Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 26-28 Matthew 7:21-29

This is an exciting time of year: another school year is ending-highschool & college graduation celebrations pepper the calendar, and it seems certain that summer temperatures are finally thinking about finding their way here. It's a season of beginnings and endings--a time of transition and there are lots of opportunities to tell stories of remember whens and I'll never forgets and I'm looking forward to when.

Storytelling is an important art for all of us to embrace. Some of us may be particularly gifted for it-my husband can easily turn a trip to the grocery store into a tale of great adventure whereas I have trouble remembering even the simplest of punch lines. But all of us do have a story to tell. The goal of the 5 week sermon series that we begin today is that we would more carefully consider how our life stories give insights to how God is at work in the world. God calls us to share these stories so that others might become more aware of God's presence in the world.

Stories are a powerful way to connect with each other. William Bennett, in an article for Christian Parenting Today writes: "God reveals himself through the eternal stories of the Bible. God uses story as a powerful tool to demonstrate difficult concepts, chisel our character, influence our thoughts...and inspire us to action. Stories of faith that are passed down through the generations strengthen belief, reveal God's faithful character, and allow us to remember all that God has done." Jesus is a master at the art.

In the Gospel story today, Jesus is in fine form. He's giving his disciples some practical pointers about what it means to live as his follower in the world. It's not necessarily easy stuff to hear, but it's helpful insight for those of us who seek to be Christ followers. He's telling some memorable stories-about roads and gates, trees and fruit, a rock and some sand. His stories are intended to teach and prepare his disciples for what's ahead but the crowds are listening in. And so should we.

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell-and great was its fall."

These words of Jesus have been steeping in my head as I've prepared to preach and as they did I couldn't help but think of all the storms our world has recently seen. In this past month alone, there have been two unimaginable, horrific natural disasters: the cyclone in Myanamar and the earthquake in China. Entire communities have been destroyed. Thousands and thousands of lives lost. It's difficult for us to imagine the pain, the grief and suffering for those who are left to pick up the pieces and try to go on. And it's hard for us to imagine the long term effect that these storms will have-and there will be some--even for us half-way around the world. Just last Sunday, a storm of another kind blew in-closer to home in Hugo, Minnesota. It was on a much smaller scale-not comparable to the others, but no less devastating for the people who live there.

Storms of all kinds are alive and well in our world-and I'm not just talking about natural disasters here-storms rage between countries, between political parties, religious organizations, between parents and children, families, coworkers, neighbors and friends. It's the way the world is and has been, even before Jesus walked the earth.

In the story about the wise and foolish builder in today's gospel though, Jesus gives us reason to hope in spite of the storms. From his story we learn some important truths. First, storms come no matter what. Unexpected trouble happens. Terrible things happen. There are times when life just doesn't make sense. This is true for everyone. No one's exempt! Storms come to both the foolish and the wise. That's the first truth. The second is that the outcome of any storm depends on what kind of foundation we choose to build our lives on.

I invite you to listen now to Rachel Hedlund, one of our graduating seniors, who I know for a fact already has endless stories to tell. I know this because I've been blessed to see her faith active in love wherever she finds herself in life. Rachel....

I met Sierra through a program my high school is affiliated with-Backpack Tutoring. This organization brings high school kids from the suburbs to city schools to help tutor kids in after school programs. Every Thursday for the past 3 years, a bunch of my friends and I have made the trek into the city and worked with these kids for two hours each time.

As an almost graduating senior from high school, I've learned that a lot of things in life just don't make sense. Throughout this year, I've been faced with numerous moments I'm unable to understand, from realizing the immense amount of hatred in the world to losing two girls from my senior class in a car accident this past fall. Having dealt with these extremely difficult feelings, I'm incredibly thankful for Sierra. Sierra helped to clear away some of my doubts about my own faith as I recognized in her something I lacked in myself-hope.

Every Thursday that I worked with Sierra, she would sing. And most of the time, nothing could make her stop, not even threats of missing recess from her teacher. She would just open up her mouth and belt out whatever new hit tune the kids had been singing that day. Halfway through our time together, Sierra would always announce that she had to go to the bathroom. In reality, Sierra just wanted to escape from the classroom for a few moments and be free to sing her little heart out in the hallways. Walking to and from the bathroom became an adventure all its own as Sierra sang as loudly as she could, adding her own hip hop dance moves to the songs she was singing. She told me all the time that she was going to be famous one day. Her typical statements included, "Girl, I hope you know I'm gonna be the next Alicia Keys," or something along the lines of, "I can sing better than anyone on the radio and you know it."

Sierra struggled a lot with school and at home as well. She got into a lot of fights on the playground and would yell at her teachers constantly. She was one of those kids who seemed to have all of the odds stacked against her. Yet, behind all of this anger and frustration which she vented towards her peers and teachers, her singing clearly demonstrated something one wouldn't expect in a child like her-hope. Sierra wanted to be a famous singer and she wasn't about to let anything stop her.

Spending time with Sierra has inspired me to never give up hope. As frustrating as life may seem at times, there is always hope for a better future. I believe that this hope translates directly into a sense of faith. Sierra had faith in something greater that she would be able to achieve her goal of singing one day. That faith in the seemingly impossible has been reflected onto my own life from my days with Sierra. I have learned that a combination of hope and faith can take you much farther in life than any negativity or doubt can. Sierra passed on a sense of faith to me, restoring my own hope for my life, my generation, my world. Even in difficult times, such as Sierra's own troubled life, that sense of hope can be discovered. And thanks to Sierra's enthusiastic renditions of the latest hip hop songs on the radio, I feel my own faith in God has been rejuvenated.

How we choose to live our life is contagious. Sierra faces a lot of storms and yet she's able to sing. She has hope. That hope is contagious. As people of faith we believe that God is the source of that hope. Our work then, is to help others take that connection too. God is the source of all that is good in life. God is the source of all comfort and peace. That's the story we need to share! That's the faith we're called to pass on. For a life-giving message of hope it is to Jesus we turn-for he is the one through whom we find a sure and certain hope---that there is something more-that there is another kind of future that is already possible right here, right now. It is the new reality that God established in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead-a reality where storms don't exist, where death is no more and love and peace live in the hearts and lives of all people.

Jesus is the only sure foundation. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). Your salvation-your hope for an abundant life--is secure in him. It is God's gift to you-no one and nothing can ever take that away. The challenge we live with is how to respond to God's incredible grace.

The story of the wise and foolish builders is a story that calls us to respond. In this story, Jesus challenges us to be changed by God's good news by acting on what we've heard. Jesus' provokes his followers to love and good deeds (Heb10:24). One pastor said it like this: faith is not a matter of how we feel but of how we live. It's not possible to experience the full power of his love until we live it-meeting the needs of our neighbors, responding to the hurt so apparent in the world, passing on our faith so that the hope and peace we've found in Jesus Christ might be experienced by others.

So where do we start? Scripture names some practical ways. Hear the words again from our first reading today:

You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.

Through Moses we hear God's invitation for a ubiquitous faith. Ubiquitous-if you've ever taken a class from me you may already know that this is one of my favorite words in the English language. I love to say it, but more importantly, it gives fresh understanding to what it is to live out our faith. Ubiquitous means everywhere at the same time, constantly encountered, widespread and ever present. The point God is making in these words through Moses is that no distinction between life and faith should exist-no separation between Sunday worship and daily life. Faith has its place-everywhere and all the time: morning, evening, at home, on vacation, at work, at church, at school, when we play. Our relationship with God shapes who we are and how we live. When we center our lives in that relationship, our faith speaks in such a way that others take note.

When a friend of your Dad's is teaching you about Jesus in Sunday school-faith is speaking. When someone shares a story of faith in front of the entire congregation-faith is speaking. When high school students make a commitment to mentor and care for younger kids, faith is speaking. When someone puts someone else's needs before their own, faith is speaking. And so it is for us....when we hold our tongue instead of saying something hurtful or judgemental; when we encourage others, serve, listen, show compassion....faith is speaking! When someone puts someone else's needs before their own, faith is speaking.

Acting on Jesus' words is not a one time event. It is a way of life. So let your life speak! God's good news of love is for you and it's for others' too. Share your stories of what God has done and is doing for you. Pass on the faith. Others will be blessed as God's story comes alive through you. Amen.