Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-7

The 1850’s was a time of upheaval and uncertainty in the United States.  Political polarization was high, and the issue of slavery was a divisive powder keg that was primed to blow up.  The country was changing rapidly.  East Coast cities were in the midst of the industrial revolution, and millions of immigrants from Ireland, Germany, and China were making their way to these shores in droves daily.  The Second Great Awakening, which saw a spreading interest and zeal in Christianity, had largely wound down-especially in the costal cities.  All these changes and a dwindling of Christian conviction troubled many disciples during this time.  One of them decided to do something about it.  At the age of forty-eight, Jeremiah Lanphier felt called by God to be a lay missionary to a rapidly changing Manhattan.  He attempted to start a prayer meeting that would meet at noon so that merchants and other businessmen could pray for the city.  Lanphier created and distributed flyers for the gathering all over the city.  The first prayer meeting occurred on September 23rd, 1857.  No one showed up, at least at first.  After half an hour praying on his own a few people filtered in for a total attendance of six.

That was enough for Lanphier to continue.  The second week there were closer to twenty in attendance.  By the third week this had doubled to forty.  The attendance continued to climb so the weekly prayer meeting became daily. Within two months, the prayer meeting had grown even more to the point that there were three simultaneous prayer meetings in different parts of the church building. The desire for prayer was so great that it began to spread throughout the city.   At one point a large theater began opening its doors daily for the prayer meeting and it would be filled with over 5,000 people.   This spread across the country.   Prayer became a daily ritual in places like Washington DC, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis.  This prayer gathering is considered to be one of the catalysts that kicked off the third great awakening in American history, and the revival of 1857 is remembered as a time of great evangelical success.  It all started with six people gathering in an old church to pray. 

In this morning’s scripture Paul urges Timothy to embrace the power of prayer.  Prayer truly has the power to change the world.  While many of us probably believe that on some level, I am not sure if we are ready for what we claim to believe.   Change is rarely smooth, it is seldom predictable, and it is nearly always disruptive.   If we take this morning’s scripture to heart and we pray the way that Paul encourages Timothy to pray, then we will be praying disruptive prayers. 

This morning’s scripture once again comes from 1 Timothy.   As Paul traveled around the ancient world, he inspired people to come alongside him, travel with him, and be a co-worker in sharing the good news of Jesus with others.   Timothy was one such person.   At one point Timothy had traveled with Paul around what is now modern-day Turkey and Northern Greece.   At the time that Paul wrote 1 Timothy, Paul had essentially charged Timothy with leading the church in Ephesus.   In 1 Timothy Paul switches back and forth between encouraging Timothy and giving him practical instructions about leading a church.   This morning’s scripture is related to leading the church, and Paul attempts to convey to Timothy a lot of wisdom in just these few verses.  There are a couple of points that Paul made for Timothy that continue to be relevant for us today. 

The focus of Paul’s writing in this morning’s scripture is on prayer.  I appreciate that on the topic of what to pray for, Paul encourages Timothy to pray for people.  Prayer is communication with God, but it should not always be focused on just ourselves and God.  This scripture makes it clear we are supposed to pray for other people as well.  This scripture states that we should make petitions, intercessions, and thanksgiving.   Petitions are when we ask God for something, this is when someone has a prayer request, and we ask God to grant it.  Intercessions are when we pray on someone else’s behalf.  We intercede for someone, not because they asked us to, but because we want God to be at work in their lives in some way even if the person we are praying for has not expressed that.  Finally, in thanksgiving we give thanks to God for people, because every person is fearfully and wonderfully made.  Every person has been created by God, and for God every person is someone worth caring for, so it is appropriate in prayer to give thanks for God for the unique creations that God has made.  Right off the bat Paul tells us we are to pray for people through petitions, intercession, and thanksgiving.   Paul also makes clear we are not supposed to be picky about who we pray for. 

Some people are easy to pray for.   It goes without saying that most of us pray regularly for the people we love the most.  Other people though require us to be a bit more intentional about lifting up in prayer.   As an example of this, Paul lifts up “kings and all of those in authority.”   Now at first glance, this might appear as an appeal to a civic duty to pray for those in position of power.  That is not quite what Paul is advocating for.  Throughout his ministry Paul’s relationship with those in authority was rocky at best.  On more than one occasion he was arrested, imprisoned, he was put on trial, and he was physically punished.

 This all happened as a response to Paul preaching the truth of Jesus.  Despite being mistreated by those in authority, Paul says to pray for them anyway.   To really drive this point home, at the time Paul wrote to pray for kings, Nero was the emperor of Rome.   It was Nero who set off the first persecution of Christians.  Nero is the man who gave the order to have Paul executed.   Paul encouraged Timothy to pray for the very man who would eventually have him killed.  This is in line with what Jesus himself said, when he taught, “You have heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” 

In our modern world, this is extremely important to keep in mind.  It does not matter what side of the political aisle you find yourself on, we should take the call for prayer to heart.  It is too easy in our current culture to vilify those who we disagree with.  And yet, this morning’s scripture encourages us to pray for those in authority.  This does not exclude the people we didn’t vote for.  It is hard to belittle and demonize those who you pray for.

  It is also too easy to disengage completely and to be jaded, assuming the worst of all those in authority and regard the whole thing with disgust.  And yet, prayer has the power to change to change the world.  Prayers have the power to be disruptive and bring about transformation.  So, if you want leaders to lead with compassion, if you truly want liberty and justice for all, then pray for it.  Pray for all our leaders, even those who you disagree with or even view as an enemy, because prayer is more effective than despair, hope is more transformative than hate, and God still has the power to change even the hardest of hearts. 

  We are not to exclude who we pray for, but from a practical standpoint all of us cannot pray for “all the people” all the time, but we all have people we can pray for.  When it comes to living out this scripture one of the struggles in praying for all the people, is knowing what to pray.   On one hand, praying for others can be easy because we just pray for their health.   We tend to be really good (like really, really good) at praying for people’s health.  The bible does say when someone is sick, we should lift them up in prayer, but it seems far too often our prayers get stuck on illness and injuries.   We can struggle with lifting people in prayer, when they are healthy, or when we cannot see the battles that they are fighting.  One of the reasons why we may not be more diligent in praying for more people, is that we are not quite sure how to pray for them. 

In this morning’s scripture Paul gives us some direction on how we can go about praying for people.  Verses 3 and 4 state, “This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”   Praying for the salvation of others is always in the will of God.   In our Methodist expression of the faith we believe strongly that it truly is the desire of God to be reunited with all of God’s people.   After all it was because God so love the world, not just a few, that God sent Jesus to be the mediator between God and humanity.  It was because of a great love for all that Jesus gave himself as a random for all people, not just the elect.   Because God seeks to be reconciled with all people, then praying that all people will come to know the life changing love, the forgiveness of sins, and the everlasting life made known through Jesus Christ is always an appropriate prayer.   There are so many people with testimonies of how the good news of Jesus has disrupted their lives.  How faith led them into a new path and new life.   More often than not, the starting point for that transformation is because someone prayed that the person’s who life has changed would come to Jesus. 
 
Prayer has the power to bring about transformation, and transformative prayers can often be disruptive.  However, we should be prepared that when we pray the greatest transformation will be in ourselves and the greatest disruption will be in our lives.  There is a quote that is regularly misattributed to Pope Francis that states, “You pray for the hungry, then you feed them.  That’s how prayer works.”  When we pray, we are asking God to intervene in the world.  We are asking God to work, to move, and to change the current reality.   If it is our desire that God be willing to do that, then we must be willing to be the agent through which God is going to work.   This means if we are going to care enough about the hungry to ask God to provide for them, then a love that arises from Christian character should compel us to do what we can to provide for them.  It means that if we want there to be less hate and more peace in the world or in our country, then we must be willing to be peacemakers who strive to build bridges of understanding to those who have a different perspective.  It means if we want some to come to know Jesus then we must be willing to tell them about Jesus.  God answers prayers, but there are times when the way the prayer is answered is through being led by God into action. 

​In this morning’s scripture Paul urges Timothy to make petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving for all people.  Paul puts forward the idea of having a prayer life that has an emphasis on praying for other people.  As the revival of 1857 illustrates, these kinds of prayers have the power to be disruptive and change the world.  Yet, that only happens when we let those same prayers change our hearts and disrupt our lives.   So may we be a people who pray for other people.   May we be willing to let God change our hearts as we pray and may be open to how God might use us to be an answer to prayer.  May we pray  disruptive prayers and may we act so that disciples are made and the world is transformed. 
 
 

Scripture: 1 Timothy: 1:12-17

One of the unfortunate realities of competition is that in order for their to be winners, there must be losers.  While everyone is trying to be the first person to cross the finish line first, there will also be someone who crosses last.  For every person who is the best at something, there will be someone else who is the worst.  To save face and protect the dignity of the competitors, these facts are not often dwelled on or highlighted.  The exception to this is professional baseball.  Baseball has always been a sport that is obsessed with statistics and record keeping.  So, while baseball statisticians can tell you who has been the best in dozens of different areas, they can also tell you is the worst.   Sometimes those labels can stick with a player.  Consider a player from the 1920’s who was dubbed the strikeout king.   This is because this player struck out a lot.  He set the record for career strikeouts and this record stood for almost 30 years.   In the 1923 season for instance, he struck out 93 times.  He led the league in strikeouts that year, just like he did in 1922.  In fact, from 1921-1924 he struck out more than 220 times.

 This player drew a lot of critics for his batting record, which is where the strikeout king nickname came from.  If George Herman Ruth, better known by his nickname Babe, had ended his career in 1923, then he might still primarily be known as the strikeout king.  However, in 1927 Babe Ruth became the first player to hit 60 home runs in a single season.  That record stood for 34 years.   He also set the record for career home runs and that record stood until Hank Aaron famously broke it in 1974.  Today, Babe Ruth is better known as the homerun king, he is regarded as one of the best players to have ever played the game, and his swing for the fences style completely changed how baseball is played. 

If someone were to focus just on a single statistic, the number of strikeouts, then Babe Ruth might look like one of the worst baseball players in history.  However, that is not the full story.  This is true in life, not just baseball.  There is always more to the story.   In this morning’s scripture, Paul identifies himself as the worst of sinners.   Yet, that is not his full story.  In the same way, every single one of us has sinned.  We have all fallen short of what we know is right.  We have all made choices we wish we could undo or we have said words we wish we could take back.   Those failures and shortcomings are not our full story either.  Because like Paul, our story has another aspect where grace changes everything.  Just like Babe Ruth is known for his hits not his strikeouts, we can be known for how grace has changed our lives.  

This morning’s scripture comes from the beginning of 1 Timothy.  This is a personal letter that Paul wrote to a young person he was mentoring.  He wrote this letter towards the end of his life.  Throughout 1 Timothy he is extremely reflective of his life and ministry.  We see that in this scripture Paul recounts how he was awakened to grace.   In the book of Acts we can read about Paul’s conversion, how we went from someone who persecuted Christians to a follower of Christ after he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.  However, in this scripture we get his personal account, not of the event, but of the feelings he had due to having his life turned upside down by grace.   Paul’s words here are powerful as they are a firsthand account of how one man experienced the life changing, saving grace of God made known through Jesus Christ.  As we consider this morning’s scripture and we consider Paul’s experience with grace, I think we can gain a better understanding of just how amazing grace is.   

We find a great statement of grace in verse 15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- Of whom I am the worst.”  The phrase, “trustworthy saying” only appears in the two letter that Paul wrote to Timothy and the one he wrote to Titus.  Biblical scholars believe that the intention by emphasizing this, is that the trustworthy sayings were meant to be the first standardized doctrinal statements.  So, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners was and still is a foundational standard of belief for Christians.  However, Paul then adds his own extra commentary, by saying he is the worst.   This does not feel quite right.  I mean, it feels like I could watch the news for like ten minutes and see stories that feature at least five sinners who had to be worse than Paul. 

It seems odd for Paul to call himself the worst of sinners. Because this is a man who started dozens of churches.  Through him miracles were done.  The book of Acts even recounts a story of when through Paul a young man was brought back to life.  It is hard to think of someone that righteous as the worst sinner.  However, that is kind of the point.   There is a common occurrence that happens across all academic disciplines or fields of study.  The more advanced someone gets in their knowledge, the more acutely aware of what it is they do not know.  In the same way, the closer one gets to Jesus, the more aware we become of how much we are not like Christ.  The more aware we become of our constant need for grace, the more aware we become of just how prone our heart is to wander from the savior we love.    So from Paul’s point of view, he knew just how much he stood in need of forgiveness and grace.   From Paul’s point of view, he was the worst sinner that he knew, because he was the sinner he knew the best.  
 
Paul knew the depths of his sin.  Paul was honest about his proclivity for violence, and he knew how we actively persecuted and breathed murderous threats against followers of Jesus.  If the story of Paul stopped there, then perhaps today he would be remembered as the worst of sinners.  Yet, that was not the end of Paul’s story.  As he wrote in this morning’s scripture, “I was shown mercy” and “the grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly.”   The grace of Jesus added another side to the story of Paul.   He may have viewed himself as the worst of sinners, but because he was saved by grace, he was also the apostle to the gentiles.  This is a story that has been repeated over the centuries and decades.  Time after time, the grace of Jesus Christ takes the worst and reveals the best of a person.  

One story that illustrates this is the story of John Newton.  Newton, an Englishman, lived in the 18th century.   He grew up in the church with a devout mother, but he left that behind and found himself pressed into naval service.  In that profession he earned the nickname “the great blasphemer”.  Newton could curse, drink, and be crude enough to make other sailors blush. After not seeing eye to eye with his original captain, Newton found himself serving aboard a slave ship.  It was while on one of those ships he was caught in a fierce storm for over a week.  Everyone, including Newton, thought they were going to die.  This brush with death, got Newton’s attention and he began to turn back to God.  Over the course of the next several years, Newton drew closer to God, found Jesus to be his Lord and Savior.   He left sailing and the slave trade.   He became ordained clergy in the Anglican church, and he became an outspoken opponent of slavery, writing about the evils he had seen and perpetuated.  Newton’s writing and advocacy put him in contact with William Wilberforce, England’s great abolitionist.   Newton’s efforts helped contribute to England outlawing the practice of human slavery in 1807. 

Once John Newton came to faith, he also wrote several worship songs.  Newton thinking over the depths of sin he was in, and the love that God had for him despite his wickedness led Newton to write a specific song, we still know today.  Newton wrote “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.  I once was lost but now am found.  I was blind but now I see.”  In old age Newton struggled with senility and a failing memory.  However, he was quick to say, “My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”

We should be willing to be honest about how we have fallen short and how we have sinned.  If we are being honest then like Paul, we also could say that of all the sinners we know, we are the worst.  Because we are the sinner that we know the best.  While that should be a sobering truth for each of us, the good news of grace is that it is not the end of our story.   Babe Ruth is known as the homerun king, not the strikeout king.  Paul is known as the apostle to the gentiles, not the great persecutor.  John Newton is known as a hymn writer, not as a slaver.  In the same way, you are not known and should not be known by who you were at your worst.  The mistakes you have made, the ways you have let people down, the ways you have hurt others, the sins you have committed.  They do not define you. 

Because friends, here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  So here the good news, in the name of Jesus Christ you are forgiven.   Guilt and shame over what has happened in the past should not be something that continues to pull us down.  Like Paul all of us have been shown mercy and like Paul our story does not end at our worst.   If we are saved by grace in Jesus Christ, then our story is still being told. 

In this morning’s scripture Paul states, “I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.”  Because of grace Paul’s worst, became an example of his best.  We found the same thing in the story of John Newton, the former slaver helped bring about the end of British slavery.  We can find the same truth in our lives.  The place of our greatest past hurt is often the place where we can help other find the most healing.  The place of our greatest brokenness is often the place we can help others find wholeness. Because we have been forgiven by grace, we can have a new chapter where what was once a dark spot in our lives becomes a testimony to the goodness of God.    

In this morning’s scripture, we get some insight as to how Paul understood the way grace changed his life.   For all who follow Jesus, grace has added a new chapter to our story.  Our worst is not the end, but it is starting point for living our best.   So may we be willing to be honest about our own sin, but may we not let that hold us down or hold us back. Like the Apostle Paul, may we claim that the grace of our Lord was poured out on us abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.   May our lives be a testimony to how the grace of Jesus has changed our lives for the better.   May we be quick to point that even though we might be great sinners, Jesus is a greater savior; thanks to him I once was lost, but now I am found.  I was blind, but now I see.  Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. 
 
 

Scripture: John 4:4-26

There is a decent chance that many of you are not familiar with the social media platform Twitch.   The best way to explain this platform is that it is like YouTube for live videos.  The videos on Twitch are all live streamed.  A lot of the content creators for Twitch are video gamers, and they live stream their play-throughs for others to watch.   Those watching can comment and interact with one another in real time.  Twitch is a growing platform, which is especially popular with younger generations. However, there is an odd collaboration between twitch and public television.  On more than one occasion, there have been huge events where marathons of public television icons have been live streamed on twitch.  Thousands of people watched in real time together re-runs of shows featuring Bob Ross and Mister Rogers.  Often these episodes being watched were older than most of the people watching them. 

These old, sentimental shows have found new life with a new audience.   Perhaps it is just the novelty of it, or perhaps there is something to the authentic kindness and care of these shows that resonate.   The simple fact is they just do not make shows like Mister Rogers Neighborhood anymore.   The appeal of Mister Rogers is not just nostalgia, it is that through a TV he made us believe that we were his neighbor, he cared about us, and he believed we could be better.   Fred Rogers has an enteral reputation of being a soft, kind, grandfatherly figure.  However, he was not afraid to tackle hard issues and controversy, he just did it in the kindest way possible.  A great example of this comes from the show’s first season in 1968.    Mister Rogers introduced a new character, Officer Clemmons.   Officer Clemmons became the first reoccurring African American character on a kid’s television program.   Just months after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, when racial tensions were still high, and segregation of public pools was a hot button issue, an episode of Mister Rogers aired where he and officer Clemmons cooled off together by sitting down and putting their feet side by side in a small pool.   The message that Mister Rogers was delivering in this seemingly innocent scene was unmistakable.  When Mister Rogers asked in song, “Won’t you be my neighbor?”  he meant it.   Mister Rogers did not qualify who got to be his neighbor.   

 While a lot has changed since 1968, there is unfortunately a lot that has not.  The fault points and sides may have changed over the years, but we still find so much that divides us.   We still find bias and mistrust.   Culturally, we still struggle to build the kind of neighborhood that Mr. Rogers showed us- some days it feels further away than ever.  This morning’s scripture though is a reminder that division has long been a problem for people.  This morning’s scripture shows us how Jesus dealt with what divides us, and in doing so Jesus gives us an example of how we can be the best neighbors.      

This morning’s scripture gets off to a bit of an odd start.  In the middle of the day Jesus is waiting for his disciples by a well, and a lone woman comes.  This is odd because noon in the middle east is an odd time to get water.  The more common time would have been early in the morning when it would have been much cooler to carry a heavy jar, and when the water could be used throughout the day.  While the scripture does not state specifically why she came at this unusual time, often the most common conjecture is she came during this time because she purposely wanted to avoid other people.  

 I have to wonder if she approached the well with trepidation.  I imagine she approached the well doing her best not to make eye contact.   Then as she began to draw the water, the unthinkable happened.   He spoke to her.   In the first century this was a huge breach of protocol.   The cultural policy of the time is that a man did not talk to a woman he did not know without the permission or presence of her father or husband.   This is why once their conversation really gets going, it is not out of place for Jesus to tell her to get her husband and come back.   However, that is not the only breach of protocol.   Jesus was a Jew, and this woman was a Samaritan.  

The cultural divide and animosity between Jews and Samaritans is something the gospels refer to a couple of times.  Yet, they do not explain the issue, because for the original audience the context was already understood.  To begin to grasp where the animosity comes from, we must go back into the history of the Israelites.  After the reigns of David and Solomon, the Israelites broke into two separate kingdoms.  As a punishment for idolatry and turning away from God, the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered, and the people were taken into exile by the Assyrians.    However, the Assyrians did not take all of them.  The poorest of the poor were left behind in the land.   In time the Southern Kingdom was conquered and taken into exile by the Babylonians for similar reasons.

  Two to three generations later the exiles from Babylon began to return to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.  They had managed to preserve their cultural heritage and bloodlines in exile.   Those left behind did not.  They intermarried with other people groups, and in light of the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem, their faith practice had evolved.  This is referenced in this morning’s scripture.  The Samaritans had moved the place of worship of God from Jerusalem to Mount Gerizim.   The returning exiles saw these Samaritans, who lived in the hills of Samaria, to be less than fully Jewish. Because the Samaritans had intermarried with non-Jewish people groups, they were viewed as unclean.   If Jesus had drank water from a vessel handled by a Samaritan, then by the standards of the day he would have been considered unclean.  

There were a lot of cultural divides and divisions between Jesus and this woman.  It is worth noting how entrenched these divisions are into the viewpoint of the woman.  This goes beyond just noticing and stating the differences.  Jesus asks for a simple drink of water, but the division leads to the woman focusing on the differences that prevent her from doing that.  Even when the conversation gets deeper, the woman still brings up the different worship beliefs between the Jews and the Samaritans.  The woman was thinking in an us vs. them mentality.  She saw Jesus as someone different than her, and her starting point is this difference was too vast to bridge. 

Even to this day, these are still reasons why we still struggle to be the best neighbors.  It is hard to be a good neighbor, much less love our neighbors as ourselves, when our starting point is how different someone is.  We can not be the best neighbor to someone when our primary impression of them is that they are “one of those people.”  When we define someone only by how they are different than us, then we tend to reduce people to caricatures.  We view them only in terms of the divides, and we tend to assume the more extreme expressions of whatever the difference is.   This does not mean we just brush over differences and ignore them completely.  To do so is to erase uniqueness of others and minimize their viewpoint.   WE can acknowledge differences without letting them be a source of division.  We can embrace and even celebrate the diversity of others.   We do this by ensuring that there is equity for all regardless of the differences.  We do this by being mindful and intentional of being inclusive of those who might be different from us, so that we can be the best neighbors to them that we can be. 

 This is the example that Jesus gives us in this morning’s scripture.  He does acknowledge the culture differences, especially regarding worship practices, between Jews and Samaritans. However, he does not let this be a point of division.  Instead of only seeing the differences of the Samaritan Woman, Jesus sees her full humanity as a person made in the image of God with dignity and worth.   It is worth pointing out that in the gospel of John, and chronologically in any of the gospels, this is first time that Jesus states that he is the Messiah.   Jesus does not reveal his deepest truth to the powerful, the rulers, the leaders, or even his disciples.  The first time Jesus tells anyone about himself, it is a woman radically different than Jesus who was trying to avoid people. Despite their differences, Jesus leads her to believe that she too can worship God in spirt in truth. 

The power of Mr. Rogers is that on the screen it was portrayed that he wanted to be everyone’s neighbor because he had a genuine care for all people.  We see that same love for all displayed in Jesus reaching across all kinds of cultural lines to connect with the woman at the well.   In this, both Jesus and Mr. Rogers show us the most important factor in being the best neighbors.  To be the best neighbor our primary motivation must be to love others.   This means that every program we offer, every mission project, every community outreach initiative, every personal invite to church the reason why we are doing it because of our love for someone else, because we are seeking to love our neighbors as ourselves.  In a world that continues to be full of divisions, and a world where there are more strangers than neighbors, the way that we bridge that gap and be the best neighbors is love people like Jesus loves us.   In his book “A Field Guide to Methodist Fresh Expressions” United Methodist pastor Michael Beck points this out. He wrote, “Any missional strategy that does not begin with an agenda-free love for others is questionable.”

This woman appears once more in the gospel of John.  In John 4:39-40 we find these words: “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony . . So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.  And because of his words many more became believers.”    This is early in the ministry of Jesus.  The woman at the well and her testimony led to one of the first big surges of new believers of Jesus, and it happened because Jesus did not the culture differences be a barrier.  This scripture shows when we seek to include more diversity and differences, when we are the best neighbors, then the kingdom of God expands. 

In the same way our testimony and our witness of being the best neighbors can also attract people to be believers in Jesus and expand the kingdom of God.  Research from the Fuller Youth Institute shows that young people want to be part of churches that are the best neighbors and that have a love for the whole world.   The research shows that young people want to be part of churches that are diverse, inclusive, and stand for the equity of all.  In the book Growing Young the researchers report on their findings.  They asked church leaders, church volunteers, parents, emerging adults, and teenagers “What do you believe accounts for your church’s success at engaging young people?”   One of three of them pointed to the church’s inclusive and open attitude towards other people and the culture at large. 

 In this morning’s scripture Jesus meets a woman at a well who was very different from him.   These differences were a cultural divide, but Jesus overcame this division with love.  May we seek to follow the example of our Lord and Savior.  May we truly be able to say to those around us the same words that Mr. Rogers sung every episode as he changed into his comfy cardigan, “I have always wanted to have a neighbor like you, I’ve always wanted to live it a neighborhood with you.  So let’s make the most of this beautiful day, since we’re together we might as well say Would you be mine?  Could you be mine?  Won’t you be my neighbor?  Friends, if we can approach the community around us and the world beyond with that loving attitude I think we will indeed find it is a beautiful day in the neighborhood where God is glorified, disciples are made, and the world is transformed.   So may the world know we are Christians by our love as we seek to be the best neighbors. 
           
 

Scripture:  Matthew 18:1-5; 10-14

 Growing up my Grandma Litherland lived in Tell City, way down in Southern Indiana among the banks of the Ohio River.  When I was young going to visit her was always an exciting prospect, and that is because I knew going to visit her meant we would go to the Tell City McDonalds.  What made that so special was more than just the happy meals, it was that the Tell City McDonalds had an indoor playground.  This was a fairly rare thing in the 1980s.  To this day, I can still remember in detail the layout to that playground.  Unfortunately, I have to remember it because it does not exist anymore.   In fact, there are only a small handful of McDonald’s playgrounds open anywhere in all of Indiana.  In 2020 during the Covid pandemic, McDonald’s closed all their play places, and in most areas they were never reopened.  As individual restaurants have remodeled over the past five years, often the playground have been removed entirely.   While I understand this is a business decision motivated by the bottom line, it is sad to me because I think the world needs more playgrounds not less. 

 Playgrounds are important because they are public spaces that are child-focused and fully centered on the experience of the child.   The history of playgrounds is a fascinating one, and they are fairly recent.  The first playground in the United States was not opened until 1886.  The first playgrounds were created to address the problem of children congregating in busy streets.  Initially playgrounds were seen as tools to craft children into more industrious adults.  They were created to be places where instructional games that taught children the importance of following rules and structure could be taught.  When climbing equipment began being added, many advocated that these spaces provided places for physical training so that children could be stronger workers or soldiers.   However, there were also advocates who saw playgrounds as important places not to train children but to let the kids be kids and just play.  Especially after World War 2, this became the viewpoint that won out and the dominant philosophy behind playgrounds.  While play can offer a variety of physical and cognitive benefits the main point of a playground today is for a kid to play and the equipment is built to prioritize the safety, viewpoint, and fun of the child. 

Playgrounds are a space in our culture where a kid can be a kid.  As we consider the words of Jesus from this morning’s scripture, I think a strong case could be made that churches should also be a place where a kid can be a kid.   Perhaps we also should be built to prioritize the safety, viewpoint, and experience of young people.   In doing so, not only will we be honoring Jesus’ teaching in this morning’s scripture, but we can discover that when we prioritize young people everyone ultimately benefits and grows in their faith. 

This morning’s scripture begins with a familiar theme.  Multiple times in the gospels, the disciples argue about which of them is the greatest.   In fact, in the gospel of Mark, it specifically states that the disciples were arguing about this all the way on the road to Capernaum.   Matthew’s gospel avoids the argument and records the disciples getting straight to the point, and asking Jesus “who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  

While they might have all secretly hoped Jesus name dropped them specifically, I do not think the disciples were looking for a specific person.  They wanted to know what kind of person was going to get the most honor, the most power, and most responsibility in God’s kingdom.   We do not know what answer the disciples were expecting, but it is likely Jesus caught them all off guard by calling a little child over.   Culturally, the disciples would not have considered a child the greatest at anything.  As biblical scholar M. Eugene Boring points out in the New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, “Even in first century Judaism, children were often regarded as inferior, without status or rights, treated more as property than as persons and were never held up as a model for anything.”          

 Jesus lifts up that in the Kingdom of heaven that greatness is not measured by the metrics of power, prestige, and wealth that the world uses.   In the kingdom of heaven, the person who willingly elevates others above themselves is considered great, and then Jesus challenges the disciples to put this into practice in verse 5.   There Jesus says, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”    Jesus is touching on the hospitality culture and honor culture of the time.   To welcome a child, to extend hospitality to them, is to honor them.  This was often done for people who one believed were their equal or their better.  In the culture of the day, a child was not important enough to extend hospitality to, they had not paid their dues or earned their spot to be worthy of honor. 

 Honoring others above yourself and including those who are often excluded are common themes in the bible and especially the gospels.  However, this morning’s scripture goes further.   Jesus does not lift up a child as an object lesson and move on, but he tenaciously sticks with it.  We skipped over verses 6-9 but in those verses, Jesus lifts up that children are worthy of not just being included but being given special care.  Then when we picked up in verse 10, Jesus is still going on about the importance of children.   He tells a parable about how a man will leave the ninety-nine to go find one missing sheep, and that is an example of how God cares about the children.   We learn that in the kingdom of heaven not only are the children just as important as everyone else, but they are prioritized.   They are worth leaving the 99 behind to make sure the one is found and included.  

It is notable that Jesus places so much priority on children when the larger culture of his time did not.   Throughout time this is an emphasis that some students of the bible have really picked up on.   John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, picked up on this.  In his study of the bible, he saw that Jesus placed an emphasis on little ones. For this reason,  John Wesley insisted that Methodist preachers should spend no less than hour a week with children.  He got push back by some for this.   Some claimed that spending time with children was a waste because it kept them from the important work of saving souls.  Others claimed they were not gifted at working with kids.  Wesley was just as emphatic with his preachers as Jesus was his disciples when it came to the importance of children and Wesley’s response was “If you do not do this, you are not to be called a Methodist preacher.”

In this morning’s scripture we see a priority placed on young people, and that priority is part of the DNA of the United Methodist Church.   Prioritizing young people everywhere is one of the six essential strategies that the Fuller Youth Institute found is present in churches that succeed at making meaningful and sustainable connections with young people.   In fact, their research found it is the most essential of the core commitments.  In Growing Young they wrote, “A large swath of our nation’s congregations can and do foster many of these core commitments.  They are filled with lovely people doing lovely ministry, They just aren’t reaching young people. For many congregations making the intentional decision to disproportionately prioritize young people is the inflection point between growing young and growing old.” 

 Their research found that a church can take Jesus’ message seriously, it can build a warm community, and it can even empathize with young people and share leadership with them.  However, for churches to grow young and maintain a church culture that consistently engages younger people it has to prioritize them.  I know some of you may have got in that quote the phrase “disproportionately prioritize young people.”   This kind of means what it sounds like.  It means that a church does not commit its energy and resources to young people based on how much of the congregation they make up.  It means that a church commits its energy, time and resources to young people as if they are a priority.   This goes beyond just offering programs for young people.  Again, in Growing Young the researchers wrote, “These churches have made prioritizing young people a lifestyle commitment.  And the young people know it.”  

A church that prioritizes young people everywhere is one that has moved from having programs for young people, to being a church that is for young people.  Like the man in the parable Jesus told, a church that prioritizes young people leaves the 99 to find the one.   I realize that if you are not a young person, then your initial reaction is what about me?    There can be an instant concern that if young people are prioritized then that must mean everyone else is ignored.   That kneejerk reaction comes from an attitude of scarcity.  An attitude of scarcity is one that leaves us feeling territorial and feeling like we have to protect what we view as ours.   However, the kingdom of God is not a kingdom of scarcity, it is a kingdom of abundance.  When the disciples welcome the little children like Jesus said they should, it does not mean there is less space for them.   The kingdom of God does not work like that.   The Growing young research shows that when younger people get a bigger slice of the pie, the entire pie tends to get larger.   The depth of discipleship, the church’s outreach, the church’s friendliness, and overall level of excitement and engagement all god up.  As theologian Walter Brueggemann once wrote, “The power of the future is not in the hands of those who believe in scarcity but of those who trust in God’s abundance.”

 To prioritize young people requires considering how the way we do things do or do not consider young people and then making changes accordingly.   I think Epworth United Methodist Church in Indianapolis gives us a good example of what this looks like.  One of the responses this church made to the Covid-19 Pandemic was to remove their pews and replace them with chairs, this way people could move chairs around the room to maintain social distance from others during worship.   As the more urgent part of the pandemic wound down, the church began to wonder how else they might be able to better use their worship space.  The church had made the commitment to prioritize young people and their families, and this led to discussions about what this looked like in worship. 

The church did not want children to feel like guests or outsiders in the sanctuary, a space that kids often portray as a “grow up” space.  They did not worship to primarily be an adult activity, so they made the space more friendly for children.  Being good United Methodists, the back part of the sanctuary tended to be the prime real estate people wanted to sit in, but they gave this space up for the children.  They put in a Kid’s Zone.  An area that has seating that is made for children, it has activities and toys that engage young children and busy hands.  Instead of having a nursery for fidgety kids to go to, they brought the nursery into the sanctuary so the kids’ do not have to leave.  It has become their space as much as anyone else’s.

I was amazed when I first saw this area, and I talked to the church’s current associate pastor about it.  He communicated to me that even though there might be noises in the sanctuary on any given Sunday, the benefits have been immense.   Parents are able to stay engaged in the service while their kids learn, explore, and participate at their own level. Children feel more at ease, less restless, and more connected to the rhythms of prayer, song, and Scripture. And as a congregation, Epworth is living into its vision of being an intergenerational community that nurtures faith at every stage of life. The Kid Zone has become a visible sign of the church’s commitment to pass on the faith to the next generation, right in the heart of our worshiping space.

 Please hear me, I am not saying we have to get rid of your pew.  I am not saying that.  However, I think the story of Epworth shows us that prioritizing young people might mean doing things differently than we have in the past.   It is worth doing though, because as this morning’s scripture points out, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ prioritized children.  We should too.  So may we take the words of Jesus to heart, may we welcome young people in the name of Jesus, because in doing so we are welcoming him.  May we not have an attitude of scarcity but an attitude of abundance.  May we be willing to prioritize young people everywhere and in doing so may we let the children come.  

Scripture: Romans 12:3-16

It was 2006 and the house we were living in had a small back porch.   As spring turned into summer, we found a small bench that we bought to put back there.  It came from Wal-Mart, so it was a piece of flat box furniture, which means it comes in a flat box and some assembly is required.   For whatever reason we did not get to unpacking it and putting it together right away.  A couple of weeks later the church I was serving at as youth minister had vacation bible school coming up and the VBS director mentioned they needed a bench for the sanctuary decorations.  I volunteered our new one, but mentioned we had to assemble it still.  Someone else cheerfully volunteered that if I brought it in, she and her husband would assemble it. 

On the first day of VBS, I saw the husband and thanked him for assembling our bench.  He glared at me for several long seconds, before he asked, “How long have you been married?”   At the time it had been three years, so I told him.  He gave a defeated sigh and said “You are welcome, because your marriage would not have survived putting that together.” 

 It sounds like that bench was especially frustrating, and it probably was. I do not know how much experience you have assembling flat box furniture, but it can be an aggravating experience.  It seems that the pre-drilled holes are never quite deep enough, there is never enough space to turn an Allen wrench like it is supposed to, the pieces that are supposed to line up just don’t quite seem together, or to hold everything in place to tighten it down requires like seven hands at once.  I have always found trying to assemble flat box furniture to be a harder task than it feels like it should be.  I know I am not the only one to feel this way.  For instance, Ikea furniture especially has earned a reputation for how maddening it is to try and assemble.  One of the things that makes it so frustrating is it all comes with instructions.  They are step by step.  Looking at the instructions it always feels like it should be a lot easier to assemble than it is.  The idea of something being harder than it looks like it should be makes me think of this morning’s scripture.

This morning’s scripture gives a good description of what the church is supposed to be like.  It is full of sensible instructions about how as followers of Christ should live in community together.  Like flat box furniture, on paper the instructions in this morning’s scripture sound easy enough but prove to be a little bit more difficult in practice.  However, seeking to build the kind of community that this morning’s scripture describes is worth it because we find belonging when, as the scripture states, we belong to one another.   This belonging is one of the most effective tools we can have to fulfill our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ. 

This morning’s scripture comes from the end of the book of Romans, which is the letter Paul wrote to the Christian community in Rome.  Starting in chapter 12 the focus of Romans shifts to more practical matters about how the Romans should live as followers of Jesus in their culture and in community together.  This morning’s scripture is specifically about how they should live in community together.  This was a common theme for Paul in his writings.  In fact, part of this morning’s scripture might have sounded familiar to some of you.  In this morning’s scripture Paul wrote, “For just as each of us has one body with many members and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many form one body.”   What we find here in Romans is a paraphrase of what Paul went into much greater detail about in 1 Corinthians. 

So in Romans Paul reiterates that the church, the community of faith, should be like a body where each member belongs to the others.   Just like he did in 1 Corinthians, Paul then points out that everyone has different gifts and it is everyone’s unique contribution that make the community whole.  Yet, in his writing to the Romans Paul adds several other practical instructions for how to live in community together.  Paul instructs the Romans, and by extension us that we should not think more highly of ourselves than we should, we should honor one another above ourselves, we should share with one another when someone is in need, we rejoice with one another, and we mourn with one another.  Paul also instructed that we should not be proud but be willing to associate with one another no matter what someone’s reputation might be, we should live in harmony with another, and the love we hold for another must be sincere.

Again, these instructions sound practical.  They describe the kind of warm community many of us likely want to be part of, so it sounds like common sense.  However, much like the instructions of flat box furniture, history has shown that following these instructions are harder than it looks on paper.  Our love for one another must be sincere, but Christians who are supposed to love one another can bicker, fight, and argue over the stupidest things. 

Several years ago, Thom Rainer, CEO of Lifeway Christian resources, did an informal survey and asked people to share times they have experienced conflict in the church.  Many of the answers submitted are what you might expect such as disagreements over music, people getting upset over changing the worship time, and of course arguing over what color of carpet to get.  However, he highlighted some of the more eyebrow raising answers.   One person remembered a time there was a large dispute because the church budget was off by ten cents.  The argument ended when someone went to their car and got a dime to balance the budget.   A board meeting spent a lot of time discussing the appropriate length for the worship leader’s beard.   Another person reported a board meeting with a 45-minute heated argument over the type of filing cabinet to purchase: black or brown; 2, 3, or 4 drawers.  Finally, one person tragically reported a meeting that was the most contentious meeting in the church’s history.  The church decided to switch to a stronger brand of coffee and in response several people left the church for good.  

This morning’s scripture describes what a Christian community should be like.  There are a lot of good instructions, but if there is one verse that summarizes it the best it would be verse 10: “Be devoted to one another in love.  Honor one another above yourselves.” Following this instruction would create the kind of Christian community where we feel like we belong and the kind of warm and inviting community that others will want to be part of.  It sounds so simple, but as those stories show it is anything but.  When we are assembling flat box furniture and the instructions turn out not to be as simple as they look we are faced with three options, and these options are similar to the ones we are faced with living out this morning’s scripture.   

The first option is to just give up and leave it unfinished.  This certainly happens with church.  Some people give up by walking away, but other people give up by declaring “it is my way or the highway” and they then drive people away.  The second option is that we give up on the instructions and try to finish the project ourselves.  While this can work, the finished result ends up being a little wonky.  Maybe the shelf is not quite level, the structure is a bit wobbly, and a few pieces that should have been used do not get used.   When we pursue this option in the church it often leads to dysfunctional communities of faith, that do not honor one another or love with sincerity.   Going this route creates churches that implode over something as trivial as switching coffee brands. 

When assembling flat box furniture with hard to follow instructions, the final option we have is to follow the instructions anyway.  Despite them sometimes being confusing, despite them sometimes being hard, despite the fact we sometimes misunderstood or got it wrong.   The final option is we make the choice to follow the instructions because it is the best way to create something worthwhile.   The same is true for the church.   A loving community does not happen by accident.  It happens by choice.   It happens because we choose to be devoted to one another in love.  We must choose to value one another above our personal preferences or comforts.   It is not possible to love each sincerely passively.  For love to be sincere, it is something we actively choose to do and it is a choice that we actively live out.   We do this by rejoicing with one another, mourning with one another, worshipping with one another, and serving side by side to make a difference.   This is how we be the church, and this is how we make a warm community.  

 Providing a warm community where people can feel like they belong, and they feel like they are connected to other people is one of the ways that the church can meet the needs of the world today.  In our culture, there is a real and dangerous loneliness epidemic.  Studies have found that sustained feelings of loneliness can have the same health impact on an individual as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day.   While this is a problem across all demographics, several studies have found that loneliness is impacting more young people, ages 16-24 than any other demographic.  The Fuller Youth Institute researchers asked young people who found and stayed involved with a church what kept them at their church, and the most given answer was personal relationships formed.  Often these relationships cut across generational lines.  These young people were embraced by a warm community, and they found one of their deep needs met. 

As this morning’s scripture puts forth, all churches should be a warm community.   All churches have the potential to be a church where love is sincere and young people experience community I know of a story from a clergy colleague that illustrates this.  This person served at a couple of different churches, with one of them being much smaller.  On a good Sunday the smaller church had 15 people, and the youngest members were in their 60s.  The smaller church was 20 minutes away and had an early worship time.  This pastor’s kids were more involved in the bigger church, so they made a family decision that they would not make the kids go regularly to the smaller, older church with the earlier worship time.  However, one of this pastor’s kids would voluntarily go to this church regularly, and that was in large part because that smaller, older church had Bob.  Every Sunday Bob would talk to the pastor’s son.  He would remember what he said from week to week and ask questions that were deeper than “how are you.”   When Bob did not really have anything else to say then he would him “I sure am glad to see you today.”   So one morning after getting up early, and while in the car driving to this church the pastor asked their son, “Why do you do this?  Why do you get up and come with me?”   He replied, “Because I know they want me.” 

 This is what it means for love to be sincere.  This is what it means to live in harmony with one another and for the church to be like body where each part belongs to the others.   There is a real need for people to have a place to belong and not feel lonely, and I believe it is God’s design that the church meets this need in the world.  This is why one of the essential strategies for a church to grow young is to fuel a warm community.

In this morning’s scripture, Paul gives us instructions that lift up what a church should be like.  Historically, Christians have struggled to meet this mark, but that does not mean we should stop striving to reach it.  This morning’s scripture is especially relevant today, as there are so many people struggling with loneliness.  Being a warm community does meet a real need in the world.   All people, especially young people, want a place where they can be their authentic self.  They want place where they belong and where they know they are wanted.   By the grace of God, may we be that place.