Setting Sail: Take The First Step

 SCRIPTURE   Luke 4:14-21 (NRSV)

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    because he has anointed me

        to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

    and recovery of sight to the blind,

        to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

This is one of my favorite passages in the bible.

The words Jesus speaks in Nazareth are the first words we hear of his public ministry in Luke’s Gospel. 

That must mean something significant.

Because this is Jesus’ inaugural address in Luke.

And what is it that Jesus says?

He tells us what is at the heart of his mission and will be his constant message.

And what he tells us is a reminder from the prophet Isaiah.

Remember, 2 weeks ago we read from the prophet Isaiah who promised us that God’s universal spirit would be with us and guide us as we welcomed all of God’s children.

Jesus’ quotes from Isaiah 61 and 58 and tells us what his purpose is --- what our purpose is.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    because he has anointed me

        to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

    and recovery of sight to the blind,

        to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

And then to cap it all off he says --- and I love how Luke makes the scene so dramatic

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

WOW!

We heard earlier in Luke chapter 1, in the Magnificat, that:

[God] has filled the hungry with good things

    and sent the rich away empty-handed.

Now Jesus is bringing “good news to the poor.”

The word for poor in Greek is ptochoi (pa tah hos)

It refers to one’s economic status

It can also refer to other factors that could lower one’s status in the 1st century

Gender

One’s family --- genealogy

Education

Occupation

Health disability

Degree of religious purity

Jesus’ mission to the poor is not just about monetary poverty --- but to all those who find themselves living on the margins of their society.

Jesus is busting down these cultural boundaries and insisting, as Isaiah did in chapter 43 that all are a part of God’s grace

All are loved by God.

Then he throws in, from Isaiah 61 --- “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

This is most likely a reference to Leviticus 25, where God gives to Moses the concept of the year of Jubilee

A year in which indentured servants were to be freed

Debts forgiven

Land and property returned to the original owners

It is a utopian idea of a radical redistribution of wealth --- but what is interesting --- there is ZERO evidence of it actually ever happening in Israel.

So, Isaiah --- and Jesus --- seem to be projecting this as what the future kin-dom might look like.

Can you imagine trying to put this into action?

Think of all the challenges?

Forgive all debt?

Return all property?

Whose property was it originally?

The passage this week ends with Jesus making the radical proclamation:

“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Really?  

While our lection ended there, the Gospel reading for next Sunday continues the story.  

We are not going to use that passage, but instead, next week, go back to 1 Corinthians --- but do you remember what happens next?

Let me ask you a question --- How do you feel when you hear those words?

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    because he has anointed me

        to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

    and recovery of sight to the blind,

        to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Or the similar message that is found in Matthew in what we call the sermon on the mount?

I can tell you that I have more people complain when I chose to preach that message of Jesus than almost anything else.

We don’t mind loving our neighbor

But redistributing wealth

Suggesting that the poor are more blessed?

Or that we should be humble, righteous or full or peace?

Especially if it means changing our behavior

Most of us say --- Thanks, but No Thanks

The good people of Nazareth --- Jesus’ home --- didn’t like the message either.

Remember what they decide to do?

Luke tells us:

When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.

There can be an uncomfortableness to the message of Jesus.

Yet of all the stories about Jesus that the early church could have remembered and cherished --- they remembered this one.

And Luke made it the inaugural story of Jesus’ ministry.

One that they --- like us --- have failed to live up too.

Following Jesus is not easy --- but we have been given the tools necessary to be successful.

Last week, as we looked at Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth and his reminding us that we have all been gifted by God for building up the good of the community.

1 Corinthians 12:selected (CEB)

There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; and there are different ministries and the same Lord; and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good. . . All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person.

I asked you to take stock of how God has gifted you

To seek to understand the gifts that God has given you --- as well as the passions that you have.

I hope you took some time to do that.

Today, Jesus is asking us --- what are we going to do with those gifts.

And that’s the rub isn’t it.

While it isn’t always easy for us to acknowledge that we are gifted by God --- taking that gift, and putting it into action --- well that is a different story all together.

I can’t tell you how many people I have known over the years who have gone to the trouble of doing a spiritual gift inventory --- a little test to help you determine your spiritual gifts from God --- and then can never get themselves to actually use them.

The old proverb says the hardest step is always the first one.

And there are many who would be happy to pooh poo that idea.

But the truth is --- we can study all about something ---we can dream and plan --- but if we never put it into action --- well then what was the point.

It is almost as if we are good with the ready and the set --- but we hesitate with the go.

We just can’t commit fully to the cause

Leadership experts like to point to the method that Cortes used to get his men to move forward.

In the year 1519, Cortés arrived in the Vera Cruz area of Mexico with six hundred men and, people like to say: he made history by destroying his ships. Burning them --- the more dramatic accounts claim.

Why did he do this?

To send a clear message to his men: There is no turning back.  You must move forward.

The true story is a bit more complicated and nuanced.

But regardless --- there can be a lesson in it for us.

In order to fully succeed in the journey of life --- we must go fully in.

We are all on a journey --- whether we admit it or not

The question is --- what are we journeying toward.

With my announcement of my retirement --- it sent the leadership of Meridian Street on a new journey

And since then --- they have listened to you as you shared what you wanted in your next pastoral leader.

As you shared the direction that you perceive God is leading Meridian Street UMC.

They then synthesized all those comments to present to the Bishop and cabinet to assist them in finding the most suitable candidate to lead Meridian Street.

But their job wasn’t done yet.

Now comes the hard part of leaving the safety of the harbor and beginning to live into that new vision that they --- with your help --- have captured.

Tomorrow night --- the leadership will be meeting with Jim Ozier to learn how to make the transition more effective for future ministry.

I encourage you to keep them in your prayers as they begin this journey.

But we are all on a journey

Nancy and I took the first step this week in trying to figure out where we want to move to.

We have begun creating our “wish list” of what the next community will look like and what type of home we want to move into --- but more importantly --- trying to understand where God is leading us for this next chapter of our lives.

Where is God leading you?

You may need to ask yourself:

• Am I headed in the right direction?

• Do I even know where I am going?

• Have I considered the consequences of my choices?

• What do I do when I get to a fork in the road? Do I settle down or continue and go left or right? 

To reach the destination of life’s journey will take time, and there is a process. 

Often the process has its ups and downs, starts, and stops. 

The process will usually involve some right and wrong choices. 

But the biggest choice is to BEGIN.

Begin this journey by turning to our ultimate guide and leader --- JESUS.

He will gift you with all that you need --- if you are willing to follow the path that he has laid out for you.

A path of not putting yourself first --- but God’s kin-dom and children.

Are you ready?

Jesus is calling you

Will you follow?

Let’s Go!

Setting Sail: Identify the Opportunities

SCRIPTURE  1 Corinthians 12:1-11 (CEB)

Brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts. You know that when you were Gentiles you were often misled by false gods that can’t even speak. So I want to make it clear to you that no one says, “Jesus is cursed!” when speaking by God’s Spirit, and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; and there are different ministries and the same Lord; and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good. A word of wisdom is given by the Spirit to one person, a word of knowledge to another according to the same Spirit, faith to still another by the same Spirit, gifts of healing to another in the one Spirit, performance of miracles to another, prophecy to another, the ability to tell spirits apart to another, different kinds of tongues to another, and the interpretation of the tongues to another. All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person.

This is a season of firsts and lasts for me.  

Christmas was not only my last Christmas in the pulpit, 

but it was also my first Christmas without my father.  

I was asked if I thought I would miss leading worship on Christmas Eve --- and the honest answer is I don’t think so --- it is an extremely stressful time for a pastor, and I have always missed out on many family activities because of it.

One thing I think I will miss is the opportunity to preach on stewardship.

Inviting people to experience that absolute joy of giving generously is one of the greatest opportunities of being a pastor.

What is always fun is coming up with new (and hopefully creative) ways of sharing about generosity.

For the next couple of weeks, I will share a series that I have titled SETTING SAIL.

This idea popped into my head because it is the current situation for both Meridian Street Church and Nancy and I.

We are both getting ready to set sail on a new adventure.

As I began working on this series a few months ago, my mind instantly created a playlist of sailing songs.

Christopher Cross --- Sailing

if the wind is right you can sail away and find tranquility

Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.

Believe me.

Styx --- Come Sail Away

My freshman year in high school, they played at a dance at my school

One of the things you probably don’t know about me is I am a huge Jimmy Buffett fan --- and his music is full of sailing songs.

The lure of setting sail is at once exciting and at times terrifying.

Christmas is barely in our rearview mirror.

Christmas, in popular culture is, of course, mainly a season of giving and receiving of gifts.

Just a few weeks ago we were inundated with stories about Santa Claus --- depicted as a magnanimous gift giver --- doling out presents for personal enjoyment.

Paul, in our text this morning puts a whole new spin on the idea of gifts.

Paul’s discussion of spiritual gifts imagines a divine giver who bestows gifts based 

Not on what we think our heart desires

But rather on what will most contribute to the common good of a whole community.

Unfortunately, the concept of common good seems to be lost on us today --- 

But, as Jesus followers, we need to do our best to exemplify the common good for the rest of our culture.

If there is any responsibility, we, as Christians have, it is to 

remind, 

live-out, 

and proclaim --- 

that we are here not for ourselves, but for ALL of God’s creation.

Can I get an Amen to that?

Or have we so bought into the message of popular culture that we have forgotten?

If you are not sure about this --- take some time and read once again Matthew chapter 20

Paul often gets a bad rap in our society --- we have twisted his essential message and turned it upside down and missed what he had to say.

Since we are going to be looking at a couple of passages from Paul’s letter to the nascent church at Corinth it might be helpful to try and understand a bit about the context.

First and foremost --- we only have one side of a series of letters.  

Clearly Paul was responding to some correspondence that he had received --- and most scholars believe that this is actually a couple of letters that have been stitched together.

Paul will wrestle with several theological challenges in this letter

At the beginning of the letter, Paul lays out his purpose --- and it is what I was trying to say last week:

I encourage you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Agree with each other and don’t be divided into rival groups. Instead, be restored with the same mind and the same purpose. (1 Cor 1:10)

In our text this morning, Paul explores for us how this unity of purpose can be achieved despite radical differences.

I love how Paul says it:

“There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; and there are different ministries and the same Lord; and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone”

Everyone is given a gift by God --- EVERYONE --- the question is:

are we willing to take the time to figure out what God has gifted us?

And believe me --- I understand our reticence in figuring that out.

Once I recognize that I have been gifted --- I need to do something with it

Paul clearly tells us why we are given these gifts:

“A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good.”

I hear pastors bemoaning the fact that their church can’t do something 

--- can’t take on a particular ministry 

--- because they don’t have the people to lead it.

When I started Celebration church --- I became aware of what Paul was trying to teach us in this section of 1 Corinthians.

I am convinced that every God ordained community has all the gifts it needs to successfully lead the ministries that God is calling it too.

“A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good.”

As Paul wanders through the list of spiritual gifts, he ends by saying:

“All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person.”

Richard Carlson in his commentary on this passage says:

“the Spirit which works in every single Christian as the Spirit so choses. Likewise, the Spirit works in each Christian not so much for the benefit of any individual Christian but for the benefit of the entire community. Thus the Spirit’s activity is quite diverse; no single Christian receives all the Spirit’s gifts. Yet each Christian is empowered by the Spirit for ministry which builds up the whole community.”

The fundamental question isn’t do we have the gifts necessary --- but rather --- are we willing to use the gifts God has given us?

Somewhere along the line --- Christianity moved from being a verb --- an action

to being a noun --- a description

To be a Christian is to be actively engaged in the world, using the gifts we have been given --- not for our own benefit --- but to benefit the common good.

To be a Christian is to set sail and follow the winds of the spirit.

But before we can set sail --- it seems to me we need to follow the advice of Jesus as found in Luke 14:

“Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it?”

We need to identify the opportunities before us and determine if we have what it takes to make it happen.

About the same time as I announced my retirement late last fall --- I got a phone call.

It was from a member of Meridian Street --- a very active member --- who wanted to share an opportunity with me.

For almost 40 years, when someone comes to me with an idea for the church, I have had a pretty similar answer --- some of you (to your dismay at times) have heard it from me --- and what I say when you present a ministry idea is:

“How can I help YOU bring this to life”

It took me a while to understand the necessary corollary to this statement --- and I learned it from my mistakes --- And I try to impress this upon the staff all the time --- “You are not hired to DO the ministry --- you are hired to help facilitate the ministry.”

This has been one of my maxim’s that has been most difficult to implement here.

Back to my phone call --- this person shared that he knew someone who had experience in leading summer camps for kids and was interested in starting the ministry at Meridian Street.

As you can imagine --- I was intrigued from the get-go.

But as I was introduced to Chris, I was intrigued even more.

Chris’s father was a refugee from Viet-Nam that was welcomed by a church in Ohio (I think).  

His father married his mother in a service here at Meridian Street and he later became a pastor.

Chris works for IPS as a counselor at a middle school and has a passion for young people.

If you can’t hear God in this --- I am not sure you are listening very hard.

Think about it for just a second.

On August 15th we gathered at Camp Otto to celebrate one of the greatest legacies of Meridian Street Church --- and then just a few months later, God sends this gift to us.

For the past two months I have been in conversation with Chris with two goals in mind --- First, to discern if this opportunity fits within our mission and vision.

That answer seems pretty easy --- but it wasn’t

I needed to discern 

Does Chris know what he is talking about?

What is his agenda? --- why does he want to do this?

And does his purpose align with ours?

And I can tell you --- I am 100% convinced that God sent us this gift and it is a monumental opportunity for us to extend our mission.

Earlier this month, after getting the staff on board --- the idea was presented first to the Trustees and then the Finance teams.

I can tell you that they both not only affirmed the concept but unanimously and enthusiastically, supported it.

But that still leaves the last question that must be discerned.

Are we as a church willing to not only support the ministry, but actively engage with it?

In other words, are we willing to commit to making it a success?

This is the tough one, because I will not be here to nurture it as it launches --- but you will be.

We have spent almost the last two years mired in a pandemic.

We are once again worshipping from our homes so that we can do our part in helping to control the spread of Omicron.

The truth is --- most of our ministries have become stagnant.

We have become less engaged 

That is just one of the by-products of the pandemic

But the winds are changing

We can sit and count what we have lost

Or we can venture out and seek the opportunities God has placed before us.

At the top of the bulletin --- I shared a quote from John Maxwell --- a church and organizational leader

The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.

As we move out of this pandemic – which has already changed all of us --- we need to ask ourselves --- Am I using the gifts that God has given to me?

Am I taking advantage of all the Spirit filled opportunities that are before me?

This summer camp isn’t the only opportunity that is in front of us --- I just wanted to share one with you today.

How is God calling you to bring it into fruition?

And if you are not called to bring it into fruition --- where are you being called?

The scary part of setting sail is we know that we cannot remain the same 

--- if we are willing to leave the safety of the harbor, we are in.

For the last 40 years, I have served where the bishop has told me to serve (I trust with the wisdom of the spirit).

Sure, Nancy and I have been blessed that we could live in our own house and not one provided by the church.

Just an aside, my first parsonage was furnished by the church . . .

I slept in somebody else’s bed

I ate at somebody else’s table

It was very weird

Yes, we live in our own home today, but we still always lived in the community that the bishop appointed us to.

We are getting ready to set sail on a whole new adventure of picking where WE want to live (how does one do that?)

We know that we must leave the safe harbor we have been in and listen to where God is leading us

Meridian Street is called to do the same thing

The same old ministries of the past won’t/don’t cut it anymore

Are we willing to use the Gifts God has given us to venture out?

As we individually and collectively discern that answer --- hear these wise words from Father Richard Rohr

The God within is like a homing device placed within us, like those found naturally in homing pigeons. No matter where they’re released, they know how to find their way back home—across thousands of miles in some cases! We can think of the Holy Spirit as our interior homing device—that for all our stupidity and mistakes there is this deep internal intuition that we are the sons and daughters of God. No matter how lost we get, it keeps pointing us back “home”—to love, to connection, to meaningful relationship with Someone or something else, to soul. It’s only God in us that knows God. It’s God in us that loves God. It’s God in us that recognizes God. 

Lately, I have been reading THE PIONEERS by David McCullough.

It is fascinating to read of those who left behind the safety of their homes to explore (and exploit) what was known as the northwest territory --- the area we live in today.

While we can look back and see some of the errors of their ways --- we cannot fail to see their courage and determination.

Where is God leading us?

Let us take some time to discern the opportunities --- and our willingness to make them happen.

You have the gifts --- the Spirit has gifted each one of you --- use them.