Sermon for December 8

Okay, I know some of you are disappointed and others relieved.  No theme music as we begin this week.  Nothing flashy or attention-grabbing as we get underway.  But even though the deliver may change, the emphasis and the message is still the same.  We’re in Advent, the time of Impossible Missions.  Last week, we heard that the Son of Man was to draw all people to God’s holy mountain.  And today, we continue with another element of God’s mission, one that may seem to be even more impossible.

Today’s emphasis for God’s mission is found embodied in the person of John the Baptist.  And that mission can be summed up in one pretty direct word, one that John himself used in his message.  The mission of God as we are introduced to it this Advent season again is that of repentance.  God prepares the way for repentance to take place in the hearts of people, so that they can then be drawn to God’s holy mountain.

And so, this rather strange guy, whom we tend to know as John the Baptist, shows up on the scene.  A guy in his early thirties, likely raised outside of mainstream Jerusalem.  A likeable guy, if you happen to like guys who are a little bit on the strange side.  Not dressed in your typical attire, but wearing the old pelt of a camel.  He’s one of the first to try those new diet ideas that pop up from time to time, only his seems to focus purely on insects and unrefined honey.  But there’s just something about him that draws people out to him.  

We heard that a moment ago.  Jerusalem and ALL Judea and ALL the region were coming out to hear him, and he seemed to keep falling back on one important word.  Repent.  Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  And so, once again, if you happen to be drawn to strange men who dress differently, who promote cutting edge diets, and who are anti-establishment, you probably find yourself drawn to this guy John.

In John the Baptist, we have proof that God employs all different kinds of people to bring about the carrying on of His mission.  God’s mission, through this season of Advent, and through John the Baptist, is to prepare the way for the Son of Man by calling all people to repentance.  John was sent on his mission as part of God’s overall mission, to prepare the way for the Messiah to arrive on the scene.  And so, God’s opening act for the Messiah involved John the Baptist, out in the Jordan, baptizing people and calling all people to repentance.

So if you and I are going to understand God’s mission, we’re going to have to understand what God means when He engages in His mission of repentance.  It’s a common word that gets thrown around Christian circles a bit, and not always with the best use.  From a very basic standpoint, it simply means to turn away from one thing, and to turn to another thing.  Let’s say that I’m intent on getting some K-cups for my Keurig in my office.  I start off looking at some Starbucks brand on the shelves of the grocery store.  But then, I notice a sign.  Some generic brand of cups are on sale!  For a few seconds, I’m drawn to them.  They’re less expensive, and they still have caffeine in them.  But then, I remember that they also don’t have a whole lot of the taste that I prefer.  So I repent.  I turn away from that which caught my eye to turn back to that which I know, that which has proven itself to me in the past.

That’s the essence of this word repent.  We turn away from one thing, turning to something else.  But even in this kind of meaning, there is a richness to this word that we would be wise to consider as we think about God’s mission of calling all to repentance.  This is a word rich in meaning because it speaks to so much.

One element of repentance involves the big picture sense.  There is one true God in this earthly realm.  However, there are many things that we as humans come up with which we call gods.  From that aspect, the big picture sense is that God’s mission is to call people to repent from these false gods and turn to Him, the one true God.  We are to recognize those things in life that we look to for our hope, our trust, our security, our well-being, and recognize that none of them are lasting or faithful like the one true God.  And then, we are to turn from putting our hope and trust in those false gods, and return to the one true God.

So as God engaged in His mission of preparing the way for the Messiah, one thing that had to take place was turning the hearts of God’s people away from the things in which they were placing their hope and security.  They had to be turned away from things like how well they were doing when it came to God’s words to them.  Some had to be turned away from thinking that their enforcement of God’s words on others was gaining them something in God’s eyes.  They had to be turned away from these false sources of hope and comfort, and to return to the one true God.

And so John the Baptist came with the message of repentance.  Turn from your observance of the Law, and return to the God who has made you His very own people.  Turn away from a focus on how well you’re doing what God says, and put your hope and trust in that God, not in your works.  And that, very naturally, leads us to see the richness and depth of this word repentance.

Repentance in the big picture sense is turning from false sources of hope and returning to the one true source of comfort and hope.  And as that takes place, much in what God’s people do in life should naturally follow that change.  So we find that God’s mission of leading people to repentance involves turning them back to Himself as the one true God, and then leading them to see that their actions, their thoughts, and their words all are led and directed by that change.

So we have John the Baptist being part of God’s mission.  Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  Turn back to the one true God as the source of your hope and comfort, and then bear fruit in keeping with that repentance.  Don’t just let your minds convince you that you believe in the right God.  Do the things that He says, not with a focus so much on how correctly or rightly you are doing them, but that you are doing them because He is your God, and you are His people, and therefore, you do that which He desires.

That is the richness of this aspect of the Mission of God.  God will turn people’s hearts from their false sources of hope and comfort, returning them to Himself as the one true God who carries the banner of justice and mercy.  God will turn people’s hearts to Himself, and in doing so, He will also bring about the corresponding change in how they live their lives, in how they think about themselves, and in how they address each other with their words.  They will have a big picture change that will lead to many small picture changes along the way.

And yes, that has a great deal of meaning for us, just as it did for the people who heard the message of God through John the Baptist.  There is one true God that we are to turn to when it comes to our hope and comfort and security in this world.  And that God tells us that there are right things that we do in life, and there are wrong things that we can find ourselves doing in life.  We are to continue to follow the right things, those things which He tells us are good and right for us to be doing, and we are to repent and turn away from those things that He tells us not to do.  It’s not just once or twice in our lifetime, but a daily renewal that God is working within you.

And just like we heard last week, God isn’t content to go about this mission all by Himself.  Even as we have heard today, God chooses to work through His created people.  God Himself could have called people to repentance with a booming voice out there in the wilderness, but God chose to employ the life and voice of the man we have affectionately come to know as John the Baptist.  God chose to employ a man who dressed kind of strange, ate even stranger, and who made people travel to where he was to hear what he had to say.  

As God engages on His mission of drawing all people to His holy mountain, one of the things that needs to take place is God’s mission of repentance in the hearts of those that He would draw.  And once again, God could choose to work in a different way.  He could make it so that His voice sounded out over the whole metro area, calling people to turn back to Him, and to change the way that they live.  I don’t know about you, but I’d find that awfully cool, but also a little frightening.

But in His great wisdom, God chooses to engage in His mission of repentance in another way.  He chooses to connect community and Christ together.  He sends those people that He has already drawn to Himself, in whom the work of repentance is already underway, and He sends them back out into those communities with that message in their lives and on their lips.  God employs people like John the Baptist, kind of strange and unusual, but who has the ability to connect with people.  And God employs people like you and I, kind of strange and unusual people, but people who are already connected with so many in the context of our community.

And as God connects us to others in the community, as we go forth on God’s mission of repentance, I think there are a few things that we would be wise to consider.  First off, as we take that message of repentance, it’s probably a good idea to start off telling people who this God is that is sending us to them.  He’s the God who not only created them and provides for them, but the God who has sacrificed for them, and who has given them the promise of new life and hope through Jesus.  We would probably be wise to start off telling them about what God has done for them, and why they should turn away from the false sources of hope and comfort in life, and return to the one true God.

And after they have been drawn to the one true God, then we can start working on the depth of this repentance.  To put it in a slightly different way, if we insist on changing their words, thoughts, and actions first, and then to draw them to the God who has done all this for them, they probably will be rather resistant to the message.  However, if we engage in God’s mission by telling them about the God who has done great things to make them His people, and who wants nothing more than to draw them to Himself and His holy mountain, then we’ll probably have adequate time to address what that daily repentance looks like as they become part of the people of God.

So, people of God, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go forth with in the mission of God with the message of repentance in your lives and on your lips.  You are to call people back to the one true God, who has sacrificed for them on the cross and in the resurrection.  As they are drawn to that God who draws them to Himself, you also have the joy and privilege of working with them on their daily repentance.  And as we need to be frequently reminded, this message is one that will not self destruct.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

Thinking for a Change

Okay, today I have to admit that I totally stole the title for this blog from a book written by John Maxwell.  In fact, that book is currently sitting on my shelf, and is one of the few that I haven't had the opportunity to read yet.

Over this week's blog entries, I've been talking about how our thinking affects who we truly are as people.  Again, we can only do this in a limited way.  We can't start thinking of ourselves as sinless and suddenly start becoming sinless.  In other words, we cannot change our nature by the way we think.  But we can change some of the actions and behaviors that define us simply by changing the way we think about ourselves.

And the point of today's post is simply that thinking for a change is not an easy thing to do.  Just like we get caught up in our routines, we also get caught in our routines of how we think.  I'll use myself as an example.  I typically am not someone who enjoys talking on the phone a lot.  I especially have a difficult time initiating the phone calls.  However, given my employment and role in life, there are many times where I have to be the one to pick up the phone and initiate contact with other people.  So, in order to bring about that change, I remind myself of the importance of connecting with people like that.  I remind myself that I actually seem to have pretty decent conversations on the phone.  But even though I've seen the improvement in myself, the pattern of thinking is still there, and is battled against.  Thinking for a change is not the easiest of things in the world!

And yet, if we don't change the way that we think, how can we expect any kind of change to really take hold?  If it's enforced upon us by another, we'll rebel against it, and then, once the outside pressure is removed, we'll likely start to revert back to what we were before.  But if we start to become more internally motivated, if we change the way we think about ourselves, our words, and our actions, we can start to see that change, even if it's a battle, and even if it doesn't completely happen right away.

Agree?  Disagree?  I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Labels and Who We Are

I have a tendency to be a fairly driven and motivated person.  At least on occasion.  However, there are times when I also want to just sit there and do nothing.  Maybe I'll read a book or play a game on my tablet, or watch a TV show.  I like to be lazy every once in a while.  I've also noticed that other people have noticed these tendencies in me from time to time.  Sure, mostly I try to have the driven,  motivated person put in an appearance far more often than the lazy one, but it's funny how often people will start to see those aspects of me, and then start referring to me with them.

In other words, that's how we start to get labels for ourselves.  Other people notice some traits about us, and then refer to those often when talking to us or about us with others.  And after a while, we can actually start to try to emphasize those in our lives.  When others see something good in us, a lot of times, we'll start trying to do more of that good, and in doing so, we start to become what others think about us.

This can also go in the opposite direction.  When we start to think something negative about someone, that can also start to become what they do, and who they are.  If you tell someone that they are worthless, after a while, that could very well be how they start to see themselves, and then they start changing their behavior to fit such a label.  Simply by giving them a label, simply by naming how we think about them, we can actually start to see them becoming that which we label.

Now, this is not a scientific study or anything that I'm referring to, but it is something that I have seen over the years.  A child who gets diagnosed with something like ADHD actually starts to act more like an ADHD child.  That which was intended to name a problem became a label to live up to.  While cases where there is a real chemical problem have to be taken into account, there are also many that I have known who simply seemed to use the diagnosis as an excuse for their behavior.

We can think ourselves into certain things.  Again, this is somewhat limited in its application.  For example, we can never become holy simply or perfect simply by thinking we are.  We may become better people, but some elements of our nature simply cannot be changed.  But in some form or fashion, we can affect ourselves and others simply by the way we think about them.

You Are What You Think

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."  Philippians 4:8

It's likely you've heard the expression before, "You are what you eat."  It's a reminder to us that the food that ingest is of great importance in how our body is.  We may not truly become celery, broccoli, or a cheeseburger, but we understand that the things we eat affect our body in very great and direct ways.

St. Paul seemed to have the same thought in mind when he penned these words by the Spirit so many years ago.  Only, instead of food determining matters for our bodies, he went the direction of saying that our thoughts affect who we actually are.  And in a lot of ways, this truth is one that continually reveals itself.  You are what you think.  But even as I say that, I recognize that it bears a little bit more explaining than just the simple phrase.  In fact, I think this whole week, we'll be focusing on this thought in the blog entries.

Paul tells the Philippians that they should think about the true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent things of the world.  And if you think about it, when you think about such things in life, you likely start to notice them a lot more.  You see them in the world around you.  You see them in other people around you.  You may even start to see that you take actions and think thoughts and speak words that bring those same things to bear in your life.  As you focus on them, you start to see them present in your life in ways that you had never expected before.

There is a thought out there that you can change much about yourself by how you look at yourself, and likewise, that you can change how you see the world and others around you simply by looking for different things in them.  While I believe that we can take that too far (for example, even if you look for good in something evil, you won't find it because its nature is contrary to what you are looking for), it does show us that we will see and find what we look for in the world, in others, and even in ourselves.

We'll keep examining this thought throughout the week.  But as you prepare for that, give a little thought to how you tend to look at the world around you, at others, and even at yourself.  Maybe you'll even be a little surprised in what you see, or maybe you'll try to start looking at things a little differently.

Being Thankful

Today I am thankful for many things.  Here are just a few.

• A beautiful wife and daughter
• A wonderful, caring congregation to be part of
• A God who loves so big, He gives His own life, and connects me to His everlasting life
• A wonderful house to call a home
• Plenty of food
• A community to be part of
• The ability to communicate with many throughout the world
• A career in which I am well cared for by God and others
• The opportunity to continue growing
• A moderately peaceful nation in which I live

Rather than sharing what you are thankful for with me today, why not tell someone close to you that you are thankful for them, and tell them exactly why you are thankful for their presence in your life?  Oh, and have a blessed day of giving thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever!

Thanksgiving Eve Message, November 27

The story is told about this man who went hiking back in the wilderness one time.  This wasn’t just a nice little pleasant hike, he wanted to do some real backpacking.  You know, the kind where you load up your backpack with the tent, with several meals, and you head off into the wilderness for a week or so.  As he was hiking along, he saw all different kinds of animals in God’s creation.  Even better than a zoo.  Each of them was out there in its native habitat.  Deer.  Moose.  Rabbits. All the different birds.  He was constantly being amazed at the great variety of wildlife.

All of that changed early one morning.  He woke up, struck his tent, ate his breakfast, and then kept on his way.  He had climbed to the top of the side of a mountain, and was standing on the edge of a cliff.  From that viewpoint, he could see for miles.  He saw the vastness of the forest and the mountain range.  He stood there, soaking in the beauty of God’s creation.

All of a sudden, he heard a sound in the trees behind him.  It sounded like something big.  And then, a huge black bear appeared, crashing through the dense undergrowth of the trees.  The bear looked right at him, no trace of fear in his eyes.  It started approaching him, slowly, but confidently. 

Now, the man was a devout Christian man.  He knew he was in a great deal of trouble, so he quickly approached God in prayer.  With not much time, and as a last gasp way of saving his life, he quickly asked God to make this bear a Christian bear.

All of a sudden, the bear stopped.  It dropped to its knees on its hind legs, and folded its two front paws together.  And the bear began to say a prayer.  Dear God, thank you for this delicious meal that you have just sent my way.  Please bless it to the nourishment of my body.  Amen. 

A moment ago, we heard some words from St. Paul.  In verse 11 of his letter to the Philippian Christians, he said that he had learned to be content in whatever situation he found himself.  Now, you might say that he might have a bit of a challenging time if he put himself in the place of this hiker.  But for a moment, let’s just think here.  Let’s say that you found yourself in that situation.  How could you possibly be content there?  And yes, I’m asking you to try to throw a few answers my way.

Okay, that one probably isn’t very likely for most of us here.  Or maybe I should say it’s not likely now that you’ve thought about it, and probably won’t be going hiking anywhere that a bear could come up and eat you, right?  So let’s think about the drive home.  You get into your car at the end of the day.  It’s been a long day at work or school or wherever, and you’re ready to get home for the evening.  As you begin to pull out of the parking lot, you notice the long line of cars coming.  It looks like you’re going to have to wait for a break in the traffic.  After a few minutes, you finally are able to pull out into your lane.  That’s when you discover why traffic is moving so slow.  There’s a stalled vehicle in your lane up ahead.  Now you are stuck as everyone has to creep their way around. 

As you finally clear that car, you get on the road and going.  Only now, there’s an accident on the side of the road, and all the rubber neckers are checking it out.  Traffic slows down again.  You’re getting impatient.  It’s been a long day at work, and you want nothing more than to get home.  But now you’re being slowed down again, and you aren’t even to the places where traffic regularly slows down.  So now, same question as before.  How could you possibly be content here?

Since you are here tonight, you know that tomorrow is a celebration day for us in our nation.  Thanksgiving day.  A day to sit down, eat a bunch of turkey and all the sides along with it.  A day to get together with family.  A day to sit down and watch some football.  A day to lay back on the couch, close your eyes for a few minutes, and catch a few zzz’s that you’ve been missing out on for a while.

If you’re like most people, you probably enjoy the time together.  Perhaps it’s with family that you haven’t seen for a while.  You spend some time catching up on what all has been going on in your lives.  You remember previous thanksgivings, like the one where the food didn’t turn out right.  And even in the midst of all that good remembering, you find a few other thoughts entering your head.  You remember how so and so can really get on your nerves, and maybe they are already doing some of those things that drive you crazy.  You remember how Auntie Dear keeps going on and on with her stories, and she sure doesn’t seem to mind if they embarrass you or others in the family.  Uncle Chatterbox keeps going on, because he has a comment for pretty much everything that gets said.  And you remember why you love your family, but why your family is also good in small doses.

So same question.  How can you be content here, especially among people that you know so well?  How can you be content with them, even when they get on your nerves a bit?

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”  Contentment sounds so nice, doesn’t it?  In a way, we all wish that we could be a lot more like Paul in this instance.  How nice it would be if we were content with what God had already given us, rather than striving to have more.  How nice it would be if we could be content with the people in our lives as they are, rather than trying to form them into something else (mostly unsuccessfully, too).  How nice it would be if we could be content with the place we are in life, rather than seeing what may be “better” out there and having a yearning desire for it.

That’s the kind of contentment that Paul is speaking of here.  And sure, we could point out why Paul would feel that kind of contentment.  But it basically boils down to the fact that Paul knew that He was in God’s hands, no matter what.  It might not be the most enjoyable thing in the world to be shipwrecked, but Paul could be content there because he knew he was in the Lord’s hands.  Being stoned for speaking up about Christ Jesus might not be pleasant, but he could be content because his life was in the hands of one who had given himself up for Paul.  Enduring want and need might prove to be a little tough, but Paul could be content because he had God’s promise in Christ, that he would be cared for, no matter what this life brought at him, and even if it meant hunger or starvation, his life was still in the hands of that same God.

That is contentment at its utmost, and it’s the hard kind of contentment that we have a difficult time grasping.  And yet, that is the promise that is yours in Christ Jesus.  You are in the hands of the God who has loving created you, knitting together every single cell in your body.  You’re in the hands of the God who knows the very number of hairs on your body, no matter how many or few.  You’re in the hands of the God who feeds the sparrows generously, and who regards you of much greater value than sparrows.

You’re in the hands of the God who also knows that your needs extend beyond the physical needs of this life.  You’re in the hands of the God who creates community because He knows that it’s not good for you to try to go this life alone.  Though you may be reluctant at time to share your life, your burdens, or your joys with your brothers and sisters in Christ, that’s the very reason that God has brought you into the community.  You can be content with one another because you’re part of a community that God has created.  God cares for your community needs and provides for ways to be cared for in your emotional and spiritual needs through this body that we call the Body of Christ.

You’re also in the hands of the God who knew that you need hope beyond what you experience in this life.  You’re in the hands of the God who gave up His own Son, who would go through the doorway of pain and death to prepare the way for a place of eternal contentment.  Jesus would purchase your place there through His suffering, death, and resurrection for you.  Your hope as you live in this world isn’t merely that you would occasionally find contentment here, but that you have hope for a place in which you will be eternally content.

Just so we’re clear on this, you aren’t going to find that place tomorrow.  Even your well-deserved nap sometime in the middle of the afternoon isn’t God’s intended place of your contentment.  Sure, it might be a bit of a preview of what God has in mind for you someday, but even as you discover some degree of contentment tomorrow, always remember that God has much more in store for you.  Thanks be to God for that, in Christ our Lord, and have a most blessed day of giving thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever.  Amen.    

Contentment

Thanksgiving week is here!  You might not know it if you go into stores, as they seem to be announcing Christmas in full volume, but in a mere two days, we celebrate our national day of Thanksgiving in this nation.  And the truth is, we have much to be thankful for.  But it also seems that we far too often forget to be thankful, and instead focus on what is lacking or missing in life.

I'm going to admit that there are times when I find it difficult to be content in life.  That's a problem.  You see, God has given me so much, and I see that every day.  In so many ways, God has actually given me too much.  I see it in the unpacked boxes sitting in the basement.  I see it in the kitchen items that sit in cabinets unused, because I got them for a specific purpose, but that purpose doesn't arise too frequently.  I see it in the many books on my bookshelf that haven't been opened for years, simply because I read them once, but don't have the time to go back to revisit them.

Maybe, just maybe, God has given me too much.  Or maybe, just maybe, I wasn't content at the time, thinking that some "thing" could bring that contentment.  But it has been simply amazing how often I have gotten that "thing" that I just needed to bring contentment to my life, but it didn't live up to my expectations.  So I moved on to the next thing, thinking that it might bring contentment.  And on, and on, and on again.

Maybe in some ways I'm starting to recognize what King Solomon knew when he sat down to write the book of the Bible called Ecclesiastes.  It's just stuff.  It can't bring contentment.  It can't bring happiness.  It just exists.  And sometimes, the more God gives the ability to have "stuff", the less content we find ourselves.

Recently my wife and I were talking about making Christmas lists.  It was a strange conversation.  Strange, because both of us realized that we really didn't want more stuff.  Truthfully, even our little girl doesn't need more stuff.  But we, as people, are so oriented toward stuff that we just know parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and the like will want to find out what stuff we want.  And that conversation opened our eyes a bit, to recognize that stuff isn't really what we want.

Being content isn't easy, and in fact, we never get there in this life.  There's always something else to have.  There are always changes to life that we want to make it better or easier.  But every once in a while, God flashes that momentary glimpse into His desire and design for our lives.  That's when we recognize contentment for what it is.  My prayer is that we all get more of those glimpses as we prepare to celebrate a day of giving thanks.

Sermon from November 24

Jeff and Adrian had been friends for a very long time.  Their friendship traced back all the way to their childhood.  Though there had been a few times where they had ended up in different places, life had managed to keep them in close proximity as they both got jobs, got married, settled in, and began families.  It was a strong friendship, and over the years, a great deal of trust had been built up between the two men.

That’s why Jeff could feel comfortable that day talking with Adrian.  Jeff had been having some conflict and trouble between himself and his wife.  It had started over a number of small things, but in recent weeks, had started to really seem to build up.  Jeff didn’t like the way things were going, but he also didn’t really know where he could for help.  So, in a desperate time like this, he went to the one friend that he knew he could rely upon.

Jeff and Adrian had met for a round of golf, and as you tend to do on the golf course, they chatted about a lot of different things.  But it was around the 8^th hole, right after Adrian’s first birdie of the day, that Jeff finally got the courage up to talk about what had been on his mind the whole time.  As they stood next to the tee box, waiting for the group ahead of them to clear the fairway, Jeff mentioned it.  “The wife and I have been having a few problems lately.  It seems like we’re arguing about one thing or another every day.  We argue about how to take care of the kids, about when I get home, about when she gets home, about what to have for dinner, how we spend our money.  It seems like everything nowadays is a debate or competition rather than a conversation.  And last night, I slipped up.  I said something that really scared me.  I said that maybe things would be better if we just weren’t around each other.”

Adrian listened as he leaned against the side of the golf cart.  After a quick glance at the group just ahead of them, he asked Jeff what he was thinking he wanted to do for the next step.  Jeff admitted, with a slump of his shoulders, that he just didn’t know.  He knew things couldn’t keep going this way, but he also didn’t really know how to stop them.  He loved his wife dearly, but just couldn’t stop himself when she seemed so good at pushing his buttons, and he knew that she probably felt the same way.  But he just didn’t know where he could go to get some help in bringing their conflicts to an end.

After each of them hit their tee shot, (Jeff’s naturally heading into the rough, since his mind wasn’t on his golf game) they climbed into the cart.  Adrian asked Jeff how open he was to suggestions for getting some help.  Jeff hesitated a moment.  He knew Adrian well enough to know that Adrian was about to suggest something that Jeff might bristle at.  But the situation was tough enough at home that he figured he could at least hear Adrian out.  “What do you have in mind?” 

That’s when Adrian began to touch on a topic that hadn’t come up too often in the history of their friendship.  He began to talk about the pastor at his church.  Now, these two had been friends for a long time, and Jeff knew that Adrian had a strong faith life, but that had never really been all that pressing to Jeff.  So it was with a healthy dose of pessimism that Jeff listened to Adrian’s suggestion.  Why not go talk to my pastor?  He has counseled a lot of couples at our church, some who had marriage issues really similar to yours.  Through his counseling, quite a few couples have gotten back on the right path.  He’s really good at working through things.  

As they pulled up to where Adrian’s ball lay sitting on the edge of the fairway, they climbed out of the golf cart.  With a bit of a sigh, Jeff said that he would think about it, but right now, he had to go over and find his lost ball.  With a chuckle, Adrian offered to help, saying that he knew a thing or two about finding stray golf balls.

It was three days later when Adrian’s phone rang.  It was Jeff, who said that he had talked things over with his wife, and that they would consider going to Adrian’s pastor for some counseling.  But first, Jeff simply wanted to meet him, to feel him out a bit.  Would Adrian be willing to set that up?  

So it was, a week later, that Jeff found himself nervously sitting in his car outside Adrian’s church.  Jeff was nervous.  He hadn’t been in a church, outside of Christmas, for quite some time.  He sure hadn’t taken time to talk to a pastor since he was going to Adrian’s youth group way back in High School.  He wasn’t exactly sure what he was expecting, and thought for a moment about just driving away.  But then, Adrian’s question came back to him.  How open are you to a suggestion for getting some help?  And for a moment, Jeff’s love for his wife hit him again.  Yes, he was willing to do this to help improve things at home.  Even though it was a new situation, and he was doing something that kind of frightened him, he would do it for her, for them.

Jeff entered the building.  He saw the office administrator, and told him that he had an appointment with the pastor.  But Jeff didn’t have to wait.  The pastor must have heard him come in, and came out with a smile and a handshake.  He invited Jeff into his office, and sat down with Jeff in a couple of chairs that faced each other.  For a few moments, they chatted about Adrian, the common link that had brought them together.  Jeff was kind of surprised at how well regarded his friend was by this man.  He had never really given too much thought to Adrian and his church and what he did there.  

Finally, the pastor asked what had caused Adrian to refer Jeff to him.  It was kind of awkward.  Jeff didn’t want to make the situation sound too bad, so he kind of stammered something about his wife and he having a few arguments lately, and that he wanted to know if the pastor had any resources that he could recommend.  In the course of their conversation, the pastor asked a few probing questions, reassuring Jeff that everything he said would be kept strictly confidential.  So Jeff shared a few more of his concerns, the seemingly constant arguments, the conflict that seemed to be rearing its ugly head every day.  And then, in good man fashion, Jeff clammed up, figuring he had already said too much.

The pastor asked if he could make a couple of very brief observations.  Sure, why not?  “As I’ve been listening, you seem to have focused a lot on what your wife isn’t doing for you in your marriage.  I can understand that.  We all have times in our lives when our needs aren’t being met, and our human tendency is to lash out, to make others see that they aren’t giving what we need.  But can I ask you something?  What price are you willing to pay to make things better with your wife?”

Jeff was stunned.  Stunned because his first reaction was what he had always thought about the church.  “This guy has some nerve, asking for my money before he even offers to help.”  So Jeff, somewhat angrily, answered that right now they weren’t ready to pay for anything, that they just wanted to try to make things better.  “Oh, you misunderstand what I’m asking,” the pastor replied.  “What is your personal price?  What are you willing to do to make things better between you and your wife?  You want to see things get better, but I’m asking you what you are willing to do to make things better.

Jeff thought about that for a moment.  It wasn’t something that he had really thought about before.  He looked back at the pastor with a bit of a confused look and said that he didn’t really know.  He hadn’t thought it from that standpoint before.  So the pastor asked if he could share something that he thought could be pretty helpful.  Sure.  So the pastor picked up the well worn Bible sitting on his desk and flipped toward the back.  That’s when he read these words.

(Read Philippians 2:1-11)  Do you understand what that is saying there?  Jeff said he wasn’t sure.  The pastor read a couple of the verses again.  “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  The pastor looked up at Jeff again.  So I come back to the question I asked you a minute ago.  What price are you willing to pay to make things better?  Are you willing to put your wife’s interests above your own?  Are you willing to not see your arguments as competition, but as an opportunity to see her as more significant than yourself?

Jeff sat there.  He remembered those times when they were first dating that he would do anything for her.  He remembered making a fool out of himself for her benefit.  When was the last time he had done something like that for her?  What price was he willing to pay to make things better?

What’s the price you are willing to pay to resolve the conflicts of your life?  Are you willing to pay the price?  I can’t answer that question for you.  It’s a question you have to consider, and your answer is probably different for each person in your life.  

As we observe this Last Sunday of the Church Year, we reflect upon the promise of Jesus to reappear and bring an end to all our conflict as He brings His chosen people into their eternal inheritance.  Jesus knew the price He was willing to pay.  We heard a portion of it a few moments ago, as we heard of Jesus being crucified on the cross.  “Father, forgive them.”  Jesus was willing to pay a price that even included His own life, to bring an end to the conflict you have with Him.   He fully and willingly paid that price, looking to your interests above His own.  You are worth that much to Him.

How much are those people with whom you have conflict worth in your life?  What price are you willing to pay to bring your conflicts to an end?  It’s a good question for us to consider, especially in light of Christ’s promise to reappear and to make all things new.  What price are you willing to pay to make things better?  A worthwhile question, because the reconciliation of every conflict has a price.  May you always consider that price in light of the price that God was willing to pay for you in Christ Jesus.  Amen.