Lift Your Eyes

 

When you need help, who do you call? Ghostbusters? Some people think they don’t need help from anybody, but everyone eventually needs help from somebody. When I need help finding a contractor, I ask my friends to suggest someone. When I need help with my tractor, I call my cousin, Justin. When I need help making dinner, I look up a recipe. When I need help writing a sermon or a children’s message, I look at my Bible study guides.

I mention that because our Psalm (121) reads, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Did you know that Psalm 121 is the basis of poems, hymns, songs and even a movie? The Sound of Music features Psalm 121. I was 8 years old when the movie was first shown. We saw it at the ABC Drive-In Theater. If you have not seen the movie, you should ask your parents to show it to you.

In the movie, the Von Trapp family escapes the Nazis by going up into the hills of Austria and crossing the border into Switzerland. Before the family makes its way, the Mother Abbess encourages the family by saying, “Remember: ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help.’”

My point is that when you need help, you can ask your family and friends, but remember that your help comes from the Lord. God is never asleep, and as you go out and return home, He is always at your right hand to protect you and keep you from evil.

Remember the many ways God helps you, and when your family members and friends need help, you can help them best by turning to Psalm 121 and to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

With that, we pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their fathers and mothers the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Engage through Prayer: A Sermon on Luke 18

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is entitled Three Ps of Engaged Christians: Parable, Passage and Prayer, and my focus is our Gospel (Luke 18:1-8). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that we are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

I have spoken about the definition of a parable previously, but it bears repeating. Simply defined, a parable is a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson. It comes to us from the Latin, parabola, and the Greek, parabole, which meant ‘a throwing beside.’ Its origin is from the term para, meaning alongside, and bole, a throwing, casting, beam or ray.

The geometrically gifted understand that a parabolic curve refers to a comparison between fixed points and a straight line. The St. Louis Arch and your satellite dish are parabolic curves. Jesus, however, did not teach math or build arches. Rather, he compared real life situations to teach a lesson about God.

Parables were part of Jewish tradition. The Hebrew term for a parable was mashal. We find mashal in the allegories, proverbs, riddles and taunts of Judges, Samuel, Proverbs, Prophets and the intertestamental Book of Enoch. We are familiar with Nathan’s powerful story to David of the rich man who stole and slaughtered the poor man’s prized lamb. It transformed David to a humble, contrite sinner. So, we see that Jesus did not invent parables, but like his ancestors, used them to win people over to his views.

Jesus spoke parables to proclaim the gracious advent, disturbing presence and challenging implications of the Kingdom of God. At times, he opened with, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” or “To what shall I compare?” Often, he concluded with a question. “Which of these three … proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” Today’s parable asks, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

While Jesus’ questions did not pressure listeners to choose any one direction, they confronted them with the necessity to make a choice that determined their future. No doubt, his listeners who viewed matters one way now discovered a better way. Discovering a better way resulted in conversion, reconciliation and changed behavior. Once they experienced conversion and reconciliation, his followers transformed society and changed the world. As I conclude my first point on parables, I repeat that last sentence. Once they experienced conversion and reconciliation, his followers transformed society and changed the world.

From parable to passage, my second point. I repeated the last sentence because repetition is effective pedagogy. We learned our catechism by repeating answers to questions. As Luther employed repetition, so did Luke. He emphasized continued prayer in this passage, and humble prayer in the next. The conclusion of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector reads, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

We also find a parallel between today’s passage and chapter 11, where Jesus said, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.’” In both, the main character is the petitioned, not the petitioner. The petitioned represents God, who listens and answers, but the attention goes to the petitioner, who asks, seeks and knocks. In other words, do not be afraid to bother God. Do not give up on prayer.

Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray earnestly to the end. Luke recorded that when Jesus was in the Mount of Olives, he was in agony but prayed more earnestly. In Acts, when Peter was in prison, the church prayed earnestly to God for him. Like the widow seeking justice, the disciples’ goal, even amid difficulties, was never give up before the Son of Man returns.

Jesus then described the judge as unrighteous, unaccountable to God and inconsiderate towards people. The listeners understood that this man was not a religious figure, but a secular judge who ruled through the authority of the occupying power, a widespread practice in the Ancient Middle East. Think Pontius Pilate. In many cases, people sought justice in these courts because the judicial process was quicker and smoother. We find an indication of this practice in chapter 12. Jesus said, “As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

The oppressed widow symbolized the helpless and defenseless. She knew she had right on her side, appealed for vindication and expected swift justice. As a favor to her oppressor, a rich and influential man, the judge delayed her hearing.

The judge did not decide according to the exhortations to give widows their rights according to the Law and Prophets. There, we read, “You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.” In another, we read, “Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow’s cause does not come to them.” And “I will be a swift witness against … those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and fatherless, [and] those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord.”

Yet, the unrighteous, exasperated judge yielded to the widow’s relentless pursuit of justice. He could do nothing to appease her short of giving her a swift hearing based on Roman law. He did so because he was tired of having his reputation sullied and his name ridiculed among his peers because this poor, defenseless widow never gave up seeking justice.

If the unjust judge does right by the widow for whom he does not care – a case in which the chances for a positive outcome are very slim – how much more will God respond to the unceasing cry of his elect, since, in contrast to the judge, he listens favorably to them. The unjust judge did not care for the widow and hardly wanted to listen to her. Our righteous, loving God has a lively interest in his elect and is always prepared to listen to them.

God is always prepared to listen; however, as I mentioned earlier, Jesus often concluded parables with a question. Here, he asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Will he find disciples actively engaged in prayer?

Will he find disciples actively engaged in prayer? That, folks, leads me to my third point, prayer. Prayer is the necessary foundation of our work as church and individuals. It is communal and personal. We pray in our sanctuaries and rooms. To paraphrase one holy person, prayer is God looking at me, and me looking at God. It is from the heart, but it is also vocal. We speak the Lord’s Prayer as Jesus taught it to his disciples.

Prayer involves reading Scripture. Daily, my wife and I read aloud the Psalms. Prayer involves thought and imagination, gifts Jesus employed as he formed parables. Praying over Nathan’s story to David may reduce me to a humble, contrite sinner. Pondering Jesus’ closing question in the Parable of the Good Samaritan may leave me wondering if I show mercy to diverse neighbors. Meditating on the Parable of the Prodigal may challenge the depth of my love for father and brother, mother and sister. So, friends, you see why my last point is prayer. When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith in me? Will he find me praying earnestly to the end – like Peter in prison or Jesus in the Mount of Olives?

Jesus based this parable on trust and confidence in God’s help and assistance. He could be so straightforward in his assurance that God hears the cry of his people because he took seriously the action of God in his own life and ministry. He saw it in Israel’s history and the world around him.

We do not live in that history and world. We live in a country with a different history and a different world. Therefore, we pray over this parable to relate it to our daily lives. When I pray over the passage, many questions rise to the surface but let me focus only on a few.

First, who are today’s widows? Who are God’s elect who cry out to him day and night seeking justice? Whose voices are the exploited and oppressed?

Second, Jesus promises that God will give justice to his elect. If I – created in the image and likeness of God, baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit, a redeemed sinner and child of God – If I am to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, how do I extend mercy to those who seek justice? If the unjust judge who neither feared God nor respected man knew how to extend justice to the poor, exploited and oppressed widow, to whom do I extend justice?

I asked myself, “Who are the exploited?” Recalling my work at World Neighbors, an international organization that solved hunger, I saw the immensity of poverty in rural Asia, Africa and Latin America. As a fundraiser for a homeless service provider in Berkeley, California, I met many homeless vets and people with mental health disorders. As a program manager for Pittsburgh’s Jubilee Kitchen, I interviewed dozens of women exploited by pushers and pimps. I could list scores of exploited and oppressed people who cry out to God seeking justice, but only the unborn do not have a voice.

According to the World Health Organization, every year in the world there are an estimated 40-50 million abortions. This corresponds to approximately 125,000 abortions per day. In the US, there are over 3,000 abortions per day. Twenty-two percent of all pregnancies in the USA (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion.[1] Lutherans for Life, Priests for Life, Operation Rescue, Guttmacher Institute, the CDC and others publish pages of statistics and stories on their websites. Read them. Think about the 125 babies aborted during the length of our worship service, or the 31 during the length of this sermon. Ask yourself if these exploited and oppressed elect of God cried out when aborted because of the primary reason: they were inconvenient to the parents.

I concluded my first point by saying that once people heard Jesus’ parables, they experienced conversion and reconciliation, transformed society and changed the world. “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Will he find that Lutherans Engage the World is a reality or simply a magazine?

Friends, these exploited and oppressed people created in the image of God have no voice and yet cry out for justice. As men and women who experienced conversion and reconciliation, our prayers and actions can transform society and change the world. As we approach our local elections, seriously consider not only people, but also political parties and policies that ignore or respond to those who cry out to God. Let your vote express justice and mercy for those who cry out to God yet have no voice.

Beyond the ballot box, pray and protest the inhumane slaughter of the innocents, and tax-payer funding of agencies that abort unborn persons. Do this, and know that when the Son of Man returns, he will find you engaged in prayer and in the practice of your faith. When He returns, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] See https://www.worldometers.info/abortions/

THANKSGIVING

 

Do you know what holiday tomorrow (Monday) is? In the United States, the second Monday of October is Columbus Day. If you have never heard of Christopher Columbus, you should look up his biography. In our country, people remember Columbus for discovering America.

Tomorrow is also Thanksgiving … in Canada. There are similarities and differences between our celebration of Thanksgiving, and the one Canadians celebrate, eh? The reason I mention Thanksgiving in October is because our Gospel (Luke 17:11-19) is often read on our Thanksgiving Day.

It's easy to see why we read this Gospel on Thanksgiving. It’s because the Samaritan man who was healed from his skin disease or leprosy, realized who gave him this gift of healing. He knew that God acted through Jesus, and so he returned to give thanks to Jesus for healing him.

When he thanked Jesus, he got down on his knees and bowed his face to the ground. He realized that Jesus was his Lord, and he was in great awe of Jesus.

It’s good to have reminders to be thankful to God, whether it’s on our American Day of Thanksgiving or the Canadian one, or any day of the year. We recognize that doctors and nurses are the people who are involved in our healing, but God is the one who heals not only the body, but also the soul.

The man’s faith in Jesus not only healed him but also saved him. When Jesus said to him, “Your faith has made you well,” it also meant that his faith saved him. We are saved by faith in Christ, and after we receive His Body and Blood through Holy Communion, we sing a song of thanksgiving.

 With that, we pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their fathers and mothers the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Requests: Lepers in Luke and a Look at Life

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is entitled Requests, and my focus is our Gospel (Luke 17:11-19). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that we are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Meaning

We make many requests in life. In my relationship with Cindy, I first requested that she dance with me. I then requested that she meet me for dinner. After that, I requested that she marry me. She has also made requests to me which resulted in us building a new house and getting Maggie, our Golden Retriever.

The word request is simply defined as asking politely or formally for something: a dance, a date, a hand in marriage. We request lenders for a home mortgage or a car loan, our bosses for a raise or a day off. We request our young ones to turn down the volume on their video games, and as we age, we request that the TV volume be turned up. With the introduction of music on the radio, disc jockeys accepted requests for songs to be played. The root of request comes from the Latin word requisita, meaning a “a thing asked for.”

Lepers

The ten lepers request Jesus to have mercy on them. Before we get to that, let’s reverse to the setting of today’s passage. Luke wrote, “On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.” This verse puts today’s text within context. That Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem reminds us that he is moving toward his passion and that this context washes over the text. So, the opening verse reminds us not to forget the destination and the purpose of Jesus’ journey.

Outside of the Bible, geographical journeys make sense. The price of gas prompts us to make fewer trips using the shortest routes. River transportation was a good reason people settled on the banks of the Ohio, the Mississippi and the Danube. However, when we read about geography in the Bible, it does not always make geographical sense, but it does make theological sense. The border between Galilee and Samaria is a fitting location for a story that involves both Jews and Samaritans.

Luke does not report which village Jesus entered, but we know that he encountered lepers. This is not Jesus’ first encounter with a leper. We read in chapter five that a man full of leprosy fell before Jesus and begged him to make him clean, which Jesus did. Lepers kept their distance from non-lepers. These ten stood at a distance before requesting that Jesus, their Master, have mercy on them. Leviticus required not only that a leper keep his distance, but also how to dress and where to live. Lepers formed their own colonies and positioned themselves where they could appeal to others for support. The law required that after healing they show themselves to a priest. Only the priest could determine if they were clean or not.

The Text

So, this text has two parts. In the first part, the ten lepers request for mercy is received. Jesus replies with the law, and off they go. Among them was one Samaritan leper. Was he required to show himself to the priest? Did the Jewish priest have to confirm his cure and release from his status of being unclean? Luke is silent on the matter. The healing, however, occurred during their act of their obedience. Jesus commanded them to follow the law, and they obeyed and were healed. When they realized that they were healed, nine kept going, but the one turned around, praised God with a loud voice and fell on his face, thanking Jesus.

Luke plainly states that he was a Samaritan, a foreigner to the Jew. The first part of the story is about the healing. The second part is about salvation of a foreigner! The foreigner returns, praises God and thanks Jesus. He received the same blessing that the nine other Jewish lepers received. And Jesus’ response to this act of thanksgiving? The statement, “Your faith has made you well.”

Another way of translating this verse is, “Your faith has saved you.” We will find this in chapter 19 when Jesus speaks to Zacchaeus. The point is that all were healed, but only one was saved, and the point should not be lost on us is that in Luke, God treats the marginalized favorably.

This man was a social outcast, a leper, and a religious heretic, a Samaritan. Note that one’s religious affiliation did not matter in leper colonies. There are no distinctions when you are in the leper colony. Furthermore, there are no distinctions when you are in the presence of Jesus.

The social outcast who realized who healed him and returned to praise God received the full blessing of Jesus, and it is regrettable that the other nine did not receive His full blessing because they too were received and healed. Within the greater context of Luke, this story anticipates what is to come later in Acts: a growing blindness in Israel and receptivity among Gentiles.

You may ask why this is the case. The answer is that Israel’s special place in God’s plan for the world had turned in on itself. Duty became privilege. Favors settled into familiarity. Yet, this story does not give license to point fingers at others. It serves as a reminder to us as how much Luke enjoyed telling ‘Jesus stories’ based on the Old Testament. For example, this story is clearly based on Naaman the Syrian who was healed of leprosy by the Prophet Elisha. After he was healed, Naaman converted to Israel’s faith.

The story of Naaman, like the story of the Samaritan leper, reminds us that faith entails openness to God’s grace. All 10 lepers believed Jesus could heal them. Their mistake was in taking that healing for granted. Only one realized that his healing was an unmerited grace, and he returned to give thanks to Jesus who with His Father and the Holy Spirit made healing and salvation possible.

Power and Faith

This passage reminds us not only of the power of God, but also that God does not make deals or offer transactions. Faith is not a thing God demands from us; it is a spiritual stance, an open heart that gives God room to maneuver. If discipleship without faith is servitude, then faith without thanksgiving is commerce.

It is easy to fall into this trap. It might become easy to feel that we have built up some kind of credit with God, that our acts of discipleship are like cash deposits in a bank. It is easy to forget to give thanks when a subtle whisper in our psyche suggests that God owes us.

True discipleship, as demonstrated by the Samaritan leper, is an expression of thanksgiving. The utter freedom of divine grace prompted him to acknowledge his own need to respond by giving thanks. In that, he was a model disciple, someone with enough faith to give God room to act and enough humility to be grateful. The grace we receive every day is a gift from the God who loves us. It is the power with which we overcome obstacles, find healing, resist temptation and serve the needs of the kingdom. That we can receive that grace and act out of it is cause for a lifetime of thanksgiving.

Our Requests

Now, a request from you. In many of our churches the pastor names the people who have requested prayers for healing of body. mind or soul. Others request prayers for employment, companionship or some other need or desire. Not long ago I was asked to visit a young boy who was awaiting brain surgery. I spent time with him and his parents at their home and prayed with them and for them.

I later asked the mother to write a few words to the congregation with a specific request for her son. This is what she wrote: “A prayer request for George to have a successful brain surgery. Please pray the surgery will end the seizures for once and for all without any complications or any deficits. Please pray for the surgical team as well and for all the nurses and doctors who will be in my son’s care. And please pray for our family. To guide us through this difficult time.”

After I asked her to request prayers from the congregation, I came across this meditation while reading a morning devotion. It is from a treatise on Cain and Abel by Saint Ambrose, the 4^th century Bishop of Milan, who was a philosopher, theologian and diplomat. He is also known for baptizing St. Augustine. In the treatise, Ambrose makes a crucial point about prayer that we should never overlook – that we should always pray for each other and all.

“If you pray only for yourself, you pray for yourself alone. If each one prays for himself, he received less from God’s goodness than the one who prays on behalf of others. But as it is, because each prays for all, all are in fact praying for each one.

To conclude, if you pray only for yourself, you will be praying, … for yourself alone. But if you pray for all, all will pray for you, for you are included in all. In this way there is a great recompense; through the prayers of each individual, the intercession of the whole people is gained for each individual. There is here no pride, but an increase of humility and a richer harvest from prayer.”

My friends, as we request prayers for ourselves and those dear to us, let us remember to pray for all. When we do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

TREES: A Look at St. Timothy's Grandmother and Mother

 

Trees. We have many different types of trees on our property. We are now planning to plant some apple and peach trees behind our garden. Today, I am going to talk about a different type of tree called a Family Tree.

A family tree is what we use to show all the different members of our family. On my family tree I discovered information about my grandparents and where they lived before coming to the USA. I also met with a cousin on my mother’s side who also searched for family information.

I mention this because in our Epistle (2 Tim 1:1-14), we read about Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois. They were the people who brought Timothy to the Christian Faith. Grandparents are like the roots of a tree firmly planted in the soil. Parents are like the trunk standing straight and tall. Children are like the mighty branches spreading out all around. Grandchildren are like new buds at the end of the branches growing ever further into the sky.

In your family, where are you, your parents and grandparents? Like Timothy’s mother and grandmother, how are they the trunk and root of your family tree? How are your grandparents grounded firmly in the Christian Faith? How do your parents support your faith like a mighty trunk of a tree?

My grandparents made sure all my aunts and uncles were baptized. My parents made sure we learned our faith by attending church and Sunday school. My brothers were with me like branches on a tree. Now, our grandchildren are just learning about the Christian Faith like new buds. I hope that you continue to learn about your faith not only when you are like buds, but also when you become the trunks and roots of trees. With that, we pray.

Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their fathers and mothers the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Remembering my Brother Ten Years after his Passing

 

Ten years ago, I woke up and checked my phone for messages. There was a voicemail that was left several hours prior to my waking from my sister-in-law. It was brief and to the point. She informed me that my brother, Ed, had died in his sleep. Ed was preparing to undergo surgery on his knees but passed away at home throughout the night.

Ten years pass quickly or slowly depending upon one’s circumstances. Since October 1, 2015, we have added two more grandchildren to our family. Cindy and I have moved three times. I have had numerous employers and pastored several congregations before I retired this past July. We have also lost relatives and friends, and undergone surgeries and procedures.

Personally, remembering those who have died is important. Removed from this sad event by ten years, the shock is gone, but sadness remains. Yet, this is overshadowed by thanksgiving that Ed and I spent six decades enjoying each other’s company, and by joy believing that God numbered his days as He did in order to call him to Himself.

Ed was a delightful person and had a lot of good friends. He was a faithful Christian and a diligent worker. Intelligent and insightful, he had the ability to simplify complex matters and also to complicate simple ones, as I stated in my eulogy at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, where his Mass of Christian Burial was held.

Read on because it is important to remember not only Ed, but also your own deceased family members and friends.

 

Obituary for James Edward Cwynar

James Edward "Jim" "Ed" Cwynar, 56, of Potter Twp., went home to be with the Lord when he passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, October 1, 2015. He was born October 19, 1958, in Sewickley, PA and was the son of the late John Walter and Genevieve (Bednarski) Cwynar. In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by an infant brother.

Ed was a member of Saint Frances Cabrini Roman Catholic Church, Center Twp. He was a 1976 graduate of the former Center High School. In 1980 Ed continued his education at Penn State University and received Master's degrees from Virginia Tech and Drexel Universities.

He was involved with the Holy Name Society, Polish National Alliance, Men's Fellowship and Trap Shooting at Christian House Baptist Chapel, the American Legion and the American Chemical Society. Ed enjoyed making wine, watching polo, and gardening vegetables and flowers with his wife. Ed also found much enjoyment in listening to Polka music. Ed was employed as a chemist from Calgon Carbon, Neville Island and was previously employed by U.S. Steel Corp. as a lab manager.

He is survived by his loving wife, Ilonha (Tolliver) Cwynar; three stepchildren, Qianna and Lorenzo Carr, Twyla Frazier, and Tony Anthony Gates, and his step-grandchildren, Styles Frazier, Mikala Wilson and Lundyn Rae Carr. Ed is also survived by two brothers and sisters-in-law, John and Mary Cwynar and Paul and Cindy Cwynar; his father-in-law, Arthur (Peggy) Williams; a niece, Simone Cwynar, several cousins, friends and his beloved cat, Merlot.

 

Eulogy for James Edward Cwynar

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. … On behalf of Ilonha, John and our immediate and extended families, I thank you for gathering with us this morning for this Mass of Christian Burial for my brother, Ed.

I have heard 500 eulogies throughout my life and do not remember one. You may not have heard 500 but may remember as many as I have. I hope to send you from here with one you can finally remember.

Ed was my younger brother by 19 months. When you have known a person your entire life and spent nearly every day of the first twenty years of your life with him, you cannot eulogize him in a few short words. Yet, if I eulogize Ed with too many words, I risk turning an extraordinary life into one sounding mundane. So, allow me to share one brief moment in our lives.

Not long after our mother died, Ed and I embarked on a total house makeover. In 2007, we attended a home show at the Pittsburgh Convention Center. Afterwards, we decided to try the food and beer at The Church Brew Works. As we enjoyed our meal and discussed possibilities of our house makeover, I asked Ed about the beer chart on the wall. He explained the chart as only a chemist could.

A minute later Ed asked, “Do you know what the second most complex liquid on the planet is?” … Yeah, like I knew! … “No,” I replied. Ed answered, “Wine.”

Right now, you are probably thinking what I asked. “What is the most complex liquid on the planet?” Without hesitation, Ed said, “Blood.”

A marvelous theological insight! Jesus chose wine, the second most complex liquid on the planet, to symbolize his blood, and bread, one of the simplest foods, to symbolize his body.

As I reflect on that conversation from 2007, I realize Ed shared with me a marvelous theological insight and a snapshot of himself. Sometimes Ed complicated the simple, but he usually simplified the complex. Ed simplified the complex.

Our Christian faith is not as complex as earning a Master’s degree in Chemistry, but as simple as a child opening his welcoming arms to a loving father. Ed mastered the complexity of chemistry and the simplicity of Christianity.

In closing, I lay before you this Curly Washburn challenge: Master one thing in life. You may be an expert at math, music, medicine or motherhood, law, logistics or languages, theology, chemistry or farming, but you must master one thing in life: the simplicity of Christianity.

Master the simplicity of Christianity by receiving God’s Grace, His Word and His Sacraments. Open yourself to God’s love poured into your heart through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5), and you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. (Mt 22:37-39)

God gave Ed His Grace, His Word and His Sacraments – all that he needed not only for an extraordinary life lived, but also for an eternal life entered. Ed figured out how to live a Christian life long before he knew how to read periodic tables and beer charts. Ed mastered the simplicity of Christianity; he simplified the complex because he trusted God’s promise of eternal life through Christ crucified and he accepted that promise like a little child. Do that, and you, my brothers and sisters, will master the simplicity of Christianity.

As you do, may God send his angels to protect you. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen. … May the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Amen.

A Letter that Provides a Lesson for Life

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is entitled Three L’s of Timothy: Letter, Lesson, Life, and my focus is our Epistle (2 Timothy 1:1-14). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Monday morning is when I usually start to write a new sermon. As I thought about this activity, it came to me that I like to start on Monday morning because Sunday worship is behind me and another is only six days away. In full disclosure, I write most new sermons more than a week ahead of time.

Monday morning used to be the time I would meet with my boss or staff and go over briefly how our weekends went. For example, on Monday morning, February 15, 2016, I asked my boss, “What did you get your wife for Valentine’s Day?” He replied, “A box of chocolates and a card.” Since I initiated the conversation, he knew that I wanted him to ask me, and he did. I replied, “A house.” To this he said, “I don’t think anyone will top that one.”

Some people do not look forward to Monday morning. Some know that additional labor awaits them at the office. Others need extra coffee and pray for a short day. There are eight federal holidays in 2022 that fall on a Monday, not including New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Veterans’ Day. Whether or not you celebrate the Birthday of George Washington or Jesus Christ, you don’t have to work on those Mondays. So, for some, Mondays mean an extra-long weekend. But if you work for the post office, I am told that Tuesday is an unbearable workday.

Additional terms from Monday morning include Monday morning disease (a horse disease), Monday-morning feeling and Monday morning sickness. The idiom, Monday morning quarterbacking was coined in 1931 to describe the critical rehashing of the weekend football game strategy. Monday morning quarterbacking has also come to be understood as one who second guesses.

I mention all of this because when it comes to the Second Letter of Timothy, you will discover that Biblical scholars are akin to Monday morning quarterbacks when it comes to expressing their opinions and second guesses about the Pastoral Letters. So, in the spirit of the season, Here we go, Stillers! Here we go! Let’s look at the Letter, today’s Lesson and Life.

While some scholars think 2^nd Timothy was written by Paul during his “second career”, that is, between his arrests, most consider that a ghostwriter penned the Letter after Paul’s death as a farewell testament by someone who knew his last days so that the Letter would be historical with some dramatic license. However, the debate about the authorship and date should not muddle the power of this Letter.

The Letter is an enthusiastic appeal that Paul’s work would continue beyond his death through generations of disciples. Paul committed his life to Christ and knew that even in his sufferings God would protect what He entrusted to His Church. Ironically, Paul was chained, but the Gospel cannot be. This is reflected in the way Paul lived his faith in freedom and in prison which, in turn, encouraged his audience. Paul contributed enormously to making the love of Christ real to Christians, and 2^nd Timothy contributed to making Paul loved.

The body of this Letter is shorter than the 1^st Timothy, and the contents are written more tightly. The Letter considers Timothy’s personality and reflects Paul’s loneliness and suffering in prison as his death approaches.

2^nd Timothy is the third of Paul’s three final testaments. The first was Romans when he knew that he faced difficulties in Jerusalem but hoped he could travel to Rome and eventually to Spain. (See Romans 15:24ff.) The second is found in Acts 20:17-36, where he spoke to the church leaders of Ephesus because he was aware that he would never see them again. Yet, death is not envisioned in those passages as it is in this Letter, where we read, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (4:7-8).

The Letter contains teaching about the inspiration of Scripture (3:15-16); and the topic of false teaching, but here, specific names are mentioned. These individuals were teaching that the resurrection had already happened, and that there would be no resurrection of the dead. Paul addressed this in 1^st Corinthians 15:12ff, “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain.”

Having summarized the key points of the Letter, let me move to my second point, Lesson. The opening verses (1-3) express Paul’s life within the Christian community and his affinity to Timothy. Life within the Church is not just any life, but one shared with fellow believers. As I read this, I reflected upon something I read in the seminary. I was writing a theology paper and came across an article about St. Bonaventure, the Church and the Trinity. It has stayed with me these last 35 years. The teaching was that the deeper you immerse yourself in the life of the Church, the deeper your relationship with the Trinity is. It’s what Paul is saying here. There’s life and then there’s life in Christ which comes only through being a baptized and active member of the Church.

To understand his thanksgiving for the Christian faith (3-5), which depended upon a tradition that reached back through family to Israel, it helps to see that faith is properly handed on as links form a chain. Spiritual heirs must carry on this mission which is kindled and rekindled through the laying on of hands (6) and the handing down of the true teaching of the Faith.

Timothy possessed a sincere faith. He could have received this faith when Paul asked him to join him as a companion (Acts 14:23), or when Paul and the elders appointed him to lead the Church in Ephesus (1 Tim 4:14). The Holy Spirit gave this gift to him as Paul laid his hands on him. So, Paul reminded him to use the gift God gave him zealously for it was given to Timothy through the Holy Spirit. Though he was shy, the Holy Spirit filled Timothy with all that he needed to carry out God’s work.

Through His Holy Spirit, God gives power to all who need it. God gives people the power to do what He asks them to do. God gave power to Timothy to be the leader that God wanted. In what way has God provided you with the strength of character that He needs from you to accomplish His work?

Timothy was already confessing Christ and spreading the Good News when Paul encouraged him to continue to do that, and not to be ashamed that his mentor was imprisoned. Preaching the Gospel led to Paul’s imprisonment and eventual death, but the Gospel also led Paul to eternal life. Likewise, Timothy had to be ready to suffer and die for Christ and the Gospel, but he could endure any impending suffering because God would make him strong. Can you think of a time when God gave you the strength to do what He wanted you to do?

Like Timothy, we know that God saved us through Christ and calls us to holiness. For Paul, that call was manifested through his life as a preacher, apostle and teacher. For me, the call is manifested through my life as a pastor, husband and neighbor. Your call may be that of a spouse and neighbor, parent or grandparent. Your job may or may not afford you the opportunity to show Christ to others. For example, this past week while on retreat with other pastors, one offered a reflection on his former profession as a twenty-year police officer in the military. He said that it was not easy striking someone with a nightstick or shackling someone with handcuffs. Although he was not a believer at the time, these duties made him sick. When he spoke to the base chaplain about this, he was told that people depended on him to do his job, and he must execute it for the safety and good of others. The chaplain added, “After you do your job, then go and repent.” Eventually, God led him to the Church, and he now serves as a pastor. My point is that sometimes a job may not always afford us the opportunity to show Christ to others, and may even call us to physically punish another person, but through Christ, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, we realize that we have a higher calling. So, if you have not thought about it, what is God calling you to be and do today? Ponder that as I move to my third point, Life.

The Pastoral Letters to Titus and Timothy offer encouragement to younger pastors. All young pastors need encouragement. At one time, I was a young pastor and welcomed encouragement from experienced and seasoned pastors whether that was conveyed through books, articles or in person. At our pastors’ conferences, I learn things from pastors older and younger than I. We all benefit from the knowledge of people both younger and older than we are.

I ask my cousin, 25 years younger than I, to help me repair my power equipment. I asked our octogenarian insurance man which Medicare plan to choose. If you ever wanted to know anything about machinist work, you would have asked my dad. Lots of people turn to Dave Ramsey for financial advice. And lots of people have turned around their lives through the message and ministry of Charlie Kirk. Now, since the meaning of advice is an opinion worthy of following, your advice would be an area in which you have some expertise. If your opinion is not based on your area of expertise, decline to offer that inquisitive person to someone more familiar with the subject.

“Young” is a relative term, and young people could be children, teens, adults, parents, new Christians or even newly promoted executives. As a mature or seasoned Christian, like the Apostle Paul, in relationship with a young church leader, what advice would you offer? As a base chaplain listening to a military police officer bothered by the actions of his job, what advice would you offer? As a parent listening to a son or daughter complain about attending church, what advice would you offer? What advice would you offer to the parents of that child?

Our culture is becoming increasingly hard of hearing to the message of the Gospel, or in more cases, antagonistic to it. Our culture has an impact on us whether we like it or not. President Pingel spoke about this at one of our pastors’ conferences in his sermon regarding people’s desire for convenience, speed and satisfaction when seeking anything, including religion. As we pastors discussed what to say to church members who no longer attend, I heard this answer from a pastor 12 years older than I. Pastor Bob said, “I ask them, ‘Is your belief system working for you?’ Then, I listen and pray to Christ for help.” As I pondered that advice, it dawned on me that the theme of our pastors’ conferences are many times apropos to our Epistle.

You see, my friends, we all know that many people are seeking happiness through a life where their desires are fulfilled with convenience, speed and satisfaction … and we know that happiness does not come through that kind of life. To the young we offer this ancient wisdom, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” And to these, Moses added, “You shall teach [these words] diligently to your children.” (Deut 6:5ff.) May you teach and live this advice each day, and as you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.