Monday, May 26, 2014

For the Love of Dog


May 25th, 2014      “For the Love of Dog”      Rev. Heather Jepsen

John 14:15-24

          Our Scripture reading this morning continues where we left off last Sunday.  You might recall that in the gospel of John, Jesus gives a long speech after the last supper but before he is arrested.  Our reading is part of that speech, the farewell discourse.  Jesus is giving his followers some farewell words of comfort, along with some lessons to keep in mind during his absence. 

          Jesus makes several promises to his disciples, including the promise that though he is leaving he will come again in the future.  Jesus also promises that in his absence they will still feel the presence of God, through an Advocate.  Here he is referring to the Holy Spirit.  Jesus promises his followers that the Holy Spirit will come among them, and that through the Spirit they will remain in the presence of God.  This Spirit will “abide with you and he will be in you.”  Another way to translate the word Advocate here is Comforter or Companion which I think can be easier to relate to.  Though Jesus is about to leave the disciples in a physical way, God will never leave them truly alone.  They will never be orphans.

          Jesus also gives the disciples this lesson.  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  And later he says, “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”  Here Jesus is telling his followers that they are to love him by following his teachings.

          Now when the word “love” is used here in the Scriptures, we are not talking about the way that we feel.  We are not talking about emotions.  We are not talking about fluttery eyes, swooning hearts, and all such things that we may associate with the feelings of love.  That kind of love can not be commanded.  As you may know, that kind of love is a fickle friend who comes and goes in our lives and our relationships.

          Instead, what we are talking about here is love as a way of life.  This is the type of love that can be a command.  Earlier in the farewell discourse Jesus says to his disciples, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  Here Jesus is referring to love as a way of life.  Love is a decision that we make about how we are going to live in relationship to each other, and in relationship to God.  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

          Now, during last week’s sermon things got a little heavy in here.  Emotional topics are great, but I don’t want you leaving here in a solemn mood every week.  So today I want to lighten things up a bit.  As I was thinking about love, commandments, and companions, I got to thinking about dogs.  The truth is that right now in the Jepsen house we have a case of dogs on the brain.  As you may know, our dog Milo is on his last legs and we are often talking about how long he will be with us, and when the right time is to make that hard decision all pet owners have to make at some point.  Thinking about the behavior of dogs and thinking about the nature of love started to form into a sermon for me this week.

          It doesn’t take much time trolling the internet to find some great “dog wisdom”.  One could argue that no other creature on earth gives us such a faithful picture of obedience to the commandments of God like the dog does.  So today, I offer you a list of ten lessons that we can learn from dogs . . .
          1. Greet loved ones with a wagging tail.  Nothing is more important than feeling loved, and there's no creature on the planet that does it better than a dog.  The wagging tail affirms that this is where we belong: This is our home, where we live, where we are safe and where we are loved.  Be kind and greet one another with joy.
          2. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.  You know how dogs eat: slobber flying everywhere, and licking the dish clean until every last scent of gravy is gone.  Dogs know that eating is a celebration of life.  Breaking bread together is holy.  To nourish the body is not a chore, but a sacrament.  Animosities are dissipated at meals, barriers broken down, friendships renewed and strengthened.  So, eat with gusto.  Enjoy all the flavors and spices of creation, and thus enjoy the gifts of God.
          3. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.  Relax, slow down and enjoy life.  Give yourself a time out.  Opt out, unplug, and get lazy.  Even before he was sick, our dog Milo slept 23 hours a day.  Dogs provide great examples of celebrating the Sabbath.
          4. Run, romp and play daily.  Physical exercise is as important for the soul as it is for the body.  No disciple of Christ can be as faithful and effective when the body is run down.  When we learn how to play and stretch and get in some exercise we'll feel better from the inside out.   We have to take care of ourselves before we can take care of others.
          5. And this is a big one; be loyal.  Loyalty is a good thing, and if your dog is nothing else, he is loyal to fault.  Loyalty is a critical element of discipleship, for it speaks to our relationship with others: our spouse, our vocation, our community, our friends, even our relationship with God.  Obedience and loyalty are part of following the commandments of God.
          6. When you're happy, dance around and wag your tail.  Thankfulness and celebration are powerful dynamics for successful and healthy living.  Gratitude is a gift we give ourselves that enables us to affirm the essential goodness of life.  One of the ways we show our thankfulness to God is by gathering together to celebrate God in worship with singing, maybe some clapping, and at least some general merriment.  Worship and life do not need to be only a solemn and serious time.
          7. If someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle gently.  We all have bad days.  That's why we need encouragement and affirmation.  When we are depressed, we know that sometimes it takes only a quiet word, or a gentle touch to bring us around.  Our dogs seem to have an instinct that tells them when to be dancing and jumping around and when to just be there beside you.  Words are not always needed, or even helpful, to convey empathy.  A gentle nuzzle will often do the trick.

Now, I know the Holy Spirit is not a dog; but one could argue that God sent dogs to live among us as a way to provide that comfort and companionship that Jesus was talking about with the Holy Spirit.
          8. No matter how harshly you're scolded, don't pout - run back and make friends.  Carrying grudges makes life drudgery.  Make friends and keep them.  Overlook faults and assume the best.  Don't keep a scorecard of rights and wrongs and don’t take offense.
          9. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.  We do not need to injure others by what we say or do.  We can be strong with love; firm with kindness.
          10. Bark with your buddies.  Barking is an act of commonality.  Barking says we belong in this together.  We are one.  Jepsens like to make noise with their dog, and if you drive by at the right time you just might catch us in a group howling session.  Similarly we should make noise with our friends.  It is good to come together with one another and share about your lives and your experience of God.

          In our experience of the world around us, it is the dog which consistently shows us how to live a life of love.  I am not saying that we should think of ourselves as dogs and God as a master; I am saying that we should look to dogs as examples of how to be more humble, more grateful, more joyful, and more in love with life. 

          I read on Pinterest this week that “The Dog is the only thing on Earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”  Jesus teaches, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”  Today I would suggest that if you love Jesus, than look to the dog, and live love as a way of life.  Amen. 

 

 

Monday, May 19, 2014

Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled


May 18th, 2014             “Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled”        Rev. Heather Jepsen
John 14:1-14
          Once again this morning we are reading from the gospel of John.  Of the four gospels that appear in our Bible, John was written last, nearly a century after Jesus’ lifetime.  The other three gospels; Matthew, Mark, and Luke are written in a similar time frame and share a lot of common material.  Not so with John.  John is often out in left field, doing his own thing.  Consequently, John is often offering us a unique picture of who Jesus is.
          In the other gospels, Jesus appears to be much more human.  In Mark, the earliest gospel, Jesus is portrayed in such a human way that he often appears to be annoyed or even grumpy.  Through Matthew and Luke the image of Jesus begins to soften.  And by the time we get to the writing of John, Jesus appears much less human and much more divine.  Centuries after the lifetime of Jesus, the church will agree that Jesus lived as both fully human and fully divine.  The majority of our fully divine understanding of Jesus comes from the gospel of John.
          This morning’s reading takes place during what the other gospels will call the last supper.  Jesus has gathered with his disciples to celebrate the Passover.  In the gospel of John, this last gathering is accompanied by a great speech of Jesus’, called the farewell discourse.  Our reading is part of this farewell discourse, and Jesus is in the process of saying goodbye.  A few verses prior to this Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, where are you going?” and Jesus responds, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me.”  Jesus is preparing the disciples for separation and for change.
          Naturally, the disciples are troubled and afraid.  Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” which is a statement as much about the head as it is about the heart.  “Don’t worry” he seems to say, “everything will be ok in the end.”  Jesus goes on to talk about this place where he is going, a place the disciples will be able to follow him to, and that they will all be together.  What has been mistranslated as mansions; is actually a description of the common living arrangements in the time that Jesus lived.  At that time, many people, generations of family and friends, as well as slaves and servants would often live together under one roof.  Just as they did during their lifetimes, Jesus promises the disciples, that after they die they will all be reunited and live together.  “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places,” many rooms, and Jesus goes ahead to prepare a space for each of them. 
          It is no wonder that this scripture passage has become a favorite at funeral services.  When we are in the valley of the shadow of death, when we are on this side of things, and fully aware that the time of death is coming, that is when we long for these words of reassurance and hope.  We long to know that not only will we be reunited with Jesus, but that we will also be reunited with our community.  As Jesus describes to the disciples, we long to be in the same kind of community that we are in now.  We long for Jesus to tell us that it will all be the same as it is now, that nothing will really change.
          Is that what really happens when we die?  Well, I can’t say, because I’ve never been.  I’ve heard stories about it from people that I know and trust.  Not big budget movies, but actual friends of mine who have had that dead on the operating table moment of reawakening and awareness.  From the stories they tell it sounds like a nice place.  But I don’t really know, because I haven’t really been.  Like most of us in here, I will never really know, until it happens to me.
          One thing I do know is that I’m not afraid, and I’m not worried about it.  There a not a lot of things in the scriptures that I am really good at, but one of them is “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”  Jesus makes it clear that wherever it is he is going that we will be together.  That we will abide with him and with those we have known in this lifetime.  I don’t need a mansion when I get there, I just need a friend. 
          Jesus tells the disciples, “You know the way to the place where I am going.”  How do we know the way?  Jesus shows us.  Jesus leads us into death; he shows us the path to walk.  We are able to go that way because Jesus went that way before us.  And as on the journey of life, Jesus promises to be alongside us on the journey of death.  That, I know is true, because I have seen that.  I have been on that road with families, and I have met Jesus there many a time.  He says, “I will come again, and take you to myself”.  I know he keeps that promise.
          All of us fear death, just as all of us fear change.  A lot was about to change for the disciples Jesus was speaking to.  In the setting where John places this story, the disciples are imagining that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah.  The Messiah was to come and sit on the throne of David, he was to come and restore Israel to power, he was to come and bring about a new kingdom and authority.  That was what God had promised.  The disciples whole idea of who Jesus was, was about to change.  Their whole idea of what the Messiah was, was about to die.  Not only are they about to face the death of their leader, they are about to face the death of their entire worldview.
          I think that as much as Jesus was speaking to them about leading them into a physical death, I think he was talking about this religious death as well.  Jesus will take this small band of followers by the hand, and lead them into a new faith understanding.  As the faith community grows and spreads, so too will their ideas change about who the Messiah is and what he came to do.  I think Jesus is with that community on that journey.  He has gone ahead of the believers and now takes them by the hand and leads them into the future. 
          Simply in reading the gospels we can see this development of ideas, we can see this place where Jesus is going.  In Mark, we have that fully human Jesus.  By the time John is written, Jesus appears almost unhuman and fully divine.  Years later the church will develop ideas about fully man and fully God, ideas about the trinity, and ideas about atonement that are only hinted at in the scriptures.  As the church grows and changes old faith ideas die, and new ones are born.  And while some of us feel threatened by this, I think it’s good.  The living Christ has gone ahead of us, and is leading us through to new understandings.  He is bringing us to himself, in the future, in the community of faith.  “Where I am going, there you will be also.”
          The whole of our human experience is one of death and resurrection.  Throughout our lives we are changing and growing.  We are in constantly new bodies, regenerating skin cells and tissue.  We are constantly learning, interpreting new ideas and facts.  We are constantly in a cycle, between sleeping and waking.  We die and rise, die and rise, die and rise, over and over again.  And the one constant in this lifetime of change is the Christ.  The one constant in this lifetime of change is Jesus.  “You know the way to the place where I am going” because I have already gone with you there.
          That’s why I am not worried about what happens to me when I die, or frankly what might happen to you.  I am not worried about death, any more than I am worried about going to sleep at night.  Jesus has gone ahead of me, Jesus has shown me the way.  I do not let my heart be troubled because I believe in God, and I believe also in Jesus.  “I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”  I believe that.
          What we believe about what happens when we die is very personal.  It is something that is unique to each of us.  I wish I could give you my confidence, my lack of worry or fear, but I can’t give you that any more than I can give you my personal faith.  I can only do what I do every week, stand up here and preach the word as I see it, tell the story that God placed on my heart to tell.  Preaching a sermon about death is hard, it is a real challenge, but sometimes I think it better to face a difficult subject head on, rather than trying to avoid the topic. 
          The one thing that is true for all of us, the one thing we all have in common, is that we will die.  The message of our God to us as we consider our own deaths is this . . . “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”  Amen.

Monday, May 12, 2014

A Mother's Love


May 11th, 2014           “A Mother’s Love”             Rev. Heather Jepsen
John 10:1-10 with Psalm 23
          Today, the fourth Sunday after Easter, is commonly called “Shepherd Sunday” in the life of the church.  This is the Sunday when we read the 23rd Psalm, paired with another shepherd themed reading from the scriptures.  This morning’s pairing is with one of Jesus’ shepherd teachings in the gospel of John.  Today, of course, is also Mother’s Day and as I was thinking about the theme of shepherds and the work of a mother, I found some pretty neat pairings.
          We will begin with the reading from John.  As always when studying the scriptures, context is important.  This reading follows directly after a reading we studied during Lent.  Jesus had healed a man born blind on the Sabbath and was in trouble with the religious authorities for doing so.  You might remember that there was a lot of talk about who could see and who was blind, as well as threats of being kicked out of the synagogue.  In response to his conflict with the religious authorities, Jesus offers his teachings about the shepherd and the sheep.
          He begins by talking about the way the sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd.  I have heard it said that this is actually true in ancient sheep herding.  If more than one herd were kept in the same pen, all mixing together, the shepherd would be able to call his specific call to his herd, the sheep would recognize his voice, and his own herd would separate from the mass in the pen.  Jesus is the shepherd, and his own recognize and follow his voice.
          Doesn’t this sound like moms?  Remember when you were a kid playing outside in the neighborhood?  When your mother would call for you, you would recognize her voice.  It’s pretty rare that a kid gets confused and responds to the wrong mom’s call.  Just as the sheep know the voice of the shepherd, so too children know the voice of their mother.  Nothing pulls a kid out of a crowd like the call of a mother.
          Continuing in John, Jesus follows this teaching by talking about how he is the gate.  Jesus likes to use a lot of metaphors, especially in the gospel of John.  I don’t want to get all bogged down in how he could be the shepherd and the gate at the same time, so let’s just say now he’s the gate.  Jesus is the gate, and you need to pass through him to get into the sheep pen.  Those who enter by him come in and go out.  The sheep find pasture.  In one of the best lines in this gospel, Jesus says “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
          In many ways, mothers are like gates.  Nothing happens in the house unless it passes through mom first.  Especially when kids are little, like mine are, it is through the mother that they go and come.  It is through the mother that they receive.  It is through the mother that they have abundant life.
          And what does this abundant life that Jesus offers look like?  This is where we jump to the 23rd psalm.  In the 23rd psalm we find all the pieces of that abundant life that Jesus was talking about.  Food and drink, shelter and rest, a presence when in trouble and afraid, a sure path to walk upon; all these things are provided by the shepherd to the sheep.  All these things God longs to give to us, as part of that abundant life.  The shepherd provides for us everything we need, which should give us freedom from worry and stress. 
          So too a mother gives these things.  I know not every mother does this, but it seems to be the case in most families that the mother is the primary care giver.  When I was growing up it was mom who usually prepared food for the table, mom who provided clean clothes to wear, mom who cleaned the house offering a pleasant place to live, and mom who provided comfort when feeling lost and afraid.  Like the shepherd in the 23rd psalm, it was mom who took care of my needs. 
As I have grown into a mother myself, I have taken on those roles.  I work hard to provide an abundant life for my children.  And like many women here, the only way I can do it is by relying on the Lord to provide for me.  The family leans on me, I lean on God, and somehow we all make it through together.
          We love to read and think about the 23rd psalm at funerals, but sometimes I think we need to hear it more on regular days.  Sure, when we are right smack in the middle of that valley of the shadow of death we need to hear these words.  But in that moment, we are less able to hear the whole message of this psalm.  On regular days we need to hear the other parts, like that difficult first line, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
          The 23rd psalm asks us to let go of desire, to let go of stress and worry.  Not an easy task in our modern day and age.  In our super busy, super plugged in lives, we can hardly even sit still, let alone lie down in green pastures.  The psalm asks us to receive, and for some of us, for the givers in here like me, for the mothers, this can be a difficult thing.  One of the messages of the psalm is that God wants to give to us.  Our call is to be still and receive.  It can be hard. 
          In my own life, the one person I am really good at receiving from is my mother.  When I am at my mother’s house I actually rest.  That’s why I go there as a vacation destination.  That is the one place where I can easily sit and receive.  I let someone else cook, someone else clean up, someone else give, and I am able to receive.  It’s a reciprocal relationship, for when my mother visits my house, than I am able to do those things for her.  This chance to sit and rest, to simply receive, is the gift of mothers to us.  And this is the way God longs to give to us as well.
          Today we are gathering at the communion table, and this is a wonderful opportunity to receive from our God.  Jumping back to John, we remember that Jesus says he is that gate, that we pass through him to receive abundant life.  Some traditions have placed a gate around this table.  Only certain people can touch this, only certain people can share in this meal, only those who have met the mark can celebrate here.  Not so in our tradition, not so in our church.  Jesus is the gate, and all who believe in him, all who are even just curious and wondering, all are welcome at this table in his name.  This is for everyone.
          This table is a lot like mom’s table.  Everybody is welcome.  You have a friend over to play?  Sure, they can stay for dinner.  There is plenty of food and maybe even some leftovers.  The feeling of abundance that you find at the table at home, is the feeling of abundance that you find here.  Sit back, relax, enjoy, be fed.  This is the gift that God longs to give us.  As Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
          It can be freeing sometimes to think of God in new ways.  To consider God as a mother can open up to us new understandings and new wonderings about our relationship with the divine.  I am also aware that it can be threatening for some.  Not everyone has a good relationship with their mother, any more than everyone has a good relationship with their father, a term we are much more comfortable using with God.  My point today has been to consider the ways that the shepherd metaphor Jesus offers, can be compared to our ideas of motherhood. 
          In line with that reimagining, I would like to share my own version of the 23rd psalm inspired by this Mother’s Day:   

The Lord is my mother, I have all I need.
She offers me a clean and warm place to sleep,
she pours me a cool glass of water,
she provides me a place and time to rest.
 
She tells me to sit still.
 
She teaches me the right paths to take
to honor my family and my God.
 
Even when I am depressed and threatened,
she helps me not to fear:
because she is always by my side.
She offers me correction and comfort as I need them.

My mother prepares an abundant table for me
and invites all to share the meal.
She gives me sweet smelling lotions,
and always refills my wine glass.

Surely the love and joy she planted
will follow behind in my wake,
and I shall be welcome in her home
from my first breath to my last.
Amen.

Monday, May 5, 2014

On the Road

May 4th, 2014       “On the Road”     Rev. Heather Jepsen
Luke 24:13-35
On weeks when you tell me to take a break
This is what I’ll often do
Because sometimes it’s easier to write a poem
Then to craft a full sermon for you
 
Today is part of one great journey
The road from here to there
The story of two headed to Emmaus
And the bread that they did share
In the Kairos of the church
It is still Easter time
That same day of the empty tomb
That miracle morning, it was thine
Two fellows headed down a road
Away from the fuss and chatter
They are lost, wandering, confused
Wondering how this all could matter
When suddenly among them there appears
A stranger to walk beside
They tell him tales of sadness and woe
Of a savior, crucified
How surprised they must have been
When the stranger began to talk
To their stories of disappointment
The stranger he did balk
He opened up the scriptures to them
From prophets to priests and more
From great depths of understanding
Their hearts he did implore
Don’t you see, he called to them
The story is all the same
From death to life our God does work
Brings healing to the lame
In Genesis there was nothing but void
God made land and light
Then when held slaves in Egypt land
God aided the people’s flight 
From there they were captive in Babylon
Exile was the story
But God brought them back home once again
To return Israel to its glory
And now the chapter o so great
The son of God and man
The one who died now lives again
A part of that very same plan
As they walk along and talk
Night it does descend
The time has come to stop and rest
And the men include their friend
Come sit with us and stay a while
Share our feast and drink
Together we have journeyed far
Now let’s rest and think
As they sit at table now
The stranger takes the lead
He raises bread and cup to them
And begins to recite the creed
Their eyes now suddenly open wide
There is no stranger here
It’s Jesus who journeys alongside
His presence now made clear
As if by magic he is suddenly gone
His work here it is done
Having shared the Father’s plans to them
They realized they’d met the Son
Weren’t our hearts a burnin’ they say
As suddenly he is gone
He walked and talked just like us
As he’s done so all along
 
And so the two take off and run
All the way back home
To tell the others what they’ve seen
That they were never really alone
This story is an easy one
To find ourselves a part
For the wonder and questions present here
Reside also within our hearts
It is when we are sad, lost, and confused
That Jesus he does appear
It is when we are on the road to run
That his presence becomes clear
God meets us in the places dark
Where hearts are heavy and torn
God meets us on the journey long
When our shoes and spirits are worn
God walks alongside us and God waits
For us to beckon him in
We must ask God to stay awhile
And share a meal with him
It is gathering at the table here
Where God makes his presence known
Strangers and friends in fellowship
Is the place where God is shown
As followers we are called to look
For God’s presence everywhere
He could be right among us now
Here or even there
As followers we are called to invite
Strangers and friends to table
In sharing a meal and breaking bread
Our faith becomes more able
Three Sundays now in Easter time
We continue down the road
The story of resurrection
Is the one God’s always told
And like those two plain men of faith
On our travels we will find
That the story God tells in scriptures
Is always yours and mine
From death to life the story goes
Again and again and again
Resurrection follows heartbreak
And forgiveness follows sin
The lessons from Emmaus
Are many and varied and vast
Study the scriptures it seems to say
And don’t let the stranger walk past
 
Welcome all the in the name of Christ
Break bread with stranger and friend
This is the path of new beginnings
Resurrection without end
The road to Emmaus is the journey of life
The journey of faith and more
It’s not the destination that matters
But what happens before the door
Faith is a road we travel on
But we never walk alone
God is always alongside
A friend we’ve always known
Amen