Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Gone Fishin’

Mark 1:14-21


            I went to a store the other day that sells everything you need to go fishing.  It had aisle after aisle of fishing rods and reels and lures with names like “Wally Diver” and “Little Ripper” and “Tail Dancer” and “Storm Kicking Minnows”.  If you’re a fish – that’s good eating.

            They also had Bass boats equipped with high tech water temperature gauges, Global Positioning Satellite receivers and fish finders that not only tell you where the fish are, but also what they had for lunch.  I tallied it up and figured you can spend a lot of money to go fishing.

All this is designed to do what I used to do as a boy with a cane pole and a couple of worms, but that’s the way things are now.  In today’s high tech world we rely on the gadgets and gizmos to do what we used to do with a lot less.  This is as true in church life as it is the recreational fishing industry. 

            Now we use sound systems and video projectors and internet websites to share the good news of Jesus Christ.  As helpful as all that stuff is, it is still no substitute for the intimacy of personal contact.  It cannot replace the one-to-one conversation on matters of the spirit.  It cannot supplant the warmth of a hug or a quiet prayer when someone goes through a dark valley.

            No one understood this better than Jesus.  He began his ministry not with a big noise, but with a quiet whisper.  He doesn’t blanket the neighborhood with leaflets for a big-tent revival, but calls only a few by name and bids them “come and follow”.

            There is a reason he did that then.  There is a reason he does that now.  Before we get into the whys and wherefores, let us go into prayer:

            Lord, you are the Good Shepherd who calls us by name and bids us to follow.[1] Help us to listen this morning, so that we may follow, and in following find the difference you make in our own lives and in those around us and on distant shores.  This we pray in Jesus’ name.

            Jesus began his ministry on the northern shores of Galilee Sea shortly after John the Baptist had been arrested by Herod.  He continued the theme that John had set, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”[2]

            It’s hard to hear the call to repentance without some sense of judgment. If people say, “you need to turn around”, it is clear they think you’re going in the wrong direction.  If they say, “you need to straighten up”, they obviously think you’re crooked or bent.  If they say, “you ought to get your life in order”, they clearly think it’s a mess.

            So, what’s your first reaction when someone speaks to you like that?  If someone asks, “Do you want to know what’s wrong with you”, do you usually respond, “Oh yes, please tell me!”

            Chances are your reaction will be like mine. The last thing we want is criticism so our response, whether we say it or not, is usually, “Back off.  I may not be perfect, but I’m not that bad.  Besides there’s some things I’ve noticed about you, and it’s a pretty long list so we better get started.”

            Most of us are really just spiritual adolescents.  We don’t want to be told what to do, not because we think we know all the answers, but because we don’t think anyone else does either.  But, without criticism how will any of us learn anything new about ourselves or God?  Sometimes others do see our flaws better than we.  If that someone is Jesus Christ that is pretty much guaranteed.

            The call to repentance is the first expression of God’s grace, because it tells us that God does not want to leave us where we are.  Through this call to repentance God is saying he believes we can be and do more than we ever thought. In fact the last thing we ever want to hear from the mouth of God is what we read in Romans chapter one:

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of those who suppress the truth…for although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their own hearts were darkened.  Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts.”[3]

            You’re in a lot of trouble if God says, “Fine, have it your own way. I wash my hands of you. It’s on you head.”[4] That’s why we usually include a call to confession and prayer of confession in most of our worship services.  It is the first step to receive God’s grace.  

God’s criticism is like a parent teaching a child to tie shoe laces or a hook on a fishing line.  Before we can do it right, we often do it wrong.  Sometimes we have to stumble over those loose laces before we’ll listen.  Sometimes, we have to lose the fish because the hook was tied wrong before we’ll pay attention.  That’s usually when repentance begins.

            Now, Webster’s dictionary says repentance means, “To change one’s mind, one’s heart, one’s life, as a result of regret or dissatisfaction.”  It is not just bout feeling bad or sorry or guilty for something that you have done.  It may begin there, but it does not end there. Repentance is more than a feeling.  It is a change in thinking and so in direction.  It is learning from our mistakes.

            Garrison Keilor highlights the difference in a passage from Lake Wobegon Days:

            “Larry the Sad Boy was saved twelve times in the Lutheran church, an all time record.  Between 1953 and 1961 he threw himself weeping and contrite on God’s throne of grace on twelve separate occasions – and this in a Lutheran Church that has no altar call and no organist playing, “Just as I Am”.  This is the Lutheran Church and these are Scandinavians, and they repent in the same way they sin: discreetly, tastefully, at the proper time, and they bring a bowl of Jell-O salad for afterward.  Twelve times Larry the Sad Boy came forward.  Even we fundamentalists got tired of him.  God didn’t mean us to feel guilt all of our lives.  There comes a point when you should dry your tears and join the building committee and start grappling with the problems of the church furnace and make church coffee and be of use, but Larry just kept on repenting and repenting and repenting.”[5]

            He got Jesus command half right.  He repented, but he did not really believe the gospel Jesus is preaching.  As surely as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, God will forgive and forget the sins for which there is true repentance.  God says so clearly:

            For as the heavens are high above the earth,
                        So great is his steadfast love
toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.[6]

            Not only does God delete the corrupt files in our computers up here (head) or here (heart);   he reformats the hard drive completely and begins to write a new program.

            Through the gospel of Jesus Christ our sins are covered, and we can begin again.  That is why Jesus said it is important to believe in the gospel, because we become what we believe we can become. The Bible say, “As one thinks so one is.”[7]  If we believe we are lost and have no hope, we will be lost and have no hope.  If we believe that through Jesus Christ we can find our way and find a new hope we will. 
           
Jesus began his ministry by “seeking and saving the lost”, and he began in the most unlikely places.[8] He went down to the docks. He walked right by the synagogue and city hall and passed the Pharisees and Sadducees.  He walks right by those who had been studying the Torah for years, who had read the messianic prophecies and goes to the place where sweaty men wrestle with nets and curse their bad luck.

            Why did he do that?  Why did he begin there?  Why did he begin with them?  You’d think he’d start with those who already spoke the language of religion, and understood the vocabulary, could quote the messianic prophecies.  But, he didn’t.  He walked right by, because it is hard to teach those who already think they know it all. They will not have “eyes to see and ears to hear.”[9]

            “And as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fisherman.  And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”[10]

            Evidently, there was no company policy forbidding the discussion of spiritual matters on the job because that is what Jesus did.  To be fair, theological discussion has always been a popular pursuit in the Middle East.  They like to talk and argue about God.  It was that way then. It is that way now.

            Mark gives no indication that there had been any conversation prior to Jesus’ call to “leave their nets and follow”.  We don’t know that there was any preparation of the soil before these seeds were planted. This story would indicate that there wasn’t any.  Jesus just came up and said, “leave your nets and follow.” That was a pretty dramatic request.  Leave your jobs and families.  Leave that which makes you feel secure and follow. But, Peter and Andrew, James and John saw something in Jesus and so they did “leave their nets and follow”. 

            They didn’t really know who Jesus was exactly, had yet to  hear him preach, or see him perform even one miracle; but they saw something in his eyes, in his manner that told them he knew something about God that they didn’t and that this was something that they needed so desperately they were willing to sacrifice family and security.

            So, they did the most incredible thing.  They dropped their nets and they followed Jesus. Note - they were not leaving everything that was safe and familiar to follow a new set of rules and regulations.  There were not leaving their source of livelihood to follow a new philosophical formula.  They left their families and their nets to follow a person – Jesus Christ.

            This is a different kettle of fish.  It is something I’d like each one of you to catch.  Christians don’t follow Christianity – Christians follow Christ.  If you’ve come to hear a moral lesson or to receive a new “how-to” list in order to lead a more successful life, you’ve come to the wrong place.

            What we are trying to do here is to listen for the call of Christ and then follow him.  What I am hoping is that you can put down, even for a moment the things that occupy most of your time and attention in order to listen to Jesus when he speaks to you through scripture and spirit. When you hear – follow and accept the challenge of faith.

            Jesus’ view of discipleship goes beyond the classroom and the sanctuary.  It reaches deep into our whole world.  That’s why he said, “I will make you fishers of men.”

            To understand this metaphor you need to understand something about fishing.  The first thing you need to know is that those who do this for fun or profit never say, “Honey, I’m going catching.”  They always say, “I’m going fishing”, because the catch is never guaranteed.  It doesn’t matter how skilled or knowledgeable you are, you can cast your line or throw your net all day and still come home with nothing but pizza.

            Fish will not always be where you think they should be.  They will not always bite on the lure that you think should work.  So fishing requires an incurable optimism.  Those who fish will always say, “Maybe next time.”

            Jesus’ command to Peter and Andrew, James and John and us is not to catch fish.  It is to fish, to cast a line and throw a net and let God worry about the results.  God just calls us to be faithful.  He just calls us to follow.

            Your decision to follow or not will be determined by your level of trust.  Do you believe that Jesus will lead you to where you want to be?  Do you believe that he knows “the way, the truth, and the life?”[11]

            When Peter and Andrew, James and John heard Jesus’ call to follow, they didn’t fully understand every answer.  They didn’t even know all of the questions.  There was a lot about Jesus and God that was and is still a mystery.

            They were willing to drop their nets to follow because something stirred their hearts.  They saw something in Jesus that led them to believe they might find a deeper meaning and greater purpose to their lives.  They might find God.  For that “pearl of great price” they were willing to make a great sacrifice.[12] 

            Will you?  Will you decide to follow Jesus?

Let us pray:

Lord, each call to repentance is an expression of your love and grace and conviction that we can be and do more than we ever thought we could. You do not want to leave us where we are.  You call us to new heights.  Help us to do that and believe the good news of your gospel so that we can drop those things that so occupy our attention, we leave no time for you.  Grant that we will follow where you lead and cast our lines and drop our nets so that others may hear and receive this good news.  We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. 



           

           

           

           

           
           




[1] John 10:3
[2] Matthew 4:17
[3] Romans 1:18, 21, 24
[4] Matthew 27:24
[5] Christianity Today, July 19, 1993, pg 31
[6] Psalm 103:11-12
[7] Proverbs 23:7
[8] Luke 19:10
[9] Matthew 13:16
[10] Matthew 4:18-19
[11] John 14:6
[12] Matthew 13:46

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Can You Hear Me Now?

1 Samuel 3:1-19


            In the early days of cell phones it was not uncommon to see people wandering around and holding their phones up to the sky and asking the all-important question, “Can you hear me now?” Everyone who has ever used a cell phone have found themselves in dead zones where the signal does not reach, or on the edge where we can hear a word or two and then only static, or you are talking when you are driving down the road suddenly something blocks your signal and interrupts the message.  We’ve all asked that question, “Can you hear me now?” We are so used to this modern convenience now we become very frustrated when we are cut off from instant communication with anyone in the world.

 click to listen            In fact, I saw a story on the news this week that said some people suffer withdrawal symptoms like those an alcoholic or drug addict might experience if their cell phone is lost or they find themselves on some island where there is no service.[1]  They become tense and anxious and moody because they feel disconnected from the world.  They are sure something is going on somewhere and they don’t know about it are not part of it.  They want, or in this case need, to be connected.

            Even God seems to ask that question “Can you hear me now” because sometimes we’re stuck in a dead zone and will not hear, and sometimes we’re on the edge and can barely understand.  Sometimes something suddenly interrupts the message.  Hearing the voice of God is not always easy and we don’t feel connected to the Lord.

            This morning we’ll try to open up this line of communication, so it is important we begin with prayer.

            Lord, long ago you spoke loudly to Moses through a burning bush, but you also spoke to a young disciple like Timothy, through lessons learned at his mother’s knee.  You spoke to Noah through a great flood, to Jonah in the belly of a whale and to Elijah with a “still small voice”.  Peter and James and John heard your voice of glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, but Balaam heard it through a donkey.  You speak to us in many and various ways.  Lord let us hear through your Word, your Spirit, and through our life experiences we pray.  Amen.

            Samuel was a miracle baby born to a woman named Hannah who was to put it delicately well along in years.  She had long ago given up any hope of having a child, but after years of prayer finally received the answer she wanted.  In gratitude she dedicated her firstborn and only son to God.  She did this in a very tangible way.  When Samuel was hold enough she took him to serve in the temple at Shiloh.  He couldn’t do much. Sweep the floor and act as a go-for Eli.  There he grew under the tutelage of this priest. The Bible says, “The boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with the people.”[2]

When he was about twelve years old according to Jewish tradition, the Bible says he “was lying down within the Temple of the Lord, where the Ark of the Covenant was.” It was the middle of the night when then the Lord called, “Samuel”.  Samuel ran to where his mentor Eli and said, “Here I am”, because he assumed it was Eli who called him. But, Eli said, I never called you.” I’m guessing his words were a little more forceful. I’m thinking he said, “Boy, go back to bed and don’t call me again until morning.” So, Samuel did.

God called Samuel a second time and Samuel did the same thing. He went to Eli’s room and asked him what he wanted. Again, Eli said, “Boy, you’re just dreaming.  Leave me alone.”

Now, why the confusion?  Why does Samuel not recognize the voice of God or Eli understand what’s going on?

            The first verse in this chapter tells us. “The word of the Lord was rare in those days and there was no frequent vision.”[3]  So, expectations were low.  Many had long ago concluded God was not there or did not care, or was out there somewhere, but God is not here and not now.

Remember, we’re still in the period of the judges.  Israel was more like colonial America before we got together a formed a nation.  The twelve tribes, like Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Virginia were separate states coming together only when an outside threat emerged like the Philistines or King George.

This was an era best described by the verse that says, “and all people did that which was right in their own eyes.”[4]  Folks still worshiped and prayed, because people will always do that, but they preferred a do-it-yourself religion where God becomes only a servant to satisfy our wants and desires. They did not look to God for any guidance or direction.  They turned from the Ten Commandments and started following their own ideas about what is right or wrong, good or evil.

I can’t think of a better verse to describe the way Americans think about God.  I think many people today “do what is right in their own eyes.”  They have long ago given up on the Bible or the Church to help form their ethic or morality.  They are not sure that the government or the legal system has anything to say about it and if they find a law inconvenient have no problems ignoring it.  Most make their right or wrong decisions based on how they feel at a particular moment or where their friends stand or what a favorite celebrity might say. Truth is in the eye of the beholder and God has nothing to do with it.

It’s that way now.  It was that way then, so “A word from the Lord or a vision” was rare and infrequent, because people were not listening.

Has that ever happened to you?  Have you ever tried to tell someone something over and over but they just don’t want to hear it?  Maybe you’ve told a friend or a loved one, “you ought to quit smoking or drinking or eating too much because it’s bad for you”, but they don’t listen. They don’t want to hear it.  After a while you stop talking about it because you figure what’s the use?  That evidently is what God had been doing, “so a Word from the Lord was rare”, but it was not gone.  God still spoke.

Samuel was hearing.  He just needed help understanding. He was only 12 after all. It was Eli who finally figured out on God’s third try who was talking he helped Samuel discern this call.

This is something Presbyterians do particularly well.  We know this is a group process.  We know that others can help us understand our faith and our call.  That’s why we have a Committee on Preparation for Ministry and why Sessions are encouraged to examine inquirers to determine if the call is real or just wishful thinking.  We recognize from scripture that there are prophets and then there are false prophets who just want a job that gives them position and prestige and power or love and acceptance.  So, we on the committee spend a lot of time and energy, much prayer and reflection on the question of who is really being called by God.

It is not easy. The stakes are high because someone who is not really called can do terrible damage to a church.  Faith can be eroded and watered down.  Sometimes the Bible says, “like sheep we can be led astray” and that’s why we have a Committee on Ministry.[5]  Sometimes, difficult decisions must be made.

Those who are older, who’ve been around the block, who’ve been there and done that can provide guidance and nurture and direction to those just beginning their faith journey.  That’s why Sunday School teachers are so important.

In Samuel and Eli we see two visions for ministry, both are incomplete without the other. They need each other because youth need direction, wisdom and knowledge.  These who are older need the enthusiasm and energy of the young. Experience can help channel enthusiasm and enthusiasm can inspire experience.  

Samuel understood that.  After he finally discerned God’s voice, he received his first call and it was not one he would have chosen. The Lord said, “Behold I am going to do something that will make the ears of anyone who hears it tingle.”[6]  How about that for a message.  What preacher doesn’t want to make the ears of the congregation tingle? What was the message? 

God told Samuel that Eli’s sons were not going to inherit the family business.  They would not become prophets or priests because Eli had been a permissive father.  He let his boys flaunt and ignore God’s Word. They had gone too far in their blasphemy and wayward living, so God chose Samuel to tell his mentor Eli judgment would follow and he would become Eli’s successor.

Samuel wrestled with this hard word all night.  He did not want to hurt Eli’s feelings.  He did not want to criticize the man who had taught him so much, but his choice was clear.  He could obey God – or not.  He could be faithful to this call – or not.  He didn’t even want to think about the “or not”, so the next morning he told Eli what God had told him.

Eli, to his credit, did not become defensive. He did not accuse Samuel of trying to undermine his authority.  He did not challenge Samuel’s call.  He did not tell him he was too young to know anything about anything.  He did not criticize his interpretation of the Word.  What did he say?  “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.”[7]

That’s faith with meat on it - to receive a difficult word from the Lord and accept it.  We all gravitate to the positive words of hope we find in scripture and avoid the warning and the judgment.  We all look to the Bible for confirmation of what we already believe and look quickly away anything that challenges those beliefs.  We highlight verses we like or underline with a red pencil.

We all proof-text.  We see what we want to see and hear what we want to hear. Our experience and culture, the way were raised and the church into which we were born grind the lenses through which we look at scripture and at the world. The Apostle Paul speaking to his time and our said, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths.”[8]  It takes real courage and faith to take off the rose-colored glasses and see what God has really revealed and it takes even greater humility to change your mind and say “I was wrong.”  In my experience – it is a rare thing.  It is why Jesus said “not everyone will have eyes to see and ears to hear”.[9]

Even Jesus knew how hard it can be to say, “Here am I” when God calls, "Here I am." At the end of his forty day temptation in the wilderness, he said, "Here I am, torn by temptations of power and ambition." At the tomb of Lazarus, he said, "Here I am, broken and weeping." At the Mount of Olives, he said, "Here I am, wanting this cup of suffering and death to pass from me." Even on the cross during the worst nightmare of all--he was torn, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" But at the very end he was at one with the Father, at peace. Picture him there praying that old Jewish prayer that a child would say the last thing before dropping off to sleep, "Into thy hands I commit my spirit." "Here I am, Lord. I am yours completely and fully."

This story ends with an affirmation, “As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and let none of his words fell to the ground.”[10]  The message moved.  “God’s word did not return empty but accomplished his purpose.”[11]

God’s Word will always accomplish its purpose.  His words will not fall down to the ground, unless of course we let them.

Faith and ministry and mission also require double vision.  It looks back and asks the question “How have you heard the voice of God in the past?” Was it through the prayers of a faithful mother or grandmother?  Was it through the voice of a preacher that said just what you needed to hear on a day you really needed to hear it?  Maybe it came through a song the choir sang?  Maybe you heard it through a Sunday School teacher who gave time and attention and love.  Maybe a verse popped out of scripture and you knew God is there and the Lord does care.  It’s important to remember that from time to time.

 It is also important to listen right now. “Is God calling you?”  Maybe God is asking through the ministry of a good friend or Pastor, “Can you hear me now?”  Maybe God is speaking through our Church.  Maybe he is speaking to you through music and art, through an article in a newspaper or through a verse in the Bible that prompts your heart to burn within you.[12]  There are countless ways that God may use and so ask, “Can you hear me now?”

Well, can you?

Let us pray:

I am thine O Lord, I have heard thy voice, and it told thy love to me; but I long to rise in the arms of faith and be closer drawn to thee.  Consecrate me now to thy service Lord, by the power of grace divine; let my soul look up with a st3eadfast hope, and my will be lost in thine.  Draw me nearer blessed Lord to the cross where thou hast died, Draw me nearer blessed Lord, to thy precious bleeding side.  Amen




[1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1344723/How-suffer-withdrawal-symptoms-like-drug-addicts-kept-away-tech-gadgets.html
[2] 1 Samuel 2:26
[3] 1 Samuel 3:1
[4] Judges 17:6
[5] 1 Peter 2:25
[6] 1 Samuel 3:11
[7] 1 Samuel 3:18
[8] 2 Timothy 4:3
[9] Mark 8:18
[10] 1 Samuel 3:19, 4:1
[11] Isaiah 55:11
[12] Luke 24:32

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Extreme Makeover

2 Corinthians 5:16-21


If you are an athlete and everything is coming together and every putt goes in and every free throw swishes through the net you are sometimes said to be “in the zone”. It feels like you can’t miss.  If you are a musician or a choir you want to be “in tune”, because if you are not the music just doesn’t work. (Right Randy?)
All of us know what it means to be “in the doghouse” or “in a funk” or “in hot water”, or “in over our heads”.  All of us know people who are “into themselves”.   President H.W. Bush once said he was “in “deep do-do” and we’ve all been there.  Many of us even know what it means to be “in love”, but what does it mean to be “in Christ”.
This expression is used by the Apostle Paul 164 times to describe the spiritual reality of those who are sincere disciples of Jesus Christ.  Neither he nor Jesus ever use the word Christian to and in fact it can be found only be found three times in all of the New Testament, yet that’s how most of us refer to ourselves. I think we mostly use that term to identify which team we are on.
To be “in Christ” sounds more intimate and even mystical and we are really sure what that means, but that’s where we are going today. First, let us pray:
Lord, we come to you drawn by something deep inside that we can hardly put into words. So, we are unsure about how this need can be met and how our questions can be answered.  Speak to us now, we pray, by your Word and through your Spirit, so that we may be born from above through water and the Spirit.   Amen.
This is the time of the year when after a holiday season filled with eggnog and Christmas cookies people are feeling a little bloated and out of shape.  So, they make their new year’s resolution to eat less and exercise more. You see a lot of gyms and fitness centers advertise because they know this is when people might be willing to spend some money to achieve that goal.  My gym has a bulletin board with before and after pictures of clients who have been successful, who have lost a lot of weight and toned up. To date they have not taken my picture and put it up. They have not asked me to flex and pose for the camera.
But, I do work out sometimes will see the sales person take potential clients to that wall with those before and after pictures and hear them say, “You too can look like this – just sign here.”  And they’re eyes will get big and they’ll write a big check and they show up in their brand new shoes and brand new shorts and brand new t-shirts with the gym’s logo on the front. You’ll see them in January and February and the gym will get pretty crowded, but then March comes and fewer and fewer show up, because it is hard and the changes people hoped to see were not coming fast enough.  They get discouraged and tell themselves, “I guess this is as good as I’m going to get.”
Most of us have been there and we’ve looked at our spiritual life the same way. We’ve tried to overcome bad habits and sticky sins that follow wherever we go.  We’ve had the best of intentions, but as the Bible says, “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”  Like those lapsed weekend warriors we tell ourselves, “I guess this is as good as I’m going to get.”
That’s what makes this scripture verse so hard to understand, because the Bible does not say Christ just wants to help you overcome some bad habits, just want to help you tweak your spiritual life and make some small adjustments to help you cope a little better. The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away and everything new has come.”
This is bold death and resurrection language. This is radical transformation.  This is light and darkness dichotomy.  It is either/or, not both/and.  It is what Jesus was talking about when he said to Nicodemus, “You must be born again.”
This is where Presbyterians in particular begin to tug at their collars and look away because this is not the way we usually describe our own spiritual formation.  I know because I’ve been asking this question for thirty years, “What have been the significant people, events, and experiences that led you to Christ and have shaped your soul?”
While we love to sing “Amazing Grace” most do not think of themselves as a “wretch in need of salvation” or that they were, “once was lost and now am found, blind and now can see”.  That does not describes the origin of their faith.  Few see themselves as the prodigal son wasting away in the far country of sin and scandal until that time when they decided to run home and into the forgiving arms of the Father. Fewer still can share a story like Saul of Tarsus who on his way to Damascus to arrest, jail, and ultimately execute newly minted disciples was struck blind by the Lord and knocked off his high horse while hearing a booming accusation, “Saul, Saul why art thou persecuting me?” So, dramatic was this conversion experience Saul was given a new name, Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ.
 Instead, when I ask what are the significant people, events, and experiences that have shaped your faith I hear language that describes a journey. “Inch by inch, and step by step, day by day I am where I am today.”  For them this was not a singular moment.  There was no booming voice.  It was more like a whisper calling them this way or that.
I remember years ago talking to a member of my church who was going to  apply to Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University in Lynchburg Virginia and he said on the application there was a place for his date of birth which is common enough and then right below it asked for his date of rebirth, when he was born again.  They wanted a year, a month, a day, and an hour so he never sent the application in, because he could not point to a date and time.  Afterward he began to question his faith. Since he had no dramatic experience he wondered if he was really a Christian or “in Christ”.
Looking back I wish I had pointed him to this verse for although it uses bold old and new creation language at no place does it refer to timing. It never says how long this should take.
Most of you probably do not recognize the name Paul David Hewson. Some of you may know him by his stage name - Bono.  His claim to fame came as the leader of a popular rock band called U2, but later became even more well-known as a philanthropist who uses both his wealth and notoriety to aid the impoverished in Africa.  He has worked with President George W. Bush to address the problem of Aids in that continent. He has said his motivation behind his service is entirely spiritual.
Of that he said, “Your nature is a hard thing to change; it takes time.  I have heard of people who have life-changing, miraculous turnarounds, people set free from addiction after a single prayer, relationships saved where both parties "let go, and let God." But it was not like that for me. For all that "I was lost, I am found," it is probably more accurate to say, "I was really lost. I'm a little less so at the moment." And then a little less and a little less again. That to me is the spiritual life. The slow reworking and rebooting the computer at regular intervals, reading the small print of the service manual. It has slowly rebuilt me in a better image. It has taken years, though, and it is not over yet.”
That is what I think the Bible means when it speaks of being “in Christ”.  It is the difference between the feeling young people get when their eyes meet for the first time across a crowded room at a party and then immediately feel like they’ve fallen in love and the couple who have been married fifty years and seen their love challenged in countless ways through the decades yet still grow through the experience of life together.
To be “in Christ” is organic.  It does connect you in a deep and profound way with God and it reveals itself and in deeper and more profound relationship with the community of faith and with the world in which we live.
And new life in Christ leads inevitably to a new lifestyle, with a new value system and new moral standards, as becomes plain to those who read the Sermon on the Mount.
In that Sermon, Jesus sets before us a choice between two value systems—his own and the world’s.
The world admires the powerful, the successful, the tough and the brash, the achievers and the go-getters. But Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” who are humble before God.”
“Blessed are the meek,” who are humble towards one another while the world is concerned with appearances, external conformity to conventions, rules and regulations.
Jesus again and again talks about the heart, “The pure in heart,” or “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
The world’s philosophy is, “Give as good as you get. Love those who love you and repay evil for evil.” But Jesus still says, “Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, do good to those who hate you, overcome evil with good.”
The mind-set of the world is extremely materialistic, covetous for consumer goods. But Jesus says, “Don’t be anxious about what to eat and drink and wear. Instead, seek first God’s rule and God’s righteousness.”
We have no liberty to dismiss the teachings of Jesus as unpractical and unrealistic, or to convert it into a prudential little middle-class respectability.
Jesus says to us, “You’ve got to choose. Nobody can serve two masters.” We have to choose between him and the world—between the broad road that leads to the destruction and the narrow way that leads to life.
Today and every day this year you will face many decisions.  Most of them will be minor, do I order sausage or bacon with my eggs?  Do I buy the green or yellow shirt?  Some of these decisions will be major. Do I get married, get divorced, change jobs, move, or retire?
One of these decisions may have eternal consequence. Do I follow Jesus? Do I live “in Christ”?  Am I willing to become a new creation and let go of old habits and sticky sins? Am I willing to be reconciled with God and reconcile with those whom I have hurt and who may have hurt me?  Think about those as we pray:
Through many dangers, toils, and snares we have come, O Lord, and your grace has brought us safe thus far, and your grace will lead us home. So we look forward to this coming year confident that you have promise good to us, your Word our hope secures; you will our shield and portion be as long as life endures. Amen.