The Circle of Lent 5/5: Absolution and Reconciliation

April 10, 2011
Fifth Sunday of Lent

The Circle of Lent: Absolution and Reconciliation
#5 of 5

2 Corinthians 5:17-6:2 and John 17:1-5, 20-23

God… reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
- 2 Corinthians 5:18

My sermon outline:

• One time on a college choir trip, stayed at hotel, rooms with connecting doors. Cool! But each room had to open the door to have free access.

• We’ve been examining relationship, started with picture of unity, harmony, agreed-upon plan. Then deviation.

After sin we took a look at two different perspectives: the righteous one forgives (regardless of sinner’s actions) and, motivated by sorrow for sin, the sinner does a few things: stops & confesses, turns around (repents, aligns with Christ), and offers some kind of meaningful demonstration of sorrow (penance).

A Catholic prayer of confession and repentance:
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.

• So far the actions of the two parties are independent of the other…
Forgiveness offered freely without any strings attached (by power of HS), the forgiving party opens the door.
Sinner confesses and repents and offers fruit of repentance (by power of HS) without any expectation of forgiveness, opens door.

And now that both doors are open we can entertain absolution and reconciliation, which require the joint effort of both parties… there can be no absolution or reconciliation without forgiveness, and there can be no absolution or reconciliation without the sorrow of sin.

Where forgiveness says You don’t owe anything, and confession/repentance/penance say My sorrow over my sin wants to do something to cover my sin, Absolution is the joint effort that frees the sinner from guilt. It’s when the righteous says I accept your apology, I recognize your penance… don’t worry about it. I can see how your sorrow is motivating you to remain on our chosen path with me.

And once the relationship is freed from guilt and there is no barrier between the righteous and the sinner, those hotel doors are open and it’s party time! For real, think about the reconciliation party at the return of the Prodigal! Renewed relationship should be celebrated! Harmony and unity can flower again

• Two things to point out, that it is by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit that we can truly forgive one another, and it is by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit that we can confess and repent and offer penance and be reconciled, that’s the first thing to point out. The HS is the door opening to reconciliation.

Second thing to point out is that the relationship after the reconciliation may be stronger than it was before the sin! When you break a bone and it heals it’s actually stronger than before because of the scar tissue. Not like a broken plate glued back together but new bone forms around the fragments like cement and concrete.
With people, relationships that have gone through difficulties are stronger than relationships that have not.

Thanks be to Jesus, whose prayer is that we would be one just as he and the Father are one, thanks be to Jesus that we can be reconciled to God who does not count our sins against us.

• There’s a door in front of you. Open it!

• Hymn 562 Jesus Lord We Look To Thee

- Pastor Kerry

This Sunday: 65 in worship.
Appointment Announcement: It was announced today that Bishop Peggy Johnson has appointed Pastor Dennis Keen to pastor the Spring City United Methodist Church, beginning July 1, 2011.

The Circle of Lent 4/5: Penance

April 3, 2011
Fourth Sunday of Lent

The Circle of Lent: Penance
#4 of 5

Ephesians 5:8-14 and John 15:1-12

You were once Darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord,
so live your life as children of Light.
– Ephesians 5:8

My sermon outline:

• (Recall three weeks ago, idea for sermon series as pictures came into mind illustrating various stages of relationship, including sin, confession, forgiveness, repentance, absolution.)

• First picture, two folks walking. In this picture possibly equals. Maybe married couple, maybe friends, maybe pastor and member.. two beings in relationship with each other, walking together in harmony. In unity. Same path.

• God wants your life to be in step with God and full and very good. Allow your life to be full and very good by seeking to be in step with God. Remember your purpose and seek to order your life.

• The new picture the people have stopped. The "righteous" one has stayed on the path, and has the opportunity to offer forgiveness, regardless of "sinner's" state. In this picture, the sinner has left the path but has also stopped, in a moment of confession. Both are actions at the beginning of the road to recovery of community.

• Two weeks ago(stopping) was before, and last week was the sinner literally turning around, choosing a new direction.
A two part action (before and after) of ceasing that which causes sorrow, and choosing a new direction.
Jesus is like a magnet, pointing in the right direction. You can take a nail and put it next to a magnet and all its parts’ll point in the same direction – they’ll turn and orient themselves according to the magnet.

• now oriented right, our new picture can be walking together again, walking intended path again. Sinner has received forgiveness

For a moment imagine parent and two children.
One child pinches the other.
What does the parent say?
(YOU TELL HIM YOU’RE SORRY!)
(SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT)

Two things wrong there: the apology is not motivated by sorrow, and it’s teaching the child to lie.

When Sashi sins against me (deviates from path) and says “sorry”, whether she is sincere or not, I accept apology, I forgive, and I am likely to say something like “I’ll know you’re truly sorry by how you act in the future... let your actions demonstrate that you’re sorry.

Today’s topic is penance... and though it sounds similar to repentance (which comes from the Latin word for sorrow) it actually shares a Latin root with penalty and penitentiary

• Penance is the name of the Catholic sacrament of confession. In its origin it has to do with punishment for sin, but another meaning, also original, has taken center stage, and as I’ve been skirting around, has to do with action motivated by sorrow for sin.

• You can think of sin and forgiveness and penance in financial terms.
Sin: debt is owed.
Forgiveness: debt is paid, debt is forgiven.
Penance: the now-cleared debtor offers token of sorrow. Token does not pay debt, does not pay for sin, but is instead motivated by it.

• A friend of mine once sorrowfully confessed to me that he'd drunk-dialed a girl the night before & he felt terrible about it. I suggested a few actions he might take to convey his sorrow and his true heart (i.e. picking up bottles in a parking lot, working in a soup kitchen with the young lady, etc)

Zaccheus (Luke 19) confessed and offered (as penance) 4x restitution plus half of possessions to poor (charity).

These are movements that go from disconnection to connection, that demonstrate sorrow and quality of being children of light instead of darkness.

• Many years ago some people had wandered away from God and they wondered what they could do to express their sorrow. (a thousand burnt offerings? Do justice... Micah 6:1-8)

• When you sin, stop. Confess. Turn around. Offer meaningful sign of sorrow. & live for Jesus.

• Hymn insert Living For Jesus

- Pastor Kerry

This Sunday: 53 in worship.
Communion and Luncheon

The Circle of Lent 3/5: Repentance

March 27, 2011
Third Sunday of Lent

The Circle of Lent: Repentance
#3 of 5

Ephesians 4:17-32

Change the former way of life that was part of the person you once were, corrupted by deceitful desires. Instead renew the thinking in your mind by the Spirit... Ephesians 4:22-23

My sermon outline:
• (Recall two weeks ago, idea for sermon series as pictures came into mind illustrating various stages of relationship, including sin, confession, forgiveness, repentance, absolution.)

• First picture, two folks walking. In this picture possibly equals. Maybe married couple, maybe friends, maybe pastor and member.. two beings in relationship with each other, walking together in harmony. In unity. Same path.

• God wants your life to be in step with God and full and very good. Allow your life to be full and very good by seeking to be in step with God. Remember your purpose and seek to order your life.

• The new picture the people have stopped. The "righteous" one has stayed on the path, and has the opportunity to offer forgiveness, regardless of "sinner's" state. In this picture, the sinner has left the path but has also stopped, in a moment of confession. Both are actions at the beginning of the road to recovery of community.

• Last week (stopping) was before, and this week is the sinner literally turning around, choosing a new direction.

I’ve said before how the word “Repent” literally means “to turn around” and that notion comes from the Hebrew word teshuva. There’s another Hebrew word for repentance, nichan, which has more to do with the English roots of repent, and has to do with the sorrow that results from sin. While I’m at it, the Greek (New Testament) word is metanoia, which has to do with thinking differently after the fact... a change of mind accompanied by regret and change of conduct.

A two part action (before and after) of ceasing that which causes sorrow, and choosing a new direction.

• An hour ago, babyboyChase had not yet been baptized, and Scott and Pattie had not yet become members. (today's worship service included an infant baptism and the reception of two persons into church membership).

Both parties chose to take action, acknowledging This is the direction I wish to take, and These are the traveling companions I choose.
In bringing Chase for baptism, in making vows of membership, they’re saying I choose to put behind me the ways that cause sorrow. I choose to embrace the life of Jesus, to learn his ways, practice them, model them and teach them. This is the direction I choose.

Because Jesus lived perfectly and loved perfectly and I want to follow that.
Because in Jesus and through Jesus is the way to shalom, perfect peace & wholeness, harmony.

Jesus is like a magnet, pointing in the right direction. You can take a nail and put it next to a magnet and all its parts’ll point in the same direction – they’ll turn and orient themselves according to the magnet.

In baptism, in discipleship, we orient ourselves according to Christ.

• Throughout the old and new testaments God declares and desires and empowers people to change their hearts and lives, to choose for their path God’s path and to put the ways of the world behind them.

Without repentance there is no hope for reconciliation.
Without repentance there is death.
Without repentance there is no hope for achieving or living in harmony and unity.

• Let the wicked forsake their ways, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, for he will freely pardon. (Isa 55:7)

• So you ask yourself, what is your goal?
What direction do you want to go?
With whom do you want to walk?

I want to walk as a child of the light...
I confess that I do not always,
and I repent and I walk with Jesus.

• Hymn 206 I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light

- Pastor Kerry

This Sunday: 69 in worship.
New members received
Infant baptism

The Circle of Lent 2/5: Forgiveness and Confession

March 20, 2011
Second Sunday of Lent

The Circle of Lent: Forgiveness and Confession
#2 of 5

James 5:12-20 and Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. – James 5:16

My sermon outline:

• (recall last week's intro... idea for sermon series as pictures came into mind illustrating various stages of relationship, including sin, confession, forgiveness, repentance, absolution. Fits nicely for Lent...)

• First picture is two folks walking. In this picture possibly equals. Maybe married couple, maybe friends, maybe pastor and member.. two beings in relationship with each other, walking together in harmony. In unity. Same path.

• God wants your life to be in step with God and full and very good. Allow your life to be full and very good by seeking to be in step with God. Remember your purpose and seek to order your life.

• The new picture is of people stopped... a "sinner" who has left the chosen path, and a "righteous" one who has remained on the path. Today we'll look at each person's point of view.

Forgiveness
• Says the “righteous” one: I do not count it against you that you walked in a different direction and that you hurt Harmony. I do not want that to be a barrier to our relationship. In other words, I forgive you. You don’t owe me. I waive my right to demand, receive, or expect restitution, you do not need to pay me back.

Forgiveness is NOT approving or condoning, it is NOT granting license to the sinner to sin. It is seeking and affirming relationship. Saying I choose not to hold a grudge (which is empty forgiveness at best).

• In many ways forgiveness is like love as described in 1 Cor 13:4-8… forgive me a little license:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.
Repeat reading, replacing "love" with "Forgiveness".

• Forgiveness is not easy but it is necessary. We cannot simultaneously hold on to what separates other people from us and receive forgiveness mercy and grace from God or others. Consider what many would probably put in the top three relationship sins: infidelity. Only through forgiveness does the possibility of reconciliation exist; without forgiveness the broken relationship is irreparable.

Forgiveness not easy but necessary, and not necessarily deserved, but it is to be granted freely and without strings attached. It is good to be reminded of Jesus’ words that we cannot be forgiven if we ourselves do not forgive.

Confession
• Same picture, other POV. Sinner has stopped. Why? By grace of God, sinner realizes and acknowledges sin. “I admit that I am not walking in the right direction. I admit that I am hurting Harmony.”

(Repeat out loud: by grace of God are we able to recognize our sin.)

• Sinner confesses. To whom? To self. You’d be amazed the power of speaking these words out loud, even if alone.
To God. As a part of prayer.
And if possible to the offended party.

• Why did I speak on forgiveness first? Well I had to do one first, and it’s important to me that forgiveness be independent of conditions, including confession. Plus I’ll deal with sinner next week too, as confession leads to repentance.

• Scripture, reading from James which is about community of faith & solidarity. Both are actions at the beginning of the road to recovery of community.

• Homework: this week. Confess something. Forgive something.

• Hymn 358 Dear Lord & Father of Mankind


- Pastor Kerry

This Sunday: 56 in worship.

The Circle of Lent 1/5: Harmony and Sin

March 13, 2011
First Sunday of Lent

The Circle of Lent: Harmony and Sin
#1 of 5

Matthew 4:1-11 and Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7
“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” – Genesis 2:16-17

My sermon outline:

• I had an idea for sermon series: pictures came into mind illustrating various stages of relationship, including sin, confession, forgiveness, repentance, absolution. Fits nicely for Lent... (purple by the way, for royalty as well as suffering)

• First picture is two folks walking. In this picture possibly equals. Maybe married couple, maybe friends, maybe pastor and member.. two beings in relationship with each other, walking together in harmony. In unity. Same path.

Could be God. (think about the Footprints poem, walking with God.) Even in Genesis God walked in the garden. God was in relationship with people, talking with people.

• As we read in Genesis, though, people left the path.
God had a path for Adam & Eve. And how was it? It was VERY GOOD. What did they have? EVERY THING THEY NEEDED. More than they needed. God provided. But they left the path.

• I left the path once (once). Long story short, I knew I could find a better way home from the ski area than the printed pamphlet's directions. I ended up adding 2-3 hours of travel time to a 90 minute trip. (cue the music: Fleetwood Mac 1977 You Can Go Your Own Way... 1969 Frank Sinatra I Did It My Way)

• Jesus had a path. Had a purpose in life, which was to do the will of his father. My food is to do the will of the one who sent me (John 4:34). Spirit led him into wilderness, he went. Spirit led him to do Godknowswhat for 40 days in the wilderness, and that’s what he did.

Satan tempts him. Not to do something nasty or anything, just have some bread, use the power God gave you and make bread appear. Guess what, spirit wasn’t leading Jesus that way. No go.

Trust angels to save you. spirit wasn’t leading Jesus that way. No go.

Worship Satan... spirit wasn’t leading Jesus that way. No go. Jesus wasn’t gonna go where spirit wasn’t leading him.

Garden of Gethsemane, like to have a different path... Not my will but thine.

Jesus knew who he was and whose he was, clearly knew purpose

• www.marriagebuilders.com Willard Harley Policy of Joint Agreement:
Never do anything without enthusiastic agreement between you and your spouse.

Relating to God... never do anything w/o enthusiastic agreement between you and God.

• Does that sound restrictive or freeing? Recall garden God provided abundance not scarcity. Recall God’s map for you... study it. Include prayer and worship and service and humility.

God wants your life to be in step with God and full and very good.

Allow your life to be full and very good by seeking to be in step with God.

• Hymn 355 Depth of Mercy (read verses. Charles was 33yo, had been ordained for 5 years, strangely warmed for 2. verses 2 and 3 express separation. Thank God for the grace in 4. plea for change in 5. let this be your confession and prayer.

- Pastor Kerry

This Sunday: 56 in worship.

Transfiguration Sunday

March 6, 2011
Transfiguration Sunday

Matthew 17:1-9 and 2 Peter 1:16-21
...we have a most reliable prophetic word, and you would do well to pay attention to it, just as you would to a lamp shining in a dark place... 2 Peter 1:19

My sermon outline:

• Jesus took Peter James and John to the mountain.
[Why? to be inspired. To commune with God. to pray.]

We frequently read of Jesus going off by himself to pray, but here he takes the boys.
[Why? To teach. To show. To share. Very high mountain – not easy meeting.]

• Jesus changes. Glows. Metamorphosizes. Receives divine visit from Moses & Elijah – affirmation from some major characters from the Old Testament.

Imagine putting on wet jeans and sweatshirt on day like today – that's the incarnation. Jesus is away from his heavenly home for a lifetime, and in the Transfiguration experiences a momentary respite.

Peter wants to preserve the moment but while he’s speaking, God speaks.

• This is my Son whom I dearly love, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!

Public and divine encouragement for Jesus... attaboy and listen to this guy.

• reading from 2 Peter rightly acknowledges that this is not just an episode about Jesus, it’s about God the Father, God the giver, God acting in humankind, God the Father giving honor and glory to Jesus, setting Jesus aside, anointing him, claiming him as Son

• It's enticing to stay there and soak up the sun but that’s not the purpose of this divine episode.

Divine encouragement, public acknowledgement, commission.

Jesus didn’t stay on the mountain because there was work to be done.

Jesus didn’t allow the guys to stay on the mountain because there was work to be done.

But Jesus is Emmanuel God-With-Us, & having experienced God on the mountain, they return to “normal” life, with Jesus.

• We experience God, encounter God, are fed by God, but we can’t stay here, we go with Jesus into the world... so we can lead others to encounter God.

• Hymn 371 I Stand Amazed in the Presence


- Pastor Kerry

This Sunday: 45 in worship.
Communion and Luncheon

Jesus' Picture

February 20, 2011
Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany

1 Corinthians 3:10-23

“Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Cor 3:16)

My sermon outline:

As we gather this morning a Chrysalis weekend is in process. Next week one of our church members will preach while I help lead another one. Chrysalis is part of the Walk to Emmaus community, an international discipleship development & renewal retreat, largely lay driven, with purpose of deepening individual’s relationship with Christ, for the strengthening of the church body.

Driving in the car yesterday, thinking about where I was going, listening to the radio, Rolling Stones song, & thought of how music affects me. Sacred music generally lifts me, secular music notnecessarily. I'm not opposed to secular music, but I recognize that (like last week fitness) sacred music is strengthening. It's a constant reminder of sorts of who I am and who I love. I encourage it, happy to give suggestions.

Talking to someone yesterday who wasn’t sure if he’d met my wife, I pulled a picture out. Imagine if I instead surrounded myself by pictures of other women... Like the music, pictures are reminders of who you are and who you love. They affect relationship.

When I talk to couples about marriage I talk to them about learning what their partner likes, what their emotional needs are, and about “love-busters”, things we say or do to sabotage relationship.

• Everything I’m talking about is about foundation and building on good foundation.
Paul has a few points in 1 Cor 3:10-15:

- that it matters less WHO your leader is than that you’re building on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

- that one is ultimately responsible for one’s own life of faith – I can’t build yours and you can’t build mine, and discipleship is expected of all of us... each is required to build (& build well) on the foundation of Jesus – not someone else’s work, neither work done once a long time ago.

- that we the body of Christ are the body of Christ when we each bring our discipleship to the table.

• What to do? Study & worship, as individual and as part of community, proclaiming what Jesus has done in your life, keeping his picture ever in front of you.

• Hymn 451 Be Thou My Vision


- Pastor Kerry

This Sunday: 55 in worship.