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Thy Will be Done: Walking in Hope

11/28/2021

 

​Rev. Dr. John Judson
November 28, 2021

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1 Samuel 1:1-2; Luke 1:5-7
​

      It was time to start a family.  Whether they knew it or not Bill and Suzanne were part of the Greatest Generation. Bill had survived D-day and the march across Europe as an infantryman.  When the war ended, he began his transition to civilian life.  Part of that transition was to join a church.  At the Presbyterian Church he joined, he met a cute and fiery redheaded young woman named Suzanne.  They dated, fell in love, and then married.  After a time, it was time to start their family, as it seemed everyone was doing.  Time went by and nothing happened. First it was months, then years.  The doctors had no good advice for them.  The years then turned into decades.  I first met Suzanne when Bill was dying of cancer in his late 70s.  I got to know them, conducted Bill’s memorial service, and then was “adopted” by Suzanne.  After several years of weekly visits, the subject of children came up.  She said they had wanted them, but that it simply wasn’t to be.  She was not angry or bitter.  It was for her, part of her life journey. 

      I am not sure if Suzanne ever pondered it or not, but the fact was, she and Bill were not alone. They were joined by tens of thousands of other couples past and present who struggled and still struggle with conception.  I’m not sure if Suzanne pondered it or not that her struggle put her in that great cloud of Biblical women who found themselves in the same situation. Women such as Sarah, Rachel, Rebecca, Tamar, Hanna, and Elizabeth.  These women all desired children and it did not seem to be happening.  I have to say that I was hesitant to preach on these women today, because over the years of my ministry I have found that of all the struggles church members face, from issues of employment, health, family, and aging, the struggle to conceive is one of the most painful. And I did not want to bring up painful memories, or present pain, yet I chose to move forward for a single reason.  And that reason is that these women show us what hope looks like. They show all of us what it is like to walk in hope, and through their shared hope we can find hope for ourselves in any area of our lives.
​

      What I want us to understand this morning is that Biblical hope is not an emotion, or a longing, but it is a process. It is a journey, which is why we can speak of walking hope.  It is a process that has three stages…each necessary for hope to live.  The first stage is believing that tomorrow can be better than today because God is at work in the world.  Some people might call this a sense of optimism, but it is more than optimism. I say this because optimism almost wants to believe that the obstacles in life aren’t real. That if we believe hard enough, or simply have a positive attitude, that the obstacles will vanish.  Hope, on the other hand, knows the obstacles are real. It knows the obstacles cannot be wished away by positive thinking.  Instead hope believes that even though the obstacles are real, there may be ways around, over, or through them…with God’s help.  Biblical hope is always rooted and grounded in God’s continuing activity in the world. It is rooted and grounded in God’s continuing promises to embrace life.  We can see this belief with both Elizabeth and Hannah because they each had a firm belief that God was on their side, even when things were not going as they pleased. And so, walking in hope begins with a belief that, because of God’s loving grace, tomorrow can be better than today.

      The process of hope continues with its second stage, our taking action. I say this because there can be no real hope unless those wanting to embrace hope are willing to do what they can, regardless of how great or small, to bring about a better tomorrow.  Otherwise, what people have is not hope but a wish.  A wish simply says, please happen.  Hope says, how can I help make this happen. This concept of action can be seen in the lives of all the women who hoped for a child. Some like Tamar, go to remarkable lengths for a child.  She was willing to trick her father-in-law into sleeping with her. Hannah, as we shall see in future sermons, essentially bargained with God by promising to give her first born to God.  I would probably not recommend either of those courses of action.  But the fact is that these women, along with the others in our cloud of women witnesses, continued to do what women do to conceive.  None of these women gave up.  And so, walking in hope continues where we are willing to take action.

      The process of hope then leads to the final, and most difficult stage, which is letting go.  Letting go does not mean that we cease believing that tomorrow can be better than today or that God is at work in the world.  Letting go does not mean that we cease our action.  It is not let go and let God. Letting go means that we let go of the outcome of God’s work and of our action.  It means no longer clinging to the object of our hope but instead focusing on the trusting and the acting.  What this does is allow us to keep on walking in hope when the object of our hope does not come to us on our timeline.  What I mean by this is that we as human beings become discouraged.  The more we try to overcome the obstacles in our lives, and we don’t, the more likely we are to give up. We are more likely to give up because we are focusing on the outcome more than the process and thus, we feel defeated.  But when we let go, we give ourselves permission to keep trying. I believe that this is where Elizabeth was.  As the story says, she was very old. Note, not just old, but very old, meaning she should have given up. Yet what we will discover later in her story is that she did not cease acting.  She did not stop believing.  The same is true of Hannah. After she bargains with God, she simply lets the future unfold. Walking in hope then, asks us to let go of the goal, while not giving up on God or ceasing our actions.

      If you want to see how this works on a larger scale, all we need to do is look at charity walks.  Each year across this nation there are thousands of charity walks.  People hold these walks to support finding cures for cancer, or muscular dystrophy, to end domestic violence or homelessness, or any number of other causes, because they believe that tomorrow can be better than today; because they believe it is possible to beat cancer and other diseases; because they believe that it is possible to stem domestic abuse or find people homes; because they believe that there are people out there who can help solve the issue at hand. They act, meaning they walk to raise money and awareness. They let go, knowing that the solutions they desire may not happen this year or next year, but that they cannot give up, but need to keep striving to solve the issues that matter to them.  This is walking in hope.  This is the journey taken by Suzanne, Elizabeth, Hannah, Sarah, Rachel, Rebekah, and Tamar.  They each were willing to walk in hope.  Was it always easy? No, it wasn’t.  Yet they persevered.

      My challenge to you then is to ask yourselves, how am I walking in hope like Hannah, Elizabeth and the great cloud of witnessing women of scripture?

Thy Will be Done: Be Teachable

11/21/2021

 

Elizabeth Ngare, Seminary Intern 
November 21, 2021

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Exodus 4:10-17; Matthew 5:1-11

       Covid has brought so many changes and has given those who are willing many teachable moments. Who knew you could work from home and get things done? Who knew schools would be closed and parents would have to stay home with their children? Who knew churches would be closed? Who knew that so many people would end up working from home permanently? Everyone has been affected by covid and those who were willing to be teachable learned and adapted. My daughter was one who had to learn. 

      She was blessed with a new job during the pandemic which required her to work from home. With no previous home office, this meant having to go buy a desk, and a chair and everything else.  They don’t tell you where to shop or give you money for it all, but they give office supplies, the desktop, computers and what have you. 

      So, we went shopping for an office desk and chair at Ikea; everything was nicely packed in an orderly manner.  Everything put in place. All we had to do was follow the manufacturer’s instructions to put the pieces together! We thought we had it under control, it seemed easy…but we didn’t read the instructions, and as you can imagine, the table didn’t look quite right and we had to start from scratch! Neither of us had a teachable attitude. We thought we could put the desk together without following directions. So, we ended up learning the hard way. The second time around, following instructions made construction easier, faster, and perfect. Being teachable sometimes seems like a waste of time, but skipping a step can end up in a disaster.

      I wonder if Moses would have done any better with the desk, because he did not always have the most teachable attitude. His assignment was to free the Israelites out of Egypt by following God’s instructions. God tried to teach him something.  But Moses had excuses, he was stubborn. In our scripture reading we hear Moses saying, “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now….”  “I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” The Lord asked him “Who gives speech to mortals?”   God already knew where Moses came up short and that through Him, Moses was capable. God was going to be with Moses every step of the way. God kept on assuring him, “I will be your mouth and teach you what you are to speak!”  And still Moses said, “O my Lord, please send someone else.” In the end, Moses, like my daughter and I, was going to have to learn the hard way.

      If Moses did have a teachable attitude, what would it look like? Maybe it would be like Matthew 5:1-11. I say this because these people were ready: they sat, they listened, they were open to learn from Jesus, and because of their teachable attitude they learned wonderful things. They learned that God blesses the merciful, the downtrodden, the humble, the hurting, those that seek his righteousness, the peacemakers the ones that heal, reconcile differences and sow peace. 

      They learned something the world would not have taught them. They learned new things they would not have learned from anyone else but Jesus.  What they learned gave them hope.  What they learned let them know they were loved regardless of how bad their situation seemed to be. This was all because they were teachable. And just like those people sitting at Jesus’ feet, we too can be teachable. 

      Let me tell you one reason I know that being teachable matters today. I grew up with a Christian upbringing.  My dad was a minister of religion and my mum, an evangelist. We started attending Sunday school at a very early age, learning to read, memorize Bible verses and to pray. My parents instilled the importance of God’s word in our day-to-day lives. We had devotions in the morning before school and evening before going to bed.  We had Bible study from day one! A foundation was laid down for me in a loving way by my parents and they set a very good example throughout their lives. Knowing God as a child and growing in his Word helped me in the decision to go into ministry. Even so, I knew there was more that I could learn.

      That is why I enrolled in the seminary to expand my knowledge. It helps to have mentors in ministry, preparing one for future ministry opportunities. I am here as an intern to sharpen my ministry skills: preaching, worship leadership and more, and to learn what it takes to be a good and effective minister. I have learned so much in the short time I have been here, and I am looking forward to everything I have yet to learn. 

      Being teachable has nothing to do with how educated you are. It is an attitude that we can all cultivate. We must be humble to be teachable. I read some place that, “When we think we have things figured out, we’re not teachable.” There is always something new to learn, and you can learn from everybody and anybody. The teachable learn new things every day because they listen, learn, and grow. Reading books, keeping an open mind, talking less, and listening more, keeping up with what is going on around you, and having a desire for continuous improvement is important.

      Being teachable in the Word of God involves reading the Bible and acting on what you learn. It involves Bible study and being taught the word of God and having your questions answered. Reading devotionals is another way. This helps us learn what God has in store for us. The Bible has so much for us to learn, it is not a book like any other that you read to the end, and you know everything. Every time you read it you learn something new, if you have a teachable spirit. You can never have enough of the Bible because God always has something new for us to learn.  

      Everybody’s Church is blessed for having a teachable attitude. This attitude is shown in so many ways: Bible Study, being inclusive and welcoming, taking care of the community, Rejoicing Spirits, Faith Community Coalition on Foster Care, Matthew 25 initiative, just to mention a few. A teachable attitude makes a very big difference everywhere. The last question is: are you willing to be an eternal intern with me by having a teachable attitude? 

Prayer: Lord I praise and thank you for your word and for the ability to learn, give us the humility to pursue wisdom and to follow your instructions. We are praying for an open mind and a teachable attitude. Thank you for your faithfulness and your promise to guide us, instruct us, correct us, comfort us and for being with us wherever we go. Help us to develop the commitment to study your word diligently. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thy Will be Done: Believe

11/14/2021

 
The Rev. Dr. John Judson
November 14, 2021

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Exodus 12:1-13; Acts 16:22-34
      Two stories about true believers. Story one: They had heard the rumors and had done their research.  Though there were skeptics around them, these true believers knew what was real and what was fake. They knew that two weeks ago John F. Kennedy junior would appear in the same plaza where his father was shot and announce that he was the real vice-president of the United States.  It did not matter that authorities had pulled Kennedy’s body, along with those of his wife and another passenger, from the wreckage of his plane that had gone down at sea.  It did not matter that the passengers had been identified through dental records.  It was all a lie.  It was a way for the government to hide Kennedy away until the time was right.  And so, these true believers gathered in the plaza awaiting his return.  They took time away from their jobs. They traveled thousands of miles to see the event.  Then, when he didn’t turn up the rumor spread that his real appearance would be at the Rolling Stones concert later that night.  Story two:  They believed that Covid-19 was real and deadly.  While they watched the number of children being infected soar, they did their homework.  They watched as the trials for children progressed and as the nation’s medical authorities debated the efficacy of the vaccine on younger and younger children.  Some even enrolled their children in the trials.  They believed in the science and technology. Then, the moment when the government approved the vaccine, they lined up their children to be immunized.

      It may be difficult for us to relate to both these stories. Some of us will see one as an appropriate belief and the other as not. Yet these two stories each contain the two fundamental ingredients of believing. These two ingredients are an acceptance of a perceived reality and a willingness to act on that perceived reality. Let’s unpack this.  First, the acceptance of a perceived reality means that an individual, or a group of individuals looks at the world, takes in certain information and then creates a reality around that information. Those waiting for J.F.K. Jr. took in information that he was still alive and created a reality around that information. The parents of young children took in scientific information about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines and created a perceived reality around that.  Second, those who believed that J.F.K. Jr. was still alive and that he would appear in Dallas took whatever measures they thought were necessary to be present for his return. As I said a moment ago, they used their time and treasure to be there.  In the same way, those parents who desired that their children be protected from Covid-19 stood in line at one in the morning, or got on the phone to their pediatricians as soon as possible to ensure that their children were inoculated.  Belief is about acceptance of a perceived reality and then a willingness to act on that perception.

      These two ingredients are also present in the Biblical understanding of believing. We can see how this idea plays itself out in both of our stories. First, our Exodus tale: The Hebrew people had been slaves for decades.  They were powerless against the Egyptian Pharaoh and his minions.  And even though Moses and Aaron had continued to tell the Hebrews that this God of their ancestors was going to set them free, their lot had only gotten harder. Their work had only become more difficult. But as the plagues began to ramp up in severity, something began to change. The attitude, the belief of the Hebrew people began to perceive a new reality. They began to perceive that this God of their ancestors was indeed a liberating God. This God was one who not only desired they be free and had the ability to free them, but was going to do so.  Their response was to listen to the commands to prepare for this God to act. In the face of overwhelming odds, they roasted their lambs, prepared their meals, placed blood on the door frames of their houses, and waited for this God to act.  This was belief, belief in a liberating God, a belief that would have cascading effects across the years.

      We can see these same two parts of belief at work in the Book of Acts in three separate incidents in this one story.  The first incident has to do with the reason for Paul and Silas being in prison.  When Paul and Silas arrive in Philippi, they are followed by a woman who’s a soothsayer who says soothes…she tells fortunes.  She does this because she is possessed by a spirit.  She follows Paul and Silas around crying out that they were followers of the great god. Paul finally tires of this and casts out the spirit…meaning he sets this woman free.  While this is an act of liberation for the woman, her owners see it as an act of because this woman can no longer make them any money.  The owners then raise a riot against Paul and Silas, thus leading to their flogging and incarceration. These events lead to the second cascading effect of the perceived reality of God as liberator. 

      The second effect concerns Paul and Silas praying and singing even while in chains.  They do so because they believe that God is a liberating God and so, one way or another God will free them.  But then an unexpected event leads to an unexpected liberation. There is an earthquake.  The quake throws open the prison doors and tears the chains from their walls.  People have often seen this as God liberating Paul and Silas, but I would argue that is not so.  It is not so because neither the text nor Paul link God to the earthquake and because Paul and Silas do not escape.  Instead, they stay put and liberate the jailer.  The story tells us that the jailer was about to take his life because he was afraid that the prisoners had run away, and he would be tortured and executed for their escape. Paul stops him by telling the jailer that no one had left. Rather than being relieved at this revelation, the jailer asks, “How can I be saved?” This is not a question about how to get to heaven. It is a question about how he can be liberated from his fear of what might happen to him.  Paul and Silas answer his question by sharing their perceived reality that God is a god of freedom and liberation. The jailer accepts this new perceived reality and then acts on it by bringing Paul and Silas out of the jail, dressing their wounds, and feeding them. In other words, the jailer becomes God’s agent of liberation.  Finally, the jailer and his family give thanks for believing in God.  This is the cascading effect of believing that it can move from Moses to Paul, to a Roman jailer…and to us because we are the beneficiaries of this cascading effect of believing.

      What I mean by this is that we did not invent the particular perception of reality that God is a liberating God.  It is a perception that has been shared for thousands of years by more than a billion people. People have believed that in Jesus of Nazareth they can and have been set free; can be and have been liberated.  This perception of reality that we share helps us see and experience that Jesus can turn the prison of hate into the freedom love; the prison of fear into the freedom of fearlessness; the prison of doubt into the freedom of conviction; the prison of sadness into the freedom of joy; the prison of hopelessness into the freedom of hope; the prisons of racism, sexism, and homophobia into the freedom of shared humanity; the prison of sin into the freedom of forgiveness; and the prison of death into the freedom of life. And we do so because we have witnessed the truth of this perceived reality; because we have seen it at work in our lives and in the lives of others. And I believe in this perception of reality because there was a moment in my life when I thought there was no hope, but through the witness of others I was introduced to this perception of reality that God wanted me to be free.  And slowly, over time and with help, my prison doors were opened and I was able to see the light of hope again. And whenever I have my doubts about this perception of the reality of God, I remember those moments and believe.

      Every day we are offered multiple realities in which we can believe.  Some are worth believing in, the efficacy of vaccines, and others are not, the return of J.F.K. Jr. But the one on which I would argue we can all depend is the perceived and realized reality that God is a liberating God, who desires our freedom so that we might experience the fullness of love and joy.  My challenge to you then for this week is this, to ask yourselves, “How am I allowing God in Jesus to set me free from the prisons that hold me fast?”

Thy Will be Done: Teamwork

11/7/2021

 
The Rev. Dr. John Judson
November 7, 2021

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Exodus 4:27-31; Luke 10:1-3

      I thought I knew everything about cars.  I thought I knew everything about cars because at the age of 16 I quit playing sports, got a job, and spent every dime I made on my 56’ Chevy.  Along the way I learned how to rebuild engines, replace transmissions, shifters, differentials, brakes, carburetors, fuel pumps, and just about every piece of a car that could be replaced.  It was an education that has proven useful across the years.  Like I said, I thought that experience meant I knew a lot about cars, and it all seemed pretty simple. Then I moved to Detroit.  Putting it mildly, what I learned was that I really knew very little not only about cars but about the complex nature of taking a car from a concept to reality to getting it out of the dealership.  I had no idea about the process of design, the science behind the materials, the coordination of thousands of engineers across multiple disciplines, the coordination and multiplicity of suppliers, many supplying only one part of the car, the importance of micro-chips, the manufacturing plant and its advanced technology and robotics. the dealer networks that sell and service the car; or the financing sector who keeps all of it on budget and helps people purchase new and used cars.  I was, and continue to be, impressed by the amount of teamwork that it takes to get a concept to a reality, to the showroom, and then on the road.

      In some ways my naivete about cars was also my naivete about the teamwork that has been and still is required in the construction of God’s kingdom here on earth.  What I mean by that is that my childhood Sunday school lessons made it seem as if the entire Biblical story was about a few heroes who made everything happen and everyone else were just onlookers whose presence was not all that important. These heroes were Freedom Giving Moses, I killed Goliath David, the Savior Jesus, and the Apostle Paul.  They were the real movers and shakers.  They were never in need of a team.  Sure, Jesus had the disciples, but even they were not all that important.  Teamwork wasn’t necessary for Biblical superheroes. Yet, as any Marvel Movie fan knows, it takes a team to accomplish a task, as both our stories show this morning.  First, Moses needed Aaron.  Moses was not a capable speaker.  He needed someone else to speak the words that God was giving him.  Later in Exodus we will discover that Moses will appoint both an unknown number of judges and seventy elders to help him run things.  David, though he could slay a giant, needed more people to help him and so he recruited those called his mighty men. Jesus needed a larger team as well.  Not only did he need the disciples, but he also needed the seventy to go before as an advance team to prepare the way for him.  And the Apostle Paul worked with Barnabas, Timothy and appointed elders everywhere he traveled.  Finally, let’s not forget the role of women.  Moses’ wife Zipporah saved his life.  David and his men are fed by Abigail when they were hungry.  Jesus’ ministry was supported by the gifts of women. And Paul had Apostolic co-workers who were women.  Biblically speaking, it always takes a team.

      The same is true here at Everybody’s church.  It takes everybody to keep this community running.  While those of us on staff are usually the most visible presence, we cannot make First Presbyterian run.  It takes a team.  It takes a team of staff behind the scenes to keep things humming. And it takes dozens and dozens of volunteers to keep the church up and running. It takes ushers, and musicians, and singers, and audio-video tech people, and people on the phones, and people serving on committees, and people engaged in mission, and Stephen ministers walking with people through tough times, and Sunday school teachers and helpers, and Gardening Angels to keep the flower beds looking fabulous, and on and on.  And then it takes all of us making financial contributions to pay the bills which supports our staff, keeps the lights on, pays for mission work, and then shares resources with the local, national, and global church.  I realize that I may sound like one of those smiling people on PBS talking about all the wonderful programming they produce and so why don’t you contribute and get a free mug or tote bag?  While we do share the need for funding with those wonderful organizations, the difference is in our mission. The mission of PBS and NPR is to educate and entertain.  Our mission is to transform: to transform people into the image of Christ, to transform this community into the very body of Christ, and to help transform the world into the Kingdom of God. And the reality is that our church, your church, is only able to do this transformative work when all of us share our talents, time, and treasure.  It was true in Jesus’ time, as Jesus was supported by the financial gifts of his followers, and it is true today.

      In some ways this is an appropriate Sunday to be talking about teamwork because in a few minutes we will be remembering some of the team members who are no longer with us.  These men and women who gave of their time, talents, and treasure to help this church become what it is today.  They are part of a 187-year tradition that has insured that the work of Kingdom building in Birmingham continues uninterrupted. My challenge to you on this Sunday as we light these candles and then as we come to the table, is to ask yourselves how am I willing to be part of this team that nurtures a community of faith in which all people are embraced continues to be a light to the world?

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First Presbyterian Church
Phone:  248-644-2040
Fax:       248-644-8047
Email:    contact@everybodyschurch.org
Address: 1669 W. Maple, Birmingham, MI 48009
Hand in Hand Early Learning Center
Phone:   248-644-2040 ext. 124
Faith Communities Coalition on Foster Care
FAR Therapeutic Arts and Recreation 
Phone:   248-646-3347
Presbytery of Detroit


Presbyterian Church USA
​
More Light Presbyterians
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Skyline Camp and Conference Center
Phone: 248-644-2043 (Birmingham Office)
             810-798-8240 (Almont Campus)
Samaritan Counseling Center
Phone: 248-474-4701
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