Love God, Love People

Matthew 22:34-46

An old rabbi was teaching two of his brightest students. The students ask, "How do we know that the night is over and the dawn is coming?' The rabbi replies, "What do you think?" The first student says, "When it is light enough to tell the difference between a dog and a sheep." The old rabbi shakes his head, 'No." The second student says, "When you can distinguish between a grape vine and a sycamore tree?” The old man shakes his head again. Finally, after they petition him again and again, he says, "It is when you can look into the face of a stranger and see a member of your own family. At that moment it is the dawn that is coming." In our text today Jesus reminds us that love of God and love of neighbor are intimately related. Jesus even goes so far as to command this love of God and love of neighbor.

The expert in the law comes to Jesus and asks, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus doesn’t even need time to think about it. He replies with the greatest commandment, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” But Jesus, does not stop there he continues, “The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” These commandments may seem familiar to us or they may not. However, they are also found in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy and Leviticus. The Old Testament includes 613 laws. Yet, Jesus picks these two commandments and pairs them together in order to form the greatest commandment.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” So what does it mean to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind? It means that we love God with our entire being. It means making no division in our lives between what is sacred and what is secular. It means loving God everyday of the week, not just on Sunday mornings. In all that we do and with all that we have we are commanded to love God. Love God with all your heart, which is the center of your feelings. Love God with all your soul, which is your spirit. Love God with all your mind, which is your thought, understanding, and imagination. Love God with every ounce of your being.

We are also commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. In first-century Jewish thought, “as yourself,” means “as though he or she were yourself” or as if you were in the same situation as your neighbor. This is a variation of Jesus’ Golden Rule, “Do to others as you would have them do to you,” which is similar to a saying of first century Rabbi Hillel, “What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your neighbor; this is the whole law, the rest is commentary.” In Leviticus the neighbor is primarily another Israelite, by the time of Jesus it included non-Jews. Today the neighbor may be as near as one’s spouse or family, or as distant as a homeless person huddled around a heating vent in the depth of winter, or someone on the other side of the world. Regardless of the other person’s location or situation in life we are commanded to love our neighbors. Love your neighbors as you would have them love you.

This makes me wonder who our neighbors are. I remember when I was growing up I never really thought I had any neighbors, except my Grandma, who lived next-door, literally steps away. She was the only person who lived really close to me, because I lived on a farm. My friends from school that lived in town had lots of neighbors, next-door neighbors on all sides of their houses. My next closest neighbors, the Ness family, lived about a quarter mile down the road, down one hill and up the other. They had three daughters, whom my brother and I often played with growing up, but that was about all I had for neighbors. Everyone else lived at least a mile away and to me that was not a neighbor. As I grew older I began to understand the concept of neighbors differently. Today I would like to introduce some of my neighbors to you.

I want you to meet my neighbor. His name is Gene. He lives in poverty near New Orleans. Before Hurricane Katrina he had very little and after the hurricane he had even less. He lost all his photos and personal mementos in the hurricane. When I along with some other college students helped him with his house (a house none of us would ever find livable), he gave us each a rose from his rose bush. It was the only thing he had to give. Gene is my neighbor. Who is your neighbor?

I want you to meet my neighbor. Her name is Sandra. She lives in a township in South Africa. She lives with her father, mother, and two brothers in a house that is the size of most master bedrooms in our country. She is in high school. Someday she would like to go to college and become a doctor so she could help others, but her family cannot afford a college education for her. Sandra is my neighbor. Who is your neighbor?

I want you to meet my neighbor. His name is Eduardo. He lives with his family at the bottom of a canyon in Guadalajara, Mexico. Everyday he walks up the canyon to go to school and then back down the canyon to go home. It is a very long walk. He speaks Spanish and I speak English, but we can still communicate. A smile is universal. Eduardo is my neighbor. Who is your neighbor?

I want you to meet my neighbor. Her name is Melinda. She is in her mid-thirties. She is a schoolteacher in Finland. Melinda visited the United States for three months as an exchange counselor. She and I spent a summer working together at a Bible Camp. I taught her about America and she taught me about Finland. Melinda is my neighbor. Who is your neighbor?

I have neighbors from all over the world, of every age, ethnicity, gender, economic class, and thought. Some of these neighbors I know well and others I do not know. When we, as Christians, reach out to such neighbors we become well-rounded people with a global mindset and a deeper understanding of the human condition. If we are always surrounded with people that look, speak, and think like us, when will we ever be challenged? So, Jesus challenges us with this text. Jesus commands us to love our neighbors. Not just the neighbors that live in our neighborhood. Not just the neighbors that we know. The point is that we love our neighbors, but the point is not that we choose our own neighborhood. The point that Jesus makes here is that we love our neighbors, regardless of what neighborhood they are in.

Jesus commands, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.” Though this command is comprised of two commands, they cannot be separated. One commentary states, “Love of God cannot exist without love for all fellow human beings as its content. Love of humanity cannot exist without love of God as its basis.” If we really love God with our entire being we will love our neighbors. If we really love our neighbors we will love God.

Yet, this still seems like such a big task. It makes me wonder how we are supposed to love God and all of our neighbors. Unlike the English language, in the Greek language there is more than one word for love. The word that is used in this text is agape. One author explains agape love as “acting for the sake of the beloved, as doing good, as self-giving, and as selfless altruism.” Agape love does not involve a “personal fulfillment and a sense that the other has value worth appreciating.” Agape is the kind of love God has for humanity and all of creation. Agape is the love we are commanded to have for God and for our neighbors. This is a love that sees beyond the color of skin, the amount of money in the bank, and the neighborhood in which one lives. This is the love that Jesus commands: agape love of God and agape love of neighbor. Are we able to love God with all of our being and to love our neighbors—all of our neighbors, too? The ultimate test comes when we can look, with hearts and eyes of love, into the face of a stranger and see a member of our own family-God’s own family. Amen.

Give and Your Heart Will Follow

Matthew 6:19-21

Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl
The girl who has everything?

Look at this trove, treasures untold
How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Looking around here, you'd think
Sure, she's got everything.

I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty
I've got who's-its and what's-its galore
You want thing-a-mabobs?
I've got twenty
But who cares? No big deal. I want more.

Ariel was guilty of it. I am guilty of it. We are all guilty of it. We like our gadgets and gizmos. We like earthly treasures. And, if you are anything like me, you have a long list of things you want. An iPhone. A Kindle. A new pair of shoes, Tom’s to be exact. A new car. And don’t forget a money tree to pay off all my debt. Yet, the reality is, I have so much. When I moved to seminary from South Dakota I bought a Jeep to haul my earthly treasures across the country. By the time I graduate, I think, no I know, that all my material possessions will not fit in the Jeep to move home. Maybe you are in the same situation. Blame it on your love for shopping. Blame it on all those books from your seminary classes. But whatever you blame it on, recognize that the real reason is because we like to store up treasures on earth.

I remember reading this passage of scripture on internship shortly after my credit card had been stolen and some one had attempted to break into my house in Washington, DC. All of a sudden I realized that my treasures on earth could very quickly be taken from me. I could have quickly gone from having a lot to having very little in earthly possessions. Now that was a scary feeling, but it did knock some sense into me. I realized that I could lose my earthly possessions, but I would still have a lot. I would still have my family, my friends, a supportive internship congregation, my life, my faith, and God’s love.

Now, I want to be clear, that my intention is not that you go sell all of your possessions and give the money to the poor. I don’t think this was Jesus’ intention with this teaching either. It’s not about despising earthly treasures. It’s not about thinking that we are entitled to them either. Jesus is trying to get us to reduce our list of wants and recognize that our hearts follow our treasures. After all, Jesus didn’t say, “Where your heart is, there your treasure will be.” No, instead, Jesus taught, “Where you put your treasure – that’s where your heart will end up.” Mark Allan Powell, in his book “Giving to God,” writes, “The point isn’t that how we spend our money reveals what sort of people we are, but that how we spend our money determines what sort of people we become”(53). So, what kind of person do you want to become?

You could choose to live a life full of earthly treasures. You could love your gizmos and gadgets and want every new thing that appears on the market. You could live solely for yourself and forget about those around you who might have needs that are much greater than your wants. Or you could choose to live differently. You could choose to live a life full of heavenly treasures. You could be thankful for what you have and learn to get by with the first generation gizmo. You could live so that others would also get to live in abundance by sharing your treasures with others.

Maybe you are thinking, “Cassandra, I really want to be a faithful steward, but I am just a poor seminary student.” Don’t worry I am in that boat with you, but realize that treasures are much more than money. Treasures are the things you value. Giving our treasures is about giving our time, our talents, and our financial resources. In our text for today Jesus is calling us to give our treasures to those things that we want to care about. Mark Allan Powell urges to, “Give where you want your heart to be, and let your heart catch up”(55). Jesus promises that our heart will go where our treasures go.

How can you give? You could give your time. On our campus there are three Student Association committees: Social Outreach, Communications, and Wellness. You could give of your time and help these committees to serve our campus community and the world. You could give of your talents. You could use your musical gifts to glorify God by singing in one of our choirs. You could use your athletic skills to bring home to Book of Concord in the upcoming Luther Bowl. You could give of your financial resources. Currently our campus, along with the other schools that are participating in Luther Bowl, are collecting school supplies to give to those in the wider community that might not have the appropriate supplies for the school year. These are all ways that we can be faithful stewards of all the gifts that God has so graciously blessed us with.

So, instead of living like Ariel, singing of all the things that we want, let’s live proclaiming a different story. Let’s live singing the story of the abundant gifts God has given. Let’s proclaim the story of salvation that was given to us through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. And in response to all that has been given to us let’s give. Give faithfully. Give boldly. Give of our time, our talents, and our financial resources. Give to God and know that our hearts will follow wherever our treasures go. Amen.

Abundant Grace

Matthew 20:1-16

I vividly remember a hot summer day in the middle of July, when over one hundred campers and staff stood on the deck waiting for lunch. After we had prayed the counselor responsible for dismissal said, “the last will be first and the first will be last.” The campers at the end of the long line rejoiced. The campers at the beginning of the line complained. This happened almost every week that I worked at camp and the results were always the same. The last being first was not fair. The first being last was not fair. The hungry campers had forgotten that there was always an abundance of food at our meals. Instead, it was just not fair.

Our text today about the parable of the workers in the vineyard can cause us to see unfairness, too. The first workers were hired early in the morning, around 6am. Other workers were hired at 9am, noon, 3pm, and 5pm. At the end of the day, they were each paid a full days wage, regardless of the amount of time they had worked in the vineyard. The landowner even goes so far as to pay the workers that were hired last before paying the workers that had been hard at work since 6am. “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” The last being first was not fair. The first being last was not fair. The equal pay for unequal work was not fair. They had forgotten that at the end of the day they had made more money than they expected to make when they headed to the marketplace in the morning unemployed. Instead, it was just not fair.

Life is not fair. I am sure you have each heard that a time or two. And I would venture to say that you have also said those four simple words several times throughout your life. It’s true; life is not fair. Life is not fair when someone you love is diagnosed with cancer. Life is not fair when you get a lower grade on a test, even though you studied many hours. Life is not fair when your colleague is promoted before you, even though you have worked at the company longer. Life is not fair when you are paid the same wage as someone who has worked much less time than you have. Life is not fair.

Often I think our idea of unfair stems from our sinful humanity. As humans, who always fall short of the glory of God, we are sinful. One sin that we often commit is coveting. I think there is a reason that coveting appears twice in the 10 Commandments. It is very easy to covet what others have. When we admit that life is not fair, usually we are comparing ourselves, our possessions, and our lives to those of others around us. We covet what God chooses to give others. In our text today the laborers that worked all day in the vineyard coveted the pay of the laborers that worked only for an hour. In coveting, they think it is not fair that all the laborers in the vineyard receive equal pay.

Have you ever coveted the pay of someone else? Have you ever thought your pay was not fair for the work you had done? Now I have not had many jobs throughout my life, but there was one job in particular that I had where I probably wasn’t paid fairly. I was a babysitter, a cheap babysitter. I would usually get paid one dollar an hour for each kid I babysat. Most people are often shocked to learn that, as the going rate for babysitters and day cares is much more than one dollar an hour today. Some of the youth that I met during my internship last year in Washington, DC made 5, 10, or 20 times as much per hour as I had made as a babysitter less than ten years ago. It seemed unfair to me. Often we get caught up in comparing our salaries to the salaries of others. The workers in the vineyard were not exempt from that salary comparison. They coveted the salaries of others and declared that their pay was not fair.

So what is fair? God’s grace is fair. God’s grace is for the last and the first. God’s grace is for the wealthy and the poor. God’s grace is for the healthy and the unhealthy. God’s grace is for the young and the old. God’s grace is for the worker that put in a twelve-hour day and the worker that put in a one-hour day. God’s grace is fair.

So what do you hear in this parable? Do you hear unfairness or grace in the parable? Did you work a whole day or only an hour? Are you the first or the last? As I first hear this parable I think I am an exhausted worker that was busy all day long. I was hired early in the morning. I certainly put in my time. I deserve my pay. Then I realize that I am more likely the worker that was hired last. I probably did not put in more than an hour of work. Instead I should be greatly surprised by the abundance of my pay. I got more than I deserved. In fact, we all get more than we deserve. If we got what we deserved we would each be hanging on a tree, like our Savior Jesus Christ.

I am certain that Jesus does not tell this parable to show injustice. It is not to show impartiality. It is not to show unfairness. It is to show the abundance of God’s grace. God’s justice is God’s grace. God’s grace comes to us in the waters of baptism. God’s grace comes to us over and over again through the meal that is shared at this table. God’s grace is given abundantly, over and over again to those who are first and those who are last. Amen.

Cross-Bearing Discipleship

Matthew 16:21-28

Today’s text begins with Jesus and his disciples. The disciples were his main supporters. Jesus was the leader of their group and they were the followers. He taught them many things as they journeyed together. Today there would be yet another lesson. Jesus was predicting his death and resurrection. Peter, specifically, did not like this prediction that his leader was giving. So, he rebuked Jesus. And what does Jesus do, he rebukes Peter, saying, “Get behind me, Satan.” Jesus explains that Peter is not setting his mind on God’s interests, but on that of humanity’s interests. In fact, the role of a disciple was not to guide or protect, but to follow. Regardless of the fact that Peter is rebuked he is still a disciple. Jesus does not revoke his disciple status. Instead, Jesus uses this as a teachable moment. He explains to the disciples and the crowd what a follower of Jesus is called to do.

Jesus says, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” This is a call to Christian life and discipleship. However, the way in which we understand this summon from Jesus is much different than the way the disciples and the crowd understood it. Taking up one’s cross would not have been seen as metaphorical, like it is today. Taking up one’s cross would have meant crucifixion. One commentator explains it this way, “Crucifixion was the death penalty with an attitude—an unspeakably shameful way to die. Criminals were crucified naked. Crucifixion itself did not kill a person; the spike wounds were too slight. Instead, the condemned hung helplessly for days at a time, weakening from starvation and thirst. The stretched arms caused the rib cage to compress the lungs. The only way to get a deep breath was to ease tension off the arms by straightening the legs, putting weight on the spiked feet. As the condemned person grew weary, he became too feeble to leverage himself up for air. Most crucified people died of eventual suffocation.” In addition, crucifixion was very public, often taking place near major roads, where many people would see the event. So as Jesus tells the crowd and the disciples that in order to follow him they need to take up their cross, the people would have been shocked and terrified. Today, in a country where we do not crucify people, we can barely understand what those followers of Jesus were thinking at the time. Therefore, we need to use our own context to think about what it means for us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus.

Imagine this situation with me. There are 100 middle school youth walking in silence throughout bible camp while watching a reenactment of Jesus’ life. As their counselor, I walk along with them. Jesus is baptized. He calls the disciples. He ministers to a variety of people. Jesus and the disciples celebrate the Last Supper. Jesus prays in the garden. Jesus is arrested. Peter denies Jesus. Jesus is handed over to Pilate. Barabbas is released. Jesus carries his cross to the place where he will be crucified. As Jesus carries this heavy cross he falls to the ground. The soldiers that walk with him point to me and tell me to take his cross and carry it for him. It was at this moment when I began to realize how difficult it was to carry that cross. It was physically difficult. It was also emotionally, psychologically, and socially difficult. I wondered how much larger and heavier the cross actually was that Jesus was crucified upon. As I carried that cross and the middle school youth followed me to the place where Jesus’ crucifixion would be reenacted they stared at me, watching my every move. I could only imagine what Jesus felt like. Today, as I reflect on that moment, I wonder what it would be like to literally take up my own cross.

Jesus says deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow me. Jesus summarizes this process of being his follower in three important steps, all of which are not easy. Deny yourself. In this action we are called to stop striving for what we think is right in our lives, those things that might hinder us from doing God’s will. We are called to entrust God with this control over our lives. Not easy. Take up your cross. This is not just about bearing burdens. It is also about dedicating our whole lives to Christ. Also, not easy. Follow me. This signifies that Jesus will be with us. Jesus is leading us. We are not alone, because Jesus is our leader and we are the followers. Jesus, our leader, has already taken each step that he calls us, his followers, to take. Up to this point in Jesus’ life we have seen his ministry, healing, and compassion. Now we are called to follow him into his suffering, the suffering of death on the cross. Once again, not easy.

As Jesus continues to explain what this life of discipleship looks like he says, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it.” This is not the road toward personal gain. It is a way of service and love. It is also a way of sacrifice and suffering. With Jesus as our leader he calls us to follow this road. Along this road there is not necessarily a destination, but there is a journey, a way of living into discipleship and cross bearing.

So, what does this life of discipleship and cross bearing look like today? It is about being a Christian in our church lives and our public lives, in our whole lives. When we are at work we must not allow the pressures of our co-workers to lead us to deny our faith. We must not allow the coaches at our schools to punish young people for not attending practice on Wednesdays, because they are at church activities or confirmation. Cross bearing discipleship is about living the Christian life even when it may be difficult, discouraging, or unpopular. It is about bearing our Christian identity no matter what the rest of the world thinks. With that in mind we understand that this life of discipleship is not easy and it is certainly not a one-time deal. Christ calls us to deny ourselves, bear our cross, and follow him each moment of every day and each and every day of our lives.

So Jesus says to each of us, “Will you come and follow me if I but call your name? Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same? Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known, will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?”

My hope is that we can each respond, “Lord, your summons echoes true when you but call my name. Let me turn and follow you and never be the same. In your company I’ll go where your love and footsteps show. Thus I’ll move and live and grow in you and you in me.” Amen.

The Parable of Internship

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

The kingdom of heaven is like a seminary student that God took and planted in the field of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Washington, DC. The student was born and raised on the prairie of South Dakota. Her home congregation was a small white church in the middle of nowhere. Before moving to DC she had never even spent the night in this city. Over the course of one year that student grew and grew. Her roots dug further into the ground and her branches grew and blossomed. She was fed and nourished in this congregation in the booming metropolis of Washington. She created relationships with the people of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. She loved them very much and they taught her many new things. She led worship, preached, and taught the good news to all ages. Then there came a day when she needed to leave the field of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. She knew that she would only be at St. Paul’s for a year, but the year went by so quickly. Grateful for all of her experiences she packed her bags and uprooted herself. She returned to The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg to finish off her last year of class so that she could graduate and then be ordained as a pastor in the ELCA. As she went on her way St. Paul’s Lutheran Church prepared the ground for another seminary student to be planted in their field in Washington, DC.

Why do I tell this parable? What does it mean for you? It means you have a purpose. Our text from Romans today says, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” You, my friends, are called. You are called to be teachers and professors to me, your intern, and other interns down the road. You are called to be a place of learning and inspiration. You are called to be a classroom. You are called to be a place of growth for seminary students.

Internship is a very important part of the Master of Divinity degree program. If students were sent right from the classroom into their first call congregation they would not be prepared for all of the ins and outs of ministry. That is your job. It is your job to provide the practical ministry preparation. They cannot simulate this kind of learning in a classroom on campus. The things I have learned in the past year can only be learned while working in the field.

So, what have I learned? You have taught me how to make the gospel applicable to the lives of real people. You have taught me to appreciate liturgy and organ music. You have let me mold and shape your children and youth. You have shown me how the church can be actively involved in social issues like hunger and homelessness. You have taught me about budgets and church finances. You helped me to have fun, which resulted in me wearing a panda hat for the entire week of VBS. You have turned me loose in South Dakota with your youth for a whole week. You have allowed me to explore this city and the urban lifestyle. You have taught me not to drive in rush hour if at all possible. You have taught me how to use public transportation. You have taught me to stand right and walk left when riding escalators, which I am not as terrified of anymore. You have let me into your lives and into your hearts. And most importantly, you have shown me what it means to be filled with the love of God.

So, I go from this place inspired. I go from this place feeling called to meet people where they are at, walk with them in their journey through life, affirm them in their gifts, teach them the foundations of the Lutheran faith, invite them to take part in the sacraments, show them warm hospitality, care for them, love them, and help them to see God’s presence in their lives. I go from this place with your imprint on my heart.

There are a mix of emotions in this sanctuary today. Some of you might be sad that I am leaving. Some of you might be excited to see where my future leads. I am also feeling a mix of emotions today. I absolutely hate goodbyes. I am sad to be leaving, but excited to see where God might be leading and calling me after I finish my degree next spring. I am also hopeful for this congregation and eager to hear how it will continue to grow and change in the years to come.

I know that this is goodbye, but in the larger journey of life it is only “so long.” We are all connected by the love and grace of God and no matter the distance or time that separates us I am certain that we will continue to work together to the glory of God. In fact, the second lesson today reminds us of that hope. “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, no things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Although we may be used to hearing this text at funerals, it is appropriate for this day of farewell, too. So, even as the miles and minutes separate us from one another I am convinced that the love of God can never separate us, no matter what.

We cannot be separated because you have taught me so much and have formed my pastoral identity. As I think of the ways you have impacted me in the last twelve months I cannot help but think about how the things I have learned here will not stay here in Northwest DC. Instead the things I have learned from you and from this place will go with me and will be used to impact the lives of others. But one thing is for certain you have changed me. In the words of my favorite musical, “Because I knew you…I have been changed for good.”

I am very grateful for my experience here in the place. It has been an honor and joy to walk with you throughout the past year. Each one of you has been a blessing in my life. There are so many things that I have learned in this year that I will take with me back to the classroom and to my future ministry contexts. Thank you so much for this experience and the opportunity to grow in this place. I hope that you will continue to be a place of learning and growth. I hope that teaching future pastors will continue to be part of your purpose, your call as a congregation. Amen.

Planting Seeds

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

The Way of Welcome

Matthew 10:40-42

I remember a skit that we used to do when I worked at Bible camp. It was called “Jesus is coming to dinner.” A visitor comes and knocks on the host’s door and asks for food. The host turns the visitor away without any food. Another visitor comes and knocks on the host’s door and asks to use the bathroom. The host says no and shuts the door. The next visitor to knock on the door asks to use the phone. But the host again closes the door providing no help to the visitor. The host was too busy preparing for Jesus to come to dinner, to assist the visitors with their needs. Lo and behold, Jesus never comes, or at least Jesus doesn’t come in the form that the host was expecting. Actually it had been Jesus that had come asking for food, a bathroom, and to use the phone. Clearly the host was not attempting to take our text for today into consideration. Jesus had come, but the host was too busy preparing for Jesus’ arrival to even take time to extend hospitality to the one at the door. The host was too busy to take time to welcome the guest, the Christ.

Now I know that we don’t get many strangers in these parts, but just imagine what you would do if a stranger showed up on Sunday morning. What if you got to church and someone was already sitting in your pew—you know the one that has your imprint on it? Maybe you would just go and sit somewhere else and ignore the stranger in your pew. Maybe you would sit next to the stranger and still ignore them. Maybe, just maybe, you would sit next to the stranger and actually welcome them. Maybe you would even give them a cold cup of water. What if that person was Jesus?

When I think about welcomes, that take our Gospel text for today into consideration, I immediately think of some of the different places where I feel a strong sense of hospitality. One of those places is right here at Good Hope Lutheran Church. I have always felt welcome. I think it is that sense of welcome that caused me to like church and encouraged me to become a leader in the church. You showed that hospitality today. You welcomed this group from my internship site in Washington, DC. Not only did you make sure that there would be worship, you provided breakfast, and my grandma ensured that we would not go hungry at lunch. You very easily could have said, “Cassandra, we are not scheduled to have worship that Sunday, so I don’t think it will work.”

Another place that I always feel an overwhelming welcome is at camp. It is like a second home for me, even as the years go on and I know less people at camp, I still feel welcome. Not only is camp a place of welcome for me, it is a place of welcome for everyone that drives onto the property, young and old alike. When I was on staff, we were taught by words and actions from day one to always welcome everyone who steps onto camp property.

And when I think about welcome I think about one more experience. In January of 2010 I spent ten days in Nicaragua and Honduras. During my visit, with other students from seminary, we stayed in the homes of some of the local people. In Somoto, for the first home-stay, I stayed by myself with Angie and Roger and their three daughters. They did not really know any English and I do not know a whole lot of Spanish, but we managed to communicate to some extent with the help of my Spanish-English dictionary and a lot of patience. Roger and Angie let me use their room and full size bed, while they all crowded into the room that their three daughters typically used. It was a very comfortable two-day stay. They served me some incredible Nicaraguan food, which I had to eat alone. Almost all of our meals on this trip were eaten without the Nicaraguan people. If that was not the case, our group was always served first, served the most food, and served the best food. In one community they even killed a chicken so that they could provide the best welcome by serving us meat, which is not eaten very often and is reserved for special occasions.

It’s these experiences of welcome that inspire me to be hospitable, as well. This week while I am here in South Dakota, receiving the welcome of friends and new acquaintances, I have a classmate staying at my house in DC while she takes a class. It is really difficult for me to imagine her coming to my house and me not being there to welcome her. In fact, it was so difficult that I had to leave her a page long note apologizing and giving her tips on where to find things in my house. Welcome and hospitality are really at the core of who I am as a person.

Now I don’t want it to seem like I am telling you that you must do x, y, and z in order to be hospitable. I know that you are hospitable people. After all, you have taught me hospitality and welcome from a very young age. However, hospitality looks different for all people and it looks different in different places. Regardless of how the welcome looks, we are called to be hospitable to the stranger—the one in our midst. We are called to welcome everyone, regardless of what they look like, the color of their skin, or the amount of money they make. In being welcoming we are also being hospitable to Jesus. We are showing love to God and the stranger. In welcoming people we also welcome Jesus, the one who has sent us, and God, the one who sent Jesus to live among us teaching us the way of welcome. May we, who have been welcomed by a loving God, always be ready to welcome the stranger because we never know when Jesus might actually show up for dinner. May this be the melody we sing as we welcome our friends and our foes, those we know and those who we do not.

All are welcome, friend and stranger

At the banquet of our Savior.

All are welcome, all are welcome here.

Go into the streets and cities.

To the farms and families.

Tell about the splendid table.

God’s mercy.

All are welcome, friend and stranger

At the banquet of our Savior.

All are welcome, all are welcome here.

Amen.

GO!

Matthew 28:16-20

I must admit that this has always been one of my favorite scripture passages. It makes me feel motivated. It lights a fire underneath me. It inspires me. Whenever the going gets tough I remember that Jesus has sent me to evangelize, to make disciples, and that he has sent the Holy Spirit to empower me for the mission. I remember this passage going through my head on Ash Wednesday this year. Regina Holliday and I had made our way to the Van Ness Metro Station. Regina had her easel and paints and I had some ashes in a container. Our hope was to remind people that it was Ash Wednesday and to place ashes on their foreheads reminding them that they are dust and to dust they will return. As we began I was very hesitant. I guess you could say that I was listening to what my mom had taught me as a young girl on the prairie, “don’t talk to strangers.” Eventually it became a little easier to greet people walking down the sidewalk, after all that is the first step in evangelizing. Of course, we got a few crazy looks as we greeted people on that brisk morning. But as Regina and I walked back up Connecticut Avenue later that morning we couldn’t help but talk about how we had made a difference. Even if we only put ashes on one person’s forehead, we had begun to make disciples. That was a great reminder of why we had gone on our mission that day. We were not expecting to return to St. Paul’s with ten new members or even one. We had gone because I felt like God was telling me to GO. God was showing me that in this busy city where almost everyone works over forty hours, they may not be able to make it to church on Ash Wednesday. God was telling me to take the ashes to them. For at least one moment on that morning, I imagine that most people were reminded that it was Ash Wednesday and even if they didn’t know what that meant they asked us, asked a friend, or googled it on their Smartphone. That day Regina and I were on a mission. We were commissioned. We were sent to make disciples. We were sent to GO.

The point, my friends, is not about gaining new members or increasing our income from the offering plate. The point is that we have been commissioned to make disciples, to baptize them, and to teach them. And it’s not about what we, the church, might get out of it. It is because God told us to GO.

There are many ways in which St. Paul’s is already GOing. Tomorrow we begin our Vacation Bible School program with at least fifty-one kids, only fifteen of them are from St. Paul’s. This program provides a wonderful avenue for us to make disciples by teaching them about the Triune God. Next Saturday, Rob Hershey and I will head to South Dakota with six youth, two of whom are not members of St. Paul’s, for a mission trip on the Lake Traverse Reservation. These youth are giving one week of their summer to share God’s love with the people on this reservation. Twice a month we open the St. Paul’s Food Pantry to over forty families in this city who are in need of food. Those people are thankful that God’s people are providing them with food. Every night our sexton and shelter coordinator, Glenn Ralph, opens the door of the St. Paul’s Homeless Shelter for five men. We provide them with a place to sleep and a warm meal, but without this place they would likely be on the street.

I know that the people of St. Paul’s have already been commissioned to serve their neighbors throughout the world. However, God continues to send us on new mission adventures all the time. So, where else is God calling the people of St. Paul’s to GO? What is the mission that God is commissioning us to do? If we look around the area and think about the city we live in we might be able to find a few clues.

We have two college campuses, American University and the University of the District of Columbia, that are near-by, within in walking distance or a short bus ride. How are we sent to those communities? Maybe we are being commissioned to create a small group for college students that meets here once a month and offers a hot meal and a Bible study. Maybe we are being sent to make sure they have somewhere to spend the holidays.

Nearly one-third of the population in Washington, DC is between twenty and thirty-four years old. That means there are almost 200,000 young adults in this city. There is only a small percentage of them that are active in communities of faith. How are we being sent to this age group? Maybe we are each being commissioned to think of one young adult that we know who is not active in a faith community and invite them to join us some Sunday. Maybe we are being sent to find out what young adults want and need from the church, so that we can create a place where they feel welcome and nourished.

You know more about this city than I do. Where else might the Triune God be sending us to GO? Maybe God is sending us to reach out to the African American people in our city, which makes up over half of our population. Maybe God is commissioning us to join with other churches in the area to create a worship setting that is welcoming to children with disabilities and their families. Maybe God is calling us to open our doors to another faith community that is in need of a building for their worship services. And maybe God is calling us to do something completely different.

One thing is for sure, today we are on a mission. We are commissioned. We are sent to make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are sent to GO. Go from this place to your neighborhoods and your metro stations, to your schools and your workplaces, to your friends and your foes. Go from this place to southeast DC and southwest DC, to northeast DC and northwest DC, to Maryland and Virginia. Go to the poor and the rich, to the African Americans and the Hispanics, to the young and the old. Go proclaiming the good news of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Go teaching about God the three in one. Go and remember you are not alone. God the Holy Spirit goes with you, empowering you for the mission. Go with God. Amen.

The Holy Spirit Looks Like...

John 14:15-21

The bags were all packed. The car was loaded from bottom to top. My friends and family gathered the day before to wish me well on my journey eastward. Bright and early in the morning, my mom and I piled in the car and drove away from our house. We drove through South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania before arriving at my new “home” in Gettysburg. I had been away from home before, but I had never been this far away from home for an extended amount of time. I had said goodbye to my family and friends before, but I had never been this far away from them. I knew it wasn’t goodbye forever, even though at the time it kind of felt like that. It was a “see you later.”

We have all said goodbye on many occasions. Goodbye as you drop your child off for their first night away from home. Goodbye as your children have left for college. Goodbye as your best friend has moved across the country. Goodbye as one of your co-workers has left for a new job. Goodbye as you left the care facility where your aging parents live. Often our goodbyes are more like “see you laters.” We really expect to see the person again somewhere along the journey of life.

In our text today Jesus is gathered with the disciples on the night of his arrest. He is sharing his final words with them and saying goodbye. However, I don’t think his goodbye is really final. I think he is saying more of a “see you later.” It is only a “see you later,” because God is sending another Advocate. God is sending the Holy Spirit to be among them as Jesus leaves this earthly kingdom.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I think the Holy Spirit is difficult to talk about. I think it is difficult to talk about, because frankly I don’t know what it looks like. After all, I don’t usually see the Spirit descending like a dove or appearing in the form of fire as I walk down the street, drive on the beltway, surf the Internet, or go about my daily living. The image of the Holy Spirit can be a bit difficult to wrap our minds around.

However, I think our Gospel text for today can help shed some light on the image of the Holy Spirit. The text describes the Holy Spirit as an Advocate. An advocate is one who supports you, who stands up for you, who speaks on your behalf, who lends a helping hand, who takes your side in a debate, and who doesn’t leave you alone. When you think of the advocates in your life, who comes to mind? When I think about the advocates in my life there are several people that come to mind. I immediately think of my friends, my mom, several professors, and my pastors. They have at one point or another been advocates for me.

The next descriptor of the Holy Spirit is “another.” Yes, God will send another Advocate, meaning that God has already sent one Advocate. The first Advocate was Jesus, God’s only Son. The next Advocate is the Holy Spirit. I think the second Advocate will look a lot like the first one. The Spirit will abide with us in the same way that the Word made flesh has abided with us. Jesus tells the disciples that he will not leave them orphaned. It is true, he won’t. The Spirit will mediate Jesus’ presence in the same what that Jesus mediated God’s presence in the world.

So, I think the lesson is that the Holy Spirit is an advocate that looks a lot like Jesus. If that is the case, then I think I know what the Holy Spirit looks like. Anytime that one person supports another person, anytime that someone lends a helping hand, anytime that someone speaks up for those whose voices are not heard, anytime that someone feeds someone who is hungry, anytime that love is shown for the last, the lost, the least, and the little in our midst…then we have seen the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit looks like a high school student who has an idea to apply for a grant so that young people can feed the hungry men in the St. Paul’s Shelter. And while feeding the men in the shelter they can learn to be good stewards as they shop for groceries, they can learn how to cook, and they can learn to foster relationships with other people, especially people who are homeless in Washington, DC.

The Holy Spirit looks like a community of believers that join together to raise funds for communities that have been ravaged by hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, flooding, and other natural disasters. And not only raise money, but some also give selflessly of their time and energy to provide restoration in these areas. Those who cannot give of their time and energy, give time on their knees in prayer for healing and hope amidst devastation.

The Holy Spirit looks like a group of women who were brought together by their love for knitting and crocheting and their desire to bring comfort and care to other people. And when they discovered that Children’s Hospital was in need of prayer shawls and baby blankets they went to town with their yarn and needles to bring care and comfort to children who are hospitalized and their families through their prayer shawl ministry.

The Holy Spirit looks a lot like the people of St. Paul’s. No wonder Jesus says, we know the Holy Spirit. It is true. We do know the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, on occasion, has looked a lot like you and like me. Look to your left (yes, Lutheran friends – actually look at the person next to you) …there is the Holy Spirit. Look to your right…there is the Holy Spirit. And the next time you look in the mirror notice that the Holy Spirit looks like you, too. For the gift of the Holy Spirit, another Advocate, who takes up residence in our bodies and uses us to mediate God’s love and Jesus’ presence in the world, we say, “Thanks be to God.” Amen.