Fully Alive to the Last Breath (Maundy Thursday)

Mark 14: 10-25

Roger Lynn

March 29, 2018

Maundy Thursday

(the audio for this sermon will be posted soon)

The storm clouds were gathering. The writing was on the walls. It was growing darker by the minute. Jesus’ message and ministry had put him at odds with the “powers-that-be” and the hammer was poised to come down hard. He could have run away. It would have been an easy thing to slip out of Jerusalem and head back up to Galilee, where he could keep a low profile and quietly live out the rest of his days. All that would have been required would be for him to let go of his passion and abandon his integrity. Oh sure, that would have killed his spirit just as surely as the Roman soldiers killed his body. But at least he would have survived. He could have spared himself all that suffering.

The path he chose instead was to be fully alive, right up to his very last breath. He chose to remain true to his calling – sharing the radical, transforming good news of God’s love with the world. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19) It wasn’t enough for Jesus to simply survive. He had to be really, fully, completely alive – body and soul. And he had to share that passion with any and all who would receive it. For Jesus, being alive meant more than just having a pulse. It meant reaching out to make a difference in the world. Everything about his life was in service to goal.

Following Christ’s Way (Palm/Passion Sunday)

Psalm 31: 9-16 & Philippians 2: 5-11

Roger Lynn

March 25, 2018

Palm / Passion Sunday
(click here for the audio for this sermon)
(click here for the video of the worship service - the sermon starts at 11:09)

What does it mean to follow Christ? In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul urges that group of Christians to “let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5) Paul then goes on to quote an early Christian hymn in which “the mind of Christ” is understood in terms of humility, trust in God’s guidance, and an attitude of service. On the night when he was arrested, Jesus prays, “Not my will, but thine be done.” This represents not a denial of self, but rather an orientation of self towards God. Indeed, when we look at the whole of Jesus’ life, what we find is a sense that we are most fully alive, most fully ourselves, when we seek to align our lives with the presence of God. To follow Christ’s way is to let go of the illusion that we are, or can be, self-sufficient. Jesus’ life illustrates the paradox that we experience the most fullness when we empty ourselves into God.

Foolish Wisdom (Lent 5)

Mark 14: 3-9

Roger Lynn

March 18, 2018

5th Sunday in Lent

(click here for the audio for this sermon)

(click here for the video for the entire worship service - the sermon begins at 18:57)

In a couple of weeks we have a rare and wonderful opportunity. Easter will be on April Fools Day. The last time that happened was the year I was born. I’ve often thought that the first day of April should be a religious holiday and this year it will happen. April Fools Day lifts up a virtue which is central to the Christian faith, although we don’t really like to think about this particular aspect of our faith. Being foolish, or even worse, looking foolish, is something we usually try to avoid. But perhaps it is worth re-visiting the merits of such a calling. In writing to the Church at Corinth, Paul advised them to become “fools for Christ.” An odd sort of recommendation at first glance. But very understandable upon closer examination. Since God’s ways are not our ways, following God will sometimes mean running against the flow of what our culture thinks is normal or even acceptable. From our perspective, and certainly from the perspective of the world in which we live, faith can often seem foolish. Jesus talks about turning the other cheek and walking the extra mile and loving our enemies. Scripture is filled with recommendations that we give ourselves away in caring for the last, the lost and the least among us. It is, to paraphrase an old saying, a foolish way to run a railroad. And yet, it is a core value for our faith.

Trusting Enough To Follow (Lent 4)

Genesis 17:1-7 & 15-16 & Mark 8: 31-38

Roger Lynn

March 11, 2018

4th Sunday in Lent
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God says to Abram and Sarai, “Follow me! Leave behind your home and all that is familiar and follow me. I will give you a new family. In fact, I will make you the beginning of a whole new people.” Jesus says to Peter and the others who would become disciples, “Follow me! Leave behind your homes and families and all that is familiar and follow me. I will give you a new family. In fact, I will make you the beginning of a whole new people.” And in one way or another, that same invitation continues to be extended to us today. “Follow me!” Sometimes we hear the invitation as an actual voice in our heads. Sometimes we hear it through the voices of those around us or through the example of their lives. Sometimes it is something we read or an experience in the midst of our living. There are times when the invitation is perceived clear and distinct in a moment. There are times when it only begins to emerge after a lifetime of listening. But regardless of the details, regardless of the timing, at the heart of the Christian faith is the conviction that the God who called Abram and Sarai and the God who spoke through Jesus to call Peter is the same God who continues to call us today.

Water, Water Everywhere (Lent 3)

Exodus 17: 1-7 & John 4: 5-30 & 39-42

Roger Lynn

March 4, 2018

3rd Sunday in Lent

(click here for the audio for this sermon)

(click here for the video for the entire worship service today - the sermon begins at 25:40)

I’ve preached more than 100 sermons here at Plymouth. Some of them have been pretty good. Some of them have probably been something less than stellar. I’ve sought to offer glimpses into how I understand God, the world, and our relationship with both. I know that there have been times when what I had to say has challenged you. Sometimes what I’ve said has been comforting. You’ve agreed with me. You’ve disagreed with me. And through it all you’ve honored me by listening to me. Sometimes I worry that I am repeating myself. I’ve been preaching for almost 37 years and it can be challenging to stay fresh. But then I remind myself that at the heart of it all, the message is really pretty simple. It just takes us a while to let it sink in. So, here I am again, trying to find a way to tell you what we already know, but somehow keep forgetting.

We live in a world of abundance. God is everywhere. Grace abounds. And yet, all too often, we view our lives through a filter of scarcity. We think it is a choice between seeing the glass half empty or half full, when the reality is that the glass is completely full to overflowing. The paradox, of course, is that how we see life is how we experience life. If we are surrounded by a lake filled with beautiful, pure, clean water, and what we see is desert sand, we will still die of thirst because we don’t know we can drink.