Job Chapter 7

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Lesson 7

Scripture: Job 38:1 – 42:6

Main Idea: The Lord speaks

To me this is the best section of the whole book of Job. Though it may not be to others, it is the response of God to the whole scenario that has played out so far. Let’s recap for a moment. After the introduction where we are presented with the test of Job, we follow along as Job goes through his difficulties. His wealth is taken from him and he loses all of his children. Then if that were not enough, God allows Satan to hurt him with painful sores all over his body. We have followed his lamenting about his loss and his continual arguing about his innocence. I like the word lamenting. Do you know what it means? Simply, it means to whine. Then we followed his three friends who felt they had all the answers and they let Job know that they were upset with him. It could only have been some great sin that Job committed or the sin of one of his ancestors that has caused this great tragedy. But through it all, Job still proclaims his innocence. And then we are presented with Elihu, a young man who claims to know even more than his three friends. And he had the audacity to speak for God. But through it all, Job’s primary question has been why? Why has this happened to me? Throughout our lives we encounter situations and crisis that happen to ourselves or others and almost always the why question occurs. And for most of us, we find it difficult to answer the question, just as his three friends and Elihu had trouble doing. They found answers by dealing with the problem in black and white terms. In other words, there must be an obvious answer to this problem. Someone obviously has done something wrong or else the situation would never have happened in the first place. Unfortunately, that is the answer that most people will respond with. Someone must have sinned. Someone must have done something to cause this. God had a plan and it is just part of the plan. Aren’t those the answers you are used to hearing? So what we expect from God is some sort of answer that tells us of justice, of sin or of punishment. But that is not what we hear. Rather, God begins to describe what God can do.

First God demands of Job to stand up like a man and listen to him. And then God wants Job to answer him when he asks each question. The first question concerns creation. I love the words, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” Then he almost taunts him, “surely you know”. And then were you when the seas opened their doors and spilled onto the earth. Could you have controlled such a thing? Could you control the morning and cause the earth to know dawn from dusk? And a deep question for all of us. Do we know the gates of death or is there any among us who have explored Hell itself, called here the great darkness. Do we have the ability to define where the earth stops and heaven and hell begin? These are not scientific questions per se, but have relevance as we explore the universe. And then he taunts again. Surely you were born when all of this was created, God says, and your age is old enough to remember, isn’t it?

God then asks, “Is it possible that we can understand the seasons? I looked up what the term “Mazzaroth” means and found a great many answers but an apparent lack of agreement on the meaning. That is to say, most seem to think that Mazzaroth refers to the entire Zodiac. Some even go so far as to suggest that God gave Adam the key to understanding the grand plan when everything would come full circle. Interestingly enough, astrologers of ancient times certainly seemed to have more understanding of world events as prophesized by zodiac activity than we do today. Some would suggest that as we leave the age of Pisces the fish and enter into Aquarius that the zodiac symbols suggest the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning.

          God challenges Job and ultimately us with this speech. Do we have the power to control the weather, the stars, or the oceans? Do we in fact have the power to create the animals or the fish or birth itself? And the answer is a resounding no. Can we learn on limited basis to control wild animals? You might ask the two lion tamers, one who is permanently disfigured as a result of one those tame lions lashing out. Scientists have a great many theories about how species evolved and how many of our animals became to look like they do. But have they authoritative proof? And the answer depends on who you are speaking to. What do you say? In the 40^th chapter, God then turns to Job and asks him, do we have the understanding and the wisdom to understand God? Notice, that God does not say, “Do you have the right to ask why.” Rather, his whole argument is based on our ability to understand the power and glory and creation of the world by God. And Job astutely answers him with humbleness.

          God is not done. In chapter 40, verse 6 he begins again. Job, stand up like a man and I will question you and you will answer me. It almost seems at this point that God is answering the response of Job concerning God as an enemy. Or that God might have been unjust in Job’s misfortune. God uses two mythical creatures in this argument. The first is the Behemoth. Was this a real creature? Some say yes, a great ox, like that of an elephant or a hippopotamus or even a dinosaur. And legend has it that only God could kill it. And then God begins to discuss the Leviathan. IN ancient mythology the Behemoth and Leviathan were created at the same time, one male and one female, one land dwelling and one sea dwelling. And these ancient stories suggest that they will fight at the end of the world, both perishing in that battle. Others suggest something that I find quite interesting. IN the language of Job, Leviathan is described this way. It is a dangerous animal with teeth that cause terror, a mouth that spouts flame and a heart as hard as stone. When it raises itself the Gods are afraid, maybe in this describing an early understanding of angels. Is God describing Jesus arch enemy, Satan? Descriptions of Satan certainly fit this descriptiveness of Leviathan. And verse 10 has been translated by at least one commentator as the one who dared stand before me in heaven. Is this God reaching back to the original discussion before the test began? What do you think? Hear the last words, “It surveys everything that is lofty; it is king over all that are proud.” This certainly describes ego, humanity at its worst and possibly Satan.

          And then Job answers by repenting. What is it that Job is repenting for? Now that we have heard God speaking, what do we make of his speech? What is he saying to us?

Questions

Read Job chapter 38:1 – chapter 41:6

Answer the following questions in discussion group:

1.    What challenge does God give Job?

2.    What was Job’s original question?

3.    Does God answer that original question?

4.    What is God’s point in his speech to Job?

It is Better to Give

Sermon given at Sydenstricker UMC 12/17/17

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^NRS John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴ in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. ⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹² But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") ¹⁶ From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

Welcome to the third weekend of Advent. Advent is a time when we anticipate the celebration of the birth of Christ. The world has worked to remove Christ from Christmas in many ways, focusing our efforts on giving and receiving of gifts, focusing on the commercialization of Christmas and even trying to remove Christ by putting an X in its place. Funny thing about all of that Christmas cannot be Christmas without Christ at the beginning of it. It would just be mas. What is a mas? Moreover, the X, the Greek letter that represents Christ is X so even removing the word Christ and replacing it with an X still leaves Christ in Christmas. So even Grinch could not remove the spirit of Christmas from the holiday, even if we call it Happy Holidays instead of Christmas. So here we are, celebrating the third week of the anticipation time of Christmas, Advent. We celebrate because we are Christians and because we know that Jesus was born, lived, preached and teaches, died on the cross and three days later was resurrected. Because of that, we know that we have received a gift greater than anything we can buy, work into or deserve. As Christians, we anticipate celebrating the birth, which begins a journey that continues to Easter, and then we anticipate the return of Jesus, which is in front of us.

So today, I want to talk to you about giving. Francis Assisi reminds us, “For it is in giving that we receive.” Dale Evans remarked, “Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.” Therefore, there is something there, which we capture every time we give. Moreover, this is a giving church. So far, this year we have shared our love with 255 patients at Western State, over 80 stockings for children, over 40 boxes of food and the list goes on. I am thankful for being part of a giving church. We truly are a blessing to the community we serve. I want to talk today about being blessed as much as being a blessing. Dr. Seuss reminds us that, “Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn’t come from a store.” Imagine for a moment that we go down to the mall and begin to look for a specific present to purchase. We go to Macy’s and Target, we explore Sears and JC Penny’s and all of the smaller store but nowhere can we find a single purchase of salvation to be had. When we walk through the mall, we may feel love surround us.  I have yet to see it in a package that can be bought. We can purchase things that allow us to share love but we cannot buy it.

So today, I want to talk about true giving. It comes from the heart and we have great examples of it. The greatest example of love and the one we should hold especially dear in our hearts is the gift given to us by God. John 3: 16 says that God sent Jesus, God’s only son so that we will not perish but have everlasting life. On December 25^th each year, we remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus in that lowly setting. Jesus, the Son of God, himself God as John reminds us in his text, came to us in a small town called Bethlehem. There in the place where animals rested and were fed, Jesus came into the world. No doctors or mid-wives attending, a natural childbirth that we know is painful and emotional. Can you imagine being 14 or 15 years of age, having a child in a barn full of animals? We know that it might well have been a cave since caves were used to house animals in the first century. There the gift from God came into the world and they laid him in a manger, a feeding trough for animals. I cannot help but think that God, the great creator could have brought Jesus into the world anywhere and at any time. Instead of luxury and glory, Jesus came into the world in humbleness and love.

God loves us so much that God knowing that Adam had failed at returning love to God in the way God intended and through that act brought sin and death into the world. In spite of that, God’s love for us never wavered, not once in thousands of years, and so God bridged that great divide that sin creates. Sin separates us from God and from the paradise that God intended for us from creation. There is no way to buy it, no way to work hard enough to earn it and nothing we can do to deserve it. Yet God gives it to us freely anyway. I cannot help but think how much love God must have for us that God would give us all God has to give in Jesus. What a true gift. Adam Hamilton writes, “God seeks to influence humanity. This is at the heart of the Christmas story. It is the story of light coming into the darkness, of a Savior to show us the way, of light overcoming the darkness, of God's work to save the world.”

When we, the people of Jesus, believing in His teaching, His example and are willing to follow Him, we become a blessing to the world around us. Believing in Jesus is simply not enough, even the demons believe Jesus to be the Son of God. Following Jesus is what we are called to do. Following is harder than believing. I can believe that my country needs me and enlist or receive a commission to serve. However, serving, especially in wartime is a more difficult thing to do. In that moment, we realize that our lives are on the line, life changes. Life becomes more precious and our purpose can become clearer or more conflicted. However, one thing is sure, at that moment there is no doubt what the consequences of that earlier decision can lead to. I use this example because I believe in the setting I am currently in, you can relate better. Jesus is asking to us to enlist in a cause far more worthy than our country. Jesus is calling us to share God’s love with the world and right now not doing that has deadly consequences for those in the world around us. Without knowing that God has given us a great gift in Jesus, who was born, lived to teach and share by example how we are to love one another and then went to the cross that we may all share in eternal life. Following Jesus means that we take that gift like the sweater from Aunt Mildred and we wear it so that everyone can see it. We learn to love one another in ways that share that love even and especially to those who struggle to love. In following Jesus, we experience the hills and valleys of being human. In the valleys, we share the sorrows and the sadness of life with those around us, lifting them up. On hilltops, we share with joy and gladness the love of Jesus poured through us out into the world for others.

During this season, we are called to reach out to the marginalized, the poor, the helpless and the ill. We are called to share God’s love with them because most of the world will not. We are called to love one another unconditionally so that everyone may experience the love that came down at the birth of Jesus into the world. John reminds us that Jesus is the light, a beacon of love that permeates the darkness so that we may see truth. John reminds us that the through Jesus we have been given grace upon grace by God. When we share that grace with the world we receive an even greater blessing. So I challenge you this Christmas season to give. Give of your heart to those in the world around you. Give love to those who experience little or no love in the world throughout the year. Give because we are called to give but also because love needs you to share it.

God so loved the world, that God gave us Jesus. Whoever believes and follows His path shall not die, but live forever. Merry Christmas!

Job Chapter 6

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Lesson 6

Scripture: Job 32:1 – 37:24

Main Idea: Elihu Speaks

          Elihu’s speech is longer than that of Job and is the longest of all of the speeches including God’s response in the next session. Elihu is young and he argues that he has deferred giving his response because of his age. He does not like Job’s claim to innocence nor does he like the responses of Job’s three friends though we could argue that he is not far from their arguments in his response. And he feels that the three friends should not have stopped in their arguments even though Job is unwavering in his belief of his righteousness. We see in verse 9 that he believes that age itself is not the determination of wisdom. How might he be right and how might he be wrong? He is upset at Job on two counts, Job’s response of his innocence and Job believing that God has become his enemy. He suggests that God has many tools to deal with humanity in order to keep us from the pit. The pit was the ancient understanding of Hell, a place where people who failed to receive God’s grace went upon their death. He begins by demanding a right to speak. He believes Job’s suffering is redemptive, that is, as a result of some sin that Job has committed. He argues that Job is suffering as retribution for that sin and that Job needs to reflect deeply on his life and resolve whatever sin he is or has committed and then come to God with a repentive heart. His argument is that God is above sin and suffering and will not arbitrarily cause this to happen to humanity unless for retribution or discipline. Elihu argues that God did all these things to Job, took his land, his possessions and his family in order to improve Job’s character. He condemns Job as an unrepentive sinner. What is the difference between an unrepentive and a repentive sinner? I am curious what you think of Elihu based on verse 18 through 22 of the 32^nd chapter. Hear his words: ^NRS Job 32:18 For I am full of words; the spirit within me constrains me. ¹⁹ My heart is indeed like wine that has no vent; like new wineskins, it is ready to burst. ²⁰ I must speak, so that I may find relief; I must open my lips and answer. ²¹ I will not show partiality to any person or use flattery toward anyone. ²² For I do not know how to flatter-- or my Maker would soon put an end to me! How do you respond? How might his response be different if he had knowledge of the test?

          In chapter 36, the 4^th verse, Elihu proclaims that he is perfect in his understanding. He believes no one has the right to challenge God. In our modern era this would seem to be the basis for those who say we cannot question God. We will deal more with that in the next session. But Elihu is right about some things. He believes that God will resolve this matter and he anticipates that resolution. What we will come to see is that though he is right, he is wrong in how God will respond to Job and to everyone else. In the 34^th chapter, the 11^th verse, he condemns Job by suggesting he knows what God is doing and Job should know also. What do you think?

Finally in the 36^th chapter Elihu maybe goes too far. He begins his dialogue in verses 2-4: ^NRS Job 36:1 Elihu continued and said: ² "Bear with me a little, and I will show you, for I have yet something to say on God's behalf. ³ I will bring my knowledge from far away, and ascribe righteousness to my Maker. ⁴ For truly my words are not false; one who is perfect in knowledge is with you. Elihu would have us believe that he is perfect in his knowledge of what God does and why God does it. In fact, Elihu wants us to believe that his knowledge is vast and of great wisdom. He is presumptuous that he believes he alone can speak for God. That begs the question; can anyone truly speak for God? Under what circumstances might someone speak on behalf of God and it not be going too far?

          In the end, Elihu presents the same argument that the other three have already presented. They all believe that Job is guilty of something and that the sin he, Job, has committed is the reason for his suffering. Job meanwhile is clearly of the opinion that he has committed no sin and that the suffering is God’s decision to single him out. In fact, we know that this is true. That Job’s suffering is a result of God allowing Satan to test his faith, nothing more, nothing less. And Job feels righteous in arguing with God. Elihu is right in that God is going to respond to all of this. However, Elihu, nor Job, expects the response in the direction that it will come.

Questions

Answer the following questions in discussion group:

1.    What is it that Elihu is angry about?

2.    Why is Elihu speaking?

3.    What specifically is Elihu upset with Job about?

4.    What does Elihu believe God send us to allow us to hear what God wants us to know?

5.    What does Elihu suggest we do in order to be right with God?

6.    Where might Elihu have stepped over the line?

Be afraid

Sermon given at Sydenstricker UMC 12/3/17

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^NRS Matthew 2:1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." ³ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴ and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ⁶ 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" ⁷ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. ⁸ Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage."…..¹⁶ When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. ¹⁷ Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: ¹⁸ "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."

I love the Grinch stole Christmas. Today, similar to what Ellsworth Kalas would say, I feel a little like the Grinch and Scrooge wrapped together. As you came here today you probably are expecting a feel good Advent sermon and I hope not to entirely disappoint. But as with anything else in life, the easy button is missing and the cat bit into the electrical wires which burned down the tree. In case you are not familiar with the last it comes from a great Christmas movie. This scripture reminds us that Jesus is born into a very turbulent time. There is much that is not right with the world around Him at His birth. His world is a world of war, slavery, deceit, inhumanity and great taxation. Hmmm! Sounds a little like our world today.

We start with Herod. Now there are two Herod’s in the Bible and they are related. This is the Herod of the birth narrative. A charming fellow he is indeed. He has executed his wife, her mother, and three of his sons because he is an insecure, suspicious, paranoid and evil man. It is nothing to get on the wrong side of this guy and before you know it, your life is done. Herod rose to power with vindictiveness following the lead of the Romans who were a vicious foe to their enemies, often leaving no-one alive to tell the tale except the victor. Herod rules Israel with an iron hand, taxing the people beyond humanly possible and squelching any sign of rebellion or opposition to his rule. It is said in the years just before Jesus birth that he contracted gangrene and kidney failure leaving him in pain most of the time which only exasperated his already over the top evilness.

Into this world come the Magi. Now they are an interesting bunch of folk we have very little information about. But let us suffice it to say that they took prophecy, astrology and history to be very important. Imagine for a moment that you saw certain signs in the heavens which matched prophecy about a certain birth of a King and then spend the next several years in search of that King. That is the type of person we are talking about. They spend untold amounts of money on this venture giving up much to find Jesus. So they arrive in Jerusalem and reach a dead end. Sort of! They find themselves in the company of Herod, remember him, telling him they have come to see the King of the Jews who has been born. Imagine for a moment what fear and insecurity went through Herod’s mind. He would kill to know where this child is and then of course he would kill the child if he could. So his wisest of men tell him and the Magi of the prophecy that will lead them to Bethlehem. But he asks them to come back and tell him about this baby so that he may too go and, well, you can figure the next part out. So the Magi go to Bethlehem, see baby Jesus and then because of a dream go home a different way. We will talk more about their visit on another day. But the moment that Herod finds out that they went a different way, his insecurity reaches boiling point. He sends his soldiers into Bethlehem slaying every male child 2 and younger. This part fulfills part of the prophecy by the way of Jeremiah where there will be a wailing of despair among the mothers.

Kind of a sad and uncomfortable story about the birth of Christ don’t you think. But it gets more interesting from that point on. And I might add it gets more personable. You see the scripture tells us that all Jerusalem was frightened with Herod. Now why on earth would the whole of Jerusalem be frightened? I might ask, are you frightened about this news of the birth of Christ? Why not? I think maybe each and every one of us should be. I believe that they were all frightened for possibly one of two reasons. The first is they feared the reaction of Herod. What would he do? Aren’t we living in the fear of rulers today? What is the ruler of North Korea going to do? What about our own president? Whether you like him or not I suspect that you wish he would stop tweeting. When I did that as a kid my mother took away my whistle, problem solved. But don’t we all live in some kind of fear of what is going on the world and what the rulers of the world are doing? They don’t really care what you and I think.

But it is that second fear that I think we need to focus on. You see the prophecy said that Jesus is coming to rule the world. That Jesus is coming to judge. That Jesus is coming to shake things up. And He did and He still does. You see we might just fear Jesus birth because of what it is asking of us. Richard Rohr suggests that we as Christians are long for a way of following Jesus that has more to do with lifestyle than with belief. In other words, following Jesus means leaving your comfortable living behind for a challenge in the unknown. What it means is that to be a true follower of Jesus requires that we embrace His presence in our lives, allow ourselves to begin a transformation that leads to us becoming an imitation of Jesus in the world. Scary stuff! It means that to be a true Christian, one must become a disciple who desires to love one another regardless. It is more than just saying it; it is doing it day after day. I have to tell you that it is hard. I fail at it regularly but I know that Jesus lifts me up in my failures.

I believe the whole world is really scared of this birth because it means we have to stop being selfish, we have to stop focusing on our agenda and we have to set ourselves aside to focus on those who are marginalized, homeless and who are living lives without God in their hearts. It means that as John Wesley said to us, winning souls is our number one agenda, not gathering for a meal, not focusing on meetings without devotions and spiritual focus, but gathering with the intent of growing mature disciples. Nothing less is acceptable. I believe that concept scares the hearts of many of us day in and day out. So I have no doubt that when the word that Jesus had been born, it scared the world. Here was God incarnate come to judge whether or not we have love in our heart and most of the time we will be convicted. We all too often have our own ego’s, our own agendas, our own desires in front of what God wants. I see it every day in every place and the sad thing it is here in this church, right now, right here!

But here is the good news. Jesus birth reminds us that we have a second chance to be something greater than ourselves. We have a chance to learn how to love one another without regard to where we were born, what life we have led or how we got into this place today. When we embrace the birth of Jesus and invite Jesus into our hearts we can become one with Him, we can learn how to love like He did and we can become His imitation in the world.

Richard Rohr shared the teaching of the Zen Master and I want to share it with you. Imagine for a moment that you are sitting here preparing yourself to experience Holy Communion. But more than experiencing, you are preparing yourself to become Christ in the table. Please close your eyes and listen carefully to these words.

The Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches this wisdom through the ceremony and meditation of tea:

You must be completely awake in the present to enjoy the tea.
Only in the awareness of the present, can your hands feel the pleasant warmth of the cup.
Only in the present, can you savor the aroma, taste the sweetness, appreciate the delicacy.
If you are ruminating about the past, or worrying about the future, you will completely miss the experience of enjoying the cup of tea.
You will look down at the cup, and the tea will be gone.
Life is like that.
If you are not fully present, you will look around and it will be gone.
You will have missed the feel, the aroma, the delicacy and beauty of life.
It will seem to be speeding past you. The past is finished.
Learn from it and let it go.
The future is not even here yet. Plan for it, but do not waste your time worrying about it.
Worrying is worthless.
When you stop ruminating about what has already happened, when you stop worrying about what might never happen, then you will be in the present moment.
Then you will begin to experience joy in life. 

Imagine Christ before you being absorbed into you. It is then and only then that you will truly experience the risen Lord, the divine savior and the true essence of God’s love.

And in that moment feel your heart grow three sizes larger.

Let us pray….

Job Chapter 5

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Lesson 5

Scripture: Job 29:1-31:40

Main Idea: Job is reflecting on his life

          In chapters 29, 30 and 31 Job struggles with his past and his present in trying to understand what has happened to him. He begins by lamenting (I like that word, it replaces whining) about what life used to be like. He talks about the wealth he used to enjoy and the respect of the people around him who sought out his consul. In our world today we also seek out those who seem to have it all together and who are successful in their jobs, lives and the world. Often we look to them to determine how to get our own lives in order. As Job talks about all he used to have, it would seem that he misses it and desires to have it again. Is that the case? Does he desire wealth about everything else? He begins a discussion if you would that would make one argue that Job is James, defining himself not by his faith but by his works. He reminds us that it is he who used to be listened to and respected. Now he begins in chapter 30 to deal with the world that he now must live in. A world where the children of those Job once despised in life, now spit on him and pick on him. I cannot help but think of the line that tells us that people kick you when you are down. That seems to sum up Job’s speech in chapter 30. Those whom he lifted up, fed, nourished and clothed are now the ones who are first to kick him, taunt him and beat him. Do we are a society really pick on those who have been successful fall? There is an American saying that we always root for the underdog. Is this not the human nature that we see showing itself through in chapter 30?

          What is interesting in the midst of chapter 30 is the emotion of Job’s response. He doesn’t just whine about his situation, rather he expresses in graphic detail how the world has turned against him. I wonder if this dialogue is more pointed at us than his actual situation. That is to say that God wants us to see through Job’s suffering how humanity treats each other in times of dire circumstances. Especially the people whose lives have been the subject of our jealousy or desire. And in the midst of this Job turns his eyes upon God. Why have you cast me down the way that you have? Why are you being so cruel to me? Rather than the storm of justice I expect from God, Job says I find myself in the midst of a greater storm where I am the enemy rather than your friend.

          In chapter 31 he again argues his righteousness. His life was wonderful, now it is horrible and yet I have not done anything wrong. Then the goes so far as to list the sins of his day. They are: lust, committing evil acts against others, lying, abandoning his faith, adultery, cruelty or indifference to slaves, not doing anything about the suffering of the poor, putting wealth before God, idolatry, hatred, indifference, hypocrisy, or stealing. As we look at this list, is Job trying to justify himself or reflect on his life in order to understand what is happening to him? Is this a discussion of a righteous man wronged or a man trying to find what wrong he has done? In our day, there are those who will quickly remind you if you are troubled that you have committed some sin against God and if you figure out what you did and ask forgiveness your suffering will go away. What do you think?

          This part ends with the words, “The words of Job are ended.” But I really think it ends with the next line in chapter 32 which says, “So these three men ceases to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.” What does this mean to you?

Questions

Answer the following questions in discussion group:

1.    Job laments about his past, how does that maybe bring him comfort or pain?

2.    How does your past affect your present?

3.    Job’s critique of himself serves what purpose?

4.    Job compares himself to the list of sins of his day. Do we do the same?

5.    Is the list different in our day?

6.    What is the worst sin according to Job?

7.    “I’d give anything to have my youth back” is an expression we have all heard. Would you?

Job Chapter 4

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Lesson 4

Read in Scripture: Job 28: 1-28

The main idea in this section is the question, is there wisdom in all of this suffering?

Where did this chapter come from? That is probably a great question to ask in light of the fact that it follows none of the previous chapters tone or writing style. Is it Job? Probably not! It does not follow the argument of Job of his righteous nor deal with any of his suffering. And it certainly does not fit any of the three friends in their line of thinking. Rather it seems to be a narration similar to that of the first section where we are told the story of Job. It provides a break for understanding in the midst of the discussion. We are brought into a contemplative place to explore the deeper wisdom of God. When everything we know cannot explain the why or how of it, only God has the answer that we need. 

A great deal of time is spent on mining. Why? Probably to bring us to an understanding of what humans will do for wealth. We will dig as deep as we need to find precious metals and jewels. We will send people miles beneath the surface of the earth to find these things and put them in dangerous situations, all to secure wealth. Just think of it for a moment. Men (and women) would easily go into a place deep within the bowels of the earth, where air is thick and dense making it hard to breathe, where the slightest shift in earth can bring your world crashing down upon you, all for what, gold or diamonds or precious metals? But the truth is we value wealth more than life itself. At least if we are truthful with ourselves. I remember the old adage, “You can’t take it with you” and I have often wondered if that is the basis for trying to claim and spend it before we go. 

But what will we do to find wisdom?

And where will we go to look for it?

Solomon is considered by history as one of the wisest of people and maybe there is part of the answer to the vexing question of wisdom. Where did Solomon go for wisdom? He went to God. In this chapter we see the writer telling us that humans cannot find true wisdom. It is nowhere to be found on the surface of the earth, nor in the deepest trenches in the sea. It cannot be bought with the most precious of metals or jewels. Even Abaddon, defined as the place of the dead or the angel of destruction, does not know the answer to wisdom. Only God knows.

And in verse 28 and 29 we are told one of the greatest truths. Wisdom is to follow the will of God and to avoid evil and do good is the true understanding of that wisdom and of God. 

Questions

Answer the following questions in discussion group:

1.    What would you pay for wisdom?

2.    Why does it seem so hard to obtain?

3.    How do you live the truth of verse 28 and 29?

LGBTQ - What is the right question?

Sermon given at Sydenstricker UMC 11/26/17

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^NRS Genesis 19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and bowed down with his face to the ground. ² He said, "Please, my lords, turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you can rise early and go on your way." They said, "No; we will spend the night in the square." ³ But he urged them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. ⁴ But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house; ⁵ and they called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, so that we may know them." ⁶ Lot went out of the door to the men, shut the door after him, ⁷ and said, "I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. ⁸ Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man; let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please; only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof." ⁹ But they replied, "Stand back!" And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and he would play the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them." Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near the door to break it down. ¹⁰ But the men inside reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. ¹¹ And they struck with blindness the men who were at the door of the house, both small and great, so that they were unable to find the door. ¹² Then the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city-- bring them out of the place. ¹³ For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it." … ²³ The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. ²⁴ Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven; ²⁵ and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. ²⁶ But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. ²⁷ Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD; ²⁸ and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the Plain and saw the smoke of the land going up like the smoke of a furnace. ²⁹ So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the Plain, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had settled.

Welcome today to what I hope will be the beginning of fruitful and illuminating discussions. There are plenty of things in this world that we need to be concerned about including war, illness, inhumanity, to name just a few. God loves us unconditionally. God does not put conditions on who we should love and excludes no one from that love. We all agree that God intended many things differently in the beginning at creation. God created male and female to be partners, to procreate, to been at one in stewardship with the world around them and share the love of God with each other and those who came after them. So is the right question, who should we love? Or is the right question about if there are more important issues to discuss?

Should we be discussing the decline in membership of the United Methodist Church who if things don’t change is projected to decline by over 65 % by 2050. Certainly here is an area that needs conversation and resurrection. Should we be discussing the decline in young people, youth and young adults who stay away from the church their parents and grandparents grew up in? Should we be discussing the areas of mission we as a church are ignoring, the marginalized who are struggling while affluent churches thrive? Well the easy answer is yes, yes, yes, yes and more yes. But those are not the central issues I need to address with you today. John Wesley tells us, “You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore, spend and be spent in this work. And go not only to those who need you, but to those who need you the most.”

I am here to talk about the LBGTQ issue. For those that may not be aware of what those things stand for it is Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Trans-gender and Queer. These terms engender somewhere around 3.8 % of the US population according to Huffpost in April 2013 and may be as many as 10 % of the US population. There are estimated to be 549,000 same sex couples in the US or less than 1 % of the total households in the US 2010 census. Anti-same sex marriage laws were ruled unconstitutional in 2015 with the Supreme Court decision. Homosexuality possibly can affect 10 % of the population of the world. “That large a population can hardly be accidental.” (Debate at Virginia Protestant Episcopal Seminary February 1992)

The reason that we need to have this discussion is because it affects most of us in this congregation in one way or the other. Most of us have relationships, family or friends that fit these categories that I have spoken of. Many of us work with, deal with or may even struggle with that our friends or family members fall into these categories. But the most important reason for me to share this topic has to do with what is coming down the road in 2019 for the United Methodist Church. Today a commission of our peers has been meeting to suggest how to maintain unity in the United Methodist Church while recognizing that we don’t all agree on membership, leadership and same-sex marriage within the United Methodist Church. This commission which includes Virginia’s Tom Berlin has been working since 2016 to find a solution that will work going forward. This has been and will continue to be hard work. Often the voices surrounding this issue can be loud, unwilling to compromise and difficult to navigate discussion through. But before we get there, we are here and we need to be able to have clear, honest discussion.

So why did I choose this scripture? Maybe because it seems to be the story of our response to Homosexuality. I so often hear people use this story to justify their view point about homosexuality. Many believe God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of it. But most theologians believe Sodom was destroyed because of it’s evil, it’s inhospitality to outsiders and that they had turned their back on God. Male rape which was used in that period of time is still prevalent in prisons and certain areas of the world and it used to demoralize, to gain control of and to subordinate those who are they desire to degrade and control. Interestingly enough depending on the version of the Bible you are reading, the words translated in the NIV as “bring them so that we may have sex with them” is based on a verb that is used 810 in the Old Testament. However, we should note that only three times has it been translated as sexual, all other times it means to know, to understand, or to be in relationship with. So let us explore for a moment what the two sides are saying to one another about this subject. Let us deal with the scripture this morning. Angels had come to Sodom to see for themselves what evil was lurking within the city walls because of an outcry against them. In the discussion with Abraham God had determined that if they could find ten that God would spare the city. In those days’ hospitality toward strangers was paramount to surviving in a desert climate and keeping peace throughout the region. Strangers were to be treated with respect. But clearly the people of Sodom were not intent on treating the strangers, the Angels of God with respect. Now the passage indicates that all the people of Sodom were a part of this uprising of sorts but clearly the scriptures indicate that the men were intending some sort of sexual response and we can glean that they intended to abuse the Angels of God. Lot even offers his daughters in place of the Angels, his love for God is that great! This part we are clear though others may argue the exact intent of the words of scripture for us, we all agree that something was not as it was intended to be from the creation of the world in Sodom. So God intended to punish the people by destroying the city and we know from scripture that God did just that. Was the sin of Sodom homosexuality alone, probably not! Was the sin of Sodom evil within the hearts of the people, absolutely!

The traditionalist uses the scripture as the basis for their position. They point to this scripture in Genesis, scripture in Leviticus and in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians, 1 Timothy and Romans. Let us explore that for a moment. We have heard the story in Genesis that is used to identify homosexuality as a sin. They will point to Leviticus 18:22 which say that it is an abomination when a man lies with a man as he would lie with a woman. And Leviticus 20:13 goes further and demands that they be put to death. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 which says, “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, ¹⁰ thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers -- none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.” Our scripture today is often used to describe the destruction of Sodom as a result of their lifestyle of homosexuality. Paul in Romans is often quoted. ^NRS Romans 1:26 ^“For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, ²⁷ and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error. ²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done. ²⁹ They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, God-haters,¹ insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, ³¹ foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³² They know God's decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die -- yet they not only do them but even applaud others who practice them.” It’s a long list! And I suspect all of us have sinned somewhere in Paul’s list. Proponents of this view will argue that in Genesis, God created male and female for heterosexual relationships alone. How many of you are wearing some kind of cotton or polyester blend this morning? You are guilty of the same set of laws that condemns homosexuality. It is confusing is it not?

There are three issues before us this morning. First, the issue of acceptance of those who are LGBTQ as members. Second, the acceptance of those who are LGBTQ as Christian leaders. And finally the issue of same-sex marriage. There are folks who will argue that homosexuality is not a choice. Scientific evidence appears to support that for the 1.6 – 6 % of the population that is gay; a percentage is genetically born that way. Those that support gay rights will argue that it should be a civil matter, an issue of equal rights under the law. That there is no difference between the commitment men and women make in heterosexual relationships and the commitment between partners in homosexual relationships. They point to the evidence that is supported by history that gay lifestyles have been the accepted norm in society form the beginning of time up until the last four hundred years of history. It was an accepted practice in the time of Jesus and Paul. Proponents of ‘Gay Rights’ point to Jesus not excluding anyone in his teachings or his behavior and treating everyone with love. Or they point to scripture being written before medical and scientific breakthroughs discovered that much of what we now know about illness, sexual preference and behavior is genetic. All skin diseases were considered leprosy in Jesus day and people were shunned and excluded. Women were treated as property with no value and Jesus railed against that injustice, meanwhile, homosexuality was part of society probably in the same proportions as it is today and He never said a word against it. A report of the committee to study homosexuality to the General Council of Ministries of the United Methodist Church reported that there is scientific evidence sufficient to support the contention that homosexuality is not pathological or otherwise an inversion, developmental failure, or deviant form of life as such, but is rather a human variant, one that can be healthy and whole. The American Physiological Association reported that most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual preference and LGBTQ issues have been removed from the list of illnesses reported on by the Medical community.

So where exactly does that leave us? As a United Methodist pastor I live by two books, the Bible and the United Methodist Book of Discipline. I want to read you what the BOD says about this matter. In paragraph 161 the BOD states, “We affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God…The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider this practice incompatible with Christian teaching. We affirm that God’s grace is available to all… We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members of friends.”[i] And in paragraph 304.3 it states that practicing homosexuals cannot be ordained or appointed as ministers. In Paragraph 341.6 it says that United Methodist ministers may not perform or participate in same sex marriage ceremonies and paragraph 806.9 that no funds of the United Methodist church may be given to any group or caucus that promotes the acceptance of homosexuality.

As a church we are taught to love one another above all things except loving God. That love is paramount to everything we must do in the world, loving one another. And we are called to that love inclusively. But my heart and mind struggle with creation where it clearly was God’s intent for man and woman to be in heterosexual relationships. It is how we were created in the beginning. But we know that somewhere something went against God’s plan for humanity. God intended the world without sin but we all sin. Is it possible that being genetically predisposed to a sexual preference is a sin. That is one of the questions is it not? I do know that one sin we all share is our desire too often to judge others.

I know that within this church we have family members and actively attending folk who are gay or have friends who are gay. I have a friend who is United Methodist minister who has a daughter who is gay and he says that though he struggles with her lifestyle he does not struggle with loving her unconditionally. Does God love those who were born with homosexual tendencies any less than those born into heterosexual lifestyles? We believe not! Did Paul intend to address an issue in his day of older men who subjected young men into homosexual relationships against their will? Clearly that was a practice of his day that he reaches out to. Do the original rules of Leviticus still hold true today? If so, we violate them every time we eat seafood or pork. Adulterers are no longer stoned to death nor are those who steal losing their hands in our culture. Is it possible that God’s guidelines for living three to four thousand years ago are no longer as relevant as they were in that day and time? And whether we accept it or not, medical advances have changed how we view genetic makeup and illness. Masters and Johnson did a study that said that 67 % of homosexuals could be brought back into heterosexual relationships. But what that means is that 33 % cannot. My study says that there are three ways to become homosexual. One is that you are born that way. The other is that there are men who are more feminine or women who are more masculine and the opposite sex shuns them for their differences. And some come to that preference through abuse. The last two are likely the 67 % in the Masters and Johnson study. But truthfully if someone would say to me that they are gay, I cannot determine how they became that way and frankly I don’t care how they became gay. I also understand that the issue of leadership is about trust and protection for our youth. Statistics tell us that homosexual behavior does not lead to sexual predator behavior at a greater rate than heterosexuals.

So what then is the question?  I think it would be hard pressed for us to say it is as simple as only one question to be answered. I like the way Adam Hamilton sums it up. He reminds us that Paul spoke about seeing things dimly in a mirror that one day we will see clearly, but only when we are truly in the presence of God. I think for all of us this issue is complicated. Will the church split over it and divide? Maybe! Where will Sydenstricker fall in the future United Methodist understanding? These are questions we need to ask. Are we, each of us a traditionalist who cannot accept LGBTQ folks in membership, leadership or marriage? Are we, each of us progressive who cannot accept a traditional stance by the church? Or are we, each of us somewhere in the middle where the church can be church regardless of the position taken at General Conference? Over the next twelve months we will explore these questions in Pastor Chat moments. Would you join me in discussion?

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[i] Smith, Judith E, ed. (2008). The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church 2008. Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House. Page 103

Hand Me Downs

Sermon given at Sydenstricker UMC 11/19/17

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^NIV Matthew 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  ²⁸ "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you-- you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

We live in a hand me down world. Everything in life in some sense is hand me downs. Now I was the oldest of four growing up, three boys and one girl. So my clothes were always new and purchased. I was a skinny kid weighing so little that the wind usually blew me around the neighborhood, at least that is what my mother said. But my brothers received things I wore or discarded as they grew up. I remember my next youngest brother and I would often fight, he wanted to be first but I was. He hated following me in school, not that I was smart mind you, I struggled in school. But he always had to hear the teachers say, why can’t you be like your brother and he bristled every time. Back in those days in small areas you always got the same teachers in school that your older brothers and sisters had. In fact, it carried over to my son who had an English teacher who I happened to go to High School with. Hand me downs!

Our language, our math, our philosophy, and all of our formal and informal education is a hand me down. We owe allegiance if you will to those scholars who developed math like Pascal, Aristotle in philosophy, Euclid for geometry and Shakespeare for literature. Even the Bible is hand me down. The first five books from the oral traditions of creation and life handed down to Moses who had them written down. The prophets whose writings we love or struggle with today were handed down from generation to generation. The New Testament was handed down from the Disciples to written form so that their stories could be told over the generations. All we know about Jesus, about God, and about the Holy Spirit are pretty much handed down to us through the generations. Hand me Downs!

Today we sit in this beautiful place, a building that was built many years ago. Some of you may have been here when the new building was built so I guess you can argue that you are handing down. But even you came from the older building and none of us were around in 1909. So we are handed down our traditions, our discipleship training and the legacies from those who went before us. Several weeks ago we remembered those who left legacies in the last year. Churches are places that get handed down, passing the baton each year to a new generation. Changes constantly taking place as the church grows, declines and hopefully grows again. Hand me Downs!

Someone was telling me the other day about all the problems in their world. I prayed with them and then asked them what they were thankful for? They looked at me like I had suddenly sprouted horns on my forehead. I would love to say that they suddenly began to smile in the midst of their trials and tribulations but they did not. But isn’t that what sets us apart from the world? Shouldn’t we as Christians realize that life is never easy, but we are always forgiven and we have eternal life in the presence of a loving caring God to look forward to? I am told that the secret to having a better Thanksgiving and Christmas is the ancient practice of blessing God. There are so many blessings that we share this time of year. Tomorrow we are helping to serve a dinner for our community. Anyone who wants to show up can and they will be served with great food, great fellowship and smiling faces who will remind them that God loves them. As we become do more and more ministry in our community I am thankful for the opportunity that God gives us to be the face of God. We were after all created in God’s image, each and every one of us, so why shouldn’t we find ways to be thankful for the bounty that we have been given and share that bounty with the world. God created us in God’s image, an image of love and we should be thankful for that. Hand me downs!

We come to this place and this hour in Thanksgiving. I remember many years back being thankful just to be in a place where there was no war, no pain and suffering even if it was for a small piece of time. Now for those of us that serve we are thankful for those times when we have peace, when most if not all of the congregation is stable and at least for a while, health issues are not center stage. But even in the worst of times, God is with us and for that I am ever thankful. In the past I have felt the call of God to change direction and visit a member of my church who was suffering greatly and on death’s door. Bonnie and I had been out all day and I really wanted to go home and relax a bit, but God nudged me that day as God often does so I immediately turned the car towards Cliff’s house. As it turned out, we arrived at the moment when he was passing. We spent that time with the family and it was a day of grace and mercy that I have felt since then each time I think of it. God is faithful to us! God is constantly working in our lives to bring us to be the creation that God intended in the Garden. A creation at harmony with one another and at harmony with the world around us. Can you imagine what this world would be like if we could find ways to focus on the things we are thankful for, rather than the things we are anxious about? We are truly a hand me down world, aren’t we?

I think that all these hand me downs that we receive are actually blessings to be thankful for. For each book I read, for each story I hear, for each life I share there is a blessing that comes from being a part of something greater, something longer than my own life and something special that is given often without regard to the cost of giving. If the world continues today because of what occurred yesterday, then that hand me down should be appreciated for its value in our lives. Everything we receive is the result of something else that has already occurred and changed the world around us, maybe just a little. God sent us Jesus so that we could truly see and appreciate what God intended in creation. That love is the answer to all of life’s questions. That love can overcome anything that we have to face. And through it all we are reminded that the things handed down in life can often be the best things life has to offer. Hand me downs! 

Jack’s mother called him and told him Mr. Belser had died. Jack thought back to his time with Mr. Belser when he was growing up. Jack’s dad had died and Mr. Belser had taken him under his wing. It was Mr. Belser who taught him carpentry that led to him having a company that built houses, buildings and structures. Jack took time and came home for the funeral. Jack was talking to his mother about his memories and he wondered about the little gold box that Mr. Belser had always kept on the top of his desk. He remembered asking what was in the box and Mr. Belser had told him the most valuable thing he owned was in that box. Jack forgot about the box following his return home from the funeral. Several weeks later a package arrived that Jack signed for. In it was the small gold box. With trembling hands, he opened the letter that accompanied the box and it said upon my death deliver this box to Jack, the most valuable thing I have. As he opened the box he found a beautiful gold pocket watch and when he opened the watch engraved inside it said, Thanks for your time. You see the most valuable thing Mr. Belser had was the time he spent with Jack. Jack told his secretary to clear his calendar that he was going to spend some time with his son. As he walked out the door he told her, thanks for your time. Maybe the most valuable thing we have truly is time and how we spend it becomes the thing we are most thankful for.