Pastor’s Posts
Pastor’s Post includes sermons, comments from the monthly news letter and brief thoughts about what it means to be a Christian.
Our Pastor is Doug Richardson, a Commissioned Pastor of the Charleston-Atlantic PC(USA) Presbytery.
Luke 10:38-42 Martha and Mary
38 Now as they went on their way, He entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what He was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to Him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ 41 But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’
The traditions of hospitality in the Abraham and Martha stories still play out in modern times. When I was in middle school, we lived on Koontz Lake in northern Indiana. Our friends would pull their boats up to our dock and our mother would send my 4 and 8 year sisters back into the house to fetch the Tupperware pitcher of Hi-C (always in our fridge) and a stack of paper dixie cups. Then they would carefully pour the bright red or orange drink into the cups and hand them out: first the moms, then the dads, then the kids – this was Midwest hospitality at its ordered best.
At dinnertime, my mother would always judge if we had washed our face and hands by the existence or lack of the Hi-C red or orange moustache on our upper lips. You see my mother was a Martha with OCD – she’d iron our sheets and our blue jeans.
In the Abraham story of greeting visitors from Genesis this morning, we see a much more elaborate hospitality ritual played out: first the water to clean up, second a shady spot to cool down, then a feast of freshly baked breads, freshly cooked calf’s meat, milk and curds. The many duties of a host and the level of extravagance showered on the visitors was a reflection of the implied wealth of the hosts and the status of the visitors. In this case, Abraham recognized it was the Lord, so, not surprisingly, Abraham would spare nothing.
Our second reading in Luke takes us to the Martha and Mary story – a story not found in the other 3 gospels – only Luke. I also find it interesting that this story is sandwiched between The Good Samaritan parable – teaching us how to deal with each other with merciful and generous acts – even to strangers, and the Lord’s Prayer – teaching us how to pray to, and engage with God. The profound weight of these 3 lessons found in a mere 2 pages of Luke’s Gospel truly astounds me. Both Martha and Mary appear at other critical moments in the story of Jesus’ life.
Let’s look at both sisters. Martha and Mary were sisters to Lazurus and lived together in Bethany. Let’s look at Martha first. In our reading in Luke this morning, Martha welcomes Jesus into her home – clearly, she is in charge – you would have expected it to be called Lazurus’ house – the son would have inherited the house regardless of birth order. Who could not relate to Martha welcoming Jesus into her home? I know the extra steps we go to host visitors – we’re so new to daughters-in-law that I buy fresh flowers and their favorite drinks when they visit. In our text it says “Martha was distracted by her many tasks” a more literal translation would say she was “drawn away” by her duties while Mary stays with Jesus. Martha is the practical one – she has guests and there is a large meal to prepare – as we saw in Abraham’s feast.
Later in the Gospels, In the raising of Lazurus from the dead story, it is Martha once again who greets Jesus, complaining that if he had come earlier Jesus could have healed Lazurus. Then when they all arrive at the tomb, she has the sense to warn Jesus of the stench of a dead body - after 4 days the odors could be overwhelming when they roll away the stone from the tomb. Martha is the planner – the one who anticipates needs and consequences.
If Martha was at SPC, she would chair 2 committees and start a new mission effort. We need “Marthas” in the church to function – somebody has to cut the bread and prepare the communion table, someone needs to unlock the doors Sunday morning, turn the AC down, someone has to remember to count money in the plate and put the bank bag in the safe – without “Marthas” the most basic day-to day functions of the church would grind to a halt. So when Martha complains to Jesus that Mary needs to come help her, she starts with “Lord do you not care?” When read that Jesus responds “Martha, Martha” to my modern ear, that sounds like a frustrated sigh and wagging head of an overtired school teacher– but repeating her name is expression of heartfelt emotion – think of David crying “Absalom, Absalom” at news of his son’s death – Jesus was really saying “My beloved Martha.”
Finally –later in Luke’s gospel we see Martha has reconciled her service as holy when Jesus visits them again in the week of his death and she serves Jesus and the risen Lazurus again this time without complaint.
So what are the telltale signs that you’re a Martha?
First, Are you feeling inner turmoil because you’ve taken on more than you can handle alone? Martha seems too involved in more elaborate preparations than are needed for an everyday meal – do you make every project a “feast” when a “simple” meal would do? She’s so caught up in her to-do list that she is missing the chance to be with rather than serve Jesus. Do you ever feel that way?
Second, you may be a Martha if you find yourself irritable with “spiritual” people who (in her view) don’t like to work, the same people who don’t value her efforts enough – she feels uncared for and unrecognized – even by Jesus himself who she is now instructing! She has taken on the role of teacher with Jesus - the most important teacher any of us will ever find.
Finally, you may be a Martha if you find yourself questioning whether Jesus cares for you – even though you won’t make the time to study His word and time to be in prayerful silence – not just asking but listening for the answers to your questions. For me, some of those answers come in that small still voice in the silence but just as often it comes from another person’s words that give me insight to the answer – even though that other person doesn’t know the question I’ve asked.
Last year, I read a book called “Atomic Habits” – one of the best books of its kind – it rivals Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of highly effective people” in my mind. I remember 3 years ago, in the weeks that followed our son Connor’s wedding (our second wedding in two months) we were relieved and little deflated. What would motivate our exercise routines and low carb diet now that the thought of wedding photos no longer hung over our heads? What was our motivation to stay healthy for the long-term? How could we convert our short-term focus into a long-term lifestyle? With the weddings as our motivation we had achieved good results but now we had to think of a routine we could maintain for the next 10 years, not just 10 months to squeeze into a tux and fancy dress. For Julie and me, we respond best to a proven plan with verified results – preferably a step by step approach backed up with science. So we cast a nerdy net for recommendations, listened to podcasts on human behavior and prayed for some guidance. First, we heard about “Atomic Habits” from co-workers, then the same book mentioned in a podcast and finally a minister holds the book up during a sermon. We came home that Sunday and downloaded the book from Audible. We got the answer to our prayers. It took 3 times for the information to register. Like Martha, we were so distracted by our tasks that we missed the point.
Let’s turn now to Martha’s sister. What do we know about Mary?
First, Mary listens at Jesus’ feet. She puts herself under his authority and is an attentive disciple to his teaching. She is sitting in the “front row of the classroom” like good students who don’t want to be distracted. But unlike the seat a woman would have had in those times where women were segregated away from the rabbi’s teaching in the temple. While Martha is distracted and drawn away, Mary is drawn nearer to Jesus. As Tim Keller, the Presbyterian minister in New York city says “Sitting at Jesus’ feet in the mundane busyness of life is the key to being great.’”
Second, she not only listens – she understands what Jesus is really saying. That the Son of Man will die for us. It is Mary who anoints Jesus with expensive and fragrant nard ointment – A story not told in Luke’s gospel – but we do find the story in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John. Mary is preparing Jesus for burial. So when Judas calls out Mary’s extravagance and says the money should have been given to the poor, Jesus responds: “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for my burial. You will always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” Of course, only Jesus knows that there will not be an opportunity to use the ointment on his dead body – for the tomb will be empty on Easter morning.
Finally, Jesus tells Martha that “Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her” in our NRSV translation. The Living Bible translation gives us more insight: “There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. And Mary has discovered it– and I won’t take it away from her.”
So, what discovery Mary has made?
1. Jesus does care about our worries – you can turn your concerns over to him.
2. Even when you don’t feel worthy, that you haven’t earned it – Jesus loves you. How
many of our efforts are done in the hope that people will love or respect you for your
work?
3. Even while you distract yourself with busyness – Jesus calls us to draw nearer to him –
to listen for his will in our lives. Jesus values that quiet time with him more than your
multi-tasking. What task could you stop doing to find ten minutes in prayer each day?
4. Those who sit at the feet of Jesus have a place that will never be taken away from them.
Our highest calling is to have a personal relationship with Him in this life and the next.
And that is indeed the good news for this sabbath day of our Lord
And all God’s people said AMEN
Fourth Sunday of Epiphany Feb 1, 2026
3rd Sunday after Epiphany
Prayer for illumination
God of epiphanies, You reveal Yourself to us in diverse and numerous ways.
Free us from the distractions that turn our focus away from You and Your Word.
Open us to the truth You reveal to us today. Amen.
First Reading - Genesis 2:15-25
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may eat freely of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”
Then the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner. So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the year and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle into the birds of the air and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner.
So the Lord God caused the deep sleep to fall upon the man and he slept then he took one of the ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh this one shall be called Woman for out of man this one was taken.” Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
Second Reading - Genesis 3:1-7
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say you shall not eat from any tree in the garden?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die. But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some of her to her husband who was with her and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
Third Reading - Romans 5:12-14, 18-21
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all - because all have sinned --- sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law.
Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgressions of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come. Therefore, just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. But law came in with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This is the Word of the Lord
Please join me in prayer:
Sermon Prayer
God of life, You created us in Your image to care for one another and for all creation.
Forgive us for turning away from You ignoring the needs of our neighbors and the cries of the earth.
In the middle of this ice storm, when some of us have lost power and are in a strange darkness, we give thanks for the light You sent to us.
As the sun brings light and warmth to this earth, make us signs of Your grace.
Through Christ our light and life we pray. Amen
The Second Adam
So this is my first virtual sermon (and an update to my first-ever sermon) – as you all know by now, I treasure our in-person worship experience in the community of faithful disciples and seekers. Although my sons would say they have endured a lifetime of mini-sermons on life’s topics ranging from: how to parallel park a SUV or how to invest for retirement or the 4 times it is appropriate for a gentleman to go in front of a lady (ask me later if you’re curious) or the long list of basketball innovations that started at Chapel Hill – this is how a Dad trains his sons in the art of mansplaining.
Today’s readings start us in the Garden of Eden and finish in Paul’s letter in Romans drawing comparisons between Adam and Jesus. We start with Adam whose name in Hebrew means human or man but is also closely related to Adamah meaning humus or arable land – our own Master gardeners – and I’m thinking of Eunice, Mary, Terri and Rob - who would say “good farm dirt”. Adam is formed from the dust of the ground as God breathes life into Adam’s nostrils.
God gives Adam two jobs to start: first, Master Gardener – and look at the paradise he manages: no weeds, watering of the pants through rising streams (no rainfall at this point) animals that peacefully co-exist , vegetables and fruits year-round – come to think of it, Adam may have been the first Vegan.
His second job was to name all creatures – this job would have carried a lot of prestige to the Jewish people hearing and reading this story – to name something was to have an implied control over it.
So, two jobs –neither seem too taxing to me – and the unique opportunity to walk in that garden with your Creator – that does sound like paradise.
There was one rule Adam had to live by and it involved the tree of knowledge of good and evil – of that tree he was not allowed to eat. It is interesting to me that no prohibition was given about the Tree of Life – whose fruit would grant immortality - perhaps before Original Sin,
Adam and Eve were immortal? I’ll leave that answer to the Upper Room Lunch group.
But even in paradise there was trouble. Adam certainly had noticed male and female animals during all of that time spent naming, and yet he had no one. Adam was lonely.
God saw this and set about giving him a partner but not by breathing life into dust again – this time by starting with Adam’s rib.
Eve’s name translates to “life” - Adam, first human, and Eve, mother of the life, would complete each other as partners. As we heard in the reading, they were naked and unashamed and presumably happy in the Garden.
That brings us to the Serpent who is described as “more crafty” than other animals and proves his craftiness by asking a question he already knows the answer to: “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Eve has an answer: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die’. Notice how she adds the prohibition to even touch the fruit – where did she learn that? God gave Adam the One Law before Eve was even created. So, Eve did not hear the One Law directly from God.
I could understand Adam trying to convey the seriousness of the One Law – like a parent who says “don’t touch the stove or you will get burned – but when the stove is not in use the
child touches the cold coil and nothing happens – so is it any surprise that the child gets burned the next time when he touches the hot coil? So, what do we say as parents? “Don’t touch the stove – don’t even get near it or you’ll get hurt.” Perhaps Adam felt the need to embellish God’s word to drive his point home: don’t eat of the fruit – don’t even touch it or you will die.
At this point in creation, have Adam and Eve experienced death in the garden? The animals live in harmony, Adam and Eve live off the bounty of the Garden’s fruits and vegetables– so is death an abstract concept to Adam and Eve - as abstract as the concept of Heaven is to us?
Either way, The Serpent’s response reveals the real temptation: “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So, in the moment, Eve reaches out and touches the fruit – and nothing happens,
she doesn’t die – she may think the Serpent is right. Eve eats the forbidden fruit and gives some to Adam who also eats – and their eyes are opened – they realize they are naked and sew fig leaves as loincloths. When confronted by God about their disobedience, Adam points to Eve and Eve points to the serpent – who has no arms to point – and so ends the blame game. But God holds all 3 accountable and punishes each separately.
I believe there are 2 key lessons from this story: the first is witness and the second is about fulfillment.
Karl Barth was a mid 20th century Swiss Theologian, arguably the most influential writer in his generation, and one of the authors of the Declaration of Barmen that we read from time to time – including later today. He says that the people who saw Jesus alive on earth and wrote the bible were the “Primary Witnesses” and everyone after that, are Secondary Witnesses.
In the Creation Story, Adam is the primary witness to God’s One Law – Eve is a secondary witness – learning about the law from Adam.
The lesson for me is that we all must go to the Word ourselves, in our favorite translation of the Bible and in prayerful conversation, seek God’s Will for our lives. We should not lean too heavily on the secondary witnesses – even those who write more directly or with more humor or with modern examples. While those books and sermons are easier to digest, you risk the human spin on God’s Word – “do not eat or even touch that fruit.”
Where in your life are you turning to someone else for guidance instead of going first to God ? With faithful practice, God’s Will can be revealed to you through prayer and by reading His Word.
The second lesson is where do we find fulfillment? Is it wrong for Adam and Eve to desire a better understanding of Good and Evil? Solomon was praised for asking for wisdom.
The real temptation for Adam and Eve – is to be God-like. Of course, after eating the fruit, Adam and not God’s peers – far from it, they are still his creation – now proven to be disobedient and undeserving of the Garden of Eden.
The First Adam and his partner Eve are discontent in the Garden of Eden – a paradise – proving our human nature will never be satisfied by perfect circumstances – not the upgraded gourmet kitchen, not the African safari or European vacations, not the ivy league PhD – not even winning the lottery.
You all know people who, in your eyes, are in better circumstances, but are still unfulfilled. So how are we suppose to live to find that elusive fulfillment found living in God’s Will?
The answer in Old Testament was to give us more laws – first the Ten Commandments, then Levitical laws that number over 600 – from how to dress, how to eat, how to pray, how to marry and on and on.
But if Adam and Eve couldn’t follow One Law and the wandering Israelites couldn’t live up to the 10 Commandments – what hope was there to meet the requirements of 613 laws? Our human nature – from the Garden of Eden to the world today – condemns us to fall short. We will never live a sinless life.
So, that brings us to the Second Adam – Jesus – whose name comes from the Hebrew Joshua which translates to “Yaweh is Salvation.” The Second Adam is the combination of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary – both fully human and the Son of God.
So when the Second Adam, Jesus, was tempted 3 times in the Wilderness by Satan directly in Chapter 4 in both Luke and Matthew: first to turn stones into bread; second to worship the devil and rule the world and finally to leap from the temple to be saved by angels – Jesus passes all of these tests as a man – fasting 40 days in the desert he turns down bread – a wandering teacher helping the poor turns down worldwide power – and finally not testing God with a leap off the temple – Jesus’ Human Life was lived in God’s will, not his own.
So, while we read these Gospel accounts as Secondary Witnesses to Jesus’ life, I believe we all have stories as Primary Witnesses to God’s hand in our lives:
Twenty years ago, 2 weeks after 9/11 (I was President of the US Division of Le Creuset – the French Cast Iron Cookware company with the bright orange pots.) The company’s sales force all flew for their jobs. And after 9/11, no one was willing to get back on a plane – if you were an adult back then, you may remember the panic and paranoia I was feeling.
To set the example for the sales team, I was going to fly to the 3 region offices: first in New York – no one wanted to fly into New York, including me – and then on to Chicago and Los Angeles. On the way to the airport, traveling down Dorchester Road, I made an unscheduled stop at this church. I came into the dark sanctuary and sat in the back row and bent over double in one of the most fervent prayers of my life. Five minutes hadn’t passed when I felt a hand rest upon my shoulder and then gently squeeze it. I had seen our founding pastor Richard Cushman do this many times and without looking up I felt a peace and calm about going on those flights.
The hand stayed on my shoulder until the moment I sat up and opened my eyes – and I was still alone in the dark sanctuary.
Whatever would happen on those flights, I had just felt the assurance that God was with me. That was a Primary Witness moment for me – there have been others – less dramatic, but I’m sure that small voice in the stillness – when I stop actively praying and actually listen for God’s answer – that voice has helped me in big and small decisions about work, parenting, marriage and so much more. We can all be Primary Witnesses if we return to God in our daily walk...When Joni Mitchell sang “We’ve got to get ourselves back to the Garden” – now there is our Boomer reference for today – I take that as not returning to a perfect paradise. but rather returning to the walk through the Garden with our Creator – that is our highest calling in this life and my vision of eternal life in a new Heaven brought to earth with Christ’s Second Coming..
At the end of Jesus’ earthly life we see him obedient to God’s Will: that Jesus die on that crucifix – the Second Adam’s tree is the cross. Jesus, fully human, sweated blood during his prayer in a garden on the night of his arrest. Jesus, Son of God, obeyed even though he knew the pain and suffering that would follow. The first Adam failed in his obedience to the Tree but our savior, Jesus Christ went to his Tree in obedience and by his death redeemed us all.
And that is indeed the Good News for this Sunday – the sabbath day when we study God’s Word and draw closer in our personal relationship with God. Use this Sunday at home to re-read our verses today ad for a time of prayer and silence to grow closer to God. And let all God’s people say: Amen!
See you next Sunday, February 1st , in person:
for 9:15am Bible study of our favorite Psalms and
10:30 am worship where we focus on The Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12.
God Bless you and keep you close to Him in the ice storms and on sunny days.
A Christmas Lesson
Isaiah 7: 14 “Behold, the virgin Thought shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel”
Christmas proclaims the fulfillment of Isaiah’s ancient promise in the the birth of Jesus. As faithful Christians we see that prophecy realized as Matthew affirms that this child is truly “God is with us.” The nativity reveals the Word made flesh dwelling among humanity (John 1:14), the Light shining in the darkness that the darkness cannot overcome. Emmanuel is the assurance that the God who guided Israel, who spoke through the prophets, and who promised redemption has stepped into the world in person, reminding believers that His presence is not distant but living.
Christmas is often described as a season of light, hope and renewal-Emmanuel reminds us that the Christmas story isn’t just about a moment in history, but about the idea of His presence-of God’s love arriving in the middle of ordinary life. Emmanuel symbolizes comfort during difficult times and joy during celebrations, making Christmas not only a festive holiday but also a reflection on connection, compassion and the belief that no one walks through life alone.
Throughout the year, but especially at Christmas, as faithful disciples we remain committed to “Connect People to God and to each Other” as we wish you and yours the peace, hope, love, joy and assurance we have found Emmanuel.
How do you Repent?
Sermon from the pulpit March 23, 2025
New Testament reading is Luke 13: 1-9
“Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners that all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those 18 who dies when the tower in Soloam fell on them-do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
Then He told this parable: A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard “ For three years I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should I use up this soil?”
“Sir”, the man replied,” leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it, bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.”
In my twenties and thirties, the book by Rabbi Harold Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, had a profound effect on me. I would still say it is one of the 5 most influential books on my thinking. In that book, Kushner says that God weeps with us when bad things happen – all bad things that happen are not a direct consequence of our poor choices or sinful behavior. In other words, all bad things are not retribution of a judgmental God but instead the result of a broken world that we live in. And who broke that world? Of course, we did. But the underlying assumption of the book implies good people should expect to avoid pain and loss - that assumption is just not biblical.
The bumper sticker philosophy that says “God never gives you more than you can handle” couldn’t be more wrong. A vet commits suicide in this country nearly every hour – those vets have lost hope and are overwhelmed by their pain. No, the bible says you will never be given more than you handle with God’s help. With God by our sides, we can face literally anything.
So, in today’s reading in Luke Jesus is teaching us about when bad things happen… He says in Siloam the tower fell and killed 18 people and the question that comes up whenever we see this sort of terrible senseless tragedy. The question is, “why did that happen to those 18 people?” 18 people are killed and here's a bunch of people who are not. Were the people who were killed worse sinners than the people who were spared? That's the question.
Now friends, this is absolutely natural. It's instinctive. When good things happen to us or bad things happen to us, our instinct is to immediately begin to compare yourselves to other people. In other words when something bad happens to you – do you say what have I done wrong? Am I so much worse than other people? Am I being punished?
But on the other hand, when something good happens, we immediately assume superior circumstances are a result of our superior character. We tend to say, if something good happens to us: well ,you know, I do work pretty hard and I am a pretty decent person, so I deserve this good thing.
Jesus answers the question about the 18 dying from the fallen tower: No, these were not the worst sinners in the city: but unless you repent, you will perish also. But that is the same response we should have when good things happen – repent.
In Romans, Paul says this amazing thing: Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness? - not realizing that God's kindness also leads you to repentance? When good things happen to you - when God is kind to you - you should let that lead you to repent too. If you don’t, you're treating God's kindness with contempt. (see Romans 2:1-4)
You know what that means? Good things are designed to lead you to repentance and bad things are designed to lead you to repentance.
When modern people hear the Christian message about the love and power of God, they say that's great! But when they hear the message of Christianity saying that it's through repentance and faith that it's received, it seems too mystical.
Modern skeptics just don't comprehend it. One of our founding fathers of the reformation, Martin Luther, said “they stare blinking at the doctrine of repentance like a cow stares at a new gate.”
Jesus says that repentance is the key to everything. Jesus says that repentance is the way in which we should process everything that comes to us. Jesus shows us that repentance is a universal need.
This is what Luther said when he nailed the 95 theses to the Wittenberg door and began the Protestant Reformation. The first of his 95 thesis said the entire life of believers is repentance. And since Luther is starting a theological revolution, the second thesis spells out he’s not talking about confession administered by priest but personal repentance.
When Jesus begins his career in Mark chapter 1:15, he says the Kingdom of heaven is at hand, repent! And later in the gospel of Mark, when Jesus equips other people to take His message to the world, He says, I send you out to preach that everyone should repent. And finally, in the very first sermon that's ever preached after Jesus ascended to heaven, Peter, in Acts chapter 2, preaches his long sermon and everybody gets together and says what was the point?
I’ll pause for a moment here in the story to say I have a lot of sympathy for Peter; it was his first sermon after all and he went a little long - as we are all prone to do in the beginning, and he left his audience wondering what the call to action was in his sermon? Peter, I’ve been there, done that.
So back to the story: the people say, “what shall we do?” And the first word out of Peter’s mouth? Repent!
The Bible tells us Jesus says repentance is the gate to everything: and yet most of the world “stares blankly like cows at a new gate.” You see, here’s what the Bible is trying to say: are you happy? Repent. Are you sad? Repent. Are you angry or confused? Repent.
Now at this point in my reading this sermon to my wife, she says, “is this another downer Lenten message?” Yes, it is Lent. but there are 2 parts to repentance and most of us get lost in the first part of recognizing our sin and guilt.
Now we just had Ash Wednesday, a service of repentance:
That service focuses on our sin and guilt and for some of us that leads us to a sense of self-loathing - you're supposed to beat yourself up – now we’re told Martin Luther did this: he whipped his back and knelt with his bare knees in the snow to express the sincerity of his repentance.
But what does Jesus say in today’s reading of Luke 13:1-9?
Jesus says you can't repent unless you realize that you deserve to have a tower fall on you too - he is saying, I want you to know that those killed are not worse sinners than you.
Jesus says, you don't understand your true condition? We all deserve to have towers fall on us. It is a wonder that God doesn't let it happen, considering what we owe him, considering how we treat each other and considering how we treat him. But if we stopped at that first step of repentance, then every day would be like Ash Wednesday - over and over again. But most of us miss the Good News of the second step of repentance.
Yes, #1, we don't deserve a good life but #2 you have to understand, you have to be thrilled by the fact that God is committed to saving you from what you deserve. God is calling you to be a son of God.
So, in the parable, we have a man who owns a fig tree, and that fig tree deserves to be cut down. But the caretaker is so compassionate and committed to getting fruit out of the fig tree and to avoid having it cut down. So, the caretaker says, give me another chance: I will dig and fertilize it, so the tree bears fruit.
It's not that hard to see that God the Father is the owner and that we are the tree not living up to our purpose. Jesus is the caretaker, who's the one saying, I know they deserve to be cut down, I know they don't give you the place they should, I know what they deserve, but I want is save them from what they deserve.
The perfect illustration is in the parable of the prodigal son from Luke 15: 11-32. There's a father with two sons and the younger son takes his half of the inheritance and goes away, squanders it and when he comes back: he repents. The prodigal son says, “father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight I am not worthy to be called your son “ - there it is - that's repentance: I am not worthy and I don't deserve anything from you, but I ask that you would take me back in as a hired servant.
How does the father react? The father says you're not a servant, you’re my son.
The father kisses him, puts a robe and a ring on his son, and orders the fatted calf to be killed and served as the homecoming celebration.
Even though the prodigal son deserves to be cut off, he repents and because he repents, he doesn't get what he deserves. In the parable, of course, the eldest son is furious, why?
Because everything the father has, will belong to the older brother – the eldest brother gets all of what is left – the prodigal son already squandered his share. Every ring, every fatted calf belongs to the elder brother. And in that story, the eldest brother resents it.
But in the gospel, we have an elder brother who not only doesn't resent us but he offers us his inheritance. Our elder brother is Jesus who goes to the Father and says, I will endure the cross, I will endure the shame, I will pay for it all. So that when my brothers and sisters repent, you can give them my robe and my ring.
Now do you see the two parts of repentance? On the one hand, you can only say: I am not worthy to be your son. But if you don't see the robe, the ring and the fatted calf too, well then that’s not real repentance. That’s just Ash Wednesday every day. That’s not what the Father wants for you.
Here's the test: how do you know whether you've truly repented? You've seen both parts: that you're a wicked Sinner and that you're cherished and loved. That's true repentance: it's those two things in tandem.
Those two things, together, humble you and build you up: that's what repentance is - it cleans you out. How do you know you're repenting and not just beating yourself up? After repenting, do you find that you can take criticism better now? that you have more confidence? that you are less self-conscious? That you can speak more easily about your faith with others? Then you’ve truly repented.
But if you feel the opposite to all those things: you’re more sensitive to criticism, you’re less confident, you get down on yourself – then you’ve missed the second part of repentance: the forgiving kiss of the Father, the robe and the ring.
When good things happen to you, do you say “well it's about time? " There's no joy in that - you're robbing God of his glory, but not only that, you're robbing yourself of sweetness. There's no sweetness in saying, well it's about time. But if God gets the credit in your heart then you build up a trust in him.
Now in the best of times and the worst of times, you know God is with you. You are a child of God welcomed home. And that is the good news for this sabbath day of our Lord and all God’s people said, AMEN.
From the Pastor’s Desk - January 2025
The plans of the Lord stand firm forever. Psalm 33:11
We hang up new calendars at the start of the new year and we make new resolutions-many of which will be dropped by February. My father-in-law would challenge us when we shred our 5 year goals with the question: “you can’t predict the next 6 months of major-and unforeseen- challenges that will knock you off course. Why spend your energy of hypothetical 5-year visions?” Combining the “be true to yourself in the moment” served him well and I have become much more focused on the daily habits I practice rather thatn the lifetime bucket list. One of those daily habits is reading a devotional and praying before I turn on the first screen or have my cup of mint tea each morning-this year my devotional has been by the late Dr. Charles Stanley-a minister who has shaped my theology.
As the psalm above and Dr. Stanley reminds us-our God is a planner. He is not a reactor. He did not set this world in motion to be ruled by chance or unchecked forces. Nor did He create you to live without hope and purpose. God has a plan.
The highs and lows, the joys and griefs, the trials and accomplishments in this life will be used by God in your sanctification-even if those troubles and afflictions arise as a consequence of your own choices. walk with God each day-in the valley of depression and in the mountaintops of joy. God treasures you and your future with him.
Trust in God’s plan and resolve to walk with him each day.
Choosing to Change
Paul asks us to choose to change to become the person Christ taught us to be.
Our Old Testament reading for August 11, 2024
Deuteronomy 6:20-25 In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” tell him “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the Lord sent miraculous signs and wonders-great and terrible-upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. But He brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised on oath to our forefathers. The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we may always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.
The New Testament reading
Ephesians 4:17-24 (verses 21-24) Surely you heard of Him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on a new self; created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Pastor Doug’s thoughts on these passages:
Choosing to Change
I can see my theology professor taking out his red pen and striking through the sermon title and writing Don’t you mean “Chosen to change”? To be consistent in my predestination thought as a good Presbyterian, he would have a point.
Certainly, in our Old Testament reading in Deuteronomy this morning, God pulls his people out of slavery in Egypt and gives His people new laws to guide their lives – these freed slaves must choose to put on a new self where their actions are guided by their obedience to God and a desire to form a new nation of equals guided by God’s Will. Think about how dramatic that change would have been – resting once every 7 days was a revolutionary idea for the former slaves – the Israelites had to shed their old self in order to obey God’s statutes.
In our reading in Ephesians, Paul emphasizes leaving behind the old self represented by the Gentiles hardness of heart and futile thinking they can earn salvation and becoming the new self – filled with the Holy Spirit and clothed in true righteousness and holiness. Ultimately Paul calls for a change inside not outward behaviors – that was the old covenant with the freed slaves and given 10 commandments and ultimately 613 laws to follow – to change their outward behavior. No the new covenant requires change from within.
Jesus Christ the spiritual son of God underwent a human birth so that we human beings could undergo a spiritual birth. You see, Christianity gives you the resources to change. Everyone I know says they need some change in their life, eat healthier, exercise more, keep in better touch with friends and family, make time for prayer and reading the Bible – and all those lofty goals can be difficult to achieve – that’s why top 10 lists of how to improve and self-help books are so popular.
But what does change mean to Christians? This Ephesians passage gives us some answers. First you have to make a decision, second it means you have to change from the inside transforming your thinking and third to become captivated by Jesus in your life. So no top 10 list needed, but 3 changes that feed into each other: make a decision to change from the inside out, transform your thinking and being captivated by Jesus.
Let's look first at making a decision: now obviously the key to this whole passage is verse 22 you were taught to put off your old self and verse 24 to put on the new self.
How does that happen? Paul says I tell you this #17 that you must no longer live as a Gentiles - he's writing to the Gentiles and of course they were living the way Gentiles do: he's describing in verses 17 to 19 the old pattern of life.
But this is the only life they have known – this is how Gentiles were raised.
We don't ask a fish to tell you about water or write a paper on water because the fish will say what's water? Most people who need to make this decisive change don't see the kind of life they're actually living until you get a little distance from that old life.
So, it says they had a darkened understanding and stresses the futility of their thinking. that word futility means their thinking is pointless you’ll never get what what you want. What Paul is saying is that these Christians had come to see that all though at the moment they didn't feel like their life was meaningless, when they looked back at it, they came to realize that they were separated from the life of God.
“Separated from the life of God” that's an interesting term. Lots of people say, well I'm a good person and I'm having a meaningful life I may not be religious but I believe in God of course. They believe in God but they don't have a personal connection with God - they are separated from the life of God.
At their very core, they don't really know if there is a God. And once you doubt God’s existence, everything that makes life meaningful is be taken away. If you're here by accident, when you die you'll be completely forgotten. Everything you've done will be forgotten and eventually everything that anybody's done will be forgotten.
Astronomers who study the stars tell us that one day our sun could go super nova and all of this earth would be consumed. Everything gone.
Tim Keller tells a story about a summer camp for college students he attended where a speaker gave him a new perspective on creation. That speaker said, if the distance between the earth and the sun 92,000,000 miles was just the thickness of this piece of paper, then the distance between our sun and the next nearest star would be a stack of paper 70 feet high. And the distance between here and the end of the Galaxy would be a stack of paper 310 miles high. Our Galaxy is just a speck of dust in the whole of the universe. But, if Hebrews 11 is right, and there is a God who created everything, and he holds all this together with the word of his power - isn’t that a God you want to keep on speed dial?
Then the speaker asked the campers, who are you really living your life for? What are you really living life for? Who calls the shots in your life? Then the speaker said “I want everybody to to walk outside and spend one hour asking yourself these questions in solitude - only silence, nobody gets to talk.” It was life changing that resulted in some big life choices.
Most of us have made big choices in our lives – like getting married. When you get married you're making these great promises that start the process of developing a lifetime of building that relationship. Marriage is a milestone event: before you're not married, now you are – and things will never be the same. You leave your old single self behind and clothe yourself with a new married self.
Each time I teach confirmation class I start our 8 month journey together with an icebreaker called 2 truths and a lie – Play it with me. Here were my 3 statements: 1) I used to play polo at Cornell’s indoor arena in upstate New York, 2) I haven’t taken my wedding ring off since Julie put it on my finger during our wedding ceremony and 3) I had my appendix removed while on a business trip to France by a surgeon who barely spoke English. What number would you guess was a lie? (The lie was # 3 – I still have my appendix. The other two are true.)
Our youngest son Austin works in a manufacturing environment where no jewelry is allowed so he had a ring with his wife’s initial tattooed on his ring finger. Growing up he had heard that I had chosen to never take my wedding ring off. For me and my son, Austin, getting married was our “new permanent self “ choice and it changed us from the inside out.
Paul says you are not just to put off your old behaviors and put on your new behaviors like you take off or put on a piece of clothing instead he speaks of virtues so they would say put off hate and put on love; put off laziness and put on diligence.
Putting on a new self is a choice to change from the inside out.
If you kept reading the next verses from today’s reading, verses 25 to 31 you'll see Paul does start talking about behaviors: don't lie, don't be resentful, work hard, care for the needy, don't steal - so he has a whole list of behaviors but he doesn’t want you to first put on a whole new self. Let me explain.
In every church there are people sitting beside of each other - both of them pray, both of them trying to follow God’s laws, trying to read their Bibles.
But they approach their faith with two utterly different motives: one person acts out of fear and pride: the fear that says if I don't do this right I'm gonna go to hell and the pride that says look , I'm the kind of person that comes to church and I read my Bible so I will be saved. Now the other person is somebody who's doing it strictly out of gratitude for free grace. Their spirit is different: there's a humility versus pride, the attitude toward other people is different. They can’t help but share the Good News that has changed their lives.
Understanding the gospel and free grace changes one radically: it's a set of truths that you take into your center and it changes the way you think about God, yourself and the world – the way you think about everything. It become your identity.
If you really understand the gospel and you really accept it and you believe it's incredible claims about what Jesus has done for you and who you are in him – then nothing that happens in this world can actually shake your identity - it makes all the difference to how you process everything: rejections, disappointments, criticism. Everything has changed.
The best way for you to really have yourself change from the inside out is to look at Jesus’ example. He was glorious and perfect - he was an equal with the father. He laid that perfect self aside and he took on a weak, suffering, vulnerable human nature and took on our weakness so that we could share His beauty and glory.
See it's not enough just to learn abstract principles -to think about the truth in some general way - that's not going to transform your mind and that's not what's going to change you from the inside out.
We must continually be captivated by what Jesus did for us – that is what holds us steadfast in the change we made from the inside out – to the new self we put on in His likeness.
And that is the Good News on this sabbath day of our lord and all God’s people said, AMEN