The thirteen years between my Lutheran pastorate and the Presbyterian one now beginning could aptly be described as my spiritual "wilderness" years. Looking back, just one of the great blessings during that time was FOR ALL THE SAINTS: A Prayer Book For and By the Church. (See link below.) With one's devotional life in view, this four volume set is a unique treasure, and I highly recommend it. If you have questions, do not hesitate to get in touch!
PRD
http://www.alpb.org/for_all_the_saints.html
THE STRAIGHTFORWARD PULPIT
Monday, August 30, 2010
Learn Something New Every Day!
Text: Luke 14:1, 7-14
Theme: “Learn Something New Every Day!”
14th Sunday After Pentecost
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 29, 2010
First Presbyterian Church
Denton, Texas
Rev. Paul R. Dunklau
+In the Name of Jesus+
Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States, once said: “I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” Thus stated, President Lincoln would have surely agreed with this morning’s sermon title; “Learn Something New Every Day.” If studies of the brain are any indication, we do learn something new every day. It’s just that our recall isn’t always up to snuff.
Today is Christian Education Rally Day. Lots of churches have them. It’s the kickoff to the fall season of educational offerings and activities in the life of the congregation. Calling it Rally Day suggests that there should be some pep, some zest, zip, and excitement to the proceedings – and rightly so. It’s a new beginning and a new opportunity for everyone to learn something new and to expand the horizons of mind and spirit. It is the time to recognize and honor both those who teach and those who learn; all who nurture faith in others. We thank God for them all! It is a time for the entire congregation to rally behind God's intention that all Christians--children, youth and adults--grow and learn; a day for congregations to celebrate their ministry of Christian education!
We can smile when we take a trip down memory lane and think back with a pinch of nostalgia on those first back to school days of yesteryear. Some of us couldn’t wait; others of us didn’t look forward to it at all. I remember going shopping with mom shortly before the start of school. I’d get some new clothes and then school supplies – like pads and notebooks, pens and pencils, erasers and crayons. Quick question: which package of Crayola crayons was your favorite? If the Crayola website is to be trusted, there are now forty seven different packages and combinations of crayons to choose from. And I just had to look! My favorite one is still on the market. I liked the 64 Crayola crayon box with the built-in crayon sharpener. Take a new box of 64 to school and you were surely Joe Cool. You felt superior to those who had only the sixteen pack or the even the eight pack. But sometimes those who exalted themselves in the knowledge that they had a 64 crayon box were humbled by those who only had an 8 crayon box. Some of those 8 crayon box kids were much better in art class, you see.
Learn something new every day! Everyone does it – from the infant awkwardly learning to walk to the summa cum laude graduate student who just earned a second Ph.D. in international economics.
Speaking of learning, time to test your knowledge of sports: who played for the New York Yankees baseball team, the New York Knicks basketball team, and the New York Rangers hockey team all in the same year? The answer is: the organist, Gladys Gooding. Not into sports? How about geography? Here goes: what creatures are the Canary Islands named for? The answer is: dogs. Both of these questions have something in common: they are the stuff of pure trivia; the information is essentially worthless.
We turn to the Bible and ask yet another question: why do we study it? There are all kinds of answers to that question – some good, some better, and some great. As you think about it, I’m going to go through some Bible basics. It, the Bible, is a library of sixty six books written over a period of about two thousand years. It’s divided into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament has thirty nine books. The New Testament has twenty seven books. There are different types of literature in the Bible – such as history, poetry, prophecy, prayer, hymnody, biography, letters, and apocalyptic literature. Originally, the Old Testament was written primarily in the Hebrew language. The New Testament was written in the Greek language, and, specifically, the “koine” Greek language or common language of the people. For most of Christianity’s existence the Latin edition of the Bible called the Vulgate was in use. Then along came Martin Luther in the 1500s who translated the Bible into his mother-tongue of German. Ever since, the Bible has been translated into a host of different languages and versions. Probably the most famous – and still used – version is the King James.
But back to the question: why do we study the Bible? I’ll tell you why we don’t. We don’t study the Bible in order to become better Bible trivia players. More and more, it seems that there are more opinions about the Bible than actual knowledge of it. Some see it as a collection of fairy tales with a religious twist. Others see it as a catalog of myths collected down through the centuries. Others see it as a volume of morals. Some see it as a catalog of rules, regulations, and laws – both civil and religious -- that really have no more bearing on modern life. Still others see it as a “How to” book – where God shows people of all ages “how to” live. Some see it as a love letter from God, but they soon discover that there’s some tough love in their too. Some see it as historically inaccurate. Others see it as inerrant and infallible. Some are afraid of getting hold of the Bible for fear that it might get a hold on them. Get season tickets to the Cowboys and some might call you quite a fan. If people start noticing you read the Bible, they might call you a fanatic! People are confused by the Bible, bored by it, inspired by it, upset by it, changed by it. Some use it as a kind of political battering ram to reinforce their political point of view. You can get the Bible to justify just about anything. For example: The Bible says, “Judas went out hung himself.” Okay. The Bible also says: “Go and do thou likewise.” Furthermore, the Bible says “What you do, do quickly.” Do you see? I’ve just used the Bible to encourage you to take your own life, and, of course, that’s ridiculous. But you get the point. So many things in the Bible are taken out of context that it all but boggles the mind.
Not long from now, Lord willing, I will stand before God and all of you at a service of ordination. The moderator of my ordination will ask me this question: “Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s Word to you?” With conscience clear, I plan to answer yes because that’s exactly what I understand the Bible to be: that unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ!
Some people I know have read the Bible through, cover to cover, more than one time in their lives. And that’s fine. But, since the Bible is library of books, someone might ask for a suggestion on which book or books to read first. My response is always to start with one of the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. If that’s too many choices, choose Mark. It’s the shortest and most action-packed of the four!
Today’s selection is from the Gospel of Luke, and we learn something about Jesus right off the bat. He keeps company with all kinds of people. Today we run into Him hanging out with a Pharisee. Now Pharisees were sort of religious lawyers in the time of Jesus. To be sure, they were educated. We are told that this was not just a Pharisee, but a leader of the Pharisees. So this was a higher-up, as they say. As you may know, the Gospels portray Pharisees as not exactly happy campers when it came to Jesus Christ. They caused him a headache or two from time to time.
At any rate, Jesus had their attention; it says they were “watching him closely.” And today, we catch up with him as he goes to enjoy a meal with this leader of the Pharisees. Apparently, it wasn’t just dinner for two since other guests were arriving. Some of those guests wanted a seat at the head table – presumably with Jesus.
Meanwhile, Jesus was doing some close watching of his own. Observing the people jockeying for position, he speaks up: “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place’, and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
I love the story of the proud pastor and the proud astronomer who sat next to each other on an airplane flight. They struck up a conversation, and the pastor started going on about the great theological education he’d received at such and such seminary. The astronomer smiled and said, “I already know everything I need to know about theology. Jesus loves me; this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” He then proceeded to share with the pastor all about the vast amount of graduate level studying he’d done in the field of astronomy. The pastor eventually replied, “Oh, I already know everything I need to know about astronomy. Twinkle! Twinkle little star! How I wonder what you are!” Both of them betray the fact that they were exalting themselves.
What’s the lesson here on Christian Education Rally Day? What can we learn from these words of Jesus? In view of Christian education, those who exalt themselves are the ones who say “I go to church; I attend Sunday School; I know the basics, and that’s good enough for me. I’ve got the good Christian sealof approval. Case closed.” On the other hand, those who humble themselves are the ones who say “I can’t wait to learn more from such a Lord as this; I’m excited to be His disciple; I get to learn my Lord’s way of life and then have the chance, every day, to live it.”
Christians call themselves disciples of Christ. The word disciple literally means learner. If not learner, then not disciple. You may notice the word discipline is in the word disciple. They are linguistically related. And it’s true. Not much learning occurs without some discipline. Yes, we can pick up a few things by osmosis but not much. So attend a class. Go through a study guide on a Bible book with some friends. Read C.S. Lewis or Bonhoeffer. Get to know a child at Denton Christian Preschool. Don’t close your mind – or soul – from the adventure of learning more and more.
I remember a professor from my seminary days in St. Louis. He was originally from Australia. His area of expertise was systematic theology and he was and is the most brilliant man I ever met. He knew Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Greek; he knew Latin; he was conversant in German and had translated the works of German theologians. He was a Lord’s Supper scholar and an example of narrative preaching at its very best. I was in awe of the man – and I still am.
While at seminary, I was once invited to his home with a number of other students. Once in the door, I was treated as though I was the guest of honor -- and all of the other students would have said the same. Rev. Professor Nagel went out of his way to serve us (with food and wine and conversation and some of the lessons he had learned while in seminary and some fine cigars from his humidor). He would literally sit at our feet simply wanting to know, genuinely, how things were going for us. For all of his knowledge (and it was vast), he was the most humble man I ever met. He gave of himself with no thought of return.
Jesus says: “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Clearly, Jesus isn’t talking about manners or social propriety. Neither is he talking about fairness – as in “You serve me; I serve you, and we’re even.” Look deeper at this or even meditate upon it. The Lord is our host. We are His guests. The Lord is sour God; we are His children. In Baptism, He calls us. In the Supper, He feed us. In the Gospel, he proclaims a dying, rising, forgiving love that cannot be separated from us. Can we repay that? No. But we can learn more about it – something new about it! -- every day!
Amen.
Theme: “Learn Something New Every Day!”
14th Sunday After Pentecost
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 29, 2010
First Presbyterian Church
Denton, Texas
Rev. Paul R. Dunklau
+In the Name of Jesus+
Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States, once said: “I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” Thus stated, President Lincoln would have surely agreed with this morning’s sermon title; “Learn Something New Every Day.” If studies of the brain are any indication, we do learn something new every day. It’s just that our recall isn’t always up to snuff.
Today is Christian Education Rally Day. Lots of churches have them. It’s the kickoff to the fall season of educational offerings and activities in the life of the congregation. Calling it Rally Day suggests that there should be some pep, some zest, zip, and excitement to the proceedings – and rightly so. It’s a new beginning and a new opportunity for everyone to learn something new and to expand the horizons of mind and spirit. It is the time to recognize and honor both those who teach and those who learn; all who nurture faith in others. We thank God for them all! It is a time for the entire congregation to rally behind God's intention that all Christians--children, youth and adults--grow and learn; a day for congregations to celebrate their ministry of Christian education!
We can smile when we take a trip down memory lane and think back with a pinch of nostalgia on those first back to school days of yesteryear. Some of us couldn’t wait; others of us didn’t look forward to it at all. I remember going shopping with mom shortly before the start of school. I’d get some new clothes and then school supplies – like pads and notebooks, pens and pencils, erasers and crayons. Quick question: which package of Crayola crayons was your favorite? If the Crayola website is to be trusted, there are now forty seven different packages and combinations of crayons to choose from. And I just had to look! My favorite one is still on the market. I liked the 64 Crayola crayon box with the built-in crayon sharpener. Take a new box of 64 to school and you were surely Joe Cool. You felt superior to those who had only the sixteen pack or the even the eight pack. But sometimes those who exalted themselves in the knowledge that they had a 64 crayon box were humbled by those who only had an 8 crayon box. Some of those 8 crayon box kids were much better in art class, you see.
Learn something new every day! Everyone does it – from the infant awkwardly learning to walk to the summa cum laude graduate student who just earned a second Ph.D. in international economics.
Speaking of learning, time to test your knowledge of sports: who played for the New York Yankees baseball team, the New York Knicks basketball team, and the New York Rangers hockey team all in the same year? The answer is: the organist, Gladys Gooding. Not into sports? How about geography? Here goes: what creatures are the Canary Islands named for? The answer is: dogs. Both of these questions have something in common: they are the stuff of pure trivia; the information is essentially worthless.
We turn to the Bible and ask yet another question: why do we study it? There are all kinds of answers to that question – some good, some better, and some great. As you think about it, I’m going to go through some Bible basics. It, the Bible, is a library of sixty six books written over a period of about two thousand years. It’s divided into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament has thirty nine books. The New Testament has twenty seven books. There are different types of literature in the Bible – such as history, poetry, prophecy, prayer, hymnody, biography, letters, and apocalyptic literature. Originally, the Old Testament was written primarily in the Hebrew language. The New Testament was written in the Greek language, and, specifically, the “koine” Greek language or common language of the people. For most of Christianity’s existence the Latin edition of the Bible called the Vulgate was in use. Then along came Martin Luther in the 1500s who translated the Bible into his mother-tongue of German. Ever since, the Bible has been translated into a host of different languages and versions. Probably the most famous – and still used – version is the King James.
But back to the question: why do we study the Bible? I’ll tell you why we don’t. We don’t study the Bible in order to become better Bible trivia players. More and more, it seems that there are more opinions about the Bible than actual knowledge of it. Some see it as a collection of fairy tales with a religious twist. Others see it as a catalog of myths collected down through the centuries. Others see it as a volume of morals. Some see it as a catalog of rules, regulations, and laws – both civil and religious -- that really have no more bearing on modern life. Still others see it as a “How to” book – where God shows people of all ages “how to” live. Some see it as a love letter from God, but they soon discover that there’s some tough love in their too. Some see it as historically inaccurate. Others see it as inerrant and infallible. Some are afraid of getting hold of the Bible for fear that it might get a hold on them. Get season tickets to the Cowboys and some might call you quite a fan. If people start noticing you read the Bible, they might call you a fanatic! People are confused by the Bible, bored by it, inspired by it, upset by it, changed by it. Some use it as a kind of political battering ram to reinforce their political point of view. You can get the Bible to justify just about anything. For example: The Bible says, “Judas went out hung himself.” Okay. The Bible also says: “Go and do thou likewise.” Furthermore, the Bible says “What you do, do quickly.” Do you see? I’ve just used the Bible to encourage you to take your own life, and, of course, that’s ridiculous. But you get the point. So many things in the Bible are taken out of context that it all but boggles the mind.
Not long from now, Lord willing, I will stand before God and all of you at a service of ordination. The moderator of my ordination will ask me this question: “Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s Word to you?” With conscience clear, I plan to answer yes because that’s exactly what I understand the Bible to be: that unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ!
Some people I know have read the Bible through, cover to cover, more than one time in their lives. And that’s fine. But, since the Bible is library of books, someone might ask for a suggestion on which book or books to read first. My response is always to start with one of the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. If that’s too many choices, choose Mark. It’s the shortest and most action-packed of the four!
Today’s selection is from the Gospel of Luke, and we learn something about Jesus right off the bat. He keeps company with all kinds of people. Today we run into Him hanging out with a Pharisee. Now Pharisees were sort of religious lawyers in the time of Jesus. To be sure, they were educated. We are told that this was not just a Pharisee, but a leader of the Pharisees. So this was a higher-up, as they say. As you may know, the Gospels portray Pharisees as not exactly happy campers when it came to Jesus Christ. They caused him a headache or two from time to time.
At any rate, Jesus had their attention; it says they were “watching him closely.” And today, we catch up with him as he goes to enjoy a meal with this leader of the Pharisees. Apparently, it wasn’t just dinner for two since other guests were arriving. Some of those guests wanted a seat at the head table – presumably with Jesus.
Meanwhile, Jesus was doing some close watching of his own. Observing the people jockeying for position, he speaks up: “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place’, and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
I love the story of the proud pastor and the proud astronomer who sat next to each other on an airplane flight. They struck up a conversation, and the pastor started going on about the great theological education he’d received at such and such seminary. The astronomer smiled and said, “I already know everything I need to know about theology. Jesus loves me; this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” He then proceeded to share with the pastor all about the vast amount of graduate level studying he’d done in the field of astronomy. The pastor eventually replied, “Oh, I already know everything I need to know about astronomy. Twinkle! Twinkle little star! How I wonder what you are!” Both of them betray the fact that they were exalting themselves.
What’s the lesson here on Christian Education Rally Day? What can we learn from these words of Jesus? In view of Christian education, those who exalt themselves are the ones who say “I go to church; I attend Sunday School; I know the basics, and that’s good enough for me. I’ve got the good Christian sealof approval. Case closed.” On the other hand, those who humble themselves are the ones who say “I can’t wait to learn more from such a Lord as this; I’m excited to be His disciple; I get to learn my Lord’s way of life and then have the chance, every day, to live it.”
Christians call themselves disciples of Christ. The word disciple literally means learner. If not learner, then not disciple. You may notice the word discipline is in the word disciple. They are linguistically related. And it’s true. Not much learning occurs without some discipline. Yes, we can pick up a few things by osmosis but not much. So attend a class. Go through a study guide on a Bible book with some friends. Read C.S. Lewis or Bonhoeffer. Get to know a child at Denton Christian Preschool. Don’t close your mind – or soul – from the adventure of learning more and more.
I remember a professor from my seminary days in St. Louis. He was originally from Australia. His area of expertise was systematic theology and he was and is the most brilliant man I ever met. He knew Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Greek; he knew Latin; he was conversant in German and had translated the works of German theologians. He was a Lord’s Supper scholar and an example of narrative preaching at its very best. I was in awe of the man – and I still am.
While at seminary, I was once invited to his home with a number of other students. Once in the door, I was treated as though I was the guest of honor -- and all of the other students would have said the same. Rev. Professor Nagel went out of his way to serve us (with food and wine and conversation and some of the lessons he had learned while in seminary and some fine cigars from his humidor). He would literally sit at our feet simply wanting to know, genuinely, how things were going for us. For all of his knowledge (and it was vast), he was the most humble man I ever met. He gave of himself with no thought of return.
Jesus says: “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Clearly, Jesus isn’t talking about manners or social propriety. Neither is he talking about fairness – as in “You serve me; I serve you, and we’re even.” Look deeper at this or even meditate upon it. The Lord is our host. We are His guests. The Lord is sour God; we are His children. In Baptism, He calls us. In the Supper, He feed us. In the Gospel, he proclaims a dying, rising, forgiving love that cannot be separated from us. Can we repay that? No. But we can learn more about it – something new about it! -- every day!
Amen.
Monday, August 23, 2010
ORDINATION
Dear Friends:
You are invited to my ORDINATION to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament in The Presbyterian Church (USA).
Date: Sunday, September 19, 2010
Place: St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 304 W Oak Street, Denton, TX 76201
Time: 3:00 PM
As He did for the disciple Peter, Good Lord still prays for His people that faith may not fail. When restoration takes place, we then strengthen our brothers and sisters!
Thanks to God and to all of you dear friends!
Paul
You are invited to my ORDINATION to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament in The Presbyterian Church (USA).
Date: Sunday, September 19, 2010
Place: St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 304 W Oak Street, Denton, TX 76201
Time: 3:00 PM
As He did for the disciple Peter, Good Lord still prays for His people that faith may not fail. When restoration takes place, we then strengthen our brothers and sisters!
Thanks to God and to all of you dear friends!
Paul
Saturday, August 21, 2010
R and R and R
Text: Jeremiah 1:4-10
Theme: R and R and R
The Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
The 13th Sunday After Pentecost
August 22, 2010
First Presbyterian Church
Denton, Texas
Rev. Paul R. Dunklau
+In the Name of Jesus+
4Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 5"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." 6Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." 7But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you, 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD." 9Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. 10See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."
If you do a word association game with the name Jeremiah, it’s quite possible that an old song from Three Dog Night comes to mind (at least for my generation): “Jeremiah was a bullfrog, (and) was a good friend of mine. I never understood a single word he said, but I helped him drink his wine. And he always had some mighty fine wine. Joy to the world! All the boys and girls! Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea! Joy to you and me!”
Hopefully, the story of the Jeremiah in the Bible will bring joy to us this day. But the Bible’s Jeremiah, who speaks in our reading, was not a bullfrog. Rather, he, at first, was a little lad on the receiving end of a word from the Lord. The Lord’s opening words, as given, have a smidge of Hebrew poetic style. It’s like the Lord is sharing a short poem or something of a limerick to get little Jeremiah’s attention. Lets break it down: “Before I formed you in the womb” is A1. “I knew you” is B1. “Before you were born” is A2. “I consecrated you” is B2. A1 and A2 have similar meanings. B1 and B2, likewise, are connected. But then comes the C line which is the clincher: “I appointed you a prophet to the nations,” says the Lord. Are you with me so far? I didn’t think so!
As Robin Williams said in “Dead Poet’s Society”, “We’re studying poetry and not laying pipe.” I could go on and on about Hebrew poetry, but that is better done in Sunday School. And even then, you might fall asleep. It’s the story of Jeremiah, the prophet, that’s the eye opener and waker-upper! And it is to that story that we turn to briefly this morning.
By the way, as an aside, I am always appreciative of folks who send in things through print or email for me to enjoy and maybe pass on – even from the pulpit on occasion. So I challenge you to get cracking! My church email is paul.dunklau@fpcdenton.org. I got some material last week from my dear mother-in-law; it was an email with a grouping of pictures under the title of “Irony”. One of the images featured an indoor church sign that listed the evening activities going on every weeknight at 7:00 pm. On Monday, Alcoholics Anonymous met. On Tuesday, the Abused Spouses group got together. On Wednesday, folks with eating disorders had a meeting. On Thursday, the Say No to Drugs club met. On Friday there was the Teen Suicide Watch, and on Saturday the soup kitchen was up and running. Underneath all these happenings was given the ironic title of next Sunday’s sermon: “America’s Joyous Future!”
As we’re all well aware, there are all kinds of people who can wax eloquent about our nation’s future, joyous or otherwise. It’s not my intent, this morning, to throw my hat into that ring. I do want to say, however, that the future of the nation of Israel, at the time of Jeremiah’s call, did not look good -- and that’s not a political opinion; it truly wasn’t a pretty picture. The situation on the ground, as it were, was quite fluid and getting worse with each passing day. Things were in quite a mess. The nation was falling apart; other nations smelled blood in the political water, and conquest was on their minds. Now, the high water mark for the nation of Israel was the reign of King David and King Solomon. All of that, though, was relegated to the good old days. But now the northern kingdom had long since vanished and the last vestiges of the southern kingdom were slipping away. The children of Yahweh, the children of God, were about to go into exile and be refugees in Babylon which is modern-day Iraq. That was nearly twenty six hundred years ago.
The call of Jeremiah, which is our text message from God this morning, proves that our Lord was not disassociating from the bleak situation. God had something to say.
And, of all things, God chooses a little boy to say it. There was no inflammatory letter to the editor at the Jerusalem Gazette. Perhaps Jeremiah was no older than the boys that have come up for A Word with the Young Disciples. God tends to do the things that we’d least expect God to do.
When the call from God came, Jeremiah may at least have known what his name meant. Back in those days, names meant something. It wasn’t chosen, the name, because it was cute, hip, popular, or designed to get your friends to say, “Oh, that’s lovely!”
The “ah” at the end of “Jeremiah” is short for Yahweh, the personal name of God. The “Jeremi” part is a Hebrew term that could mean “exalts” (or lift up); it would also mean “establish” (or get something going and keep it going, establish it). And, interestingly, the “Jeremi” of “Jeremiah” also could be translated as “throw” – as in throw something. So the name Jeremiah means God exalts, or God establishes, or God throws. One thing’s for sure: the nation of Israel was about to be “thrown down”, so to speak. They were soon to be in exile. Little Jeremiah the prophet prepped them for that.
If there was any doubt about who Jeremiah was, it wasn’t with the Lord. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
In the worship folder, the title of this morning’s message is given: R and R and R. No, that doesn’t stand for “readin’, writin’, and rithmetic.” Neither does it stand for rest and relaxation and some other unknown thing. It stands for three R words that illustrate what we have in common with Jeremiah. One thing that we don’t have in common with Jeremiah is the historical timeframe. He’s not our contemporary. It’s that twenty six hundred years ago thing. Second, Jeremiah was a prophet directly called by God. I’m fairly certain that such a direct call for such a specific task has not been experienced by anyone here.
But that’s where the dissimilarities end. But here’s what we do have in common with little Jeremiah: R and R and R! Rationalization, Reformation, and Readiness! For starters, rationalization is a fancy schmanzy word for an excuse. A rationalization can be an excuse. Did you hear little Jeremiah’s rationalization? He says, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak… .” Twenty six hundred years later, do you know what is near or at the top of people’s list of fears? You guessed it; public speaking. Then, as if to make sure God gets the message, Jeremiah offers another rationalization/excuse: “I am only a boy.” There you have it: a double-whammy of excuses from a little boy who is a bit smarter than we give him credit for.
I remember someone telling me once: “I’ve made a lot of excuses in my life, and if you don’t like those I can give you more.” Country singer/songwriter Willie Nelson might have been speaking for a lot of people when he sang: “I’ve got a long list of real good reasons for all the things I’ve done; I’ve got a picture in the back of my mind for what I’ve lost and what I’ve won. I’ve survived every situation knowing when to freeze and when to run. And regret is but a memory, written on my brow, and there’s nothing I can do about it now.”
You can almost hear Jeremiah say: “I can’t speak; I’m too young, and there’s nothing I can do about that now.” Oh, how rationalizations and excuses can carry the day – for Jeremiah and, at times, for all of us.
It’s safe to say that some of you here today have believed in God for as long as you can remember. I also believe it safe to say that there are some here who have their doubts about God and maybe even have them today. To all of you, I say “Welcome!” This is a place where it is entirely okay to say, with one of the Lord’s disciples, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.”
Let us assume, for the moment, that all of us perfectly believe in God. We are completely sure of God’s presence, power, knowledge, sovereignty, love and grace and guidance. What, then, would be the most foolish thing to think in the world? That’s easy. It’s the thought that we could pull one over on God, or pull the wool over God’s eyes, or think that our rationalizations and excuses are gonna cut it. If anyone sees right through those, it’s God. Case in point: Jeremiah.
Then came the second R word which means Reformation. Reformation means change. One of the things we change every day is our mind. “Well, I was going to wear this shirt, but I’ve changed my mind because this one looks better.” It’s just like that. But sometimes it involves heavier stuff than simply what to wear. A lyric from a popular song some time ago said it like this: “If you wanna be somebody else, if you’re tired of fighting battles with yourself, if you wanna be somebody else, change your mind.” They make it sound easy, but it’s not.
I know of people who have changed their mind over and over and over again about alcohol, yet they fall deeper into their addiction. Only when the reform and the change of mind comes from outside themselves do the possibilities for recovery and new life begin. God will do for you what you cannot do for yourself. Why not let Him?
God didn’t buy the excuses, but He didn’t punish little Jeremiah. Instead, He changed the boy’s mind. God said: “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.”
“I’m only a boy; I don’t know how to speak.” What really lies behind that? That’s right. Fear. Fear often generates the rationalizations and excuses. God says “Do not be afraid, Jeremiah.”
With rationalizations and excuses brushed away, with a reformed and changed life for little Jeremiah underway, we now come to the third R: Readiness. Jeremiah tells us how the Lord readied him for the upcoming task. Listen again: “Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, ‘Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Readiness involves having the Word of God. Dear members and friends of First Presbyterian Church: we have the Word of God. Better yet, we have the Gospel of God – the good news that we are loved with a love that went through the cross for us. Still not convinced we are ready? We have the Baptism that signs, seals, and delivers us into being God’s people. And we have the Lord’s Supper, the presence of Jesus Christ, to ready and steady us for what God wants us to do.
Oh, how tempting it would be to say, like Jeremiah, “Ah, Lord, we are such a little church. Ah, Lord, we don’t know how to speak or what to say.”
May it please the Spirit of the living God – on this very day and this very moment – to brush aside our rationalizations, to establish our reformation, and to make us ready for the tasks – and the joys! – that lay ahead. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you,” say the Lord.
Amen.
Theme: R and R and R
The Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
The 13th Sunday After Pentecost
August 22, 2010
First Presbyterian Church
Denton, Texas
Rev. Paul R. Dunklau
+In the Name of Jesus+
4Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 5"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." 6Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." 7But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you, 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD." 9Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. 10See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."
If you do a word association game with the name Jeremiah, it’s quite possible that an old song from Three Dog Night comes to mind (at least for my generation): “Jeremiah was a bullfrog, (and) was a good friend of mine. I never understood a single word he said, but I helped him drink his wine. And he always had some mighty fine wine. Joy to the world! All the boys and girls! Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea! Joy to you and me!”
Hopefully, the story of the Jeremiah in the Bible will bring joy to us this day. But the Bible’s Jeremiah, who speaks in our reading, was not a bullfrog. Rather, he, at first, was a little lad on the receiving end of a word from the Lord. The Lord’s opening words, as given, have a smidge of Hebrew poetic style. It’s like the Lord is sharing a short poem or something of a limerick to get little Jeremiah’s attention. Lets break it down: “Before I formed you in the womb” is A1. “I knew you” is B1. “Before you were born” is A2. “I consecrated you” is B2. A1 and A2 have similar meanings. B1 and B2, likewise, are connected. But then comes the C line which is the clincher: “I appointed you a prophet to the nations,” says the Lord. Are you with me so far? I didn’t think so!
As Robin Williams said in “Dead Poet’s Society”, “We’re studying poetry and not laying pipe.” I could go on and on about Hebrew poetry, but that is better done in Sunday School. And even then, you might fall asleep. It’s the story of Jeremiah, the prophet, that’s the eye opener and waker-upper! And it is to that story that we turn to briefly this morning.
By the way, as an aside, I am always appreciative of folks who send in things through print or email for me to enjoy and maybe pass on – even from the pulpit on occasion. So I challenge you to get cracking! My church email is paul.dunklau@fpcdenton.org. I got some material last week from my dear mother-in-law; it was an email with a grouping of pictures under the title of “Irony”. One of the images featured an indoor church sign that listed the evening activities going on every weeknight at 7:00 pm. On Monday, Alcoholics Anonymous met. On Tuesday, the Abused Spouses group got together. On Wednesday, folks with eating disorders had a meeting. On Thursday, the Say No to Drugs club met. On Friday there was the Teen Suicide Watch, and on Saturday the soup kitchen was up and running. Underneath all these happenings was given the ironic title of next Sunday’s sermon: “America’s Joyous Future!”
As we’re all well aware, there are all kinds of people who can wax eloquent about our nation’s future, joyous or otherwise. It’s not my intent, this morning, to throw my hat into that ring. I do want to say, however, that the future of the nation of Israel, at the time of Jeremiah’s call, did not look good -- and that’s not a political opinion; it truly wasn’t a pretty picture. The situation on the ground, as it were, was quite fluid and getting worse with each passing day. Things were in quite a mess. The nation was falling apart; other nations smelled blood in the political water, and conquest was on their minds. Now, the high water mark for the nation of Israel was the reign of King David and King Solomon. All of that, though, was relegated to the good old days. But now the northern kingdom had long since vanished and the last vestiges of the southern kingdom were slipping away. The children of Yahweh, the children of God, were about to go into exile and be refugees in Babylon which is modern-day Iraq. That was nearly twenty six hundred years ago.
The call of Jeremiah, which is our text message from God this morning, proves that our Lord was not disassociating from the bleak situation. God had something to say.
And, of all things, God chooses a little boy to say it. There was no inflammatory letter to the editor at the Jerusalem Gazette. Perhaps Jeremiah was no older than the boys that have come up for A Word with the Young Disciples. God tends to do the things that we’d least expect God to do.
When the call from God came, Jeremiah may at least have known what his name meant. Back in those days, names meant something. It wasn’t chosen, the name, because it was cute, hip, popular, or designed to get your friends to say, “Oh, that’s lovely!”
The “ah” at the end of “Jeremiah” is short for Yahweh, the personal name of God. The “Jeremi” part is a Hebrew term that could mean “exalts” (or lift up); it would also mean “establish” (or get something going and keep it going, establish it). And, interestingly, the “Jeremi” of “Jeremiah” also could be translated as “throw” – as in throw something. So the name Jeremiah means God exalts, or God establishes, or God throws. One thing’s for sure: the nation of Israel was about to be “thrown down”, so to speak. They were soon to be in exile. Little Jeremiah the prophet prepped them for that.
If there was any doubt about who Jeremiah was, it wasn’t with the Lord. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
In the worship folder, the title of this morning’s message is given: R and R and R. No, that doesn’t stand for “readin’, writin’, and rithmetic.” Neither does it stand for rest and relaxation and some other unknown thing. It stands for three R words that illustrate what we have in common with Jeremiah. One thing that we don’t have in common with Jeremiah is the historical timeframe. He’s not our contemporary. It’s that twenty six hundred years ago thing. Second, Jeremiah was a prophet directly called by God. I’m fairly certain that such a direct call for such a specific task has not been experienced by anyone here.
But that’s where the dissimilarities end. But here’s what we do have in common with little Jeremiah: R and R and R! Rationalization, Reformation, and Readiness! For starters, rationalization is a fancy schmanzy word for an excuse. A rationalization can be an excuse. Did you hear little Jeremiah’s rationalization? He says, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak… .” Twenty six hundred years later, do you know what is near or at the top of people’s list of fears? You guessed it; public speaking. Then, as if to make sure God gets the message, Jeremiah offers another rationalization/excuse: “I am only a boy.” There you have it: a double-whammy of excuses from a little boy who is a bit smarter than we give him credit for.
I remember someone telling me once: “I’ve made a lot of excuses in my life, and if you don’t like those I can give you more.” Country singer/songwriter Willie Nelson might have been speaking for a lot of people when he sang: “I’ve got a long list of real good reasons for all the things I’ve done; I’ve got a picture in the back of my mind for what I’ve lost and what I’ve won. I’ve survived every situation knowing when to freeze and when to run. And regret is but a memory, written on my brow, and there’s nothing I can do about it now.”
You can almost hear Jeremiah say: “I can’t speak; I’m too young, and there’s nothing I can do about that now.” Oh, how rationalizations and excuses can carry the day – for Jeremiah and, at times, for all of us.
It’s safe to say that some of you here today have believed in God for as long as you can remember. I also believe it safe to say that there are some here who have their doubts about God and maybe even have them today. To all of you, I say “Welcome!” This is a place where it is entirely okay to say, with one of the Lord’s disciples, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.”
Let us assume, for the moment, that all of us perfectly believe in God. We are completely sure of God’s presence, power, knowledge, sovereignty, love and grace and guidance. What, then, would be the most foolish thing to think in the world? That’s easy. It’s the thought that we could pull one over on God, or pull the wool over God’s eyes, or think that our rationalizations and excuses are gonna cut it. If anyone sees right through those, it’s God. Case in point: Jeremiah.
Then came the second R word which means Reformation. Reformation means change. One of the things we change every day is our mind. “Well, I was going to wear this shirt, but I’ve changed my mind because this one looks better.” It’s just like that. But sometimes it involves heavier stuff than simply what to wear. A lyric from a popular song some time ago said it like this: “If you wanna be somebody else, if you’re tired of fighting battles with yourself, if you wanna be somebody else, change your mind.” They make it sound easy, but it’s not.
I know of people who have changed their mind over and over and over again about alcohol, yet they fall deeper into their addiction. Only when the reform and the change of mind comes from outside themselves do the possibilities for recovery and new life begin. God will do for you what you cannot do for yourself. Why not let Him?
God didn’t buy the excuses, but He didn’t punish little Jeremiah. Instead, He changed the boy’s mind. God said: “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.”
“I’m only a boy; I don’t know how to speak.” What really lies behind that? That’s right. Fear. Fear often generates the rationalizations and excuses. God says “Do not be afraid, Jeremiah.”
With rationalizations and excuses brushed away, with a reformed and changed life for little Jeremiah underway, we now come to the third R: Readiness. Jeremiah tells us how the Lord readied him for the upcoming task. Listen again: “Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, ‘Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Readiness involves having the Word of God. Dear members and friends of First Presbyterian Church: we have the Word of God. Better yet, we have the Gospel of God – the good news that we are loved with a love that went through the cross for us. Still not convinced we are ready? We have the Baptism that signs, seals, and delivers us into being God’s people. And we have the Lord’s Supper, the presence of Jesus Christ, to ready and steady us for what God wants us to do.
Oh, how tempting it would be to say, like Jeremiah, “Ah, Lord, we are such a little church. Ah, Lord, we don’t know how to speak or what to say.”
May it please the Spirit of the living God – on this very day and this very moment – to brush aside our rationalizations, to establish our reformation, and to make us ready for the tasks – and the joys! – that lay ahead. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you,” say the Lord.
Amen.
Greetings!
Dear Friends:
Thank you so much for your tireless, cheerful support as I begin my new charge. I'm happy to report that I passed the oral exams before Grace Presbytery's COM last Tuesday. I'll stand before the next stated presbytery meeting (September 10, 2010 in Tyler, TX) for to share my faith and answer any questions. Hopefully, my ordination will take place on Sunday, September 19th, in the sanctuary at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church.
I hope The Straightforward Pulpit blog will be something you enjoy. Some of you have inquired about audio for sermons from the FPC pulpit. Hopefully, those will be up soon at www.fpcdenton.org and also as a podcast on iTunes.
The Lord be with all of you, and thanks again!
Paul
Thank you so much for your tireless, cheerful support as I begin my new charge. I'm happy to report that I passed the oral exams before Grace Presbytery's COM last Tuesday. I'll stand before the next stated presbytery meeting (September 10, 2010 in Tyler, TX) for to share my faith and answer any questions. Hopefully, my ordination will take place on Sunday, September 19th, in the sanctuary at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church.
I hope The Straightforward Pulpit blog will be something you enjoy. Some of you have inquired about audio for sermons from the FPC pulpit. Hopefully, those will be up soon at www.fpcdenton.org and also as a podcast on iTunes.
The Lord be with all of you, and thanks again!
Paul
God and Your G.P.S.
Text: Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Theme: God and Your G.P.S.
11th Sunday after Pentecost
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 8, 2010
First Presbyterian Church
Denton, Texas
Rev. Paul R. Dunklau
IN THE NAME OF JESUS
1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.
8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old-and Sarah herself was barren-because he considered him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, "as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore."
13All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, 14for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
Love, joy, and peace to you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Is this really happening? It’s almost unbelievable. As early as five years ago, if someone were to tell me that I would become a member of a Presbyterian church, join the staff of the same church, become an inquirer and then a candidate for the ministry of Word and Sacrament in the church, and then receive a call to the be the pastor of another Presbyterian Church, I would have laughed long and hard and said, “Sit down. We need to have a chat!” But, as it turns out, it was the good Lord and you dear people that got the last laugh. It was the good Lord and you dear people that said, “Sit down. We need have a chat.” And that’s exactly what happened. The Lord, through First Presbyterian Church (that’s you), has extended me a divine call to serve as your pastor.
Today, I publicly acknowledge before you – with great joy and happiness -- that I have accepted that call. I want to thank my wife, Diana, my family here in Texas, my father in Nebraska, the good people of St. Andrew down the street, and all of you for your faithfulness, encouragement and support that have led to this day. It never would have happened without you. These are the facts; they are beyond dispute. End of discussion.
I am in awe of the trust that the Lord and you wonderful people have placed in me – a trust that, for many years, I thought I would never be anywhere near worthy of or have again. With God’s help, I promise to earn that on-going trust to the best of my abilities. I will make mistakes; we all do. We’re human. When we err in our ministry together (and we will), let us seek out the most available commodity in the world, and that is the blood-bought forgiveness of God – brought to us by the Gospel and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Let us share it with one another. When we receive blessing upon blessing and achieve success in our ministry together (and I believe we will – for ourselves, for the church and for our broader community, and for the many who have yet to come through these doors), let us remain humble and give God the glory which is due unto him. In all things and in all times and during the good, the bad, and the ugly, let us recall our chief end: that is, in the words of the Westminster Catechism, “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” God is to be worshipped. Absolutely. The Gospel is to be proclaimed as the good news it really is. Most definitely. The sacraments are to be administered according to the institution of Christ. Certainly. People pray to God. Yes, they do. God is often doubted. Very true. But today, let us recommit ourselves to making First Presbyterian Church a place, a sanctuary where God is enjoyed!
When God is enjoyed, we can even chuckle at our own faults and foibles. After all, perfection is a fiction; forgiveness is a fact! When I was out of the ministry for nearly ten years, I learned a little something that has stuck with me, and it goes like this: Cling to the thought that your dark past (with all its sins, mistakes, failures, and what have you), in God’s hands, can be your greatest asset. It could very well be that you are the only one around who knows what another person around you is going through, and who would be better than you, then, to provide understanding, and support, and help? A minister friend of mine once said: “Every day is an adventure as hell itself is put to flight by that holy laugh born from Christ’s forgiveness.” Speaking of forgiveness, I hope the men of the church will extend it to me because I’ve messed things up already – even before my first sermon. All last week I was getting my computer set up and my computer’s calendar up and running (Microsoft Outlook, for you technological buffs) and the computer synced to my mobile device. You know, there was a time when we all got by without these things, but the world has sped up quite a bit since then. Anyway, I neglected to plug in the men’s breakfast scheduled for yesterday morning. I get to church yesterday, later in the morning, and it dawns on me that I missed breakfast with you guys at Old West on Dallas Drive. To quote a popular two word phrase: “My bad.” Next time we have a function at Erwin Hall, I’ll fry the sausage and flip the flapjacks!
Speaking of technology, wouldn’t it be something if we had a device that would tell us immediately what to do? If things went wrong, we could then blame the device! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had some kind of contraption that would jog our memory right when it needed to be jogged? Wouldn’t it be something if Steve Jobs and his engineers over at Apple could come up with an application for an iPad or an iPhone that would tell us the right thing to say, the right thing to think, the right thing to do in any situation? I’d be all over that, as my brother-in-law says, “like a rat on a cheeto.”
Do any of you have one of these? I brought with me in the pulpit today a G.P.S. portable navigational system. G.P.S. stands for “Global Positioning Satellite”. This unit hooks up with that G.P.S. – “Global Positioning Satellite” – up there and tells you where you’re at. More than that, it tells you how to get where you want to go. My family and I made good use of this little doo-dad on our way up to Pagosa Springs, Colorado for vacation earlier in July. You punch in a destination, and it tells you, audibly, where and when to turn. For example, it might say: “In and 1/8th of a mile, turn right on Interstate 35 South.” The thing even anounces, with a woman’s voice, the names of the streets. Sometimes it mispronounces the names, and we all got a laugh over that. If you miss a turn or somehow get off the beaten path, it will say, in usually about ten seconds, “Recalculating route.”
The title of this morning’s message is “God and Your G.P.S.” Notice: it doesn’t say “God IS your G.P.S.” God is not a global positioning satellite. A G.P.S., hooked up to one of these, can tell us where to go. But, if I read God’s Word correctly, God does far more than just tell us what to do and where to go in life. Yes, God gives direction. But more important than that is that God gives gifts. “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life,” say John 3:16. Picking up on that, St. Paul said: “By grace are you saved through faith. And this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.” It’s the gift of God, dear friends; it’s not because we followed the directions perfectly. I don’t know about you, but that comes as quite a relief.
One of the gifts of today’s Scripture reading is that it tells us about the gift of faith and illustrates it beautifully. Speaking of faith, do you have complete, total, 1000% faith in your air conditioning unit? Do you have complete and total faith that Denton Municipal Electric is going to hang in there during these triple digit dog days of summer? Maybe you’re reasonably sure, but not quite completely sure. Do you have faith that when you call a business you’ll hear an actual, live human voice on the other end of the line? I have almost zero faith on that score.
Our text says that “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Now I hope that they find a cure for autism, but I’m not 100% sure they will. I hope the economy rebounds beautifully, but I’m not convinced. I hope that we will never see another war in our lifetimes, but there are no guarantees. I hope that whatever it is that motivates someone to burst into their place of employment and murder their co-workers and then take their own life (as happened this past week in Connecticut) is a motivation that we’ll never see again. But who knows for sure? If faith is based only on what we hope for, from what emerges from our hearts and minds, then that faith can be wobbly. Doubts can emerge. But if our faith is lodged, embedded in what emerges from the heart and mind of God, if our faith is based on what God hopes for us, then I proclaim to you that there’s no doubt.
What are God’s hopes for us? What emerges from the heart and mind of God? That we believe and know that, no matter what, we are loved. That we believe and know that, no matter what, we are God’s children; we are not orphans; we are not alone; we are not Robinson Crusoes left to fend for ourselves. We are not the spiritual version of Tom Hanks in “Castaway”. Rather, we are family. That we believe and know that, no matter how grevious the sin or how badly we’ve bolixed things up or how morally suspect we may have been or are, we are completely forgiven. One of the songs we used to sing at St. Andrew’s evening service went like this: “Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.” And here’s another hope God has for us: That we believe and know that even when we turn away from God’s plan for our lives, as we are so prone to do, God will recalculate the route.
Do you remember that towering figure, Abraham, in the Bible? He’s mentioned in our reading. He didn’t have a G.P.S. He didn’t know where he was going. God called him to go somewhere, and our text says he didn’t know where he was going. But he obeyed that call to go – not out of fear of punishment, but because he had the gift. He had the faith! Some folks obey because they don’t want to pay the penalty if they don’t. That wasn’t the case with Abraham; he obeyed because he had faith.
Abraham and his wife were way past child-bearing age. But God had promised they would have a child. They hung onto God’s promise, and they did. It says that they – Abraham and his descendants – were strangers and foreigners on earth. Have you ever felt like that? I have a home. I have a job. I have a spouse. I have children. I exercise. I eat right. But sometimes I wonder: is there something more? Am I missing something? What’s the point? Where am I – really? Where am I headed?
Have you ever felt like that? Sit back and relax. It’s okay. You’re in good company. Like Abraham, those doubts and uncertainties about where you’re at in life don’t necessarily mean that you lack faith. It may be evidence – in fact, it is evidence – that you have hope that is not yet realized.
It’s funny how the mind works. I remember, years ago on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, there was this stand-up comic singing a little song that went like this: “Oh, when it all comes down I hope it don’t land on you.”
That’s where a lot of people are in life: they just hope that it (whatever it is) doesn’t land on them. I think that’s a fatalistic – if not, boring – way to live. I don’t want to live that way.
I mentioned earlier that we vacationed in Colorado in July. There was a time toward the end of that trip when we all sort of sensed that we were ready – if not, eager – to be on our way home. The navigational system and the G.P.S. performed beautifully, and we made it.
By extension, all of us – whether we’ve lived here all our lives or have relocated many times – are on our way home, on our journey to that place whose builder and architect is God. Wherever you’re at in life at this moment, take comfort in this: God is not ashamed to be called your God because He has prepared a city for you.
My wife and I – and many others – are so happy that our journey to that city is now linked with yours. Lets invite more people to join us. I believe people, without even knowing it, are crying out for what God can offer here. Our prayer today could easily be the first line of that popular Kenny Loggins Christmas song: “Please, celebrate me home.” Our faith in Christ – for all the gift that it is – will navigate us there.
To all of that, there is only one more word to say, and that is Amen!
May the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus to life everlasting. Amen.
Theme: God and Your G.P.S.
11th Sunday after Pentecost
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 8, 2010
First Presbyterian Church
Denton, Texas
Rev. Paul R. Dunklau
IN THE NAME OF JESUS
1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.
8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old-and Sarah herself was barren-because he considered him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, "as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore."
13All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, 14for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
Love, joy, and peace to you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Is this really happening? It’s almost unbelievable. As early as five years ago, if someone were to tell me that I would become a member of a Presbyterian church, join the staff of the same church, become an inquirer and then a candidate for the ministry of Word and Sacrament in the church, and then receive a call to the be the pastor of another Presbyterian Church, I would have laughed long and hard and said, “Sit down. We need to have a chat!” But, as it turns out, it was the good Lord and you dear people that got the last laugh. It was the good Lord and you dear people that said, “Sit down. We need have a chat.” And that’s exactly what happened. The Lord, through First Presbyterian Church (that’s you), has extended me a divine call to serve as your pastor.
Today, I publicly acknowledge before you – with great joy and happiness -- that I have accepted that call. I want to thank my wife, Diana, my family here in Texas, my father in Nebraska, the good people of St. Andrew down the street, and all of you for your faithfulness, encouragement and support that have led to this day. It never would have happened without you. These are the facts; they are beyond dispute. End of discussion.
I am in awe of the trust that the Lord and you wonderful people have placed in me – a trust that, for many years, I thought I would never be anywhere near worthy of or have again. With God’s help, I promise to earn that on-going trust to the best of my abilities. I will make mistakes; we all do. We’re human. When we err in our ministry together (and we will), let us seek out the most available commodity in the world, and that is the blood-bought forgiveness of God – brought to us by the Gospel and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Let us share it with one another. When we receive blessing upon blessing and achieve success in our ministry together (and I believe we will – for ourselves, for the church and for our broader community, and for the many who have yet to come through these doors), let us remain humble and give God the glory which is due unto him. In all things and in all times and during the good, the bad, and the ugly, let us recall our chief end: that is, in the words of the Westminster Catechism, “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” God is to be worshipped. Absolutely. The Gospel is to be proclaimed as the good news it really is. Most definitely. The sacraments are to be administered according to the institution of Christ. Certainly. People pray to God. Yes, they do. God is often doubted. Very true. But today, let us recommit ourselves to making First Presbyterian Church a place, a sanctuary where God is enjoyed!
When God is enjoyed, we can even chuckle at our own faults and foibles. After all, perfection is a fiction; forgiveness is a fact! When I was out of the ministry for nearly ten years, I learned a little something that has stuck with me, and it goes like this: Cling to the thought that your dark past (with all its sins, mistakes, failures, and what have you), in God’s hands, can be your greatest asset. It could very well be that you are the only one around who knows what another person around you is going through, and who would be better than you, then, to provide understanding, and support, and help? A minister friend of mine once said: “Every day is an adventure as hell itself is put to flight by that holy laugh born from Christ’s forgiveness.” Speaking of forgiveness, I hope the men of the church will extend it to me because I’ve messed things up already – even before my first sermon. All last week I was getting my computer set up and my computer’s calendar up and running (Microsoft Outlook, for you technological buffs) and the computer synced to my mobile device. You know, there was a time when we all got by without these things, but the world has sped up quite a bit since then. Anyway, I neglected to plug in the men’s breakfast scheduled for yesterday morning. I get to church yesterday, later in the morning, and it dawns on me that I missed breakfast with you guys at Old West on Dallas Drive. To quote a popular two word phrase: “My bad.” Next time we have a function at Erwin Hall, I’ll fry the sausage and flip the flapjacks!
Speaking of technology, wouldn’t it be something if we had a device that would tell us immediately what to do? If things went wrong, we could then blame the device! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had some kind of contraption that would jog our memory right when it needed to be jogged? Wouldn’t it be something if Steve Jobs and his engineers over at Apple could come up with an application for an iPad or an iPhone that would tell us the right thing to say, the right thing to think, the right thing to do in any situation? I’d be all over that, as my brother-in-law says, “like a rat on a cheeto.”
Do any of you have one of these? I brought with me in the pulpit today a G.P.S. portable navigational system. G.P.S. stands for “Global Positioning Satellite”. This unit hooks up with that G.P.S. – “Global Positioning Satellite” – up there and tells you where you’re at. More than that, it tells you how to get where you want to go. My family and I made good use of this little doo-dad on our way up to Pagosa Springs, Colorado for vacation earlier in July. You punch in a destination, and it tells you, audibly, where and when to turn. For example, it might say: “In and 1/8th of a mile, turn right on Interstate 35 South.” The thing even anounces, with a woman’s voice, the names of the streets. Sometimes it mispronounces the names, and we all got a laugh over that. If you miss a turn or somehow get off the beaten path, it will say, in usually about ten seconds, “Recalculating route.”
The title of this morning’s message is “God and Your G.P.S.” Notice: it doesn’t say “God IS your G.P.S.” God is not a global positioning satellite. A G.P.S., hooked up to one of these, can tell us where to go. But, if I read God’s Word correctly, God does far more than just tell us what to do and where to go in life. Yes, God gives direction. But more important than that is that God gives gifts. “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life,” say John 3:16. Picking up on that, St. Paul said: “By grace are you saved through faith. And this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.” It’s the gift of God, dear friends; it’s not because we followed the directions perfectly. I don’t know about you, but that comes as quite a relief.
One of the gifts of today’s Scripture reading is that it tells us about the gift of faith and illustrates it beautifully. Speaking of faith, do you have complete, total, 1000% faith in your air conditioning unit? Do you have complete and total faith that Denton Municipal Electric is going to hang in there during these triple digit dog days of summer? Maybe you’re reasonably sure, but not quite completely sure. Do you have faith that when you call a business you’ll hear an actual, live human voice on the other end of the line? I have almost zero faith on that score.
Our text says that “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Now I hope that they find a cure for autism, but I’m not 100% sure they will. I hope the economy rebounds beautifully, but I’m not convinced. I hope that we will never see another war in our lifetimes, but there are no guarantees. I hope that whatever it is that motivates someone to burst into their place of employment and murder their co-workers and then take their own life (as happened this past week in Connecticut) is a motivation that we’ll never see again. But who knows for sure? If faith is based only on what we hope for, from what emerges from our hearts and minds, then that faith can be wobbly. Doubts can emerge. But if our faith is lodged, embedded in what emerges from the heart and mind of God, if our faith is based on what God hopes for us, then I proclaim to you that there’s no doubt.
What are God’s hopes for us? What emerges from the heart and mind of God? That we believe and know that, no matter what, we are loved. That we believe and know that, no matter what, we are God’s children; we are not orphans; we are not alone; we are not Robinson Crusoes left to fend for ourselves. We are not the spiritual version of Tom Hanks in “Castaway”. Rather, we are family. That we believe and know that, no matter how grevious the sin or how badly we’ve bolixed things up or how morally suspect we may have been or are, we are completely forgiven. One of the songs we used to sing at St. Andrew’s evening service went like this: “Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.” And here’s another hope God has for us: That we believe and know that even when we turn away from God’s plan for our lives, as we are so prone to do, God will recalculate the route.
Do you remember that towering figure, Abraham, in the Bible? He’s mentioned in our reading. He didn’t have a G.P.S. He didn’t know where he was going. God called him to go somewhere, and our text says he didn’t know where he was going. But he obeyed that call to go – not out of fear of punishment, but because he had the gift. He had the faith! Some folks obey because they don’t want to pay the penalty if they don’t. That wasn’t the case with Abraham; he obeyed because he had faith.
Abraham and his wife were way past child-bearing age. But God had promised they would have a child. They hung onto God’s promise, and they did. It says that they – Abraham and his descendants – were strangers and foreigners on earth. Have you ever felt like that? I have a home. I have a job. I have a spouse. I have children. I exercise. I eat right. But sometimes I wonder: is there something more? Am I missing something? What’s the point? Where am I – really? Where am I headed?
Have you ever felt like that? Sit back and relax. It’s okay. You’re in good company. Like Abraham, those doubts and uncertainties about where you’re at in life don’t necessarily mean that you lack faith. It may be evidence – in fact, it is evidence – that you have hope that is not yet realized.
It’s funny how the mind works. I remember, years ago on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, there was this stand-up comic singing a little song that went like this: “Oh, when it all comes down I hope it don’t land on you.”
That’s where a lot of people are in life: they just hope that it (whatever it is) doesn’t land on them. I think that’s a fatalistic – if not, boring – way to live. I don’t want to live that way.
I mentioned earlier that we vacationed in Colorado in July. There was a time toward the end of that trip when we all sort of sensed that we were ready – if not, eager – to be on our way home. The navigational system and the G.P.S. performed beautifully, and we made it.
By extension, all of us – whether we’ve lived here all our lives or have relocated many times – are on our way home, on our journey to that place whose builder and architect is God. Wherever you’re at in life at this moment, take comfort in this: God is not ashamed to be called your God because He has prepared a city for you.
My wife and I – and many others – are so happy that our journey to that city is now linked with yours. Lets invite more people to join us. I believe people, without even knowing it, are crying out for what God can offer here. Our prayer today could easily be the first line of that popular Kenny Loggins Christmas song: “Please, celebrate me home.” Our faith in Christ – for all the gift that it is – will navigate us there.
To all of that, there is only one more word to say, and that is Amen!
May the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus to life everlasting. Amen.
Our Focal Point
Text: Hebrews 12:1-2
Theme: “Our Focal Point”
12th Sunday After Pentecost
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 15, 2010
First Presbyterian Church
Denton, Texas
Rev. Paul R. Dunklau
IN THE NAME OF JESUS
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Love, joy, and peace to you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Along with our wonderful facility here, it is not insignificant to note our geographic location. Dear friends, First Presbyterian of Denton is on a prime piece of real estate. Not far from here, to the south of us, sits either the fourth or the third largest university in the state of Texas – depending on whose statistics you’re looking at. The “Mean Green”, or UNT as its called, has one of the finest music schools in the world, and a new stadium is going up. To the west of us, the developers are at it again, moving dirt and all, with fits and starts, building something of a new retail and residential mecca. Drive east down University Drive, and you take note of Texas Woman’s University with the beautiful Hubbard Hall and the little chapel that was dedicated by Eleanor Roosevelt. Head further to the east and you eventually run into the tollway. Like a fast-paced European autobahn, it now zips people down to Dallas in no time flat. Then there’s population growth. Based on figures from 2006-2009, Denton is the tenth-fastest growing city in the country with a population over one hundred thousand. I’ve lived in the area for ten years, and have witnessed that population go up, up, up. Were he alive, Dr. Seuss could have surely had Denton in mind when he wrote that lively little book, Great Day for Up! Everything that I’ve just mentioned has been and will be witnessed by all of us as the beehive of activity that is Denton, Texas moves into the future. Economic unpleasantries notwithstanding, everything appears to be on the up!
We can be forgiven for thinking that we are little more than spectators as all these things go on around us. Denton seems to demonstrate the dictum of Lee Iacocca: “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.” Surrounded by so many people and so much progress and activity, the temptation is to lose a little of your own identity. You feel like just another nameless face in a growing crowd or simply a statistic on someone’s demographic data sheet.
Into this atmosphere and admixture of progress and confusion, the good news of today’s text bursts onto the scene and into the mix. The writer to the Hebrews makes a big declaration. We are surrounded, the writer says, by a great cloud of witnesses. The writer isn’t talking about the possibility of big brother looking over our shoulders. It’s not as though we’re the Texas Rangers baseball team with tens of thousands of fans cheering madly as an 11th inning homer beats the Red Sox. No, you and I are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses – or, as the Apostles’ Creed calls them, the communion of saints.
Like you and me, those witnesses and saints have stories. We heard some of them in today’s passage. Like us, they lived the adventure of faith. They enjoyed some victories; they took some actions; they attempted to order their society; they fought battles; they moved around. In addition, they endured no small amount of persecution and tragedy. But the scarlet thread that connected them all was the gift of faith. Stated differently, they hung in there with God – whether their lives were on the upswing, the downswing, or any other swing in between.
How about you right now at this very moment: are you on an upswing in your life? A downswing? Something else? How is it with your faith and the story of your life right now?
It’s summertime, and that means I listen to a lot of Jimmy Buffett music. One of his little ballads that always gets to me and tugs at my heartstrings is called “He Went to Paris.” It tells the story of a life, and it goes like this:
He went to Paris looking for answers to questions that bothered him so; he was impressive, young and agressive, saving the world on his own. The warm summer breezes and the French wines and cheeses put his ambition at bay. Summers and winters scattered like splinters, and forty five years slipped away.
He went to England, played the piano, and married and actress named Kim. They had a fine life; she was a good wife and bore him a young son named Jim. And all of the answers and all of the questions were locked in his attic one day, for he liked the quiet, clean country living, and twenty more years slipped away.
Well, the war took his baby; the bombs killed his lady and left him with only one eye. His body was battered; his whole world was shattered, and all he could do was just cry. While the tears were falling he was recalling answers that he never found. So he hopped on a freighter, skidded the ocean, and left England without a sound.
Now he lives in the islands, fishes the pilings, and drinks his Green Label each day. He’s writing his memoirs, losing his hearing, but he don’t care what most people say. Through eighty six years of perpetual motion, if he likes you he’ll smile and he’ll say: “Jimmy, some of it’s magic; some of it’s tragic, but I had a good life all the way.”
Life being what it is, I’m sure you’ve had magic moments and tragic moments. I have. As our days together begin, I look forward to sharing more of my life with you, and I hope you’ll feel safe and welcome to share bits and pieces of your own lives with me. Like the individual in the Buffett song, my life has been one of “perpetual motion.” The fact is, all of our lives are in perpetual motion -- even when we’re asleep. Our hearts keep moving; they pump. Our lungs keep moving; they respirate. Our brain waves keep moving; they register.
So our lives perpetually move on, and the good news today is that we’re not alone. We’re surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Along with the good news comes an encouraging word as well. The writer says: “Let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us... .” That’s from the New Revised Standard Version translation of the Bible. But on this verse, I prefer the New International Version rendering, and it goes like this: “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” The NIV language there is a bit more vivid and crisp.
“Throw off everything that hinders,” the writer says. “Oh, c’mon,” says a voice from the gallery. “That’s easier said than done!” One of the things that hinders me, for example, is anxiety and even panic about the future. It’s almost as if I have a little committee in my head that sits around the table and discusses contingency plans for when things go wrong in the future.” This reading says, “Paul, give every member a pink slip fire that committee immediately; get rid of that; cast off that ballast; throw it away.” Yes, I’m one of those who really needs to take to heart those great words from Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Some of your hurts you have cured,And the sharpest you’ve even survived,But what torments of grief you’ve endured,From evils which never arrived.
Another thing we are encouraged to cast off is the sin that, in the words of the text, “so easily entangles.” Sin, in a manner of speaking, turns us into an old string of Christmas lights. You get them out the next Christmas and they’re all tangled up and you’re not sure if they’ll work. But our reading doesn’t tell us to untangle our sin. It says to cast it off. There’s a big difference, a huge difference, between untangling them and casting them off. There are many things in life we can deal with, but sin isn’t one of them. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus is more than willing to take them. In fact, He has – all the way to the cross. In return, He decorates our lives with forgiveness, with faith, and with perseverance.
Yes, “Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us… ,” says our reading. It doesn’t say run with speed. Life isn’t about getting to the finish line first. It says run with perseverance. Hang in there when you feel like giving up. Practice something that a Walt Disney lyricist called “Stick-to-it-ivity”:
Yes siree! Yes siree! You can clear the deck for opportunity by applyin’ stick-to-it-itvity. If you got that stuff called stick-to-it-ivity, you’re gonna be alright. We’re gonna be alright!
We’ve covered a lot of ground this morning. Our lives can have magic moments and tragic moments. Our journeys through life are ones of perpetual motion, but we don’t travel alone. We are surrounded by the lives and the stories of that great cloud of witnesses, the communions of saints. With God’s help, we can cast off all that hinders and entangles. We can run with perserverance the race of life marked out for us by a loving God; we can hang in there; we can practice stick-to-it-ivity. Christians may need a towel, but they don’t throw it in!
Finally, here’s the best news of all: our lives have a focal point. The writer to the Hebrews bids us to “Fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Let me be the first to tell you that there are times when Jesus seems so out of focus. When that happens, the tendency is to focus on something else: ourselves. We focus on our lives and seek to mold and shape them as we see fit. We focus on our own needs and wants and seek to meet them. We focus on our own whims and fancies and seek to enact them. Then we wonder why life gets off track.
How wonderful it is to know that Jesus will come into focus and will be our focal point– as we gather around His Word, as we receive His blessed Sacraments, as we remember that we’re not alone.
Last Sunday afternoon, I got to spend some time with FPC Youth. And I’m here to tell you: we’ve got some great young people here. Driving home, I thought back on when I was their age and remembered my favorite job as a teenager. I worked as a greenskeeper on a Nebraska golf course, and I’d like to share a final story from those days that I hope will illustrate what I’ve tried to say this morning.
The work day began at 6:00 o’clock in the morning. On my first day on the job, I met the assistant greens keeper – a retired gentleman; a tobacco chewing, story-telling, wisdom-dispensing good old boy by the name of Bill Wilson. He said, “You’re going to learn to mow the greens.” That’s the part of the golf course where the grass is very thin and you putt the ball. Bill went on: “I want you to watch me; that’s how you’ll learn.” After showing me how to run the mower out by the shed, I followed him on foot and watched him mow the first three greens. He’d mow straight across the middle of the green and then go back and forth and back and forth until he was done. Then he’d mow along the edge of the green.” I thought, “Well, that’s simple enough.” On the fourth green, it was my turn. I hopped up on that Jacobsen mower I started to have at it. I went back and forth and back and forth while making sure that the edge of the mower was properly aligned to the edge of the grass. When I was done, I got off the mower and was proud that I had learned how to do it so quickly. I turned to Bill hoping to receive a nice compliment for having done such a nice job. But Bill was having none of it. He frowned and shook his head. He said, “Look at your lines. Are those straight?” I looked back at the green, and I had to admit that they were not. Bill said, “I told you to watch me and not the mower. If you would have watched me, you would have seen that I never looked down at the mower. I was focused on a spot I picked out in the distance, and I mowed right toward it. As a result, my lines are straight; the greens look beautiful. Now, try it again.” We went to the fifth hole. I got set to mow. It was hard at first not to look down. But I began to focus on a point in the distance and mow right toward it. When I got done with green number five, I hopped off. I looked at Bill. He was smiling. The lines were straight; the green was beautiful.
Friends, our lives have a focal point – even Jesus Christ. Focused on Him, our lives are straight and they are beautiful.
Amen.
Theme: “Our Focal Point”
12th Sunday After Pentecost
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 15, 2010
First Presbyterian Church
Denton, Texas
Rev. Paul R. Dunklau
IN THE NAME OF JESUS
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Love, joy, and peace to you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Along with our wonderful facility here, it is not insignificant to note our geographic location. Dear friends, First Presbyterian of Denton is on a prime piece of real estate. Not far from here, to the south of us, sits either the fourth or the third largest university in the state of Texas – depending on whose statistics you’re looking at. The “Mean Green”, or UNT as its called, has one of the finest music schools in the world, and a new stadium is going up. To the west of us, the developers are at it again, moving dirt and all, with fits and starts, building something of a new retail and residential mecca. Drive east down University Drive, and you take note of Texas Woman’s University with the beautiful Hubbard Hall and the little chapel that was dedicated by Eleanor Roosevelt. Head further to the east and you eventually run into the tollway. Like a fast-paced European autobahn, it now zips people down to Dallas in no time flat. Then there’s population growth. Based on figures from 2006-2009, Denton is the tenth-fastest growing city in the country with a population over one hundred thousand. I’ve lived in the area for ten years, and have witnessed that population go up, up, up. Were he alive, Dr. Seuss could have surely had Denton in mind when he wrote that lively little book, Great Day for Up! Everything that I’ve just mentioned has been and will be witnessed by all of us as the beehive of activity that is Denton, Texas moves into the future. Economic unpleasantries notwithstanding, everything appears to be on the up!
We can be forgiven for thinking that we are little more than spectators as all these things go on around us. Denton seems to demonstrate the dictum of Lee Iacocca: “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.” Surrounded by so many people and so much progress and activity, the temptation is to lose a little of your own identity. You feel like just another nameless face in a growing crowd or simply a statistic on someone’s demographic data sheet.
Into this atmosphere and admixture of progress and confusion, the good news of today’s text bursts onto the scene and into the mix. The writer to the Hebrews makes a big declaration. We are surrounded, the writer says, by a great cloud of witnesses. The writer isn’t talking about the possibility of big brother looking over our shoulders. It’s not as though we’re the Texas Rangers baseball team with tens of thousands of fans cheering madly as an 11th inning homer beats the Red Sox. No, you and I are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses – or, as the Apostles’ Creed calls them, the communion of saints.
Like you and me, those witnesses and saints have stories. We heard some of them in today’s passage. Like us, they lived the adventure of faith. They enjoyed some victories; they took some actions; they attempted to order their society; they fought battles; they moved around. In addition, they endured no small amount of persecution and tragedy. But the scarlet thread that connected them all was the gift of faith. Stated differently, they hung in there with God – whether their lives were on the upswing, the downswing, or any other swing in between.
How about you right now at this very moment: are you on an upswing in your life? A downswing? Something else? How is it with your faith and the story of your life right now?
It’s summertime, and that means I listen to a lot of Jimmy Buffett music. One of his little ballads that always gets to me and tugs at my heartstrings is called “He Went to Paris.” It tells the story of a life, and it goes like this:
He went to Paris looking for answers to questions that bothered him so; he was impressive, young and agressive, saving the world on his own. The warm summer breezes and the French wines and cheeses put his ambition at bay. Summers and winters scattered like splinters, and forty five years slipped away.
He went to England, played the piano, and married and actress named Kim. They had a fine life; she was a good wife and bore him a young son named Jim. And all of the answers and all of the questions were locked in his attic one day, for he liked the quiet, clean country living, and twenty more years slipped away.
Well, the war took his baby; the bombs killed his lady and left him with only one eye. His body was battered; his whole world was shattered, and all he could do was just cry. While the tears were falling he was recalling answers that he never found. So he hopped on a freighter, skidded the ocean, and left England without a sound.
Now he lives in the islands, fishes the pilings, and drinks his Green Label each day. He’s writing his memoirs, losing his hearing, but he don’t care what most people say. Through eighty six years of perpetual motion, if he likes you he’ll smile and he’ll say: “Jimmy, some of it’s magic; some of it’s tragic, but I had a good life all the way.”
Life being what it is, I’m sure you’ve had magic moments and tragic moments. I have. As our days together begin, I look forward to sharing more of my life with you, and I hope you’ll feel safe and welcome to share bits and pieces of your own lives with me. Like the individual in the Buffett song, my life has been one of “perpetual motion.” The fact is, all of our lives are in perpetual motion -- even when we’re asleep. Our hearts keep moving; they pump. Our lungs keep moving; they respirate. Our brain waves keep moving; they register.
So our lives perpetually move on, and the good news today is that we’re not alone. We’re surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Along with the good news comes an encouraging word as well. The writer says: “Let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us... .” That’s from the New Revised Standard Version translation of the Bible. But on this verse, I prefer the New International Version rendering, and it goes like this: “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” The NIV language there is a bit more vivid and crisp.
“Throw off everything that hinders,” the writer says. “Oh, c’mon,” says a voice from the gallery. “That’s easier said than done!” One of the things that hinders me, for example, is anxiety and even panic about the future. It’s almost as if I have a little committee in my head that sits around the table and discusses contingency plans for when things go wrong in the future.” This reading says, “Paul, give every member a pink slip fire that committee immediately; get rid of that; cast off that ballast; throw it away.” Yes, I’m one of those who really needs to take to heart those great words from Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Some of your hurts you have cured,And the sharpest you’ve even survived,But what torments of grief you’ve endured,From evils which never arrived.
Another thing we are encouraged to cast off is the sin that, in the words of the text, “so easily entangles.” Sin, in a manner of speaking, turns us into an old string of Christmas lights. You get them out the next Christmas and they’re all tangled up and you’re not sure if they’ll work. But our reading doesn’t tell us to untangle our sin. It says to cast it off. There’s a big difference, a huge difference, between untangling them and casting them off. There are many things in life we can deal with, but sin isn’t one of them. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus is more than willing to take them. In fact, He has – all the way to the cross. In return, He decorates our lives with forgiveness, with faith, and with perseverance.
Yes, “Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us… ,” says our reading. It doesn’t say run with speed. Life isn’t about getting to the finish line first. It says run with perseverance. Hang in there when you feel like giving up. Practice something that a Walt Disney lyricist called “Stick-to-it-ivity”:
Yes siree! Yes siree! You can clear the deck for opportunity by applyin’ stick-to-it-itvity. If you got that stuff called stick-to-it-ivity, you’re gonna be alright. We’re gonna be alright!
We’ve covered a lot of ground this morning. Our lives can have magic moments and tragic moments. Our journeys through life are ones of perpetual motion, but we don’t travel alone. We are surrounded by the lives and the stories of that great cloud of witnesses, the communions of saints. With God’s help, we can cast off all that hinders and entangles. We can run with perserverance the race of life marked out for us by a loving God; we can hang in there; we can practice stick-to-it-ivity. Christians may need a towel, but they don’t throw it in!
Finally, here’s the best news of all: our lives have a focal point. The writer to the Hebrews bids us to “Fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Let me be the first to tell you that there are times when Jesus seems so out of focus. When that happens, the tendency is to focus on something else: ourselves. We focus on our lives and seek to mold and shape them as we see fit. We focus on our own needs and wants and seek to meet them. We focus on our own whims and fancies and seek to enact them. Then we wonder why life gets off track.
How wonderful it is to know that Jesus will come into focus and will be our focal point– as we gather around His Word, as we receive His blessed Sacraments, as we remember that we’re not alone.
Last Sunday afternoon, I got to spend some time with FPC Youth. And I’m here to tell you: we’ve got some great young people here. Driving home, I thought back on when I was their age and remembered my favorite job as a teenager. I worked as a greenskeeper on a Nebraska golf course, and I’d like to share a final story from those days that I hope will illustrate what I’ve tried to say this morning.
The work day began at 6:00 o’clock in the morning. On my first day on the job, I met the assistant greens keeper – a retired gentleman; a tobacco chewing, story-telling, wisdom-dispensing good old boy by the name of Bill Wilson. He said, “You’re going to learn to mow the greens.” That’s the part of the golf course where the grass is very thin and you putt the ball. Bill went on: “I want you to watch me; that’s how you’ll learn.” After showing me how to run the mower out by the shed, I followed him on foot and watched him mow the first three greens. He’d mow straight across the middle of the green and then go back and forth and back and forth until he was done. Then he’d mow along the edge of the green.” I thought, “Well, that’s simple enough.” On the fourth green, it was my turn. I hopped up on that Jacobsen mower I started to have at it. I went back and forth and back and forth while making sure that the edge of the mower was properly aligned to the edge of the grass. When I was done, I got off the mower and was proud that I had learned how to do it so quickly. I turned to Bill hoping to receive a nice compliment for having done such a nice job. But Bill was having none of it. He frowned and shook his head. He said, “Look at your lines. Are those straight?” I looked back at the green, and I had to admit that they were not. Bill said, “I told you to watch me and not the mower. If you would have watched me, you would have seen that I never looked down at the mower. I was focused on a spot I picked out in the distance, and I mowed right toward it. As a result, my lines are straight; the greens look beautiful. Now, try it again.” We went to the fifth hole. I got set to mow. It was hard at first not to look down. But I began to focus on a point in the distance and mow right toward it. When I got done with green number five, I hopped off. I looked at Bill. He was smiling. The lines were straight; the green was beautiful.
Friends, our lives have a focal point – even Jesus Christ. Focused on Him, our lives are straight and they are beautiful.
Amen.
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