Sermon - Dressed for Success

This is the first sermon since I have returned to the Stuttgart military community.

1st Lesson Exodus 12:1-14
2nd Lesson Matthew 18:15-20
Sermon Lesson Romans 13:8-14

I brought a bag of Clemson-related clothing to the children's time... Clemson t-shirts, a Clemson sweatshirt, even orange pants and socks. We talked about how we often dress for sports events to help people know which is our favorite team. Then I talked about how Paul calls us to "put on Jesus" so that others will know how we're supposed to live our lives.

Sermon Title       "Dressed for Success"

They say that clothes make the man - or woman.  I have a pastor friend who went to visit a couple who were having a baby.  The mother-to-be had been admitted to the hospital in the middle of the night in labor, and was progressing nicely, but still able to have visitors.  Steve was going to a meeting where he wanted to make a good impression, so he wore his clerical collar, a sport coat, dress slacks and shiny black loafers.  The only problem was that his usual visitation outfit consisted of blue jeans, T-shirt and Levi jeans jacket, so when he walked into the room, the new mom got this pained look on her face and  asked her husband, “Is something wrong with the baby?  I must not be doing well if Steve came to see me all dressed up.”

I’m not really a fashion bug – I've spent enough time watching the TV show “What Not to Wear” to realize that I need to clothe the body I have, not the one I want. But I have also spent a lot time the last week unpacking my HHG goods and asking myself, “Why do I have so many clothes?”

Fashion trends come and go. In our closets or storage, you might find favorite t-shirts or sweaters or jeans from days gone by. Maybe they have been deemed too worn to wear in public, or maybe the day has not come when we will fit back in them, but we still hold on to them because they seem to represent a little piece of who we think we are.

Walking around the campus at Patch or Pazner or Kelley Barracks
, you can know a lot about the people who live in this military community. BDU’s, DCU’s, ACU’s, ABU’s, flight suits… the uniforms designate service, rank, jobs and even countries where people have served. Civilians wearing ties and professional clothing distinguish themselves from those of us wearing jeans and yoga pants. Even I wear this robe and stole to declare something about myself – it helps define my role in the community as a pastor in the church. Yes, you can tell a lot about our community from the way we dress.

Last clothing analogy: Ten years ago, my husband and I were blessed to come to Stuttgart for the first time, staying two wonderful years. I remember an instruction to be sure that we dressed inconspicuously when we went out into the economy – no blue jeans – no tennis shoes – no flip flops. The funny thing was that the first time we went downtown, it seemed that everyone around us was wearing blue jeans and tennis shoes or flip flops. The assumptions were all wrong. It’s not blue jeans and t-shirts that define us as Americans any more than dirndls and lederhosen define who Germans are. The citizenship of the world and of the Kingdom are much more complicated than that.

This is not a sermon about successful fashion trends. In fact, in today’s epistle lesson, Paul is telling us that God doesn’t care about our wardrobes, but instead looks to see how our hearts and our lives are clothed.  We may say that we are “Christian”, but do our words and how we behave match? Can people see Christ in our lives, or are they too cluttered with extraneous accessories to let Christ’s light shine through?

Most of little girls I know love to play dress-up, and most grandmas will make available to them the latest in dress-up fashion.  From feather boas to high-heeled shoes, I have seen kids pile on so many articles of clothing and jewelry they could hardly shuffle around the room.  That’s how many of our lives are – cluttered with the trappings of how we want people to see us.  Being clothed with Christ not only gives us the opportunity to free ourselves from the hold that our possessions have over us, but also allows people to see who God has created us to be.

Paul says this all begins with something simple – love. Love is what defines who we are disciples of Jesus Christ.  Love is the foundation of our lives because we are children of the living God, who loved us so much that he sent Jesus to die for our sins.  When Paul talks about the commandments, he is not just saying these are the things we should or should not be doing -- 1-2-3.  He turns these negative admonitions (You shall not…) into one positive action: Love your neighbor as yourself.

The commandments are not a list of does and don’ts … they are examples of how people who love live their lives.  As “people of the Book,” biblical teachings can only truly inform and shape us if we are guided by love.  When we think of religion and faith as the dimensions of our lives which tell us what NOT to do, then we have missed the boat.

In many ways, we are like rebellious teenagers - “my dad won’t let me do that thing I want to do because he doesn’t want me to have any fun.”  But what would happen if we thought about our faith lives another way?  From the beginning of creation, God created the world to be good, to be whole, to be lived in the image of God. As we grow in faith and practice living that faith day by day, hour by hour, we claim the promises God made with the proclamation, “It is good.” Love is the guiding force in God’s creation of us and the world around us. Love is our response as we seek to fulfill and perfect the lives that God created for us.

Love is peculiar.  We think of it as an emotion, but looking through God’s eyes, it has to be so much more.  God showed us that love is a state of mind.  Love is action.  It is a way of life.  It is the foundation on which all of our hopes and dreams are built, and the parachute which catches us when we get caught jumping off the cliff in Christ’s name.  It is the standard by which our lives are measured… as the American folk hymn says, “they will know that we are Christians by our love.”

Love is complicated - and confusing - and often contradictory with what others think our lives should be about.  And we all know it is very difficult to maintain a Christian lifestyle and witness in the modern, consumer-driven world of today.  Hard because we are always tempted to measure ourselves up to someone else’s standards.  Hard because we want to be like other people… to stand out only when WE choose.

I am reminded of a story told by author Dan Taylor.  In a letter to his son Matthew, he told a story about being in the 6th grade.  Now from all accounts, Dan Taylor was considered by everyone to be really cool.  And it would have been a perfect year for him if it had not been for Miss Owens, one of his teachers.  Apparently, she knew that he still had a few lessons to both learn and teach.  Anyway, each week, the class got a lesson in square dancing.  Dan described the weekly ritual in this way:

Every time we went to work on our square dancing, we did this terrible thing.  The boys would all line up at the door of our classroom.  Then, one at a time, each boy would pick a girl to be his partner.  The girls all sat at their desks.  As they were chose, they left their desks and joined the snot-nosed kids who had honored them with their favor… The boys didn't like it… but think about being one of those girls… waiting to get picked… who would it be… would I be last.   

Think if you were Mary, a nice girl, but not very witty or pretty or smart.  She’d had polio when she was younger, affecting an arm and a leg… and she was fat…  Here’s were Miss Owens comes in.  “Dan, next time we have square dancing, I want you to choose Mary.”  She may as well have told me to fly to Mars.  I couldn’t even conceive of what they would do to my life when she did a really rotten thing.  She told me that it was what a Christian would do.  I knew immediately that I was doomed… because I knew that she was right. 

I agonized.  Choosing Mary would go against all the coolness that I had accumulated. The day came when we were to square dance again.  All I could hope was that I would get to choose last.  But instead I was first. “OK Dan, choose your partner.”  I remember feeling very far away.  I heard my voice say, “I choose Mary.” Never has reluctant virtue been so rewarded.  I still see her face undimmed in my memory.  She lifted her head, and on her face was the most genuine look of delight and pride that I have ever seen.  It was perhaps that best day of my life, not because I had done anything so great, but because this simple gift was exactly what Jesus would have done. (Taken from Letters to My Children by Daniel Taylor, InterVarsity Press, 1989.)

It is very easy to let ourselves be turned away from the light of Christ to the darkness that surrounds us, to say “no” when “yes” is the difficult, but right thing to do.  The life of faith is hard work.  And to keep ourselves on track, we only have one thing to do for the rest of our lives… practice.  We have to practice loving people who are hard to love, so that after a few years or decades, we can do it without thinking.

There are glimmers of hope in all of our lives and in the life of this congregation. Living in an international community offers special challenges and opportunities to practice love in unusual ways. As military faith communities, we take up offerings to support local and international missions which bring Christ into the lives of many who are in need. But every encounter we have with a person with a different accent or experience or faith journey gives us an opportunity to put on the face of Christ and love, because we can and because it’s what we were created for.

And if we allow it, strangers will become friends. And that is exactly what life in Christ is all about… just practicing our faith, one day at a time.  And hopefully with enough practice we will realize that clothing ourselves, our lives, in Christ is really to only way to dress for success-- Jesus’ kind of success, that is.

Peace, Deb

Moving Musings 2014 - I see you...

As we near the time to getting our household goods and vehicle, I have been running a lot of errands, both on the military posts in our area and in the German community. We are gathering the things we need to make for an happy and efficient life. And it seems that everywhere I go, I see someone I know. Now, it's true, I have run into several people that I have known from our previous assignment here, or from somewhere else. But that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about seeing people around me, and for a split second, I see the face, the posture, the profile of some I know back home. They say that everyone has a double, a doppelganger, somewhere in the world. But at second glance, these are not twins for the ones I see in my heart. There is only a slight resemblance, or maybe even none at all. But it does help me think about how much influence the people in my life have on me, and how they are with me, even though we are separated by time and space.

I got this fortune cookie a few weeks before we left Washington, and I found it when I was cleaning out my wallet today. I made me think about how attitude is a big part of dealing with change in a positive way. This is a great reminder that there are new friends just around the corner. Some of them know people you know - some of them have more things in common with you than you could ever imagine.

So through this process, I am not only appreciating the friendships that have come before, but am also in great anticipation of the ones that are to come. And know that whether these friends endure for a lifetime, or we are connected for a short period of time, what we share is valuable and important.

When Jesus speaks to his disciples at their final meal together, John records four chapters of wisdom with the ones he will leave behind about it means to be connected to one another, in friendship and in love.

As the Father loved me, I too have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and remain in his love. I have siad these thing to yu so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete. This is my commandment: love each other as I have loved you. No one has greater love than to give up one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command (John 15:9-14 CEB).

I'm sure that most of us rarely think of friendship as sacrificial in nature. Instead, we see the benefits that friendship affords us, things like laughter and sympathy and holding one another up in times of need. But sometimes friendship requires us to go deeper, to take risks and to be willing to put ourselves and our friendships on the line. Military people get that - military inspired stories show the strength of friendship and how lives are often at stake each and every day. The lessons I have learned through being a part of the military community help make me a better person, a better pastor and a better person of faith.

So when I walk around a corner and get a glimpse of someone who looks like you, know that I am remembering fondly the time we shared, and saying a prayer for your life wherever you are. I hope that you will do the same for me.

Peace, Deb

Moving Musings 2014 - Still waiting for routine...

Some people have asked if moving to overseas is harder or easier the second time. The answer is “Yes.” I know it’s not a yes or no question, but I have found it to be both harder and easier. The easier part comes in knowing how to get around, focusing in on where we wanted to live, having friendships with people already here and some coming in at the same time. The easier part comes in knowing how hard it will be.

The harder part is in knowing that there is fun stuff around the corner, but not yet. Not until the household goods come, until we are no longer a one-car family, have internet at home, making new friends and establishing a routine. I have unpacked our quick shipment things and done some laundry with our new washer and dryer. I have asked why I shipped some things early and not other things. I have a semi-formal dress appropriate for the Air Force Ball in three weeks, but no shoes to wear with it. I have a hot pot for boiling water and a coffee press and tea bags, but not cups for hot beverages (Thrift Shop, here I come).

I took some first steps today in establishing a routine.  I am attending my first Crochet/Knitting Group today and meeting with someone at PWOC on Thursday to see where I might fit in to their ministry. We have attended worship every Sunday, visited with old friends, and looking forward to beginning our life here again. It just doesn’t feel started yet.

The good news is that it this “in-between” time will be good for me, even if it feels unsettled and a little uncomfortable. I have some books to read, a TV and DVR with the last seasons of Gray’s Anatomy, Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife, all unwatched. And my friend Sandra may come today after work and we will have coffee and she will teach me a little more German. And life will still be good, and getting better every day.

The news around us is pretty awful. As we remember the 100-year anniversary of the beginning of World War 1, there are conflicts going on in 42 countries around the world. Unarmed children were killed in multiple cities in the US, and those suffering with depression are ending the pain the only way they know how, even though it brings more pain to those who love and admire them.

The Old Testament reading from last Sunday came from I Kings 19. Elijah was running from the prophets of Baal in fear for his life, when the Lord’s messenger sent him to God’s mountain in the wilderness, Horeb. When asked to stand at the mountain before the Lord, Elijah experienced wind, an earthquake, and fire. But the Lord’s presence was found in sheer silence – or as in some translations, a still, small voice.

It is the same for us. We ask where God is in midst of calamity and tragedy. But sometimes what we really need is an opportunity to stay quiet and still enough to listen for the voice of God that surrounds us every day. And that seems to be the biggest challenge of all.

I'm sure I will find my routine. There will be more than enough things available to keep me busy and involved with people. But I hope that I can remember this feeling of emptiness in a good way - one that helps me keep a place for God - for prayer, scripture, reading and Christian friendship. It is those things that ground me and keep me listening for the things that God wants me to hear.

Now I am off to find some WiFi and post this blog - then drive to pick up my spouse from work... 

that's one routine I'll be happy to dismiss - prayers for a safe and uneventful journey for Violet, the big, blue beast.

Peace, Deb

PS - I found two coffee mugs at the Thrift Shop that match my everyday china pattern - yippee!

Moving in day with our landlords

Moving Musings 2014 - Driving in a whole new way

Once again, we looked at our check-in schedule and realized that we would be taking our Army Driving Test within 24 hours of arriving in Germany. Why the class, you ask? There are definite rules for the road when driving here, and it's a real benefit to understand what's expected for you on the road.

We got the study manual online, and downloaded to our tablets. We took the online practice tests, sometimes sitting together, reading the rules and looking at pictures to figure out what was required of us in different situations.

In short, we had to think about driving in a whole new way.

It's not just that you're negotiating the road in a new language, it's that people think differently about driving here. For the most part, when you are on the road in Germany, it is assumed that everyone knows the rules, and that you will follow them.

There are three concepts that are quite logical:
1 - right before left,
2 - wave and wait, and
3 - the zipper.

The "right before left rule" means that the driver on the right has the "right of way" unless there is a sign that says differently.  So when you come to an intersection and you're not sure who should go first, it's the car furthest to the right that gets to go first - I guess that's why it's called "right of way".

If you're unsure you can safely make your move, you can relinquish your right by waving the next person to go, and then waiting until it is your turn again... the "wave and wait."

And when merging two lanes of traffic into one, a person from each lane goes forward one after another... just like a zipper going up or down.

I have seen all of these things at work in my first week here, and the orderliness of it all makes it a little less stressful by knowing what to expect, from yourself or others.

I will also say that I love that there are a lot of signs  - over 300 - to help point people in the right direction. If you know the rules and what the signs are telling you to do, then you won't have any problems, as long as everyone is following the rules... or if you are prepared to keep everyone safe.

At the beginning of our class, the instructor opened with this quote. "Your first job as a driver is to look out for other people, assume they will make a mistake, and then compensate so that everyone is as safe as possible."

And I thought, "That sounds a lot like what a life of faith should look like."

It's quite easy to fall into the habit of placing ourselves at the front of the line... to assume that our appointments or needs are ideas or more important or correct than others. Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, reminding them that their call by God set them apart - in the ways they thought and acted.

"Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is—what is good and pleasing and mature. Because of the grace that God gave me, I can say to each one of you: don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Instead, be reasonable since God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you." (Romans 12:2-3 Common English Bible)

The news today is filled with stories of war and strife from almost every corner of the world. We develop the habit of thinking in terms of "them versus us," rather than being in this thing called life together. Maybe we have to start thinking about life in a whole new way, get out of our comfort zones, and pay attention to the needs of others around us. Only then, will the world have the chance to become that which God created it to be - a haven for God's creation, and a small piece of heaven on earth.

Peace, Deb

“It seemed to me that the people who made the rules of the road had figured out everything that would help a person drive safely right down to having a sign that tells you you're passing through a place where deer cross. Somebody should stick up some signs on the highway of life.

* CAUTION: JERKS CROSSING.
* Blinking yellow lights when you're about to to something stupid.
* Stop signs in front of people who could hurt you.
* Green lights shining when you're doing the right thing. 

It would make the whole experience easier.”     
                                   ― Joan Bauer, Rules of the Road (2005)

Moving Musings 2014 - The Problem with Change...

It seems that an inordinate number of my friends are in moving mode this year, and it's a little unsettling, to say the least. No one is where I expect them to be. Some are in transit, like we are. Others are in transition, finding and moving into homes, looking for dentists and hairdressers, seeking a new favorite marker, making new friends. And some have been left behind, adjusting their old lives to new realities, welcoming new friends (I hope) and seeking a new normal.

Many people along our journey have said, "I don't know how you do it," when they hear this is our 11th move as a family in almost 20 years. But just because you stay in one town or house for a long time doesn't mean you don't have to deal with change.

I've found a lot of good quotes about change - here are some of my favorites:
"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new." Socrates
"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." Allan W. Watts
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”  Mahatma Gandhi
"Progress is impossible without changes, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." George Bernard Shaw
"All great changes are preceded by chaos." Deepak Chopra

But in the midst of the change - upheaval - uncertainty - crisis, it is easy to forget this kind of wisdom. Our comfort levels are upset, the security blanket of friends and/or family is slightly tattered, and we are unsure which way to turn.

I was just thinking this week about all of the challenges I encountered in the last two years. They were not necessarily bad things, but in hindsight, they helped me to grow in amazing ways. And now I miss them! And the good stuff looks almost even better than it did when I was in the middle of it. The difficulties of the past have faded away, and even before I arrive at my new home, I cannot imagine that it could be any better than what I experienced before.

Which is silly, and a little short-sighted, even though it doesn't feel that way to the time.

Here's what I keep reminding myself, and maybe it will be of help to you, no matter what kind of change you are going through.

God has a plan. And this is what that plan looks like.

1 - There are new friends waiting in your new situation. Going to a new place? There are people who want to be your friend. Staying behind? There are people who are coming in who are looking for someone to show them the ropes. Do you have expectations about the way things are "supposed to be"? Put those expectations aside and be open to new friendships in new places. When my spouse was stationed at the Pentagon, it was really hard to make friends. So I ended up teaching a few friends to crochet and we met once a month to share ideas, patterns and conversation. Those women have at the same time become my closest prayer warriors, even though we have lived in four different time zones.

2 - There is work to be done. And I'm not just talking about the unpacking kind of work. Some of my best experiences have come when I got outside my house (and my head) and went to find something to do. In military communities, it often comes in volunteering at the Thrift Shop or working on a committee. In churches, it could be teaching or helping with a mission project or supporting an activity that a church group is sponsoring. At our Spokane church, I volunteered as an overnight host when the Family Promise shelter used our facilities four times a year. Not only did I have an opportunity to help families in need, but made several new church friends in the process. And it might the thing I miss the most right now.

3 - God is in it all. In the midst of change, it often feels that God is missing in action. But that could not be further from the truth. God is always there, even when it feels like things are falling apart. I remember the TV series, Joan of Arcadia, about a
teen girl who hears God speak to her on a regular basis. But it's not a booming or ethereal voice... it's the voice of a boy in her class, and the guy who drives a garbage truck, and a telephone lineman. Joan experiences God in many of the people she meets, and even though many people think she's a little crazy, it totally changes the way she lives her life. And gives her live a meaning that she never knew before.

Different doesn't always mean worse, but it does mean that we will be asked to recognize that everyone has different gifts and graces, and that we might be called to grow in ways we never expected. Getting out of our comfort zones seems to be a part of this bargain - we are not bound to our pasts and can go into the future knowing that with faith and trust, all things can be new again.

For me as a person of faith, the best news is this - whatever the change that is happening in my life - I can count on this great truth:

"Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday and today and forever!" Hebrews 13:8

When I was preparing for ordination in 1993, I was asked this question at my interview in preparation for final approval: "Where do you see yourself in ministry in ten years?" I thought for a minute and then spoke from the heart a truth I knew could well keep me on the bench for another year, because it was not the standard answer. I said, "I have spent a lot of time in my life tell God what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go, and he just laughs. 'Go ahead,' God says, 'make your plans, but be ready to make a detour when I find something I need you to do.' So in ten years, I just want to be faithful, listening and going wherever I'm called."

Little did we know....

Peace, Deb

Moving Musings 2014 - Random Thoughts

We had my spouse's change of command last Tuesday... not ready to talk about that yet, but maybe soon.

But after the ceremony, we went back to our room, played 3-D Tertris with the rest of our belongings, and hit the road. Our goal, to make it from Spokane, WA to Detroit, MI in four days, a total of 2440 miles. As we drove along, we had a lot of time to talk and to think. Here's some of the random thoughts that crossed my mind as we put miles behind us.

• The Wyoming state landmark must be the snow fence.
• In Nebraska, I found myself driving 80 mph on Interstate 80 listening to "80's on 8"... neat!
• West of the Mississippi River, 99.9% of the people are thoughtful, considerate, and obey the rules of the road. The other 0.1% make it not that much fun anymore.  Once we got into Illinois and Michigan, all bets were off. Honestly, it just wasn't fun at all that last 400 miles.
• Times goes faster when you're the driver and not the passenger.
• When we listen to Piano Puzzler on NPR, I am better at naming the tune, my spouse is better with naming the composer style.
• Cracker Barrel - check. Chick-Fil-A - check. Culver's Custard - check. Still waiting for my first Waffle House sighting.
• Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is still very funny, even though Carl Kasell has retired.
• Podcasts and satellite radio have made this a good trip so far.

Even so, "Are we there yet?"

Peace, Deb

Sermon - Freedom

Audubon Park UMC, Spokane, WA
Galatians 5:1, 13-25  & Luke 9:51-62 (read passages by clicking on the links)

Freedom

It would be easy, on this Sunday before our country’s Independence Day, to read a passage about freedom, and preach about patriotism and how God has called our nation to a special place in this world. But to do that would make the American flag an idol, and would also misrepresent what Paul actually said about freedom to first century Christians.  So we are going to go about this in a different way.

Let’s face it, at one time or another, we all want to be free. We want to be free, because we think that freedom means being carefree or without worries.

But in his letter, Paul reminds us that freedom is not absence of responsibility or problems.  The freedom that God gives us is dedication to the gifts of life which God has placed before us, taking them on as our life’s work and true vocation.  Freedom through Christ, not matter where it leads us, means choices, and in the end, putting others needs before our own.  And they are choices we make in love, in gratitude, and with the sense that in our freedom, we are tied more firmly than ever to the community of faith.

Do you remember what it was like to live on your own the first time?  Each Fall, college campuses are overrun by people getting their first taste of freedom.  No more mom and dad to monitor comings and goings.  Making choices becomes the essential nature of the day.  To go to class or not to go to class… to go the library or not… and the infamous… “I’ll get up and study in the morning”… Freedom opens up the possibility of more choices than we can possible imagine, but what will be our guide as we exercise the freedom we have gained?

More than a couple of years ago, I remember being that college freshman, and being almost paralyzed with the amount of freedom I had gained in the matter of a few days.  Paul’s premise became evident quite quickly… with freedom come new responsibilities… new choices… new opportunities.  Freedom may be attractive to us in the beginning because we think it will demand less of us, but in the end, we find that freedom takes more time, more effort, and more knowing who we are than we ever imagined or were prepared for.

As Americans, we think of freedom as one of our rights.  Our forefathers said these rights were granted to us by our Creator – life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness.  There are people all over the world who are willing to risk their lives in order get a change at what we have. But somehow, our culture has transitioned to the belief that it is my life, my liberty, my happiness that is most important.  And in the process, the life and liberty and fulfillment of others has become less important, sometimes even non-existent.  Think about the “celebrity mentality” to understand what I am talking about.  Think about people fighting over parking places at Wal-Mart or driving as if they own the road to see what we might become.  This is the very idea that Paul was warning the Galatians against.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, our freedom comes through the Spirit of God.  We learn more and more about who we are through our study of scripture and through our experiences of God and life together.  It is our relationships with others that determine what it really means to be free.  Paul tells the Galatians that their freedom is either limited or empowered by their motivations.  And when we take a look at the two lists that Paul has placed before them and us, we realize some important differences in how they each affect and impact us.

The desires of the flesh are those things which focus our energies totally inside of ourselves.  They put us at the center of the universe.  “Look at me – I am the king or queen of the world.”  And if you don’t think that applies to you or to me, then listen to the news.  All around us we see the works of the flesh routinely played out in almost every community.  Sex, drugs, and violence are before us every day in TV, movies, on our local news, even in the video games we sometimes play.  Sadly, we have become somewhat immune to it all, changing the channel and looking the other way.

But that’s not the way it has to be.  Paul writes of freedom that teaches our spirits to live... and this freedom is at the same time a boundary and no boundary at all.  We have freedom through the Spirit and are released to be God's children.  And with that identity, we have wonderful opportunities and responsibilities.  Here, in the Spirit, we carry the cross of Jesus.  Here is where we try to look at ourselves clearly and see who God wants us to be.  Here is where we do the prep work so we are free to abandon ourselves to be servants of the Most High God.

It is an awesome burden to be free to love, and be kind and gentle, joyous and peaceful, generous and faithful.  Our spirits are free to soar and yet we are anchored by them, steadied and called to live our lives for God.  In Eugene Petersen’s biblical translation, The Message, he translates the fruit of the Spirit into actions.

But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. (Galatians 5:22-23)

The fruit of the Spirit give us the courage and strength to follow where Christ leads, and to answer when he calls.

The cost of discipleship is the central theme of the Gospel text from Luke, chapter 9.  In the text Jesus has "set his face towards Jerusalem."  He was journeying there in order to fulfill God's plan for his life, a plan that involved a cross and crucifixion on Calvary.

As Jesus travels towards Jerusalem, he encounters some people who think they want to follow him.  Along the road the first man said, “Lord I'm ready to follow you wherever you go.”  Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head."”

To another Jesus said, "Follow me," and the man replied, "I'll come along but first I need to take care of some family business.  I have to bury my father."  To this, Jesus replied, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God."

It seems to us that Jesus was pretty harsh with these fellows.  What does he expect? Burying one's father, going home to say goodbye to family and friends, these are perfectly normal things.  Yet in these words to his would-be followers, Jesus is making it quite clear what the cost of following him is.  Following him means understanding the possibility of living his kind of life… sacrificial and unadorned.

Recently I watch the movie, “The Last Castle” with Robert Redford and James Gandolfini.  The movie is about a 3-star Army general who enters a military prison after accepting a guilty verdict for disobeying a direct order, resulting in the deaths of 8 soldiers under his command.  He could have stayed out of prison, but he wants to take responsibility for his actions, serve his time quietly and go home.  But life in this prison is hard, because a sadistic colonel believes that the only way to keep order is to take away all dignity for the prisoners under his control.

As the leader he is, this general begins to remind the other prisoners that they are not defined by the crimes that they have committed.  In spite of it all, they are still soldiers, and they don’t have to let their identity as prisoners define how they will live out their lives.  He shows them that life can be different.  In the final scenes, I was so struck by the difference between these two leaders – the prison commander, who has constructed a world that revolves around his power and control, and a prisoner general, who leads the men under him to strive for the greater good. Sometimes freedom looks very different than what expect.

As modern-day followers of Jesus, we stand under his words.   We, too, must face the cost of discipleship.   Our journey, this Christian life to which we have been called, parallels the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem.   Jesus is telling us, up front, that our journey with him will not be an easy one.   If we follow him, we cannot expect to have an easier road to travel than the Master does, for as the Father has sent Jesus, he sends us.   Signing on with Jesus means that everything becomes secondary to serving the Kingdom of God and sharing the gospel.   Following Jesus will cost us.  But it is the only thing that will make us free.

The balance of all this freedom comes with practice and dedication to the tasks that entails.  And eventually it changes the way we live every part of our lives.  When was the last time we let love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control take over the way we reacted to something or someone?  Maybe it was just a minute or two ago… maybe a little longer than that, or maybe we can’t remember.

Paul teaches us that Christ’s freedom is a gift of choice, and accepting it changes everything.

Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original. (Galatians 5: 25-26 The Message)

Or words attributed to 20th century preacher Peter Marshall, “May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.”

Amen.