September 10, 2023 — Pentecost +15A, Matthew 18:15-20

“[Jesus said to the disciples:] “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

EveryOne Matters !!!!  Here is the title of my sermon: Every ONE matters. We hear that repeated again and again….yet too many people in our country do not understand this phrase. Every ONE matters. Jesus makes it clear in our text today….everyBODY matters. You may have heard the story about the man who stopped attending church which was obviously noticed by all the members. It is interesting how one person missing from a group can make a noticeable difference — JUST LIKE THE SHEPHERD KNEW ONE OF HIS SHEEP HAD GONE MISSING. Now the reasons he stopped attending were not as important as the fact that he was absent. Finally, after many months had passed, the pastor called on the man in the dead of winter. Because it was so cold outside, the man reluctantly invited the pastor into his small living room. No words were spoken. Both men knew what this was about. As they sat there in silence, the pastor went over to the fireplace and pulled ONE single ember from the fire and placed it on the hearth. In a short amount of time, the ember began to fade, dim and grow cold. At that point the pastor walked back over to the fireplace and returned the charred piece of wood to the fire – and it was immediately lit up.

Recognizing the simple truth of the unspoken sermon, the man interrupted the silence, thanked the pastor for the visit and assured him that he would be in church on Sunday, and showed him to the door. You see, we can make the point even without using words….every ONE matters. But, and here I hope you are still listening to me, not every ONE gets along with ONE another.

Whether the sin is against you, or against the church, Jesus is interested in how we use our voice, our tongue, our anger, and our efforts to reconcile with one another. Because, every ONE matters.

Pastor Dave

September 9, 2023 — Psalm 132

“O LORD, remember in David’s favor all the hardships he endured; how he swore to the LORD and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, “I will not enter my house or get into my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” We heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar. “Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool.” Rise up, O LORD, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your faithful shout for joy. For your servant David’s sake do not turn away the face of your anointed one. The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: “One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne. If your sons keep my covenant and my decrees that I shall teach them, their sons also, forevermore, shall sit on your throne.” For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation: “This is my resting place forever; here I will reside, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless its provisions; I will satisfy its poor with bread. Its priests I will clothe with salvation, and its faithful will shout for joy. There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one. His enemies I will clothe with disgrace, but on him, his crown will gleam.”

Rise up, O LORD, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.

The Ark of the Covenant — it was a “frightening device” — one to be regarded with awe and fear all of the time. It did contain the original tablets of the “Decalogue”, the Ten Commandments, and yet it also produced energy that would kill. This sacred object was revered but it could not be controlled by people. The interesting part of the Ark was that though it “represented” G-d, yet G-d was not “in the box”. It merely represented G-d’s presence among the chosen people.

The Ark was constructed and kept in the Tabernacle during the wilderness wanderings following the captivity in Egypt. When the Jews reached the Jordan River, the priests walked into the river with the Ark, and the waters parted. The people followed, entering the Promised Land on dry ground. Because of this miraculous event, the Israelites regarded the Ark with awe, with superstition, and as I said before, with fear. They later took it into battle as a secret weapon, hoping it would bring them good luck.

It is unclear when the Ark disappeared, but it ceases to be mentioned sometime in 2 Chronicles and 2 Kings. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims to have the Ark (in the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, in Axum). It was entrusted by Solomon to the Queen of Sheba and their son Menelik for safekeeping, according to Ethiopian royal chronicles. The Ark allegedly resides in a sanctuary in Axum (the original capital of the Biblical land of Cush), where priests guard it, and no one is allowed to see it. Hashim Ahmed, an Ethiopian Christian and journalist, writes: “I do believe the Ark is in Axum. It is not tradition; it is factual. It was moved several times during the Italian invasion.”

Whether the Ark does reside in Axum in Ethiopia, or if it is hiding somewhere else, the Ark of the Covenant continues to be an object that produces awe and fear. However, G-d continues to be ever-present in the world through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit without the Ark – Jesus may remain hidden but for his Word and the Sacraments, but the Holy Spirit blows through our lives in so many ways, every day.

Let us Pray:

Faithful God, we remember your promises to David, and how you continued to keep them in Jesus Christ. Make our hearts your dwelling place, clothe your people with holiness, and give bread to the poor, that we may rejoice and sing to you; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

Pastor Dave