settings as well dating back centuries. Leaders were expected to show kindness, protect the vulnerable, pursue justice, and guide people through every difficulty, as shepherds care for a flock. That was the mark of an excellent king. So, to say Jesus or God is a shepherd is to affirm that the very nature of God is to care for all of us sheep, and at the same time, to proclaim the reign of God and Christ over all.

Although Psalm23 might be the first to come to mind with this concept, Ezekiel 34 offers a rich commentary on what it means for God to be a shepherd, reminding us of the very nature of God, the one who came to us in the person of Jesus Christ, has always been interested in the care of the flock. This morning’s text from the prophet speaks words of hope in the midst of many passages that serve as sobering oracles of doom for God’s people[i]. Ezekiel is a book full of visions recorded by the prophet, dated in the opening verses as “in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month,” which most scholars date at the start of the sixth century BCE in the time leading up to the fall of Jerusalem in 586, making this a book written to God’s people during the exile and Babylonian captivity, with some even noting it may have come from oral speeches[ii]. The language is complex and themes sophisticated, suggesting the author to be among the intellectual elite of his day, speaking and writing to other leaders from the southern kingdom of Judah who would have been equipped to understand the intricacies of the historical-political situation of the day.

Chapters 34-48, however, contain oracles of restoration, in which Ezekiel insists that Israel’s exile will not be permanent, for that would be a contradiction with God’s reputation among the nations, instead:

God will regather the people from the nations, return them to their homeland, and ensure that the sins of the past are never repeated . . . [and] will enter into a new covenant with the people[iii].

This is the work of the shepherd outlined in chapter 34, with promises for the sheep of Israel and also for us today about the one we proclaim is king.

Shepherds give up all semblance of a normal life to care for animals that may not even be their own. . .This shepherd image is about love and compassion for another living thing – to the point of self-sacrifice. . . . Being a shepherd means getting dirty, sleeping with the sheep, carrying them to safety, binding their wounds, and caring for their nutritional needs. (vv. 11-16)[iv].

The promise here and throughout our Scriptures is that we will be “well-fed”. How many of you experienced that this week as you celebrated Thanksgiving? According to the small sampling from the poll posted on our church’s Facebook page earlier this week, almost half of your enjoy stuffing or dressing the most, followed by turkey, with a three way tie between cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie for third. For many of us, the image of Thanksgiving is an abundant feast, with countless dishes spread on a large table surrounded by family and friends, that usually ends with some sort of “food coma” as we are all well satiated by the meal. Have you heard of “Thanksgiving pants?” (https://thanksgivingdinnerpants.com/) The Stove Top stuffing brand marketed them this season for $20. They SOLD OUT, confirming that for many this holiday seems to bring with it the notion of overconsumption and extravagance. They are basically yoga or legging type pants with pockets, with a top panel almost like maternity clothing (a familiar joke to those familiar with Joey’s “Thanksgiving pants” from an old episode of the tv show “Friends”), so that as you eat, there’s room for your stomach to literally expand without the restrictiveness of an ordinary waistband[v]. One might wonder what the line is between being “well-fed” and “stuffed” is. I think it might be somewhere around when you order special leggings.

The promise in Ezekiel is that all the sheep will be well-fed by God, but with that comes some commentary about those who have become the “fat sheep.” The second section of verses for today speaks of God’s judgment of those who have gotten too fat and happy at the expense of others, pushing and scattering the other sheep for personal gain. In biblical times, these “fat sheep” are equated with those who have failed to be good shepherds. Scholars debate if they might have reference the royal leaders of Israel and Judah, or even foreign rulers who have dominated or plundered from the Israelites. But even with the exact identities unknown, we might guess exactly what the prophet means. A modern day equivalent might be the image of people pushing and shoving their way into stores on Black Friday, literally trampling one another in order to get a low priced tv. Clearly, something is amiss.

As MaryAnn McKibben Dana notes:

Today’s passage is God’s way of saying, “Step aside, shepherds, and let me show you how it’s done.” . . . Ezekiel is vivid here, but not vitriolic; his words are saturated with detail, but not outright disgust. We find no litany of curses, no ranting, not exclamatory hyperbole. God seems resolute but weary – and almost grieved at once again having to set people straight on the path of justice. . . . Like a parent intent on teaching her child, who remembers that calm consistency is the key, God does not fly off the handle. God just quietly but firmly corrects. Again. And again[vi].

God does this because God is a shepherd, and that is what shepherds do in caring for their flocks. You know how I said I didn’t know much about kings? I may know less about shepherding. But this week I learned a bit more as I searched for this week’s bulletin cover image.

The photo captured me right away as I looked for an image of a shepherd, and I found that it was posted on the website for a historic sheep farming property known as Tarndie in south-west Victoria in Australia. I e-mailed the owners, and got this reply from Tom Dennis:

Dear Elizabeth, I’m more than happy for you to use the image of my father Dave. He does know a thing or two about looking after sheep, and they in turn, look after him.[vii]

What a wonderful perspective on what it means to shepherd. I wondered, if this might not be a great way to look at how this description of God as shepherd is meant to connect to our lives today. God knows a thing or two about looking after sheep, and outlines it clearly multiple times in our Scriptures. And, in turn, might we as faithful sheep, be called to look after him?

Jesus’ parable in Matthew’s gospel seems to answer this question. In these familiar words, we also discover the image of the Son of Man, Jesus, God Incarnate, as a shepherd. Like God intervenes with the fat and lean sheep in Ezekiel, Jesus intervenes with the sheep and goats of the gospel, ushering in a meal of justice that humbles the powerful and empowers the humble. And, as Jesus has continued the work of God and demonstrated the same nature of God as shepherd described in Ezekiel 34, here he indicates that his followers are to carry on that same mission: feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and incarcerated. That is the essence of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, a sheep in God’s pasture.

It starts by recognizing our shepherd. A study released earlier this month revealed that sheep, and other animals, are actually able to both recognize and remember each other’s faces and the face of the shepherd, using similar neural networks as humans. The author of the study, Keith Kendrick, is a neuroscientist at the Babraham Institue in Cambridge, England, and worked studying sheep to find that they could easily be trained to associate the particular faces of others in relation to receiving food. And, more than that, he found that the sheep could retain that memory for up to 600-800 days[viii].

“When did we see you? When did we not see you?” are the questions asked by the sheeps and goats in Matthew, both to the same reply, “As you did (or did not) do it to the least of these . . . you did (or did not) do it to me).” The heart of this parable is being able to see the face of the shepherd in the face of those in need. And it’s something even sheep can do.

Seeing the face of the shepherd and recognizing other sheep is what enables us to act in Jesus’ name. As Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon write:

We can only act within a world we can see.

Vision is the necessary prerequisite for ethics[ix].

Jesus’ parable in Matthew helps to give us that vision for what the kingdom of God can be, one in which he is present on the throne of glory, the eternal shepherd. Ezekiel’s description of God as the shepherd does the same thing, speaking to those who may have felt like “the least of these” themselves in the midst of exile. To those who have much and those who have lost it all, the message is that God offers care and compassion, justice and relief, working tirelessly until all the sheep are safely in pasture. The Lord indeed is our shepherd, we shall not want. May we receive that care, and also extend it to others, so that all of God’s children are well-fed. That is what the kingdom of God is meant to look like. Amen.

~Rev. Elizabeth Lovell Milford
November 26, 2017

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[i] For other passages of hope, see Ezekiel 36:1-15; 37:1-14; for examples of the oracles of doom, see Ezek. 5:1-17, 8:1-11:13, among other texts. As outlined in: Walter Brueggemann, Charles B. Cousar, Beverly R. Gaventa, and James D. Newsome, “Proper 28,” Texts for Preaching- Year A, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995).
[ii] Katheryn Pfisterer Darr, “The Book of Ezekiel,” The New Interpreter’s Bible: Volume VI: Introduction to Prophetic Literature, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994).
[iii] Katheryn Pfisterer Darr
[iv] Karyn L. Wiseman, “Homiletical Perspective: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24,” Feasting on the Word: Year A, Volume 2, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, editors, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011).
[v] Go to https://thanksgivingdinnerpants.com/ for pictures and a video commercial.
[vi] MaryAnnMcKibben Dana, “Pastoral Perspective: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24,” Feasting on the Word: Year A, Volume 2, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, editors, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011).
[vii] E-mail correspondence between Tom Dennis and Rev. Elizabeth Milford, November 20, 2017.
[viii] Amanda Onion, “Study: Sheep Recognize Other Sheep, Even People,” ABC News,
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=98209&page=1, accessed 11/22/17.
[ix] Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon in Imaging the Word: An Arts and Lectionary Resource, Volume 3, (Cleveland, Ohio: United Church Press, 1996).

Christmas Traditions – November Newsletter

November 1, 2017 Leave a Comment

Few things match the beauty of Christmas decorations, especially the large scale ones in malls and shopping centers. I still get amazed as I look at all of the bright lights and glistening tinsel; looking at these beautiful seasonal displays really gets me in the Christmas spirit. I remember as a child going with my family to the mall this time of year, to do some shopping, and if we had time, to sit on Santa’s knee. There was an excited anticipation for this trip, wishing and dreaming for what would be under the tree, and having the chance to whisper it in the jolly man’s ear.

Alongside this was another tradition in my family. Usually next to Santa’s workshop in the mall was a special tree, full of paper angels. Each year, my mom would help me pick out an angel to shop for – usually a girl my age, although as I got older I had more input. We would talk about how not all children get to sit on Santa’s lap and have presents under the tree, and how we were going to help be Santa’s elves. We would look over the list, come up with ideas, and then go shopping. I would pick out things that I thought she might like – and if I got stuck, my mom would remind me that this was a little girl just like me, so maybe we liked some of the same things. In a small, but tangible way, my parents taught me that this was what Christmas was all about – giving and sharing. One year, my Girl Scout troop even got to help with a Christmas party the local Salvation Army was throwing for those receiving gifts. I was amazed at the room lined up with presents, and the volunteers hard at work to make sure each child had a special Christmas. I remember the faces of those children, too – just like mine had been in line for Santa, filled with the Christmas spirit as we sang carols, played games, and ate cookies. Thinking back on these moments now, I am pretty sure this is some of what the kingdom of God is like, too.

As I interviewed to become your pastor, Santa’s Caravan was one of the first things I learned about Heritage Presbyterian Church. I was hooked, and loved being a part of this vibrant ministry for the first time last year. The angel tree in our Narthex is a wonderful testament to what it means to be the church, reminding us that we are connected with God’s children not just here, but in our community as well. I encourage you to take an angel off the tree this year in honor of a child in your life, or for an extra challenge, one for each of your own children, nieces and nephews, or grandchildren. If they live locally, consider a “shopping date” with them as a part of your Christmas celebration. I can’t wait to let Nathan loose in the toy section as we pick things out for another special 3 year old boy, and have already made plans with my mom to continue our tradition, with some of our gift to each other being a mother-daughter shopping trip to provide for several more angels.

When we take a tag off the tree, we are doing more than just carrying a shopping list – we are carrying the hopes and dreams of a child with us. We are practicing the kind of presence with others that is at the heart of our Christmas season – the revelation of God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, our Emmanuel, God-with-us. And we experience it ourselves, too. And that is the best Christmas tradition of all.

Sunday’s Sermon – Creation’s Cries – Romans 8:18-25

Sunday’s Sermon – Sent – Luke 10:1-11

Sunday’s Sermon – Key Changes – Acts 9:1-20

Sunday’s Sermon – Caretakers of Creation – 1 John 3:16-24

Sunday’s Sermon – Well-Fed – Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Matthew 25:31-46

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