CHANGE, DIVISION AND FAITHFULNESS

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1 CHANGE, DIVISION AND FAITHFULNESS The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15C) August 18, 2013 Lessons Jeremiah 23:23-29 Psalm 82 (8) Hebrews 11:29 12:2 St. Luke 12:49-56 Semicontinuous Series Isaiah 5:1-7 Psalm 80:1-2, 8-18 (14, 15) Pastor David J. Risendal facebook Dave Risendal Twitter: drisendal Saint Peter Lutheran Church 9300 East Belleview Avenue Greenwood Village, Colorado voice: 303/ fax: 303/ Prayer of the Day O God, judge eternal, you love justice and hate oppression, and you call us to share your zeal for truth. Give us courage to take our stand with all victims of bloodshed and greed, and, following your servants and prophets, to look to the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. a church with deep roots and Always Being Made New may God renew us Sermon Grace to you and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Amen. It s been a big week for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. I don t know how many of you have been following the news, but our denomination has been holding its triennial assembly in Pittsburg this past week. Most of what took place in Pittsburg was expected but there was one significant surprise: Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson was not re-elected to a third 6-year term. Instead, the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, who has been serving as the bishop of the ELCA s Northeastern Ohio Synod, was elected to serve in that office. I m not aware that there was any significant discontent with Bishop Hanson. From what I ve been able to gather, his tenure as bishop has been much appreciated by many people. As a matter of fact, after his final presentation to the assembly, Bishop Hanson was presented with the Servus Dei Medal 1 Romans 1:7, 1 st Corinthians 1:3, 2 nd Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians 1:2, Colossians 1:2, 1 st Thessalonians 1:1, 2 nd Thessalonians 1:2, Philemon 3; New Revised Version Bible ( 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America).

2 The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Proper 15C (August 18, 2013)! 2 the highest honor awarded by our denomination. Since the election, there has been an outpouring of gratitude for his service, and for the way he has represented us all around the world. Personally speaking, I m thankful for the way he has guided us through some challenging transitions, and I look forward to seeing what he will do in years to come. I have no doubt that he will continue to serve faithfully as an ambassador for the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and for the Christian faith. Now usually the fact that a sitting bishop was unable to win re-election would be the most dramatic news to come out of an assembly like this, but this time around there was news that received even more attention: the fact that Bishop Eaton will be the first woman ever to serve in this position. Those who supported her were all careful to point out that they chose her for her vision, her leadership abilities, and the strong track record she leaves behind in northeastern Ohio not for her gender. But it is a striking change to see her elected to an office that has previously been occupied exclusively by gray-haired men. The theme for this assembly was Always Being Made New and many of us take the election of a woman to our denomination s top office as a sign that there is some openness in the ELCA to the possibility that God wants to do something new through us. (Perhaps an even stronger sign would be if there is no interest at all in the gender of the next person to be elected Presiding Bishop of the ELCA!) So far the news about Bishop Eaton s election has been all positive, but I m not naive enough to imagine that everyone is thrilled. We have a history of struggling to embrace new ways of understanding what it means to be church. In July of 1970 the Lutheran Church in America voted to approve the ordination of women. This was a hotly contested topic, and the vote to move in that direction was far from unanimous. The fact that it has taken forty-three years for a woman to become our Presiding Bishop is a sign of how difficult this transition has been for us. In August of 2009, the ELCA acted to open the ministry of the church to gay and lesbian pastors and other professional workers living in committed relationships. This too was a hotly contested topic, and there are still those among us who have misgivings about this new direction. I don t know whether it will take another forty-three years for us to live into this transition, but the fact is: change is difficult. Whenever significant change takes place changes that get at the heart of how we understand ourselves there are those who are early adapters, and there are those who are reluctant to see the old ways be replaced. The hard part about being church is that there are times when faithfulness demands that we make significant changes. That s what Jesus is addressing in this morning s Gospel lesson. It is a difficult lesson. For those of us who tend to avoid conflict at all costs, it s not an easy one to consider. Someone suggested this past week that this Gospel lesson is appointed for the middle of August because most of us Pastors are on vacation this time of year, so our replacements have to preach on it. I don t think that s true, but I do know that it is one of those sayings of Jesus that has an edge to it and even hearing him described in this way makes us a bit uncomfortable. Let me read it for you again: [Jesus said,] Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. [St. Luke 12:52-53] These words remind us that it was not easy to be a follower of Jesus in the first century. His new way of understanding faithfulness his new way of experiencing a connection with God was hotly contested among the religious people of his day. You ll remember that it was religious insiders who put

3 The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Proper 15C (August 18, 2013)! 3 the wheels in motion that led to his suffering and death. They were opposed to the changes he was introducing, and determined to do whatever was necessary to stop him. The words from this morning s Gospel lesson are a literal description of the people s experience. When it came to the question of whether he was the Messiah or misguided, families were divided: fathers against sons, mothers against daughters, mothers-in-law against daughters-in-law. And not about something as peripheral as the relationships between men and women, or how to understand sexuality. He was talking about how to be right with God; how to be assured of salvation. There are plenty of Bible passages that remind us of how Jesus is a source of peace and comfort and assurance, but this one reminds us that through him we are also made new, and when something old that is cherished is replaced by something new, there is bound to be difficulty; bound to be division. This year, when our denomination declared its desire to be open to the possibility that God wants to do something new through us, we took a risk. What if God s desire is to change something we love, or something we consider to be central to who we are? Who will move quickly to be in favor? Who will offer resistance? How will we work through the change as a community of faith? Yet if we desire to be faithful if we hope to be true to the God who promises to lead us this the risk we have to take. You might be interested to know that this past month our Mission Team chose this same theme for our next year of ministry: Always Being Made New. I suspect that God is pleased with this, and I wonder what God has in mind for this congregation. What new direction is God calling us to travel together in the coming months? What changes will be necessary to make success more likely? What cherished traditions will have to be set aside? What new opportunities might we feel called to embrace? We are living in a time of great change for the church. A couple of years ago, Phyllis Tickle wrote a book entitled, The Great Emergence. 2 Her thesis is that every 500 years or so, the Christian church has experienced a dramatic change. In the 6 th Century it was the fall of the Roman Empire, which led to monumental changes for the church. In the 10 th Century it was the schism between Rome and Constantinople. In the 16 th Century it was the Protestant Reformation. Now in the 21 st Century, we are facing changes that are every bit as profound as what Luther and his colleagues faced. As the world around us shifts dramatically, we will discover that what worked well for the church when most of us were young will no longer do. We are going to have to discover new ways to understand what it means to be a thriving church. We are going to have to discover what new directions God is calling us to travel. In some ways this is a frightening prospect. There is no guarantee that we ll agree on what new direction God has in mind for us. If the changes we choose to make are significant, we should expect some division among us. And as people of faith as people of the cross it will be important for us to remember that faith and forgiveness are the gifts of God that bind us together, even when we disagree. In some ways this is a frightening prospect. Yet at the same time, in some ways, this is an exciting prospect. It may be that we, like our reforming ancestors, might enjoy the privilege of being present as God breathes new life into the church. I m not bold enough to assume that I know exactly what these changes will be, but I ve got some ideas, and I m honored to be part of the conversation. I hope you will join us. These are exciting times to be the church, and we have a powerful message of hope to share with the world. Please join me in praying for our new Presiding Bishop, for the new directions our ELCA will move, and for the possibility that God wants to do something new through us, right here at Saint Peter. Amen. David J. Risendal, Pastor 2 Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why, 2008, 2012 by Phyllis Tickle; Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI.

4 The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Proper 15C (August 18, 2013)! 4 Gospel Lesson; English Text 3 12:49 [Jesus said,] I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! 51 Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 52 From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53 they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. 54 He also said to the crowds, When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, It is going to rain ; and so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, There will be scorching heat ; and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? 4 Gospel Lesson; Greek Text: 12:49 Πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ τί θέλω εἰ ἤδη ἀνήφθη. 50 βάπτισµα δὲ ἔχω βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ πῶς συνέχοµαι ἕως ὅτου τελεσθῇ. 51 δοκεῖτε ὅτι εἰρήνην παρεγενόµην δοῦναι ἐν τῇ γῇ; οὐχί, λέγω ὑµῖν, ἀλλ ἢ διαµερισµόν. 52 ἔσονται γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν πέντε ἐν ἑνὶ οἴκῳ διαµεµερισµένοι, τρεῖς ἐπὶ δυσὶν καὶ δύο ἐπὶ τρισίν, 53 διαµερισθήσονται πατὴρ ἐπὶ υἱῷ καὶ υἱὸς ἐπὶ πατρί, µήτηρ ἐπὶ τὴν θυγατέρα καὶ θυγάτηρ ἐπὶ τὴν µητέρα, πενθερὰ ἐπὶ τὴν νύµφην αὐτῆς καὶ νύµφη ἐπὶ τὴν πενθεράν. 54 Ἔλεγεν δὲ καὶ τοῖς ὄχλοις ὅταν ἴδητε [τὴν] νεφέλην ἀνατέλλουσαν ἐπὶ δυσµῶν, εὐθέως λέγετε ὅτι ὄµβρος ἔρχεται, καὶ γίνεται οὕτως 55 καὶ ὅταν νότον πνέοντα, λέγετε ὅτι καύσων ἔσται, καὶ γίνεται. 56 ὑποκριταί, τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οἴδατε δοκιµάζειν, τὸν καιρὸν δὲ τοῦτον πῶς οὐκ οἴδατε δοκιµάζειν; 5 First Lesson; English Text: Am I a God near by, says the Lord, and not a God far off? 24 Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord. 25 I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed! 26 How long? Will the hearts of the prophets ever turn back those who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart? 27 They plan to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, just as their ancestors forgot my name for Baal. 28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? says the Lord. 29 Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? 6 3 A list of Bible lessons for the coming weeks is available at 4 St. Luke 12:49-56, New Revised Standard Version Bible ( 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America). 5 St. Luke 12:49-56, The Greek New Testament, Aland, Kurt, Black, Matthew, Martini, Carlo M., Metzger, Bruce M., and Wikgren, Allen, ( 1983, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft Stuttgart). 6 Jeremiah 23:23-29, New Revised Standard Version Bible ( 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America).

5 The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Proper 15C (August 18, 2013)! 5 Second Lesson; English Text: By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace. 32 And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. 39 Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect Therefore, 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, 2 looking 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. 7 Second Lesson; Greek Text: 12:29 Πίστει διέβησαν τὴν ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν ὡς διὰ ξηρᾶς γῆς, ἧς πεῖραν λαβόντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι κατεπόθησαν. 30 Πίστει τὰ τείχη Ἰεριχὼ ἔπεσαν κυκλωθέντα ἐπὶ ἑπτὰ ἡµέρας. 31 Πίστει Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οxὐ συναπώλετο τοῖς ἀπειθήσασιν δεξαµένη τοὺς κατασκόπους µετ εἰρήνης. 32 Καὶ τί ἔτι λέγω; ἐπιλείψει µε γὰρ διηγούµενον ὁ χρόνος περὶ Γεδεών, Βαράκ, Σαµψών, Ἰεφθάε, Δαυίδ τε καὶ Σαµουὴλ καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, 33 οἳ διὰ πίστεως κατηγωνίσαντο βασιλείας, εἰργάσαντο δικαιοσύνην, ἐπέτυχον ἐπαγγελιῶν, ἔφραξαν στόµατα λεόντων, 34 ἔσβεσαν δύναµιν πυρός, ἔφυγον στόµατα µαχαίρης, ἐδυναµώθησαν ἀπὸ ἀσθενείας, ἐγενήθησαν ἰσχυροὶ ἐν πολέµῳ, παρεµβολὰς ἔκλιναν ἀλλοτρίων. 35 Ἔλαβον γυναῖκες ἐξ ἀναστάσεως τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτῶν ἄλλοι δὲ ἐτυµπανίσθησαν οὐ προσδεξάµενοι τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν, ἵνα κρείττονος ἀναστάσεως τύχωσιν 36 ἕτεροι δὲ ἐµπαιγµῶν καὶ µαστίγων πεῖραν ἔλαβον, ἔτι δὲ δεσµῶν καὶ φυλακῆς 37 ἐλιθάσθησαν, ἐπρίσθησαν, ἐν φόνῳ µαχαίρης ἀπέθανον, περιῆλθον ἐν µηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρµασιν, ὑστερούµενοι, θλιβόµενοι, κακουχούµενοι, 38 ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσµος, ἐπὶ ἐρηµίαις πλανώµενοι καὶ ὄρεσιν καὶ σπηλαίοις καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς. 39 Καὶ οὗτοι πάντες µαρτυρηθέντες διὰ τῆς πίστεως οὐκ ἐκοµίσαντο τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, 40 τοῦ θεοῦ περὶ ἡµῶν κρεῖττον τι προβλεψαµένου, ἵνα µὴ χωρὶς ἡµῶν τελειωθῶσιν. 12:1 Τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡµεῖς τοσοῦτον ἔχοντες περικείµενον ἡµῖν νέφος µαρτύρων, ὄγκον ἀποθέµενοι πάντα καὶ τὴν εὐπερίστατον ἁµαρτίαν, δἰ ὑποµονῆς τρέχωµεν τὸν προκείµενον ἡµῖν ἀγῶνα 2 ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τελειωτὴν Ἰησοῦν, ὃς ἀντὶ τῆς προκειµένης αὐτῷ χαρᾶς ὑπέµεινεν σταυρὸν αἰσχύνης καταφρονήσας ἐν δεξιᾷ τε τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ θεοῦ κεκάθικεν. 3 ἀναλογίσασθε γὰρ τὸν τοιαύτην ὑποµεµενηκότα ὑπὸ τῶν ἁµαρτωλῶν εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀντιλογίαν, ἵνα µὴ κάµητε ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑµῶν ἐκλυόµενοι. 8 7 Hebrews 11:29 12:2, New Revised Standard Version Bible ( 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America). 8 Hebrews 11:29 12:2, The Greek New Testament, Aland, Kurt, Black, Matthew, Martini, Carlo M., Metzger, Bruce M., and Wikgren, Allen, ( 1983, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft Stuttgart).