The Shepherd King

November 26^th, 2017    “The Shepherd King”     Rev. Heather Jepsen

Matthew 25:31-46 with Ezekiel 34:1-24

          We have come to the last Sunday of the church calendar year, next Sunday Advent begins and a whole new season of readings will commence.  This last Sunday of the year is always Christ the King Sunday, which serves to remind us that after a year of studying the Lord’s word in gospel and text we can come to only one conclusion, “Christ is the King!”

          There are lots of interesting ideas about power and authority in our world.  From countries with kings to countries with Presidents we can find lots of different examples of leadership.  Our current President is certainly redefining the highest office in our country.  I imagine President Trump would not mind being called the King of America.   He certainly exercises his authority in a kingly fashion.  

          Those with power are frequently a selfish lot.  In the days of Ezekiel, kings were known for extreme shows of force and violence.  Ezekiel is writing to the Israelites in their time of exile.  The nation has been destroyed and the people are being held captive in the foreign lands of Babylon.  Sure, God had chosen rulers to lead the people in the past, but these folks chose not to follow the Lord and led directly to Israel’s downfall.  

          The word of the Lord comes to the prophet Ezekiel, asking him to speak judgment against those who have led Israel.  Like bad shepherds, they have fattened themselves on the spoils of the herd and have not cared for the flock.  They have not taken care of the sick or injured and they have let those that stray wander to their doom.  The shepherds of the nation have scattered the sheep, hence the exile in Babylon.

          Thankfully a word of comfort comes from the Lord as well.  God says that God is a different kind of shepherd and a different kind of king.  God will seek out the sheep and God will rescue those that have wandered.  God will feed those who are weak, giving them a safe haven, and binding up their injuries.  As for those who have fattened themselves on the weakness of others, those who have used their horns to butt aside everyone else, for those ones God will provide a bitter meal of justice.

          Through the voice of the prophet Ezekiel we learn that God is a shepherd who ministers to the weaker members of the flock.  Unlike humanity’s expression of royalty or power, this shepherd king has special concern for the poor and needy.  This king’s primary concern is for those whom society has pushed aside and ignored.  The weak and injured aren’t of real concern for the rulers of our day.  But God cares for those who are the least among us, and if we are to follow God, so should we.  This leads us of course to our gospel reading.

          In our text for today, Jesus is with the disciples on the Mount of Olives and he is teaching them about the end times.  He has been talking in parables and metaphor.  “When it does all end, for you or for the world,” he seems to say, “There will be a sorting.  And by the way, it doesn’t look at all like what you might imagine.”

          Even though it appears only in Matthew I have no doubt that many of you are familiar with this story.  Like a shepherd separates the sheep and the goats, Jesus tells us that one of these days there will be a separation of all the people of the nations.  Those who are among the blessed find themselves there because they have waited on Jesus himself as he was in need.  They are blessed because they lived as a blessing to others.  Those who receive curses have neglected to serve the Lord.  They are cursed because they have cursed the needy in their midst.

          This is one of those wonderfully rich portions of the gospel.  Despite all our arguing about the church, from the big questions of doctrine to the little questions of which hymns we sing each Sunday, when it comes down to it, in the end none of that matters.  According to the story that Jesus tells in Matthew’s gospel, the only thing that really matters is how we have treated those in need, the least of these.  And the marvel, or perhaps the catch, is that we will never know that we are doing it. 

          Neither those in God’s good graces, nor those outside of them, know what they have done to earn the Lord’s favor or to incur God’s wrath.  Those who have served Jesus did not do so because they knew it was Jesus.  And those who missed opportunities for service certainly would have dropped everything if they realized who it was that was crying out to them for help.  While some might read this as works righteousness, I see instead a lot of room for grace.  We won’t know what we have done until it’s over, and I am confident that all of us will have missed opportunities to serve our Lord.

          We could hardly be closer to our preparations for the Christmas season, and we are about to hear and tell the stories once again of Emmanuel – God with us.  I see this idea echoed profoundly in this scripture passage.  Jesus is telling his disciples in plain language that he is with us, out in the world.  And frequently, not only is God with us, God is with them, those who are outside our circles of comfort.  If we are looking for Jesus we will find him spending time with the hungry, the naked, the sick, those in prison, and the stranger.  Jesus is with the least of these, and urges us to go and find him there.

          In our culture today there is an increasing divide between the least of these and everyone else.  We may not have official royalty but our nation has plenty of its own kings and queens.  Since 1982, the share of America’s income held by the top 1 percent has more than doubled.  The split between the haves and have-nots is growing wider by the day.  The top 10 percent of the population hold more than 75 percent of the nation’s wealth, while the bottom 10 percent only have debt.  This gap continues to widen while our legislators work to pass more tax cuts for the rich while increasing taxes on those making less than $75,000 a year.  And we dare to call ourselves a “Christian” nation.

          One is left to wonder where Jesus is in this economy.  According to the gospel of Matthew if we are looking for Jesus we will find him with the hungry, the naked, the sick, and imprisoned.  Where is Jesus?  Probably with the unemployed, those who fear losing their jobs, those without health insurance, and those who visited the Food Pantry this week.  Where is Jesus?  With those that the kings of our nation choose to ignore, Jesus is with the least of these.

          Today we gather to remember that Jesus is a different kind of king.  Sadly the kings of our age are not that different from the ones of ancient Israel.  They have been feeding themselves when they should have been feeding the sheep.  God promises that God is a different kind of king and a different kind of shepherd.  God is one who will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.  Because some have pushed with flank and shoulder and butted out the weak, God will scatter the strong and feed them with a last meal of justice.

          Jesus is a shepherd king, one who can be found not on the mountains of money but in the slums of poverty.  Jesus teaches that if we are to be his followers, then that is where we should be found as well.  If we are those who long to serve our Lord, than we are called to be a shepherd like him, serving those who are in need in our community and in the world.

          Today is Christ the King Sunday, a day that we declare our allegiance to this Shepherd King who stands with the least of these.  Today we have more friends joining our church, through transferring membership from other traditions and through declaring their faith.  We will celebrate the baptism of a new believer, marking one more among the ranks of those who dare to die to the powers and principalities of this world and to rise to new life in Christ.  Today we add to our number those who seek to serve the least of these in the Warrensburg community and beyond.  I couldn’t imagine a better way to honor and celebrate our Lord.

          This Christ the King Sunday after spending a year reading the Bible together we find that Christ is unlike any king the world has ever known.  His reign is not about money, power, and exclusive guest lists.  His reign is not about tax breaks for the rich and the amassing of even greater wealth at the cost of those in need.  No, the reign of Christ the King is about standing with the poor and the oppressed, those who are ill and in need, and those that the world has ignored.  If we are to be followers of this great shepherd king, than that is where we are called to stand as well.  Amen.

Times of Labor

November 19^th, 2017        “Times of Labor”         Rev. Heather Jepsen

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 with Psalm 123

          We have been busy for a month here with our stewardship sermon series and discussing Joy Practices in our lives.  It was a good time and we all enjoyed it and I hope that you are working to include those practices of forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, and generosity in your lives.  In the meantime though, the world around us has continued to swirl with torment and violence.  I want to assure you that while I have been talking about joy, I have not been blind to the world’s suffering.  And neither has our Lord.  In fact, this morning’s texts are all about how people of faith cope in a world of suffering.

          From the shooting violence enacted on brothers and sisters in the faith a few weeks ago, to the rise of sexual assault complaints, to the on again off again threat of North Korean nuclear war, to our simple inability to even have a civil conversation with someone from the other side of the political aisle; one might come to the conclusion that things have never been this bad.  “We have had more than enough of contempt” the Psalmist cries in the NRSV.  Henry has been reading The Message in which Eugene Peterson says “We’ve been kicked around long enough.”  I think that pretty much sums things up, don’t you?

          Scholars think that this Psalm is from the post-exilic period in Israel’s history.  The people had been taken into exile by the Babylonians and when they returned to their homeland they find that it lies in ruins.  After generations of hardship and struggle, they return home to only find desolation.  Can you imagine spending years waiting and longing to come home, only to finally find your home no longer exists?  This is their source of heartache.  After all that waiting and prayer they are still being “kicked around”.

          To top it all off, the powerful and wealthy are still in control.  “Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.”  Or as Eugene Peterson paraphrases, we’ve been “kicked in the teeth by complacent rich men, kicked when we’re down by arrogant brutes.”  That sounds about right to me.  With the way money plays such a huge part in the formation of policy in this country we could be writing this Psalm in America today!

          The Psalmist knows that the only hope of redemption is from God.  “Our eyes look to the Lord until God has mercy upon us.”  Eugene Petersen paraphrases, “Watching, waiting, holding our breath, awaiting God’s word of mercy.”  The Psalmist demonstrates their faith by looking to the Lord for help, by praying for change, by hoping against hope, and by resting in God’s promise of providence.  So too should we turn to God in times of need.  But I’ll be the first to admit that that doesn’t always feel like enough.  Some days I need more.

          That’s where our reading from 1^st Thessalonians comes in.  In Paul’s time the city of Thessalonica benefitted greatly from the Roman Empire.  A group of Christians wandering about, preaching against Rome, would not have been a popular bunch.  We can imagine that this Christian community suffered hardships at the hands of their Thessalonian brothers and sisters.  They were a people who were picked on; and they were a people who were suffering.

          In our reading for today, towards the end of his letter, Paul is encouraging the community to keep faithful.  The time of chaos is upon them.  To them it feels like the world has never been worse.  “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you.”  They know what time it is, for it feels like the end of the world.  “They say, ‘There is peace and security,’ and then suddenly destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape!”  Sounds pretty frightening.

          Paul warns the community to be alert, to be looking for the work of God in a world that seems to be filled with darkness.  “Beloved, you are not in darkness, for you are children of the light and children of the day.”  So too, we are people of the light.  And now more than ever we need to work to let our light shine in our world.

          We know that it can take a long time to find God in the midst of tragic circumstances, or in a world that seems to be bent on its own destruction.  Paul tells us to keep looking though, and not to lose hope.  “So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”  These words are as fitting for our time as they were for the people of Thessalonica.  Think of all the things that lull us into complacency these days.  From our addiction to our smartphones to our consumption of news that only fits our point of view, from numbing ourselves with shopping to numbing ourselves with drugs and alcohol; we are as guilty of falling asleep as the next person.

          Plus, there is the added effect of our own weariness in the midst of trauma.  Scientists call this “compassion fatigue” and it happens when our hearts are hurt so much that they just can’t hurt anymore.  I know I am getting to that place.  After the Las Vegas shooting I was so sad and depressed, and I was also so angry and ready to fight and act for some common sense gun control.  But, when the Sutherland Springs shooting happened just weeks later, I couldn’t process it anymore.  I had to turn off the radio and look away from the news.  I just didn’t have the heart to contemplate any more suffering.  That is compassion fatigue, and it is one way this world is lulling me to sleep.  I can’t cry over every unjust death, I am just too tired.  As we do so often in the midst of tragedy, I feel like I have cried myself to sleep.

          Paul reminds us that we belong to the God of light, and now, more than ever, we need to work to stay awake.  “Since we belong to the day, let us be sober.”  God has given us tools to protect us from the things that numb us and lull us into the sleep of complacency.  “Put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”  Faith, love, and hope are the things that will protect us; these are the things that will give us the strength to keep going.  These are things that will help us to stay awake, to be alert, and to continue to look for God in our broken world.

          “For God has destined us not for wrath.”  We are not meant to be a part of this worlds’ ruthless fighting “but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  We are made for the salvation of love, and as children of light, we are called to share that love with the world.  No matter what happens, the love of God is with us to offer us comfort and strength.  “Whether we are awake or asleep we may live with God.”  Even if we succumb to the siren song of this world, and fall asleep to suffering, we are still in the presence of God.  Even if this world literally kills us, and we sleep the final sleep, we are still in the presence of God.  These are the words of hope that Paul offers the community of Thessalonica.

          Paul asks the community of the church to be the place where people go to for support.  “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.”  It is here, within the church that we are going to find the things that we need to survive in this broken world.  It is here that we find brothers and sisters who are also trying to stay awake and alert to the world’s suffering.  This is the place where a neighbor in the pew will elbow you in the ribs to help you stay awake.  It is here that we will find others who can point out to us the light of God in our world.  And it is here that we will have a friend who can lift us up in those moments when we are suffering.  Here at church we find companions for the journey, and here we find hope for the future.  The community of faith becomes the community of survival in a world that is full of sudden destruction.

          I think it is no accident that Paul uses the metaphor of birth pangs to describe the times of hardship and pain.  Any woman who has experienced labor knows how sudden the experience can come on and how all-encompassing the pain can be.  But of course, birth pangs are but the beginning of something else.  While terrible and frightening, birth pangs are the harbinger not of destruction but of new life.  So too, Paul would remind us, that just when it feels like the world is ending, is just when it feels like the world is beginning.  Our times of hardship and pain are but the birth of new life.  And anyone who is watching the goings on in our country today can tell, there is something new afoot.  We may not know what it is, but we can all feel that something is coming.  Change is happening, and while it is painful, it can also be good.

          And so this morning, in this time of labor for our world, I would invite you to remember the words of the faithful who have come before us.  “We have been kicked around long enough, and so we are watching and waiting, holding our breath, awaiting God’s work of mercy.”  “We know what time it is, the time of labor pains and new birth.  Here in the church community we will strive to keep awake, to keep watch, and to not be lulled into silence and sleep.  We are the people of light, shining the love of God in a world of darkness.”  May we be those people today.  Amen.

           

Joy Practices: Generosity

November 12^th, 2017       “Joy Practices: Generosity”    Rev. Heather Jepsen

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 and Mark 10:17-22

          This morning is our final installment in our stewardship sermon series on joy practices.  We have combined lessons from our scriptures with words of wisdom from the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu in “The Book of Joy” each Sunday for the past month.  We have talked about forgiveness, gratitude, and compassion.  This Sunday we finally discuss money (and more) as we focus on the practice of generosity.  Like always, we will be watching video clips and doing a meditation practice within the sermon time.  Let’s start with a video . . .

          (Watch “we find a deep, deep dissatisfaction”)

          In this video clip, the Dalai Lama points out one of the primary flaws of our culture.  We seek to make ourselves happy through the collection, the amassing, of material goods.  We use money to buy more stuff to make ourselves feel good.  This is flawed thinking.  Throughout this series we have learned that what actually makes us feel good is on the inside of us, and that is love.  When we give love away, through forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, and generosity is when we will actually be happy.  When we practice generosity and good stewardship, is when we will grow in joy.

          Our reading from Deuteronomy is one of my favorite readings in the Old Testament.  This reading describes an act of worship in the giving of a yearly offering.  The Israelites are called to offer the first of the harvest in the place of worship.  As part of the offering, they tell the story of their history with God.  God has offered them freedom and the gift of a homeland, the people respond by offering back to the Lord the first fruits of that homeland’s harvest.  They then share that offering with all those in the community, from neighbors to strangers as they celebrate the bounty.  It’s the first Thanksgiving really.

          I love this story because it tells of an act of trust.  To take the first of the harvest and give it away, the first apple on the tree, the first tomato on the vine, the first carrot from the ground; is to assume that there will be more harvest to come.  You give to God first, trusting that the gifts from God will keep coming.  You don’t gather everything all year, make sure there is enough for you and everything you want to buy, and then give to God from the leftovers.  No!  Instead you give to God first, and trust that there will be enough for you second.  This is an act of generosity that relies on trust in God to continue to provide.

          Our second scripture reading is also all about trust.  We all shudder to think of the story or the rich young man, or the rich young ruler in other gospels, who is asked to give everything away.  We are afraid God will ask something similar of us, and no one wants to get rid of all their possessions. 

          I think in this reading Jesus is inviting this young man into a higher level of discipleship.  He was clearly a man of deep faith, who had followed and kept the commandments throughout his life.  Yet, he still longed to be closer to God.  Jesus reveals that to be closer to God is to live in extreme generosity.  If the young man could give everything away, then he would be free to follow Jesus and become a disciple.  He could learn what it feels like to completely trust in God to provide for everything he might need. 

          We read that Jesus looked at him and loved him, and in that love he offered the one lesson that would make a profound difference in the young man’s life.  The writer of the gospel of Mark tells us that the young man went away shocked and grieving.  One can only guess if he is grieving the loss of his possessions, or grieving that he is unable to trust God enough to follow Jesus in this way. 

          Lucky for you today, I am not asking you to give everything away!  I just want you to think a bit about generosity, and how the practice of generosity has the power to change your life.  Generosity is a natural outgrowth of compassion.  It is our willingness to share the gifts that we have received from God with those around us.  Generosity is a part of every world religion, and it emphasizes our interdependence and our need for each other.

          In the “Book of Joy”, the Archbishop jokes that “God doesn’t know very much math, because when you give to others, it should be that you are subtracting from yourself.  But in this incredible kind of way – you give and it then it seems like in fact you are making space for more to be given to you.”  The more you give, the more you have, and the happier you are.

          Generosity of course is about money.  Money can buy you happiness, if you choose to give it away.  Research shows that people experience greater happiness when they spend money on others, or give money away, then when they spend money on themselves.  Today we are making our pledges to the future life of this congregation.  Like the Israelites in our reading from Deuteronomy, we will come forward during the next hymn and make an offering of our first fruits.  We will make a commitment to give to God a portion of what we hope God will give to us in the year to come.  When we do this, we are trusting in God to carry us through the year, and we are trusting in the church, to spend the money wisely, furthering the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ.

          Generosity is not just about money, it is also about giving of our time and energy.  We all know that to volunteer at the Food Center is a lot harder than writing a check for $20.  That is a real ministry of giving, and that is a true act of generosity.  The same can be said of those who volunteer their time on committees, singing in the choir, or helping around the church.  These are all acts of generosity, and these are gifts we will offer shortly with our time and talents pledge cards.

          In the “Book of Joy”, the Dalai Lama talks about a Buddhist tradition of spiritual generosity.  This is the idea that we all have spiritual gifts to offer.  This can be in the form of teaching about the faith, sharing wisdom or knowledge of the faith with others, praying for and with others, and offering spiritual comfort.  This was a new idea to me and something I encourage you to consider.  How might you share the spiritual gifts that God has given you with others in the coming year?  How might you share the comfort of your faith with someone else?

          Like everything we have talked about so far, generosity is good for you.  When we give away the gifts God has given to us, the reward centers in our brain light up.  Researchers have shown that generosity is one of the four fundamental brain circuits that map our long-term well-being.  Being generous lowers our blood pressure and just thinking about generosity improves our immune systems.  Not only does generosity feel good, it is directly connected with better health and a longer life expectancy. 

          Let’s spend a few moments now thinking of all the ways God is inviting us to be generous in our lives through a generosity meditation . . .

·       Sit comfortably in the pew with the soles of your feet planted firmly on the floor.  Place your hands gently on your knees or in your lap.

·       Close your eyes, relax, and take a few deep breaths.  Center yourself here now, in this place, in this very moment.

·       Consider your money for a few moments.  How do you use the financial gifts that God has given you?  For what purpose do you imagine God has given you this money?  How might these resources be used to address issues of inequality and injustice in our world?  How might God be inviting you to share your money?

·       Consider now your gift of time.  Who might need your presence today?  How might God be calling you to share your compassion with those around you?  How might you support the community through the generous offering of your time?

·       Consider now your spiritual gifts.  What lessons from God might you be able to share with a friend or neighbor?  How might you share your faith experience with those who are looking for answers?  How might your daily interactions be marked by a generosity of spirit?

·       Now consider all the blessings that God has given to you.  Time, talents, and treasure.  What first fruits are you willing to offer to God today?  How might you respond to God’s generosity with generosity of your own?

·       Now bring yourself back to this moment.  Sitting in worship together in the faith community, the community of generosity.  You may open your eyes.

          Good work friends.  I want to close this sermon with some final words from Archbishop Desmond Tutu in the “Book of Joy”.  In the end of the book he is asked to offer a final word of wisdom to the readers and I want to share that message with you today, as a final word in this sermon series.  He says . . .

“Dear Child of God, you are loved with a love that nothing can shake, a love that loved you long before you were created, a love that will be there long after everything has disappeared.  You are precious, with a preciousness that is totally quite immeasurable.  And God wants you to be like God.  Filled with life and goodness and laughter – and joy."

“God, who is forever pouring out God’s whole being from all eternity, wants you to flourish.  God wants you to be filled with joy and excitement and ever longing to be able to find what is so beautiful in God’s creation: the compassion of so many, the caring the sharing.  And God says, Please, my child, help me.  Help me to spread love and laughter and joy and compassion.  And you know what, my child?  As you do this – hey, presto – you discover joy.  Joy, which you had not sought, comes as the gift, as almost the reward for this non-self-regarding caring for others.”

          To that I say, “Amen!”  Let’s close with a final video . . .

          (Watch “Flex your joy muscle” video)

Joy Practices: Compassion

November 5^th, 2017       “Joy Practices: Compassion”   Rev. Heather Jepsen

Deuteronomy 10:12-22 and Mark 12:28-34

          Wow!  I am really enjoying this sermon series on Joy Practices and I have heard from a lot of you that you are enjoying it to.  Who knew that a Stewardship sermon series could be so much fun?!?  The past few Sundays we have been combining lessons from our Scriptures with ideas from “The Book of Joy” featuring the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  We have practiced meditations in worship focusing on our ability to forgive and our ability to feel gratefulness.  After last Sunday’s sermon so many of you shared with me what you were grateful for, and that in turn was the highlight of my week.  I am so grateful for all of you!!  Today we continue our study of Joy Practices with a look at compassion.  Like other sermons in this series, we will be watching a few short videos and doing a meditation as a part of this sermon time.

          Let’s begin with a word from our friends . . .

          (watch “Recognizing our shared humanity” video) 

          Our friends today are asking us to remember that we are connected with all the other people on this planet.  In the “Book of Joy” they make the argument that we cannot actually be fully human on our own.  Rather, it is our connection to others that forms our humanity.  The Archbishop jokes that no one is born on their own, and yet it is so true.  We are all born into a network of relationships and it is those relationships that create who we are.  In the book, the Archbishop shares the African concept of Ubuntu which teaches that a person is only a person through other persons.  It is our connection that makes us human.  And the practice that fosters that connection is compassion.

          In our reading from Deuteronomy, God is teaching compassion as one of the primary commandments to the people of Israel.  Moses has been on the mountain for forty days with the Lord, and at this point in the story he is relaying the messages of God to the nation of Israel.  The question is posed, “what does the Lord require of us?” and the answer is this, “to fear the Lord, to walk in God’s ways, to love God, and to serve God with heart and soul.” 

          Moses reminds the people who God is, the one who has chosen them as a special people to receive God’s call and blessing.  God is described as one who is great and awesome, one who executes justice.  But it is interesting to note that this is no mere legal justice, rather this is justice on behalf of the oppressed.  God provides justice for orphans and widows.  God provides the justice of compassion.  God is also the one who offers care for outsiders.  God loves the stranger and provides for the stranger just as God provides for the Israelites.

          Moses makes it clear that to love God is also to love neighbor.  And not just the neighbor, but the stranger as well.  Just as God is the lover of strangers, so too are the people of God.  The Israelites are called to remember that they were once strangers, and as followers of God they are called to love the strangers in their midst.  Followers of God are called to be people of compassion.  This is good stewardship.  In modern terms I would say that we are called to think of all the things that might make us strange, to remember our own strangeness, and therefore to love the stranger within our midst.

          Of course, Jesus’ words in the gospel of Mark are also a call to compassion.  In this setting, Jesus is walking in the temple and is being repeatedly questioned and challenged by the religious authorities.  He faces questions from Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees, before a scribe approaches him to ask which commandment is the first of all.  Jesus’ response echoes the words of God on the mountain in Deuteronomy.  We are called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Compassion is at the core of Jesus’ teaching, and compassion is at the core of our faith.  The two greatest commandments are to love God and to act with compassion.  To be a good steward of God’s gift of love, is to share that love with others.

          All of this sounds so simple, and yet we recognize that it is work to practice compassion in our world.  To practice compassion is to recognize the shared humanity of those we share this planet with.  This might be easy in your household, and here in the church, but this gets much harder as we venture out into society.  It’s one thing to offer compassion to someone in need at the food center or on the street, but is another thing entirely to practice compassion for someone whose political views we find offensive or simply insane.  How do we practice compassion across all the divisions of modern American society?

          Just like the other topics we have discussed, compassion is a mindset and a practice.  Compassion is a sense of concern that arises when we are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to see that suffering relieved.  One of the differences between empathy and compassion is that while empathy is simply experiencing another’s emotion, compassion is a more empowered state where we want what is best for the other person.  As the Dalai Lama describes it, if we see a person who is being crushed by a rock, the goal is not to get under the rock and feel what they are feeling; it is to help remove the rock.

          The Archbishop says that compassion “is something that you have to work out in actual life.  Try being kind when you are walking in the street, and say good morning to the people you are passing, or smile, even when you are not feeling like it.”  Compassion is attempting to make that connection with the stranger Moses was talking about.  Compassion is attempting to see and acknowledge the common humanity of all those around us.

          It is hard to develop compassion for others if we don’t have compassion for ourselves.  In the Book of Joy, we read that “Modern culture makes it hard to have compassion for ourselves.  We spend so much of our lives climbing a pyramid of achievement where we are constantly being evaluated and judged, and often found to be lacking.  We internalize these other voices of parents, teachers, and society at large and as a result we are not compassionate with ourselves.  People don’t rest when they are tired, and neglect their basic needs for sleep, food, and exercise as they drive themselves harder and harder.  We treat ourselves like we are part of a machine, and this makes us anxious and depressed.”  When we are harsh judges of ourselves, then we are also harsh judges of others.  True compassion starts in our own hearts.

          Like all our other joy practices, science says that compassion is good for you.  Practicing compassion releases endorphins in our brains and lights our reward centers up just like when we eat chocolate.  Oxytocin is released when we are compassionate, which leads to a reduction of cardiovascular inflammation.  Compassion is literally good for your heart!

          Like smiling, compassion is contagious.  When we witness others practicing compassion we are more likely to be compassionate ourselves.  That is why church is so good for you.  Research shows that compassionate acts ripple out by degrees.  If you are compassionate, your friends, your friends' friends, and even your friends’ friends’ friends are more likely to be kind and compassionate.  Compassion has a ripple effect.

          Both the Dalai Lama and the Archbishop tell us that we are most joyful when we are focused on others.  When we are self-centered, thinking only of me, me, me; is when we are the most depressed.  When we are thinking of others, when we are helping others, when we are practicing compassion, is when we are most joyful.  They write “When we close our heart, we cannot be joyful.  When we have the courage to live with an open heart, we are able to feel our pain and the pain of others, but we are also able to experience more joy.  The bigger and warmer our hearts, the stronger our sense of aliveness and resilience.”  The more we practice compassion, the more joyful we will be!

          Let’s practice compassion now with a compassion meditation . . .

·       Sit comfortably in the pew with the soles of your feet planted firmly on the floor.  Place your hands gently on your knees or in your lap.

·       Close your eyes, relax, and take a few deep breaths.  Center yourself here now, in this place, in this very moment.

·       Think of someone you love very much, a relative or friend or even a pet.  Try to see their face in your mind’s eye and notice how your heart feels when you think of them.

·       Silently say the following to them:

          May you be free from suffering.  May you be healthy.  May you be happy.          May you find peace and joy.

·       Breathe in and as you breathe out imagine a warm light coming from the center of your heart, carrying your love to your loved one, and bringing them peace and joy.

·       Now turn this compassion to yourself. 

·       Place your hand on your heart and notice feelings of warmth, tenderness, and caring toward yourself.

·       Silently say the following to your own heart:

          May I be free from suffering.  May I be healthy.  May I be happy.  May I         find peace and joy.

·       Now offer this compassion to a stranger.

·       Think of someone you neither like nor dislike.  Someone you may see at work, at the store, or even here at church.

·       Reflect that this person feels much like other people, they too are in need of compassion. 

·       Silently say the following to this person:

          May you be free from suffering.  May you be healthy.  May you be happy.          May you find peace and joy. 

·       Reflect on the fact that everyone on the planet has the fundamental desire to be happy and to be free of suffering.

·       Allow your feelings of compassion and concern to fill your heart, and feel the warmth, tenderness, and caring.  Radiate this feeling of compassion out into the world.

·       Now bring yourself back to this moment.  Sitting in worship together in the faith community, the community of compassion.  You may open your eyes.

          Good job friends!  That’s good stewardship!  Let’s close with another video from the “Book of Joy” . . .

          (watch “Our greatest joy is when we seek to do good to the other”)