Upon Further Review
Sunday number two preaching in Gypsum is now behind me. I think it went better than last week. If nothing else the children's message flowed much better. How can you go wrong when you give away candy? I think the main message hit the context better as well. Now I need to learn how to push it even further. That aside I am happy.... As an aside I will be beginning my journey back to Minnesota this evening so that I can be approved by the synod and then run Grandma's Marathon. Being on the road I will be quiet for a while (kind of shocking, eh?). After I get in late on Monday evening, I will hopefully have some stuff to share come Tuesday. Until then I actually wrote out my sermon for the week, the first time I've done that since Thanksgiving of my internship year. So for those who are interested here it is. If you're not interested, hopefully I'll see you back here again some time....
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Consequences
Actions have consequences…of course you know that because your mother has told you that for years. This week I thought I would write the sermon up at “Hanging Lake.” If I had turned on “Dead Horse Trail” there would have been negative consequences. If I had forgotten to bring water there would have been negative consequences. Instead I took the right path and remembered my water and there were positive consequences.
Sometimes we don’t recognize it but our actions still have consequences. A friend of mine who is a pastor was watching a game show with his kids one night. He and the older boy were having a grand time laughing at the wrong answers by some of the contestants and making the “Loser” sign with their hands. The next morning as my friend walked in to worship during the first hymn he walked by his family and the youngest boy flashed him the “Loser” sign.
Our actions have consequences. Our first story from scripture today is the end of the story of David and Bathsheba. David, one of the holiest men in the Bible. David, a king chosen by God. He had money, he had power, he had it all. When one day he steps out on his deck and notices a beautiful woman taking a bath on the roof next door. Despite having everything he could ever want and more, David says to his people, “Bring her to me!” After having an affair he realizes, somewhat, what he has done and he tries to cover it up. So he calls her husband Uriah back from the war he is actually fighting for David. David feeds him and gives him lots of wine and says, “Go, spend the night with your wife. I bet you miss her, it’s been a while.” Uriah doesn’t think it’s fair that he should have that time with his wife when the other guys are off fighting away from their wives and he sleeps outside of his doorway. So David come up with another plan. He sends Uriah back to the front lines with a note that says, “Put this man at the front of the fighting and then slowly pull everybody back.” Essentially David has Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, killed. That’s where we picked up the story with Nathan telling the story of the sheep to get David to see what he had done. Consequently David and Bathsheba’s first son died.
Our actions have consequences. We as a society worship celebrities and sports heroes. Consequently we have children’s lives ruined as they are pushed into classes and pageants. We have parents getting into fights with other parents and umpires at little league games. We worship money and possessions and so people are working two or more jobs to provide “stuff” for the family. Because they are not taking the time for the people in their family we see dysfunctional families, and people getting divorced, left and right…despite all of this work for the family. We choose not to follow God and our lives are more difficult.
Our actions have consequences, and sometimes they’re surprising. A woman, a known sinner, interrupts dinner with Jesus and his friends. Given the laws of the time there were very serious consequences for her actions. Instead Jesus’ followers got admonished and she got blessed. It reminds me of the story I got via e-mail this week that tells of a young girl who invited a master piano player to her recital. He came and she completely froze. She was unable to play. After the recital the master piano player patted the little girl on the head. Had she not frozen she likely would not have received the pat on the head from the master. Just as if the woman had not interrupted dinner she likely would not have received a blessing from Jesus. Just as if we don’t sin we don’t receive his forgiveness and blessing.
One of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther is “Sin boldly, but believe even more boldly.” We are sinful people by nature, prone to act in ways that cut ourselves off from God, that turns our focus on ourselves. Consequently we get wrapped up in our actions and fear the consequences so much that we end up not doing things, some of which are good acts, are pleasing to God. Luther is telling us to not worry about it, but instead go and live. Know that you are going to mess things up, but have faith that God will work through you despite your nature. Now as we go and boldly live our lives we will sin, but when we sin we will also find forgiveness. For you see, our actions have consequences. Amen!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Consequences
Actions have consequences…of course you know that because your mother has told you that for years. This week I thought I would write the sermon up at “Hanging Lake.” If I had turned on “Dead Horse Trail” there would have been negative consequences. If I had forgotten to bring water there would have been negative consequences. Instead I took the right path and remembered my water and there were positive consequences.
Sometimes we don’t recognize it but our actions still have consequences. A friend of mine who is a pastor was watching a game show with his kids one night. He and the older boy were having a grand time laughing at the wrong answers by some of the contestants and making the “Loser” sign with their hands. The next morning as my friend walked in to worship during the first hymn he walked by his family and the youngest boy flashed him the “Loser” sign.
Our actions have consequences. Our first story from scripture today is the end of the story of David and Bathsheba. David, one of the holiest men in the Bible. David, a king chosen by God. He had money, he had power, he had it all. When one day he steps out on his deck and notices a beautiful woman taking a bath on the roof next door. Despite having everything he could ever want and more, David says to his people, “Bring her to me!” After having an affair he realizes, somewhat, what he has done and he tries to cover it up. So he calls her husband Uriah back from the war he is actually fighting for David. David feeds him and gives him lots of wine and says, “Go, spend the night with your wife. I bet you miss her, it’s been a while.” Uriah doesn’t think it’s fair that he should have that time with his wife when the other guys are off fighting away from their wives and he sleeps outside of his doorway. So David come up with another plan. He sends Uriah back to the front lines with a note that says, “Put this man at the front of the fighting and then slowly pull everybody back.” Essentially David has Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, killed. That’s where we picked up the story with Nathan telling the story of the sheep to get David to see what he had done. Consequently David and Bathsheba’s first son died.
Our actions have consequences. We as a society worship celebrities and sports heroes. Consequently we have children’s lives ruined as they are pushed into classes and pageants. We have parents getting into fights with other parents and umpires at little league games. We worship money and possessions and so people are working two or more jobs to provide “stuff” for the family. Because they are not taking the time for the people in their family we see dysfunctional families, and people getting divorced, left and right…despite all of this work for the family. We choose not to follow God and our lives are more difficult.
Our actions have consequences, and sometimes they’re surprising. A woman, a known sinner, interrupts dinner with Jesus and his friends. Given the laws of the time there were very serious consequences for her actions. Instead Jesus’ followers got admonished and she got blessed. It reminds me of the story I got via e-mail this week that tells of a young girl who invited a master piano player to her recital. He came and she completely froze. She was unable to play. After the recital the master piano player patted the little girl on the head. Had she not frozen she likely would not have received the pat on the head from the master. Just as if the woman had not interrupted dinner she likely would not have received a blessing from Jesus. Just as if we don’t sin we don’t receive his forgiveness and blessing.
One of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther is “Sin boldly, but believe even more boldly.” We are sinful people by nature, prone to act in ways that cut ourselves off from God, that turns our focus on ourselves. Consequently we get wrapped up in our actions and fear the consequences so much that we end up not doing things, some of which are good acts, are pleasing to God. Luther is telling us to not worry about it, but instead go and live. Know that you are going to mess things up, but have faith that God will work through you despite your nature. Now as we go and boldly live our lives we will sin, but when we sin we will also find forgiveness. For you see, our actions have consequences. Amen!
posted by pb @ 12:26 PM
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