October 31, 2021 – Reformation Sunday

“Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:31-36

Reformation Sunday – what does it mean to us anymore? What does it matter to you or to me that Martin Luther, in 1517, nailed the 95 Theses to a door on a church in Wittenberg? Who cares that he did this on October 31 – isn’t that All Hallows Eve – don’t we do more to honor Halloween than we do one single act that sparked the greatest movement in the 16th and 17th let alone the 21st centuries? It was a foreign place in foreign times, in an era we just cannot imagine or even make sense of today. But we can relate to his intentions. Martin Luther was a deeply religious man – even a little superstitious – and he was searching for peace in his life. He was searching for peace and some sense of G-d’s love in his life — but it appears he could only find the wrath of G-d. Of course, in this day and age of Covid-19 and political intrigue and in-fighting, wild fires and closed businesses — aren’t we all looking for some sense of peace and love?

Luther must have been looking for some peace in his life. His father was not happy when he learned his son had left the university and his law studies – after all he was hoping Luther might continue in law school so he could help with the family finances. The black plague had been ravaging Europe (it even killed his best friend) – and of course there was the whole lightening bolt incident. Luther had finally reached a point of existential frustration, so he made a bargain with G-d – and soon he entered a monastery to fulfill his promise. Yet, he was still hoping he might find a G-d of love. But, perhaps he was looking for love in all the wrong places.

Luther, after all, was being trained in the Catholic church of the 16th century – where “doing things” was the emphasis of a relationship with G-d. If you did this, or did that, and did it often enough, then you could earn G-d’s love. The more you denied yourself, punished yourself, the more money you gave to G-d, the more you would earn G-d’s love. Luther would starve himself, sleep on cold, wet floors – and he still felt unworthy of G-d’s love. His sense of his own unworthiness was so deep, and profound, it was like a wound – and nothing he could do would heal those wounds. He believed he was a sinner condemned.

Today there are so many wounded people all around us. There isn’t anyone sitting in this congregation that does not bear the marks of some kind of wound from the last ten months, if not from their lives (no matter how long or short that life might have been). By the time I was three I had already been hit by a car – and burned my arm on a large kerosene heater. But these aren’t the only kinds of wounds I am talking about. We all bear the scars of different wounds. I see it every week – I see it in families, in decisions of governments, I see it in the inhumanity of one group of people against another. And sometimes, we are the ones wounding people — and unfortunately, we have no idea we are doing it. It can be as simple as whether or not we take the time to engage someone outside our church, and by engage I mean listening to their story – it can be how we engage each other inside the church. It can be how we view or treat a group of people who are proclaiming they are tired of centuries of injustice. We are broken, we are surrounded by broken people, and we can be the instruments of that broken-ness. We are fallible, wounded people who will fail time and time again to “do” the right thing, say the right thing, to love each other like we should – and to love G-d the way we should. We will never, can never do enough for each other, or for G-d – to earn love – at least the kind of love G-d has for you and for me.

If you are wounded today – I don’t care if it is from someone who is sitting in the congregation with you this morning, someone from your family, someone you work with, or something that has happened here or in your life somewhere, anytime, anywhere — today, I want you to toss that wounded-ness in the trash – and I want you to remember that your value comes in your relationship with Jesus Christ – that began in your baptism. Because of the cross of Jesus, G-d sees (not our sin) but sees our very value as a loved, child of G-d right down to the molecules that make you – you ….. and me – me. When G-d looks at you and me, he sees us through the lens of the cross of Jesus – so that G-d does not see the trash that makes up our sinfulness, but the righteousness that comes through Jesus.

Pastor Dave

October 30, 2021 — 1 Corinthians 1:1 – 25

“Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.” 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, the one that we call 1 Corinthians is not his first letter to this troubled church. We learn in 1 Corinthians 5:9 – 12 that he had previously written to the Corinthian church to deal with an issue around sexual immorality. Unfortunately, we don’t have the first letter. Paul most likely arrived in Corinth in circa 50 CE shortly after he established churches in Philippi and Thessalonica. This letter called 1 Corinthians most likely was written sometime around 53 or 54 CE. The makeup of the Corinthian church is quite complex – most of the members were poor with only a few people having some wealth or status.

Now, it was the fact that only “some” of the people had wealth and status that created some of the most pressing problems Paul needed to deal with. It seems that the wealthy were able to adjudicate matters in court; possessed homes and staff large enough to host the church including services, meals and Eucharistic celebrations; and were able to be the first to arrive for dinner to get the best food and drink. The poorer members, however, arrived late because they were working and did not have the same privileges. This imbalance between classes caused many of the struggles between the Corinthian believers. Paul’s opening to the Corinthian church is a call for unity – to be in the same mind and purpose.

I think this is an excellent letter to refer to when the church is split and suffering because of disagreements. It also reminds us that since the beginning of the church, members have had a difficult time being “of the same mind”. As humans, this is one of our biggest struggles — which we see so often today in many aspects of life — and the church. It reminds us that we must be diligent in seeking unity.

Let us Pray,

Lord Christ, you prayed to your Father that the church would be united – would be one with one another as you were one with the Father. We continue to seek that unity today – in the church and in the world. Help us to be united in our love for you and for each other – no matter our status or gender or nationality. Amen.

Pastor Dave