Heeding God’s Promptings

Acts 8: 26-40

Roger Lynn

April 17, 2016

(click here for the audio for this sermon)

In J.R.R.Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”, Bilbo reflects on the precarious nature of living when he says, “It’s a dangerous thing . . . going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you’ll be swept off to.” That is something like what it means to be a person of faith. Once you start down the path of faith, there’s just no telling where it will take you. 

While that is true, however, God seldom grabs us by the arm and drags us to where God thinks we need to be. The guidance and direction we get from God is usually more subtle than that. Nudges, whispers, promptings are more often the means by which God intersects with our lives. We have to pay attention to notice. And when we do notice we need to be willing to take a step down the path, even when it isn’t entirely clear what’s coming next. “Step onto the path and the path will appear” is the way the Sufi poet Rumi put it.

Living Into Joyful Wholeness

Acts 4:32-35 & John 20:19-23

Roger Lynn

April 10, 2016

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A few weeks ago we joined with Christians around the world in celebrating Easter. We reflected on the gift of new life which we see revealed in the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was a day for shouting “Hosanna” and praising God.

But after all is said and done, when the Easter clothes are put away, and the number of people in the pews has returned to normal, we are still left with the ultimate theological question – “so what?” Why does it matter? What does it mean? How does it impact our living? If the Easter story is exclusively about one man who lived a long time ago in a far off land, then there really isn’t very much to celebrate. Even if, as some people claim, it is about “getting us into heaven” (whether selectively or not), then it is of limited interest as long as we are still breathing. But if this new life is about all of life, including every moment of our living, beginning right here and right now, then we start having something to talk about.

Life!

John 20: 1-18

Roger Lynn

April  3, 2016

1st Sunday After Easter

(click here for the audio for this sermon)

Jesus lived his life intentionally - always seeking to be open and connected to God. In everything he did and everything he said, he always sought to reveal God’s boundless and unconditional love to the world. In so doing he turned the world upside down. Those in positions of power, both civil and religious, found his message to be threatening, because it undermined the very things which kept them in power - fear, guilt, privilege, violence. And so, in the end, in an attempt to silence him, they killed him. Or so they thought. It is the hubris of power that leads us always to think we are in control of life. But Life - Life with a capital “L” - Life as God desires us to experience it - this Life is not meant to be controlled, it is meant to be lived - fully, richly, abundantly. So it really shouldn’t surprise us - even though it always does - that the abundant life we see revealed in Jesus couldn’t be stopped and it couldn’t be killed. In fact, it just keeps thriving and growing and spreading. This life force is beyond our ability to adequately describe, but not beyond our ability to experience. We see this revealed in the Gospel accounts of the resurrection. The descriptions are always ambiguous. There is always more to say than they can find words for. So, we find images of empty tombs and angelic messengers. There is talk of Jesus present but unrecognizable, touchable but just out of reach. He shows up in unexpected places and surprising ways. It is life that cannot be fully described, contained or controlled. It is life that changes us - transforms us - renews us. It is life that always points us to life and leads us away from death.