"Peter and Paul"

“Peter and Paul”

Pastor Tom Johnson, June 29, 2014

Today we gather for worship on the anniversary of the deaths of Peter and Paul. Tradition says they were not only martyred on the same day but in the same hour. And so that is what brings Peter and Paul together on this Sunday. Peter was one of the original twelve chosen disciples. Paul became an apostle after Jesus died and rose again. Even Paul himself said it was as if he was added to the number of the Apostles as one untimely born. Like a late term birth of a child, Paul gained prominence in the first century Church. We know that Peter and Paul unintentionally caused a division in the early Church. Some preferred Peter. Others preferred Paul. We know that because Paul himself complained of this when he wrote in 1 Corinthians, “Some say I am of Peter, others say I am of Paul. What? Is Christ divided?” (1 Cor 1:12; 3:4). We think this is silly, but consider the fact that our church is “First Saint Paul” and the cathedral in the Vatican is the “Basilica of St. Peter.” There have always been some who have preferred Peter’s clarity and simplicity of teaching the faith. And there are those who prefer the depth and mystery of Paul’s letters.

There is plenty of evidence that Paul and Peter themselves had their run-ins. Paul tells us in his letter to the Galatians that he had to get into Peter’s face. Peter refused to eat with Gentiles. Paul said that he was not just discriminating against other ethnicities but—even worse—compromising the Gospel. Peter mentions Paul once in his second letter. He specifically mentions Paul’s letters that he wrote to the churches. And he says, “There are some things in them hard to understand.” From the very beginning, Paul’s letters were challenging. But Peter does not dismiss Paul but says that “the ignorant and unstable twist [Paul’s writings] to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures” (2 Peter 3:16). Peter elevates Paul’s letters to scripture while at the same time acknowledging the difficulty in understanding his writings. It is interesting how little is said in the Bible about Peter and Paul and any interaction they had with one another. I’ve already mentioned all there is. It seems reasonable to assume that they may have not known each other very well at all. We know that Paul and Silas went on missionary journeys together. We know Paul was Timothy’s mentor. But we have no evidence that Peter and Paul ever actually worked side by side as coworkers in the ministry.

But Peter and Paul also had a lot in common with each other. Both were called to follow Jesus in a frightful encounter. While he was fishing, Peter told Jesus to depart from him because he was a sinful man. While on the road to Damascus, Paul was knocked of his horse and blinded. Both were humbled by God in their service to the Gospel. Everybody knew about Peter denying Jesus three times. Everybody knew that Paul persecuted the church early on. Peter is known as the disciple that opens his mouth over and over again and often needs to put a foot in his mouth. Paul calls himself the “chief of sinners.” Neither of them would claim that Jesus chose them because of their personal righteousness. They were both chosen in spite of their failings and shortcomings.

Both deeply understood and appreciated the grace of God. They both knew they did not earn or deserve God’s acceptance and love. It was free, unearned, and undeserved. Both had the assurance of eternal salvation Peter said, “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (1 Pet 3:18). Paul said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8,9).

What brought Peter and Paul together was “one Lord, one faith, and one Baptism, one God and Father of all” (Eph 4:5,6a). Both served God imperfectly and stumbled and failed. Both got up again by the strength of God’s forgiveness and call to tell others about his love revealed in his Son, Jesus Christ. And by some ironic and tragic turn of events, both Peter and Paul find themselves together in Rome under the same sentence of condemnation. Peter is a citizen of Israel and so is crucified. Paul is also a citizen of Rome and so beheaded. But both are sentenced to death the same day, the same hour, for the same crime—preaching Jesus of Nazareth. I could not help but remember what Paul said in his letter to the church in Rome—the same city he would later meet his fate: “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his...if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” Peter and Paul were united in their deaths. They (and we) are united in the death of Jesus. And if that is so, we will certainly be united in his resurrection and have the assurance that we will live forever together with Peter, Paul, Jesus, and the whole company of heaven.

“Do not be afraid”

Matthew 10:24-31

Pastor Tom Johnson, June 22, 2014

Last Sunday about this time, Johanna and I were woken up at six in the morning by the cathedral bells across the street from us in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Every fifteen minutes there was a very joy-filled hymn played by the same carillon. The bells seem to promise good stuff if you get out of bed and come to worship.

As we sat in the hotel lobby eating breakfast and drinking coffee, a well-known preacher was on the large television broadcasting his sermon:

“Heaven is a warehouse full of unopened gifts from God,” said the televangelist. “The reason you are not healthy is that you do not have faith. The reason you are driving that old, beat up car is because you don’t believe. You haven’t written that book, gotten that promotion, or have birthed a child because you still haven’t made up your mind to trust God. And until you have faith, all those boxes of treasure in heaven with your name on it will remain unclaimed, unopened, and unappreciated. You are the only one standing in the way of getting what you always dreamed of. Just say, ‘Lord, I believe and trust you’ and he will deliver.” Just name it and claim it.

Each of our readings this morning seem to point us in a very different direction. They warn us of inevitable adversity to the one who believes—not prosperity. Even the prayer of they day today seems to name and claim struggle and difficulty in this life of faith: “O God, our defender, storms rage about us and cause us to be afraid. Rescue your people from despair, deliver your sons and daughters from fear, and preserve us all from unbelief.” Jesus also seems to want to “keep things real” and give us a sober reality check: “A student should not expect better treatment than his or her teacher. If they call your mentor the devil, what do you think they’ll say about you?”

We live in a broken world. We are weighed down by our own sin. We are victimized by the sin of others. Jesus does not offer us a pain-free, disease-free, poverty-free, doubt-free life. He offers us a fear-free life. It is fear that robs us of our joy. It is fear that causes us to be anxious. It is fear that can cause spiritual paralysis. It is fear that keeps us from living in the present because we are so fixated on what may or may not happen in the future. We live in fear when our imagination is overwhelmed with all the different possible scenarios that we face—each of them terrifying, lonesome, and cold. We live in fear when our thoughts are held captive by the threat of evil, death, or a life without God.

There are no easy answers that will make fear go away. Jesus himself does not answer the question of why we have to experience evil or death. He does not try to resolve the age old question of why God may at times seem either powerless or unwilling to confront evil.  And I feel it is very important to say that Jesus also affirms our need to cry out to God —to be completely honest to God in prayer and unload our deepest fears upon him just as he does on the cross when he prays, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

In our Gospel today, Jesus gives us the tools we need to live. He helps us navigate difficulty, doubt, persecution, and our worst fears. “Have no fear of them,” he says. “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” “Do not be afraid.” Three times he calls us out of fear. And each time he tells us to not be afraid, he gives us some assurance of his grace. He doesn’t just tell us to stop worrying or living in the paralysis of fear. Jesus gives us reasons to let go of our anxiety and live with peace and joy.

First, a disciple is not above the teacher. We do not trust in a god who merely permits our mistreatment. We have God who goes through persecution himself in the Person and work of his Son Jesus Christ. He is demonized and maligned. He is falsely accused and put through a mock trial. He experiences our suffering.

Second, although evil is a formidable adversary and can even result in death, its power is limited. Death is the worst it can do. God’s power is greater. And, we have a God who lays down his life for us, experiencing death, and on the third day rises in victory over death. In Christ, we have overcome our greatest enemy.

Third, we are God’s treasured possession. Even the sparrows that we consider practically worthless are part of God’s treasured Kingdom. He keeps watch over the sparrows. He keeps watch over us. He even knows the number of hairs on our head. He knows us intimately. And our relationship with him transcends time, space, and creation itself.

Learn from the Master to not live in bondage to fear. You are a child of God. Jesus himself says we are part of his household. We are citizens of a far greater country. We are members of God’s holy family. Don’t let fear get the best of you. “…neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38,39). Do not be afraid. You are forever under the watchful eye of your Creator who loves and values you as the most beautiful jewel in the crown of his creation. He has loved you since the foundation of the world. He loves you to the most intimate detail now. his love transcends time and space. He will love you into all eternity.

“Under the Influence”

Acts 2:1-21

Pastor Tom Johnson, June 8, 2014

“They are filled with new wine.” “These are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning.” A controlled substance can make people behave in ways that are out of step with typical human behavior. People who are otherwise peaceful can become violent. A person who is, under normal circumstances, shy and reserved can say or do some bold things they may later regret. It’s why the Scripture says “Do not get drunk” (Eph 5:18) and why government programs encourage young people to “Just say ‘no.’” The consequences of being under the influence of a controlled substance can be tragic. Stories of loss of life  because of drivers under the influence seem to always be in the news.

The people gathered in the temple at Jerusalem to worship saw some unusual behavior. And the source of the strange behavior was a group of Galileans—from the northern hills of Israel. For many, Galileans were known as uneducated hillbillies. And here they are disrupting worship of everyone else. For starters, there is this odd and loud noise like a violent wind. And just as people are trying to make sense of what this noise can be, the group of Galileans begin to all speak at once. And they are not speaking in unison—they are not even speaking the same language. These Galileans are speaking in at least 16 different languages and dialects. And each language is heard and understood by those worshiping in the temple from their respective countries. Even though the languages are different, the message is the same—they are talking about the “mighty works of God”—how God did great things through Jesus Christ—how Jesus healed diseases and raised the dead—how Jesus revealed the true nature of the Kingdom—not a kingdom of the sword and power but a kingdom of peace, love, and forgiveness—how this Jesus from Galilee spoke with great authority to the religious leaders and Roman powers—how the Romans, Jews, and all the world publicly executed him on a wooden cross—but how he rose again from the dead—how he overcame death and the grave—and how he promises this victory over death and eternal life to the world.

The people who saw and heard this uproar in the temple were just trying to make sense of it. For others, the only explanation was drunken behavior. They said, “They are filled with new wine.”And Peter’s answer to their charge that these Christians were high on a controlled substance is twofold. For starters, it’s simply too early in the morning to be drinking alcohol—it’s only the third hour after sunrise—9am. Case closed. Rule out drunkenness because it is just too early in the day. I love Peter’s logic here even if I can think of a number of exceptions to his rule. The truth is that they are under the influence—under the influence of a mind-altering and life-altering substance—they are under the influence of almighty God—filled with the Holy Spirit. And the filling of the Holy Spirit happens anytime during the day. It is always appropriate to be under the influence of the Spirit.

I’d like to think that the leadership decided to have our weekly worship services at 9:30 am because that is about the hour when the Holy Spirit fills his people with power from on high—the hour when the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with joy and fills their mouths with praise and evangelistic zeal. When we gather for worship, we come with these clay vessels—these frail human bodies which are empty and ready to be filled. We come to receive exactly what the disciples received that day—strength, joy, praise, and made ready to proclaim to the world the mighty works of God—under the influence of the Holy Spirit. There may be no violent, rushing wind that ushers us into the Holy Spirit’s activity, but we do have the billows of the organ and music to usher us into the presence of God. We may not have as much diversity as they did on the Day of Pentecost, but our church, First Saint Paul, is well on her way. That day, 3,000 men, women, and children were baptized—the Lord, the Holy Spirit added to their number. We started the service by remembering our Baptism as we will again before we confess the Creed. Later that day, the disciples will distribute bread and gave thanks. Later this service, we will distribute bread and give thanks for Jesus’ true body and blood. This morning a group of young people will remember their Baptism and receive First Communion with their families.

We are under the influence of the Holy Spirit. We are not just gathered here like a social club as some suppose. The Holy Spirit assures us that our sins are forgiven. He washes away our sins with the water and the Word. He brings us the good news of Jesus Christ who lived, died, and rose for us. We proclaim the mighty works of God. And he gathers a rich diversity of people from every tribe, nation, tongue, and people. Under the influence of a divine, powerful, and merciful God, we experience what God has done for us through Jesus Christ as he gathers us in. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God goes out of our mouths to transform our community and the world as he sends us out. People under the influence can do extraordinary things. And God has promised to do so through us.

"God has gone up with a shout!"

Psalm 47

Pastor Tom Johnson, June 1, 2014

Archeologists have found three standards from Ancient Israel. Two of these date back to the Bronze Age and one from the Iron Age. These standards are long poles with an image or symbol on them. Ancient Egypt had these standards with the head of Pharaohs and gods on them. Ancient Rome had the iconic eagle with the letters SPQR, an acronym for “The Senate and People of Rome.” When God brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, he instructed each tribe to gather beneath each standard with a symbol for each tribe (Num 1,2,10). When God’s people sinned, God provided a path of life and healing for them by raising up a standard with a bronze serpent—just looking at it healed and saved them. The Israelites raised up a heap of twelve stones when they crossed the River Jordan into the Promised Land. They raised up that monument with twelve large rocks each one representing a different tribe. It was a way of raising up a shout of thanksgiving and praise to God for fulfilling his promises. The Ark of the Covenant was a symbol of God’s presence among his people. The people carried the Ark into battle. In Jericho, they raised the Ark, they shouted, and they blew the ram’s horn. And the walls of Jericho came tumbling down.

Today we typically use banners and flags. In the United States, we have the ceremony of raising our flag with the Pledge of Allegiance and the blowing of a bugle. It has become a symbol of pride, identity, and thanksgiving for the American people. Perhaps that is why the picture of the American soldiers raising of the flag on the hill in Iwo Jima has been such an inspiration. It is a symbol that unifies us as a people and calls us to serve something greater than our individual selves.

What makes Psalm 47 so remarkable is that the raising up and shouting is not about tribalism, nationalism, or victory in battle. And what is being raised up is not a standard, pole, ark, flag, or any other symbol. “God has gone up with a shout.” It is the Lord himself who is raised up high with a loud voice. It is the Creator of heaven and earth who ascends with the blowing of a ram’s horn. And he is raised up for all nations, tribes, tongues, and people. The Lord ascends for all creation. This thanksgiving and celebration is a universal call for everything that has breath to shout and make loud trumpet blasts. This Psalm challenges our collective pride as citizens of a particular nation. God calls us to think about our place as citizens of the world community. Rather than being a champion of those we only have the most in common with, this Psalm calls us to look beyond our borders, ethnic divides, and language barriers. This song calls us to reach out to the whole world and celebrate what God is doing in all creation! “Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with a joyful sound!”

On Friday, I had a wedding rehearsal out in Palatine. It is just blocks away from Mathilda Harding, a 101 year old member of First Saint Paul’s. In the past three years, our former Deaconess Brenna Nunes and I visited her and brought her communion. I just visited Mathilda about two weeks before Easter Sunday. When I would ask her how I can pray for her, she would respond with the same prayer request: “That I would be faithful to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and that I would be faithful to the end.” When I got to her room on Friday, her name was not on the door. She was not in the room. And the nurses told me that she passed away. “Mathilda passed away on Easter Sunday,” the nurse told me. Her online obituary sure enough says April 20^th. I immediately called Brenna. She put into words what we were both feeling: “It would have been nice if we could have been there to celebrate her life. But in a way,” she quickly added, “we celebrated her life each time we visited.” As I thought about it, Brenna’s words express exactly what this Psalm is all about. We want Mathilda to go up with a shout—a shout of thanksgiving to God for her life and a shout of praise to Jesus for the assurance that she went home to be with him in heaven. In a way, God provided that shout without our help. She stepped into the presence of her Savior on Easter Sunday! She went up with a shout of resurrection! And today, the last Sunday in Easter, we give all thanks and glory to him who goes up in a shout for us.

When Jesus went up to Jerusalem, he entered with shouts of “Hosanna!” When he goes up upon the Cross of Calvary, he goes up with prayerful cry. With a loud voice he prays for us sinners, “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” and to us who are condemned, “Today, you will be with me in Paradise!” With a loud voice Jesus gives his spirit to God and cries, “It is finished!” Jesus goes up from the grave with an earthquake and the mighty voices of angels. Weeks later, he ascends into heaven with outstretched arms and a loud voice of blessing. He goes up with a shout for you and for me. He calls our voices to be joined with his as he is lifted up to proclaim forgiveness and eternal life to all nations beginning in Jerusalem. He is Lord of all creation. Heaven and earth are full of his glory. In his ascension, he goes up with a shout as King of the universe. He himself is the banner raised up for all nations to see, hear, and experience the hope of God for all people. He goes up with a shout for us so that we will go up with a shout as well.