Bethlehem Lutheran Church

I see them nearly every day on the corner of 46th Street as I exit 35W – single men, holding signs that say “Homeless” or “Single Dad” or “Need Rent.” And I have to decide: Will I stop today and hand them a couple of dollars? I have singles tucked away, easily accessible, specifically for them. But even though I'm ready, sometimes I still don’t stop. Sometimes traffic is too thick or too fast. Or I think, “I got him already.” Sometimes, I just don’t feel like it.

I forget that God speaks in the present tense in Isaiah 43:10:  “You are my witnesses."

He doesn’t say:

• “You might someday be my witnesses,” or
• “If you’re good, you may become my witnesses.”  

Our witnessing is going on, ready or not! 

During this sermon series, we'll be discussing learning the story, living the story, and loving the story. Come and participate, ready or not!

Oh my, how I related to the opening of Pastor Ben’s sermon! When I have a cold, it’spneumonia; a skin irritation is certain to be skin cancer. Death is the ultimate fear.

• Talk about your own fears; what scares you the most?
• Where do you find your strength in your everyday life? 
• On what or on whom do you rely when faced with difficult situations?

“Go ahead -- you deserve it.” This is a common refrain in our society. Why?

• What are the things you think you deserve? 
• What is the life you think you deserve?

When I was 11 my parents divorced…gulp. I was already at an awkward stage: I’d recently gotten glasses and a clumsy haircut, and to top it off, I was in one of the only “ethnic”families in town. I so valued what “the popular kids” thought, but feared being rejected for all my differences. 

Consider:

“Which commandment iis the first of all?" the scribes asked, sure they would trip Jesus up in the parsing of more than 600 on the list. But Jesus answered: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength…and you shall love your
neighbor as yourself.” Isn’t that just like Jesus? We ask him to reassure us we’re getting
it right while others have it all wrong. Instead, he teaches us that all the hundreds of dos and don’ts can be reduced down to “Love God and love your neighbor."

I am a recovering selfish person. Sharing was difficult for me as a child -- I had so little, I was certain I could never replace anything that was lost or broken. In the early years of marriage, wondering how we’d pay rent and buy groceries caused me to grab onto things.

Consider:

We’re hoping to move this spring, so I recently made a list of a few houses for sale that fit our needs and emailed it to my spouse. Not a week later, I was shocked to see that three of them had already sold. “How dare someone buy my houses!” I thought. Rationally, of course, I knew this reaction was absurd. But disappointment over my own helplessness – my inability to control “the market” – was still surprisingly hard to shake.

Consider:

Names are powerful. They evoke specific images and, at times, visceral responses (positive
or negative). We named our daughter “Grace” because she came as such a blessing after a
rocky journey to parenthood. And we give thanks for the gift of her presence in our lives –
even when she isn’t acting with all the loveliness that her name implies.

Maybe more than any other, the name “Jesus” stirs up specific reactions.

Why? How would you respond if Jesus asked you, “Who do you say that I am?”

This Sunday we learned that Jesus sends his disciples out to preach by themselves for the first time, instructing them to take nothing with them but a staff.

How can those of us who rush to risk-averse investments, who keep jumper cables in the trunk and who always have a spare roll of toilet paper begin to “let go and let God?”

Read the full sermon and Sunday takeout.