One Small Step

Good mornings. As in years past, I want to express my family’s deep gratitude to anyone who decided to participate in the 9th Annual Hope Film Series, which represents the sole fundraising effort for the Marcus Ewing Memorial Fund as it supports Shiloh’s HI-DEF mentoring program.

HI-DEF aims to enrich the lives of teenage children with unremitting love and uninterrupted encouragement supplied to them by selfless mentors. The Hope Film Series aims to ensure that such enrichment endure for future generations. As we end our time together this evening I feel it is important to link our film and our cause with the man whose name inspires us to gather here each year.

Unfortunately tonight we did not get to see Apollo 13 land on the moon. However, this past July marked 50 years since a 38 year-old Ohio native by the name of Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon as a member of the Apollo 11 mission. I realize that today the idea of Amazon Prime 1 day shipping to the moon seems completely plausible. At that time, however, one cannot overstate how insurmountable the goal of a moon landing first appeared. Only 40 years before Charles Lindbergh had become the first to complete a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.  Yet on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy stood before a joint-session on Congress and said, “...I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”

Much like our film tonight, I can picture a 9th grade Marcus Ewing at times feeling like his chances of going to college were  as implausible as a successful moon landing. Whether it was the lack of decent ACT scores or the complete absence of support of “professional educators” in high school, I’m certain Marcus had moments where he said to himself, “I just lost the moon.”

Thankfully, however, Marcus had the support of two loving parents and a superhuman wife who believed in his ability to soar higher and farther than the expectations placed on those with learning disabilities and speech impediments.  It was with this support that Marcus would one day achieve his moon landing when he received a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Cincinnati. 

With two degrees in hand, Marcus felt his next mission needed to center on helping the children of New York City to launch their own dreams. Where poverty kept children from dreaming, Marcus perceived a responsibility to help such children soar beyond the suffocating smog of scarcity. When neglect prohibited a child from believing, Marcus felt an obligation to support such children rise up over the dark fog of depression. Where anger prevented  a child from achieving, Marcus sensed a duty to aid such children ascend above the billowing flames of rage.   

Marcus achieved much in his brief time with the children of HI-DEF. First, the boys and girls of HI-DEF became confident they could travel to the moon and beyond knowing that Marcus Ewing would be there to encourage them when they crashed terribly. Second, the boys and girls of HI-DEF grew in assurance they could reach distant stars and discover new worlds trusting that Marcus Ewing would there to celebrate with them when they landed successfully.

Now when it comes to surveying the state of education in America today; I believe I speak for Marcus when I say that the time has come for ambition as bold and audacious as the ambition that put a man on the moon. But what achievement in education today could be as improbable and impactful as the moon landing? 

As it stands today, the national high school graduation rate hovers around 85 percent. But what if this generation committed itself to achieving the goal in the decade ahead that every child in America successfully graduated high school? Regardless of their circumstances or their finances, imagine every boy and girl in America endowed with a palpable sense of joy and confidence that comes when one earns their high school diploma. Would that not be as improbable as presuming we can breach the Earth’s atmosphere? Would that not be as impactful as watching man walk on the moon? 

Of course, our first major hurdle would be to address those who struggle to find value in goals that do not lead to amassing wealth or fame. Some may ask of all the objectives we could accomplish, why graduation from high school? Why choose this as our goal? President Kennedy himself found that not everyone in the country was supportive of committing time and resources to the moon landing. Some worried that supporting the space program might bankrupt the country. Others expressed their concerns nothing of value would be found on the moon once they arrived there.   

In September 1962, President Kennedy used his speech at Rice University to address those who might question the importance of reaching the moon. He said, “...But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win…”

So why not first tackle climate change or denuclearization? Why choose graduation from high school as our goal? Well in spirit of President Kennedy let us declare aloud that we intend to see every child graduate high school in the decade ahead not because it will be easy, but because it will be hard.

Because that goal of every child having the chance at a better life will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because the challenge of every child being given the opportunity to reach their dreams is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.

For this represents the mission that unites all of those who feel Marcus’ absence the most. No matter the amount, our donations to the Marcus Ewing Memorial Fund help HI-DEF in its effort to provide young boys and girls with the thrust they will need to liftoff  from their fears and doubts.  We aid HI-DEF in its hope to supply young boys and girls with the propulsion they will require to breach harsh atmospheres of prejudice and injustice. We support HI-DEF in its desire to help young boys and girls navigate around black holes of rage and bitterness.

And while Marcus very much desired to see the boys and girls of HI-DEF successfully land on the graduation stage, he fostered an even greater hope for the young boys and girls of HI-DEF learn about how life’s most critical mission, which Jesus Christ had already completed for them. For when it came to the long voyage of seeking out Christ’s galactic mercy, Marcus encouraged the boys and girls of HI-DEF to start by breaking one bad habit. When it came to the distant quest of searching for Christ’s universal peace,  Marcus advised the boys and girls and HI-DEF to proceed by taking one deep breath. And when it came to the prolonged journey of pursuing Christ’s cosmic love, Marcus persuaded the boys and girls of HI-DEF to begin by taking one small step. 

CJE

What We Can't Fix

11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

TITUS 2:11-14

Good morning. I want to start today’s thought with the premise that in life....everything breaks. Now some things break due to flaws inherent in their design. Whether referring to our cars, kitchen appliances, or computers; manufacturers understand that the goods they produce will not last forever and someday their goods will need replacing. Manufacturers continually walk a fine line between the desire to design reliable goods and the reality that the constant need to replace goods that keeps them in business. 

Now when something finally does break we ask ourselves, “how am I going to fix this?” If it is a faulty transmission, then we look to a mechanic to fix the problem. If it is a malfunctioning dishwasher, then we rely on a repairman to find a solution. If it is a crashing computer, then we depend upon tech support to resolve the issue.

But this morning I want us to consider, what will our response be when broken things cannot be fixed? What are we to do when it becomes painfully clear to us that what has been lost cannot be replaced?

I hesitate to use foreshadowing terms like “when” in discussing moments of profound breaking. You see it is not a matter of “when” the breaks come, the breaks and cracks are already here. Yes, you and I must realize that we are already profoundly broken.

Unlike the inherent flaws of cars, appliances, and computers; our brokenness stems from defects completely alien to our design. From the very beginning, you and I were never designed to break down or fall apart. Instead, God created you and I with an inherent capacity for eternity so that we could enjoy the one manufactured product that never needed replacing...God’s love.

This point cannot be stressed enough. For we live in a world all too eager to blame God for its miserable state. However, we must always remember that God is not the source of the breaks and aches in our lives. Disease, Divorce, Death cannot be found in God’s design for Creation. 

Consequently, the reason for our brokenness comes from something completely foreign to the nature of God. In time this foreign element finds its way into our hearts to become the destructive force we know as Sin.

Sin holds many connotations, but ultimately it references our refusals and failures to fulfill God’s intention for us. While some can seemingly treat it as an inconsequential flaw or shortcoming, sin travels to the core of our being where it can infect and control our feelings and our actions. Sin ruins destroys families, splits churches, undermines communities, and even threatens the planet on which we reside.

How does sin go about achieving brokenness in us and in the world around us? First, SINS LEADS TO ALIENATION. Despite God’s design for us to be his children, sin now designates us as enemies of God. Rather than seeking out God’s divine presence, sin now convinces us to flee out of fear that God will direct his hostility against us. In actuality, you and I serve as the ones exercising hostility towards God by our selfish rebellion. 

Second, SIN ENTAILS CONDEMNATION. As the righteous Judge, the sin in our lives leaves God no other choice except to view us as guilty. While the merciful Judge has ordered a temporary stay of execution, there will come a time when all those who remain guilty will be banished from God’s presence forever.

Third, SIN BRINGS ENSLAVEMENT. Sin is like an enslaving army that take us captive.At its worst, sin has the ability to control our thoughts and bodies, and compel us to continue self-destructive lifestyles. Because of sin, we now predisposed toward evil.

Fourth, SIN LEAVES US DEPRAVED. Our innate resources are simply not enough to pull us out of the mire. Even our ability to reason can lead us astray because it too had fallen under sin’s power. There remains no part of our existence untouched by the power of sin.Therefore, the remedy to our dire predicament must come from outside us.

Thankfully Titus 2 declares that the grace of God has appeared to meet us in our spiritual poverty. Through Christ’s death, God radically intervened in our situation to rescue us from sin. Jesus represents the divine answer to our human need. As God’s provision, Christ’s death overcomes our sin in many aspects.

Each provision Christ made on our behalf deserves a series of sermons to adequately describe the drastic actions Christ undertook to meet our most desperate needs. For example, the sermon on reconciliation might start by acknowledging how sin alienated us from God, and in the process made us hostile towards the only One who can help us, hostile towards the only One who has never stopped loving us. 

And yet the sermon on reconciliation would go to describe how the grace of God has appeared to become our reconciliation so that we can now enjoy a new relationship with God.  God replaces enmity toward God with peace. Having made it possible to have a new relationship with God, the sermon on reconciliation would also explain how Jesus’ reconciling efforts made it feasible for us to have new relationships with each other.

If reconciliation wasn’t enough already, the sermon on expiation would leave all of us breathless. It could begin by conceding how sin leaves us to stand guilty before God. The sermon would then need to help its audience by defining expiation as the act of making atonement.   

From there, the sermon on expiation might reference the Day of Atonement in ancient Israel as a time when the high priest entered the inner sanctum of the tabernacle to offer the appropriate sacrifice. There the sins of Israel were covered as the blood of animal dripped down to the floor below.

The sermon on expiation could expound how the grace of God appeared to act our High Priest who presented the atoning sacrifice for our sins. On the cross, however, there was no bull or goat to present. Instead, the High Priest himself was THE sacrifice.There our sins were covered as the blood of Christ dripped down to the earth.

Still there remains the sermon on substitution that should make all of us speechless.  It would commence by confessing how sin makes us destitute and hopelessly unable to remedy our desperate predicament. The sermon on substitution would then describe how the grace of God appeared to accomplish for us what we were helpless to do for ourselves when Christ dies FOR US.

Today, however, is not the day to discuss reconciliation, expiation, or substitution. Those sermons will have to wait for another day, or perhaps wait for someone else to preach them. Instead, this morning’s message invites us to consider another powerful provision supplied to us by the blood, sweat, and tears of Christ.

It is the provision that sustains my heart on its annual journey through the valley of October. It is the provision that gives strength to families still being broken apart by divorce and savage immigration policies. It is the provision that can rebuild communities decimated by mass shootings and mass hatred.

Without this provision, my burdensome grief would forever rule over my life. Absent this provision, your corrosive anger would always hold sway over your words and your actions. Apart from this provision, our ravenous selfishness would never loosen its grip on our hearts or our wallets. 

For if there exists any hope of breaking free from sin’s suffocating grip on our lives and on our world, then I am convinced that such hope rests solely in the mighty provision of Christ’s redemption. Moreover, if the broken parts of our lives prove beyond our ability to fix, then Scripture speaks of a God willing and able to redeem them all.

At this point I can hear some say, “well Chris that’s all well and good, but how does God do it?” “If God’s redemption is as real as you say it is, then why does the world seem to be getting more dangerous?” Well I can’t promise today’s thought will provide a suitable answer to such valid questions. 

However, I do believe a greater understanding of redemption can do much to correct the way we perceive ourselves. It also can enrich our relationship with God and with each other. Ultimately, a fuller comprehension of redemption enhances our awareness of the brokenness around us that God calls us to address. 

Now any desire to examine redemption and all its dimensions is like a scientist wanting to map out the genetic code in a strand of DNA. In other words, it is going to take awhile. Consequently, I have chosen to discuss redemption as it RELATES to God’s character. More importantly, I intend to demonstrate the ways in which redemption REFLECTS God’s character. 

Scripture makes plain the fact that all God does or gives is always in alignment with God’s character. God shows mercy because God is merciful, God gives love because God is love, and so on. And I believe the same holds true redemption and how it mirrors characteristics at the core of God’s nature. 

According to Titus 2, we know of at least two of God’s traits made evident in the act of redemption. First, Titus 2 portrays God as LIBERATOR. Second, Titus 2 depicts God as CREATOR. 

Now again if God’s actions coincides with God’s character, then we can rightly assume that redemption itself is LIBERATING. We can confidently surmise that redemption itself is CREATIVE.

When asked to clarify redemption, we naturally aim to incorporate themes of liberation and salvation into our explanation. We also see this tendency reflected both in Titus 2: and in Webster’s dictionary. Both of which support the notion that AS LIBERATOR. GOD REDEEMS US FROM SOMETHING

To the folks at Webster's, to redeem means to free from what distresses or harms; to free from captivity by payment of ransom; to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental; to release from blame or debt. Webster’s gets blatantly theological in part D of definition #2 when it refers to redeem as to free from the consequences of sin

With our redemption secured, the sin and heartache in our lives lose their power in three significant ways. First, SIN and HEARTACHE NO LONGER DEFINE US. Before redemption, our brokenness persuaded us to accept our miserable state saying,“this is who you are and this is how it always will be,” sin would say. 

But through redemption, Christ set us free the authority sin and heartache so that now Christ defines our present by exiling our brokenness to our past and leaving it there. 2 Cor 5:17 speaks to this aspect of redemption when it says,”17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!”

Though sin and heartache represent a part of our story, Christ’s redemption ensures that they never tell the whole story. Certainly the broken parts of our stories describe where we have been, but they in no way define who we are. Yes the brokenness that comes with losing a brother has not lost its ability to describe the worst moment of my life, but through Christ’s redemption such brokenness no longer defines my life. 

And the same holds true for your brokenness. Certainly addiction retains its capacity to describe the darkest moments of life, but Christ’s redemption liberates our lives from being ranked by addiction. 

Surely disease enjoys its role in depicting the powerless moments of life, but Christ’s redemption frees our lives from being classified by our disease. Undoubtedly divorce fulfills its function in telling the emptiest moments of life, but Christ’s redemption recuses our lives from being categorized by divorce. 

Second, OUR SIN AND HEARTACHE CANNOT CONFINE US. Before redemption, our brokenness coaxed us into submitting to boundaries established by the principalities and powers of this world. They would issue blanket statements like, “You don’t belong here...You are not invited…You are not welcomed here.” 

However, Romans 8 make clear, “...21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the REDEMPTION of our bodies.”

Through the act of redemption, Christ liberates us from the decrees of fraternities and Pharisees so that now not only does Christ welcome us...not only does Christ invite us...Christ adopts us!!! 

While sin and heartache can take us to places void of hope and compassion, Christ’s redemption pledges to not leave us in those places. Personally I can think of no more hopeless beginning to life than one who comes into this world as an orphan. And yet this was the reality that confronted both my nephew and my niece.   

What are kids like George and Lesego suppose to do when you have no one to call Mom? Where are kids like George and Lesego suppose to go when you have no place to call home? But whatever boundaries that sought to confine George’s and Lesego’s future, Christ’s redemption demolished them all by providing them a Mom and a home. 

And what is true for George and Lesego is true for us. For whether we feel imprisoned by depression, jailed by anxiety, or incarcerated by shame; Christ’s redemption has secured our release from all of the above. 

Third, OUR SIN AND HEARTACHE CANNOT UNDERMINE US. Now I confess that this aspect of redemption does not always seem so obvious. For mass shootings show no signs of dissipating, nor does the quality of life for immigrants and refugees appear to be getting any better. 

If anyone had reason to doubt the validity of redemption, then it was most certainly Paul. Who could fault Paul for questioning the merit of redemption after you’ve been beaten and arrested for the hundredth time? Who could blame Paul for doubting the reality of redemption when you spend most of your time in prison writing letters to churches fighting amongst each other?

I think we would all understand if Paul chose to conclude Romans 8 saying,  “Give up, just quit, because in this life, you can't win. Yeah, you can try, but in the end you're just gonna lose, big time. Don't waste your time trying to make anything cool, or pure, or awesome, 'cause the world is just gonna call you a washed up loser and crush your soul. So do yourselves a favor and just GIVE UP!”

Instead, Paul chose conclude Romans 8 saying, “ 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In our questions and our doubts, Romans 8 asks to always remember two things. First, there is no part of Creation that goes untouched by Christ’s redemption. Second, there is no power or person that can prevent Christ’s redemption from achieving its goal. 

If it wasn’t so, then both the Bible should have ended with Genesis 3. And yet God’s redemptive story goes on despite floods and famines in Genesis, and despite slavery and idolatry in Exodus. Not even wilderness in Deuteronomy, or murder and adultery in 2 Samuel could derail God’s redemptive trajectory.  Beyond exile in Daniel, and amidst denial and betrayal in Matthew, God’s redemption presses forward. And as God’s redemption presses forward, so do we. 

Now before coming into contact with Titus 2, I had not considered the possibility that there was more to redemption than just liberation. Again we see this likelihood depicted both in Titus 2 and in Webster’s dictionary. 

First, lets read Titus 2:14 again, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify FOR himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Now take a look at the third definition, redeem: 3: to change FOR the better.

You see Christ’s redemption doesn’t stop at redeeming us FROM something. As Creator, CHRIST ALSO REDEEMS FOR SOMETHING. Now what precisely has Christ redeemed us for? Of the many reasons, this morning I want to stress three acts for which Christ redeemed us.

First, Christ redeemed us to show Mercy. I’m always surprised when I encounter people who regard mercy as harmful or irresponsible. Now even if I agreed that being disinterested was safer and being harsh was more prudent, I would still ask the question, what about being  callousness and cruelty is redemptive? What about being indifferent and hostile makes me better? 

In Luke 6:36, Christ implores his disciples saying, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”  So when deciding how best to display mercy, Only mercy exercised regularly has the ability to make us better. 

Second, Christ redeemed us to make Peace. I’m even more surprised when I listen to people who describe peace as idealistic or dangerous. Now even if I agreed with the pragmatic ideal that certain situations exist where violence is justified, I would still ask the question, what about violence is redemptive? What about violence makes me better? 

In Romans 12, Paul pleads with his readers saying, “17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e]21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Only peace practiced constantly has the capacity to make us better.

Third, Christ redeemed us to dispense Love.I’m left speechless when I hear other people who refer to love as weak or immaterial. Now even if I agreed with the Gordon Gekko notion that greed is good, I would still ask the question, what about greed is redemptive? What about greed makes me better?  

In 1 John 3, John makes it plain saying, “16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”  Only love demonstrated consistently has the capability of making us better. 

Finally, I’d like to make one last observation about Christ’s redemption as Titus 2 presents it. If you’ll notice that no where in Titus 2 does God pledge to fix our brokenness. In fact I am not aware of any place in Scripture where God promises to fix our brokenness.

At first glance this realization can be troubling for someone with profound brokenness in their past. I don’t know about you, but all I wanted at that moment was for God to fix what been broken by a stupid car door. Redemption and how it worked was the farthest thing from my mind. I just wanted God to fix it. Well it’s nine years later and it isn’t fixed, but the redemption for George, Lesego , and myself continues.

After much contemplation I’m left to conclude that merely fixing our brokenness is not enough for God. It is as if God says to us, “ if you want something fixed, then call a plumber or an electrician. However, if you find yourself in need of redemption, then allow me!”

I suppose that the real question isn’t it, do I want to be fixed or do I want to be redeemed? Do we want our broken marriages to be fixed or do we want our broken marriages to be redeemed? Do we want our broken cities to be fixed or do we want our broken cities to be redeemed? Do we want our broken governments to be fixed or do we want our broken governments to be redeemed?

If redemption be our choice, then I pray we won't grow discouraged in our pursuit of it. Instead let us be encouraged by the fact that the grace of God has appeared to liberate us from being labeled, orphaned, and defeated. Let us rejoice in the truth that the grace of God has appeared so we might show mercy abundantly, make peace endlessly, and dispense love lavishly. And of course, let us be forever grateful that the grace of God has appeared to redeem what we can’t fix.

CJE

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More Sunsets

“1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.”

— Psalm 13

Good morning. Sunsets. For me, there is no better way to end one’s day than to watch the sun descend behind a tall ridge or sink into a deep ocean. I sit in awe as I watch the colors become more brilliant the further the sun descends beyond my sight. Sunsets indicate to me that the act of Creation did not stop with the seven days in Genesis, but rather the work of Creation goes on until God perfects and redeems it completely

Over the years I have discerned three important facts about sunsets:

1) No two sunsets are the same

2) No sunset is ever ugly

3) Each of us have a fixed number of sunsets to watch

This morning I awake with this 3rd fact about sunsets challenging my faith, testing my patience, and trying my hope. If hearing of 20 people killed in far away El Paso, Texas was not disheartening enough, then came news of 9 people shot dead in nearby Dayton, Ohio. In all, 29 people who have no more opportunities to watch the sunset.

I’m not sure when mass shootings and senseless death first entered your consciousness, but for me it was my senior year of high school. On April 20, 1999, two heavily armed teenage students entered Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Before they turned their guns on themselves, 13 people had been shot dead and another 20 wounded.

That was 20 years ago this year and this morning I found myself filled with frustrations as old as Psalm 13 and wanting to ask, how long, Lord? More and more I want to know, How long, Lord, will precious life be violently disregarded? How long, Lord, will public spaces be as unsafe as battlefields?

And what of the profound desperation for the families and friends thrown into depths of profound loss? Well I believe Psalm 12 also speaks for them when it asks, How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?”

I’m not sure about you, but I know how I want such questions answered…TODAY. Starting today all life will be regarded as sacred. Beginning today kids can go to school or to the movies without the fear of dying. Starting today my thoughts will be at peace and today my heart free of sorrow. Beginning today my enemies will know only defeat and mockery.

Now what are we to do if the answer isn’t today, tomorrow, or even 20 years from now? Like the psalmist, we will have to search for what remains in the midst of defeat and loss. What’s left standing for Psalm 13?God’s unfailing love and salvation. And it is upon these two enduring remnants that sinking hearts can eventually stand and shattered lives can someday rebuild.

But at this moment families and friends in Texas and Ohio are not concerned with standing or rebuilding. At this moment the sun has set on the dreams of families excepting to attend graduations and weddings in the near future. At this moment the sun has set on the hopes of friends wanting to throw surprise birthday parities and raise their families together.

So Chris, what’s the answer? I’m not entirely sure. What I do know is this: as the number of violent deaths increase so increases the responsibility placed upon the living to put a stop to it. So this week I encourage us to think of what we can offer or sacrifice that reflects our commitment to this solemn responsibility over any of obligation to further delay or excuse. Because in the end our earnest desire is not for more delays or more excuses, but for more sunsets.

CJE

The End of Hunger and Fear

“4 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.2 Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

3 He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.4 Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken.”

— Micah 4:1-4

Good morning. Cause of death. Whether it’s tomorrow or 60 years from now, all of us will have a cause of death assigned to us. Some days I think it might be the play of the Cincinnati Reds that will cause my heart to stop. Other days it seems that chaperoning and counseling teenage boys will be my undoing.

While the list of decisions and decisions that bring about death will always remain extensive, some advances in research and technology have been able to remove some. More and more chronic conditions can be managed amazingly well with a combination of medications, diet, and exercise.

Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and asthma were once leading causes of death. Today, however, many men and women are living full lives despite their diagnosis. We have even reached a point in health and science that one can manage their HIV and prevent it from becoming the death sentence it had been just 30 years ago.

But how is it in an age of unrivaled progress and unparalleled wealth that HUNGER remains a cause of death in 2019? How is it that we can transplant bone marrow in the fight against cancer, and somehow not transplant the harvest of one field to the field of another?

Certainly we can spend hours and days debating the factors and forces committed to seeing hunger endure. And yet the end result of hunger becomes something everyone can see quite quickly. Regardless of the causes of hunger, the result remains the same and that result is INJUSTICE.

Sure floods and droughts can destroy homes and ruin crops, but floods and droughts do no absolve men and women of God from acting justly. Yes dictators and civil wars can divert aid and disrupt relief, but dictators and civil wars do not discharge men and women of God from loving mercy.

MLK, Jr. once said, “…injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” This is especially true when it comes to the injustice of hunger when we acknowledge that the effects of hunger do not confine themselves to one village or one country. Rather, the effects of hunger go out into all the Earth. Anytime a child or parent dies of hunger, all of us are diminished whether we realize it or not. Anytime a child or parent is denied the opportunity of education, all of us are degraded.

So what can we do in the face of hunger, in the face of injustice? Earlier I alluded to the prophet, Micah, and his charge to the people of Israel saying, “ …He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly[a] with your God.” Now just two chapters prior, Micah shares a vision of not only what CAN be done about hunger and injustice, but also what WILL be done about hunger and injustice.

According to Micah, justice begins with learning the ways of the Lord. For it is the ways of the Lord that teaches men and women of God how to fashion the tools they will need to carry out justice. And what are the tools of justice? Plowshares and pruning hooks. One acts as a tool used by farmers to turnover soil in preparation for planting, the other wielded by gardeners to preserve the structural integrity of fruit bearing plants and trees.

You see God aims not only to achieve peace between the nations, but God also intends to grow something. I suspect most pacifists like myself often fail to consider that peace alone will not put an end to violence. If you and I share a commitment to nonviolence, then we would do well to remember that putting an end to violence is only a part of the process in creating and sustaining a loving and just reality.

Micah 4 remind all pacifists that genuine peace and justice exists not only in the absence of violence, but also exists in presence of provision. Have you ever considered why the people of Micah 4 were no longer afraid? It was because they were no longer hungry. Rather than experience the terror of starvation, the people of Micah 4 were filled with the figs from the trees under which they stood. Instead of feeling the dread of famine, the people of Micah 4 were satisfied by the fruit plucked from the vines strewn above them.

So this coming week may we ask ourselves what we can plant and grow in our earnest pursuit of peace and justice. If we listen to Micah 4, then perhaps it starts with slicing into the soil instead of each other. Maybe it begins with cutting off the rotten parts of our hearts rather than cutting ourselves off from one another. Regardless of how it begins, we know from Micah 4 that the day we put an end to hunger is the day we put an end to fear.

CJE

Never Far Off

ACTS 17:24-27

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

Good morning. Transcendence and immanence. On the surface the two appear incapable of sharing the same space. And yet Creation with its tall mountains and deep oceans make clear that transcendence and immanence have traveled together since the beginning. Together they describe the God of Creation and define God’s relationship with us.

But how is God transcendent? First, God is self-sufficient. God does not “need” the world to be God. Second, God is not bound to the confines of Creation. Rather, God is above and beyond Creation existing in every corner of the universe. Third, God is not forced into relationship with us or Creation. Instead, God freely chooses to have a relationship with both.

Believers dare not suggest , nor does the evidence support a God so far beyond the world that God stands incapable of a relationship with Creation. God is not a remote deity unable to see, hear, or know what happens in the universe.

What does it mean to confess one’s belief in God’s immanence? First, one expresses assurance that God is fully present to creation. Second, one professes hope that God is active in Creation. the universe being involved and working in human history. On the other hand, we should not collapse God so thoroughly into the world that prevents our God from standing over the creation God made.

How does a transcendent and immanent God choose to interact with a fixed and finite Creation? First, God dwells in Creation as Spirit. As Spirit, God serves as the source for life for all of Creation. For there exists no particle or creature in Creation capable of sustaining itself apart from God’s spirit. As Spirit, God does not stand still or keep quiet. Rather, God’s vigorous and bold actions come to fruition by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Second, God resides in Creation as Person. Now to be born a person is to be born with mystery, self-governance, and freedom. Even among those closet to us, no one exists completely transparent to another. Ultimately, there remains a part of us that a mystery. As a person, each of us exist as self-determining agents. We possess the ability of choice. As a person, we have the freedom to act. Our actions extend beyond the control of others.

While God’s full person was revealed in Jesus, the innate qualities of person-hood still apply. Though Jesus reveals much to us, our efforts to completely comprehend the Lord of Creation will always leave with us a mystery we cannot solve. While Jesus certainly wants us to support His plan to redeem Creation, Jesus will accomplish His self-determined goal for creation whether we choose to help or not. Despite our attempts to exert our power or influence, Jesus’ autonomy clearly persists well beyond our ability to control.

Finally, God endures in Creation as Eternal. Of course, our perception of preset events comes immediately. Our awareness of the past always depends upon the state of our memory, while our view of the future rests solely on the condition of our hope.

As Eternal, however, all three segments of time exist in God’s present. Since all things are present to God, God also retains perfect and full knowledge of the world. With no lapses or gaps in God’s knowledge, God holds the power to finish His divine plan to redeem Creation.

Now if we acknowledge that God is present in all times and places, then shouldn’t it be possible for us to trust God with every second of our lives? If we admit that God is all knowing, then wouldn’t it be plausible that God knows what is best for us? If we confess that God is all powerful, then couldn’t it be conceivable that God will do what is best for us?

So this week may each of us seek out the God of the universe who transcends comprehension. May we reach out for the Lord of Creation who descends into our suffering and grief. Because no matter where we may be in our faith or in our struggle, we can trust that our God is never far off.

CJE

You Are The Proof

Good morning. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The question is this, is the Christian confession still valid today? If you’re like me, then our answer is a enthusiastic YES. But what about those who reject the validity of the Christian confession?

What can one say to those who do not acknowledge any God, let alone one taking human form in Jesus Christ? By and large, atheists see the universe not as a purposeful creation of God, but as an accidental mass of blind and random forces. Many Christians try their hand at employing intellectual arguments to prove God’s existence, which to them inevitably validates the Christian confession.

First, there is the Empirical argument. This essence of this defense proclaims that the concept of God itself proves that God cannot NOT exist. In other words, the fact that an atheist can conceive of a God to deny proves the existence of the very entity they claim isn’t real.

Second, is the popular Cosmic argument. This proof asserts that every dependent reality must a have a independent cause that explains its existence. Like a watch needs a watchmaker to be brought into existence, so too humankind needs an independent cause to explain its existence and that cause of course is God.

Third, the persuasive Moral Law argument. This justification states that the only reason mankind can distinguish between good and evil is because of the existence of God who established moral law at the beginning of creation. Consequently, the absence of God in the world would necessarily mean the absence of morality in the world. And it is God’s morality that the world depends upon to deplore acts of theft, rape, and murder .

While all three make great cases, the Christian cannot rely on intellectual arguments alone to prove God’s existence. Instead, the Christian’s evidence for the existence of God must also include a living demonstration. In other words, YOU ARE THE PROOF that God exists.

Moreover, we provide incontrovertible proof that God’s forgiveness is real every time you or I forgive the harmful acts of friends and enemies alike. We supply irrefutable evidence that God’s mercy is real every time you or I display mercy on those worthy of both our scorn and our vengeance. We offer indisputable confirmation that God’s love is real every time you or I show love those who have known nothing but rejection and isolation.

So this week I pray each of us will strive to become such a witness to a world as desperate for evidence as it is for healing. Sure there will moments when we doubt if forgiveness is worth the effort. Certainly there will be instances when we question if mercy merits our consideration. Of course there will be times when we wonder if love deserving of my time. But these lingering doubts eventually encounter the enduring truth that when it comes to validating God’s existence, you are the proof.

CJE

The Love Is The Same

Good morning. Knowledge and Understanding. Two very similar terms yet wholly separate when lived out in the human experience. Sure, I can know that the Civil War began on April 12, 1861 when Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter. However, does simply knowing when this event occurred provide any understanding as to causes and consequences of the Civil War? Not really.

Similarly, does knowing that a man named Jesus was crucified on a cross by the Roman government thousands of years ago help to comprehend the reasons and effects of Jesus’ sacrifice to secure salvation? Again, not really. This year one of my goals with the youth group I help mentor consists of helping them to appreciate the need for both knowledge AND understanding.

Last week we sat down to discuss a critical aspect of Christian doctrine, the Trinity. A heavy topic for teens I admit, but one I think we can all benefit from. At first, the teens were a little puzzled to learn that the concept of the Trinity is actually not specifically acknowledged in the Bible. In all of the Bible, one will find no scripture that says, “The one God in three persons.” Instead, this concept evolved through a lengthy journey of theological pondering by Christians seeking to understand God better.

A concise explanation of the Trinity perceives the Father acting, through the Son, by the power of the Spirit. Together they makeup the one divine body sharing one divine nature. They are brought together in an eternal relationship. But what is this the substance of this relationship that unifies the Trinity? According to 1 John 4:8, it is Love that holds the Trinity together for GOD IS LOVE.

As most know, the New Testament word for love is agape and it alludes to the sacrificing of oneself for the sake of another. It is this active, self-sacrificing love that creates and sustains the unity within the Trinity. Thus, the unity of the one God represents each of the divine three giving themselves to the other.

Even before the creation of the universe, the Father loves the Son, and the Son reciprocates that love back to the Father. This love that occupies the space between the two took divine form in the Holy Spirit, and it is the Spirit of the relationship existing between the Father and the Son. Before the world was made and the stars were set in the sky, this God in three persons has always existed in this community of love.

Now consider this. The Holy Spirit residing in us is the same Spirit of the relationship existing between the Father and the Son. So when the Spirit comes to abide in us, the Spirit gives to us the same love the Son enjoys with the Father. Take any parent you know and ask them, “which of your children do you love more?” Almost immediately you will discover that most parents prove incapable of loving one child more than the other. From the oldest to the youngest, the most gifted to the most disabled; a parent’s love for one child is the same love for the other child.

So if we come to know the Father and the Son graciously allow us to experience the same divine love in the form of the Holy Spirit, then what does such knowledge mean for our world and our churches? Could it perhaps mean that we will turn back the rising tide of violence and division in our world only when we make a conscious decision to show the same love to men and women, native and immigrant, rich and poor? Would it possibly imply that our churches will rinse away the stains of segregation and condemnation only when we show a concerted effort to show the same love to every race, gender, and creed?

It remains a sad fact in today’s broken world that unequal love based on conditions and stipulations serves as a highly profitable business. So this week may we all look to find new ways to demonstrate the same divine love that holds the Trinity together. Because one thing the mysterious Trinity makes crystal clear is that when it comes to the Father’s love for the Son and the sinner, the love is the same.

CJE