“Treasure in Clay Jars” 2 Cor 4: 1-18

I am always on the hunt for the perfect greeting card for someone. I can spend hours browsing in the Hallmark store, but I also am known to look online. This week I stumbled upon a card that stopped me in my tracks. There is a card creator that makes empathy cards and one said this, “In Japan, broken objects are often repaired with gold. The flaw is seen as a unique piece of the object’s history, which adds to its beauty.” If you get a change look up Kintsugi to see some pictures of absolutely beautiful pieces that were once broken, but are now made whole in a completely different way.

The Apostle Paul did not live in the time of Kintsugi, it came well after his life and ministry in Corinth. But he did have some things to say to the Church in Corinth about brokenness. 

As we have heard over the last several weeks, Paul had been through a lot for the sake of the Gospel. Yet, he would probably say that the most broken time in his life was when he was far from Christ. He describes this time in others as when the gospel is veiled. His language may lead us to believe that God is the one who made the message veiled, but this isn’t the case. It is by our own human choices that we veil the Gospel - specifically when we choose to run away from Christ by rejecting the Good News. 

Think back to the story of Moses. After he had this profound experience with God on top of the mountain, he had to cover his face with a veil. Why? Because it shone so brightly that the people were terrified. 

So it is with the Good News in Paul’s time and today. It can terrify people to the point where they want to reject it and flee. But the good news is that God keeps calling us to come back to the Good News. Just look at Paul! Here is a man who once went out of his way to persecute Christians and now he is the one taking the Gospel to people who never had an opportunity to hear it before! 

How can such change come to our lives, even when our brokenness causes us to flee from God? The light of God keeps shining. Think of that statement “I once was blind but now I see!” While Paul writes that “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers” - our God, the creator of the universe, can still cause people to see. 

In Genesis, chapter 1, we find the story of our God creating everything. In verse 3, God created light and said “let light shine into the darkness.” Our God is the God of Word and Action. He spoke light into being, but he also commanded it to shine - an action - in the world. For Paul, this isn’t just physical light that we see with our eyes, but the light of the knowledge of God that can shine into the darkness of our hearts. 

But even when we come to believe in the knowledge and love of God, there are other ways that we may see ourselves as broken as well. One is our bodies. This is one of my favorite passages to preach at funeral services, though it is rarely chosen. For it speaks of the brokenness of our bodies, which we know will some day fail. But even in their tender state, God’s light and love can shine through us in powerful ways. In fact, it shines even more clearly though all of those cracks. Because it proclaims not our power but the power of God.

Honestly, this can sometimes make us feel uncomfortable. We have probably grown up hearing a whole lot more about doing things by our own power, then about shining for the power of God in our weakness. But that is exactly what Paul is proclaiming, once again using his own life as an example. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. We can read into the”we” here, Paul. Paul knows that if he was just trying to do this ministry by his own strength and power, things would be pretty bleak. Especially if he was examining his success by how the world defined it. Being afflicted, perplexed, struck down and persecuted does not sound very appealing. Yet, for Paul, God’s Truth shone through these things that led him to a spirit of thanksgiving for what God has done. 

But that “we” - it isn’t just Paul, but the Corinthian Church as well. With all of their brokenness and cracks and flaws. Paul knows that they could become discouraged, especially if what they were doing was all about them. However, it’s not. It’s about God - and the ministry and work of God, even when we do not fully understand it. Instead, he is gently calling them to faithfulness and hope anew, led by the light of God. 

The light of Christ that which can shine, even when we feel broken. Because the light of Christ is the very Truth of God. And so that light, that Truth, it cannot be hidden, even in earthen vessels like our bodies. Because it is a treasure that must be made known, that cannot be stopped. 

Have you ever known someone like this? Someone who maybe the world would describe as broken or feeble or cracked, yet the light of Christ just spills out of them? For me there are so many people who come to mind, but I want to tell you just one of them. There was a woman where I previously served who in all of my years of knowing her, she could not leave her house. She was so ill that it was simply a struggle each day to get from her bedroom to the living room. But that did not stop her from spreading the light of Christ. She was an excellent crocheter. And each day she would get to work making these blankets from scraps of yarn. If you got married - you got a blanket. If you had a baby - you got a blanket. If you were going through a hard time - you got a blanket. And as she made those blankets she prayed. Prayed for those who would receive them. But here’s the thing about those blankets - almost everyone who received did not know this woman. They never met her and she never met them. But this was an act of love - the love of Christ spilling out of her - that she offered. 

It’s funny isn’t it. What the world would define as broken - that is what God uses for blessing. And what the world defines as whole, that looks like brokenness to God.

When we have died in Christ, we become a new creation. A creation that gives moment-by-moment witness to the glory of God. Even when that gift is proclaimed in the midst of, and not despite, the hardships we face in this life. Because we live for Christ.

I’m not sure what brokenness you feel that you have this day, my friends. But know this. If you feel like you have a broken or fractured relationship with God - God’s light is still shining to call you back to him. Come home to God. If you feel like your brokenness is the world saying that you are too old or too young or too anything - guess what? God’s light can shine through your earthen vessel in amazing ways. God is not done with us my friends. The only question is if we are going to let our brokenness stop us from proclaiming the light and love of God? You have a treasure to share. Amen.

“Forgiveness” 2 Cor 2: 1-10

There are certain topics every time I preach on them I know that people are going to get antsy. The first is money. The second is today’s topic - forgiveness. 

Yet, even if it makes us feel uncomfortable, the Bible has a lot to say about forgiveness. Why this such a hard topic? Because most of us have  personal stories or know of close friends who have stories of broken relationships. Deep hurts. Un-forgiveness. And while we don’t believe this is God’s plan for us, we also aren’t sure that we have the courage to step into a different way.

Part of life is being hurt. Its an ugly, but true fact. In the words of Pastor Adam Hamilton, “We are bound to hurt others and other are bound to hurt us.” But this is not how God imagined or wanted life to be for us. Emotional hurts are a direct result of Adam and Eve disobeying God, they are a consequence of free will, and stumbling into sin. God wants us to repent of the harm that we cause others and wants us to seek to forgive others for the pain that they cause us, though this is often easier said than done. 

Because the world we live in is filled with brokenness, forgiveness is essential to life. In fact, if we do not forgive, we often perpetuate the cycle of hurting others. But as Christians we believe that Jesus taught us a counter-cultural way to live by both his example and teachings on forgiveness. Jesus ultimately did as he taught, forgiving even the people who called for him to be crucified and those who mocked and beat him as he hung on the cross. He suffered pain and humiliation that is hard for many of us to even fathom, yet he asked God to forgive those gathered around the cross that day. And he forgave his disciples even though they turned their backs on him, only one staying by his side as he died. But Jesus also calls us as his followers to live into his example of forgiving others, even asking the disciples to go to the very ends of the earth announcing the forgiveness of sins. However, we know the actual act of forgiveness can be unspeakably difficult at times.

The Apostle Paul is speaking to the Church in Corinth about following Jesus’s example when it come to forgiveness. We know from 1 Corinthians that there is a lot of pain in this community. Times when they have wounded one another. Times when they have turned against Paul.

Now it seems that Paul has hurt some in the community because he had plans to come visit, but for some unstated reason, those plans changed. So people are angry. Paul is writing to tell them that he felt compelled to follow God’s plan - even if it changed his plan to be able to come and see them. He still loves them. He is still concerned with their spiritual well-being, but above all he is cornered with doing the will of God.

He also know that while they may be upset now, it would have been a painful visit with confrontation if he did come in person. Therefore, it was better to have some distance so that cooler heads could prevail. 

It would seem based on the next part of this letter, that someone in particular is stirring up trouble against Paul. And it is probably the case that person is speaking out against both Paul and his teachings, thus leading people astray. So Paul is asking the community as a whole to reprove this person in love - because if one is hurt, all is hurt. But he goes on to ask them to love this person. How can you both love and reprove? And what is Paul trying to get across about forgiveness? 

While Paul starts off talking about punishment, he quickly pivots to forgiveness. For me his word about consoling this person who has hurt Paul and the community are an embodiment right before us of the Lord’s Prayer:“forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us”. We pray this prayer together each and every Sunday, 52 weeks a year. But would we be quick to console those who have hurt us? Would we want to affirm our love for that person? Or would we rather stew a while?

For Paul, the answer is that they should forgive. For he has already forgiven that person for the sake of the whole gathering. It’s hard to believe that this is the same person who had held people’s coats as Stephen was stoned, but something in Paul has changed.

We, too, can have a change of heart that leads us to forgiveness. I think if we let the Lord’s Prayer transform us from the inside out, if we mean what we pray, than we will be more prone to forgive. But I also think that one of the reasons we are slow to forgive is because we don’t exactly know what forgiveness means or looks like in our daily lives. Even the best relationships in our lives have conflict. Most of the conflict are small things - irritations and disappointments - but if we don’t actively choose to forgive the small things, they often fester and infect our soul. Other conflicts are like boulders, weighing on us. So we are invited to forgive.

Often it is the pain caused by people we are in relationship with, family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, that hurt the most, and can sometimes even feel like small deaths or sorrows. With these type of relationships, forgiveness means we renounce vengeance and retaliation, to set aside bitterness that chokes out hope and life, but it does not mean that we need to be abused. When we think that forgiveness means that we continually offer ourselves up to be mistreated or diminished again and again. Forgiveness also doesn’t mean we ignore an incident on the outside and get angry about it on the inside, allowing it to get stuck inside of us. When we do this, it is both unhealthy, and gives the other person power over us. 

Forgiveness is difficult. But forgiveness also becomes easier the more we practice it and the more we remember that we are forgiven by God. May we leave this place and seek to be people marked by forgiving hearts and follow the path of mercy, in order to proclaim the love of our Lord and Savior. Amen. 

“Consolation” 2 Cor 1:1-11

There are lots of passages that we reference from 1 Corinthians. What it means to be the body of Christ. How the Spirit equips us through spiritual gifts. Love. But if you ask people what passages they know from 2 Corinthians, there are often not as easy to come by. 

Yet, 2 Corinthians stands in many ways as a continuation of the conversation from 1 Corinthians. Paul talks about some of the same issues from the first letter. And he starts 2 Corinthians off with a greeting that speaks deeply to an issue plaguing him from his first letter - what it means to be an apostle. 

The traditional use of the term “apostle” was held for those who walked with Jesus while he was on this earth. Those who were ministry with him. In other words, his disciples. But Paul clarifies that he, too, is an apostle. Even though he was not one of the original disciples called by Jesus, he still carries on the witness of his profound experience with the resurrected Christ on the Damascus Road. It was out of that experience that he received a call to go forth and serve Christ, perching the Gospel. 

For Paul, he knew that he was commissioned and sent by God to bring the Good News. Including to the Church in Corinth, even as they currently struggle. Further, Paul believed the Church, including the Corinthian Church, were also to serve Christ and preach the Gospel - they just need to figure out what that looks like for them. 

The problem is that the Corinthians are confused about what to do with suffering. Think back to 1 Corinthians - part of their claim was that Paul couldn’t be a true apostle because of how much he suffered. Yet, for Paul, that is actually a plus not a negative. By his suffering he was able to come to know the comfort of Christ. 

Further, Paul emphasizes that we don’t call ourselves. This call that he has, this call that we have, its is from God and God alone. We don’t create the call, we simply respond to the call. And Paul has continually responded “yes” to God. 

Oh friends, if you hear nothing else in this sermon hear this - we, too, are called to serve Christ and preach the Gospel. We are called to do that as individuals - but we need to be asking God what our call looks like for such a time as this. How does God want us to serve him in this season of our life? How are we to proclaim the Gospel with our lips and our lives?

But those questions are equally true of us together as the body of Christ. I firmly believe that we, as this church, right here, right now, in this place, are here for a purpose. We, too, have a call to serve Christ and preach the Gospel - but we need to constantly be asking God what we are to be doing. 

Sometimes churches get so caught up in how they have or have not done things in the past that it defines them. They focus only on a certain ministry, because they have always done it that way. Or they are hesitant to reach out to the neighborhood in a new way, because we have never done it that way before. But the truth is, it is not about how we have or have not done things in the past. Because it many ways it is not about us. It certainly isn’t about our preferences. It is about what God is calling and equipping us to do in order to spread the Gospel. 

Now does that always go as planned? No. Sometimes responding to God’s call isn’t about getting huge numbers or success by the world’s standards. It’s about helping us build faith and trust so we can step out again and again and again.  Like Paul, we are continually called to step out in obedience. It’s not a once and done decision, its submitting ourselves to God every single day. 

Throughout this Scripture passage you will find one of two words - either “comfort” or “consolation”. I tend to like the word consolation because it brings to mind so much more to mind. St. Ignatius of Lyola is describes consolation in this way - a state of our being where we are moving towards greater faith, hope, and love. Mercy and hope. In other words we are moving closer to God and we are embodying the love we receive from God in the world. 

But here’s the thing Ignatian says about consolation - it doesn’t mean that everything looks like is going smoothly all the time. Paul could probably tell us a thing or two about that, could he not? And is this not part of his argument to the Corinthians - to you it looks like I am suffering, but I am at peace with my Lord. For peace does not mean that we will not suffer - but rather that I know that I am doing God’s will and that God is the one comforting me in all circumstances. It is well with my soul.

But there is an opposite to consolation - desolation. Those times when we are moving away from God. What are some markers of desolation? Resentment. Selfishness. Ingratitude. Paul would say that this is true suffering. Not the suffering that everyone else can see, but rather the affliction that comes from rebelling against God. The confusion that can come to the Church when everyone is in it for their own gain and wanting to get their own way, instead of seeking the path of the Spirit together. That’s when we lack direction. 

Paul is coming to the Corinthians and praying that they have consolation. Comfort from God, but also perhaps this other meaning of consolation of a purpose in spirit that goes beyond themselves. A purpose that is rooted in their calling. A rootedness in God through Christ. 

Over the years, I have seen so many churches and Christians who seem to be in a spirit of desolation like the Corinthians. Why? Because they lack the peace that comes with finding the purpose to which they are called. 

For individuals, this often looks like thinking that only clergy and missionaries are called. But really, everyone who is a follower of Christ has a calling. To serve Christ and spread the Gospel. The real question is how is Christ calling you to do that. It may be through your job. Or your volunteer work. Or a passion that you have. We are all called. 

For churches, it looks like wandering around without a vision. Sure, churches may have vision and mission statements - but are they living into them? Have they made serving Christ and sharing the Gospel the priority? And what does that look like in the place where they are planted? Every church is called. 

Friends, I am praying for consolation for you this day. I am praying that you discover the calling on your life that comes from God. I am praying that the Church discerns our purpose in this community in a way that speaks into the abundant life of Jesus. Directs our focus outside and beyond ourselves. I am praying for consolation that lifts our hearts so that we can see the joys and sorrows of other people and allows us to walk beside them. I am praying for an openness to God that generates new ideas. I am praying for a heart that seeks first where God is leading us. Let us draw close to the very heart of God. Amen and amen. 

“Job - The End” Job 41: 1-8, 42: 1-17

We’ve reached the end of the book of Job. Everything has been restored. Job is prosperous again. All is right with the world. “The end”. 

The truth is we abuse the book of Job and diminish it’s teachings if we simply read chapter one “there once was a man named Job” who was blameless and upright and jump to chapter forty-two’s “happily ever after” and forget about everything that has happened in between. 

Job has suffered and suffered deeply. He has lost seemingly everything and then is beratted by his friends who at first simply sit with him in his suffering, a comforting presence, only to accuse him of sinning before God. They were essentially saying Job you brought this all upon yourself. You need to figure out why God is so angry with you. 

That leads Job to lament - laying his heart out before God. And God responded to him. Last week we heard in God’s response that he is the creator of everything. Today we hear about God’s power in a series of questions to Job. Can Job draw out the Leviathian with a fish hook? Of course not. Will it speak words to Job? Nope. Can Job play with it like it was a little bird? Absolutely not. But God can. For God has power over even the oceans and everything in it. 

And Job finally responds to God saying “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you”. In other words, God, I thought I knew you before, but really I only knew what I had heard about you. It was enough to make me trust you, even in the midst of all of this, but now - now I’ve experienced you more fully.

Friends, there is such a big difference between hearing about God and having an experience with God. Your experience with God may not be the same as mine, but they change us. 

In United Methodism we have this method to reflect theologically that’s called the Wesleyan Quadralateral. This is a really big word to mean that we have four different things that come together to inform how we think about things. The first and most important is scripture. The Word of God. Then the other three are tradition, reason, and experience. For John Wesley, we couldn’t really have assurance about something until we had a personal experience.
Job had this new experience of God coming and talking with him, and it changes him. It changes how he perceives God. And it makes him realize the theology - or what he believed - about God previously was a box that he could not longer fit God in. In other words, Job’s experience helps him realize new things about God that expand what he believes. 

Sometimes in our haste to make people feel better when they are suffering, we try to impose what we believe about God on them. But in the midst of their grief, they just aren’t there. They haven’t experienced that aspect of God yet. 

I want you to think of the most profound experiences that you have had with God. What were they? Were they always times of joy? If not, how did sorrow open up your heart to God?  How did that experience change you and help you grow closer to God?

Sometimes it isn’t other people that keep us from having experiences with God, but rather ourselves. We become hyper focused on wanting things to return to how they were that we flee from any change, even if that change is how we experience and think about God. 

One of my favorite books in the Bible is the book of Genesis. It is what we have been working through on our Thursday night Bible Study for the last few months. I love that it contains stories of broken people who have these profound experiences with God - stories that we can find ourselves in the midst of. 

One such story is about Jacob before he becomes Israel. Jacob was known as a trickster. He tricked his brother and father to the point where he had to flee to his Uncle’s home. Then he tricked his uncle. Now he finds himself in this in between space. He and his wives and children and moving back to the land from which he originally fled. He sends everyone ahead of him into the land while he stays behind for the night and has this experience where he wrestles with an angel, or God. And in the midst of this wrestling he is wounded, but does walk, or limp away, with a powerful experience. His name is changed. And he has a blessing that would carry on for generations. 

Why do I bring up Jacob in conjunction with Job? Because in many ways, Job, too, has been wrestling with God. His heart hurts. He feels broken. He is looking to God, but he wants to see God as he understood God before. Now, he is walking away with a new understanding of God. A blessing that opens up his word and his relationship with God. 

Friends, I do not want to romanticize our pain. Suffering is hard. We all have deep hurts in our lives. Rather, I want to ask us if our image of God is big enough to bear all of our hurts? Or have we made God so small that we feel that we need to defend God in the midst of our pain instead of simply going to God in prayer. 

Or when it isn’t our own suffering and pain, we have made God so small, that all we do is dismiss the pain of others in a misguided attempt to protect God. 

The book of Job reminds us that God can handle our pain. That God walks with us through our suffering. And that God can meet us right where we are at, even if it is a place that we would rather not be, and change us. That change may not mean everything magically going away, but that change mean a new dimension in our relationship with God on the other end. 

So what is the happy ending in Job? Maybe it isn’t that all of his blessing were restored and he had new children and a big house and herd. Maybe the happy ending, the blessing, is how his view of God is changed through all of this in a way that touches God in a powerful way. Maybe just maybe, there is a blessing and a change waiting for us as well. 

Let us pray…