the armor of God

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Today's reading is a favorite image for many Christians, and quite unfamiliar for others. Paul talks about prayer and the Christian life more generally in terms of putting on the armor of God. The idea is that our life of faith can be a struggle. We're always surrounded by temptation to do what is easy instead of what is faithful. Sin, selfishness and the devil himself try to knock us off our path. In all our challenges we reach out to God for help, and we strengthen ourselves with God's word and with spiritual preparation. Notice how much attention Paul gives to prayer and how he asks the church to support him in prayer so he can speak boldly. We are all in it together.

God bless,
Sam

Ephesians 6:10-20

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 

¹⁴Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. ¹⁵As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. ¹⁶With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. ¹⁹Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

opening the scriptures

Good afternoon friends,
First, please keep the people of Boston and all those affected by the terrorist attack in Boston in your prayers. Our reading for today shows us the risen Jesus meeting his disciples. Notice that his first concern is convincing them that he is really risen. From there he moves to getting them ready for their mission. Their mission is to bear witness to Jesus and to proclaim forgiveness in his name. An important part of getting the disciples ready for that mission is helping them understand the scripture. Scripture is still important as we prepare for our mission now.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 24: 36-49

³⁶While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ³⁷They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. ³⁸He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

⁴¹While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” ⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³and he took it and ate in their presence. ⁴⁴Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

patient endurance

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Advent is a season dedicated to waiting and preparation. That can be hard to do for us, especially in our fast-paced world. It often feels like we don't have time to do the practical things we need to do, let alone make time for something fuzzy like preparing our hearts for Jesus. Living at a fast pace we also get used to a short distance between plan and execution. With the fulfillment of Christ's promise to return, on the other hand, almost two thousand years have passed, but we're still waiting. Both in Advent and in our lives in general, the waiting is an opportunity to prepare. What do you want to change or accomplish before Christ comes again?

God bless,
Sam


James 5:7-11
⁷Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. ⁸You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. ⁹Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! ¹⁰As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

dramatic conclusion

Good morning friends,
Jesus concludes his description of his return in our reading for today. It's hard to imagine the scene when Christ comes back, but one thing seems for sure: we won't miss it. As subtle and easy to overlook as his original birth in Bethlehem was, his return at the conclusion of history will be dramatic and obvious. We don't know when it will happen, but we know how to prepare. We prepare with lives of faith, love and service. Advent is a great time to practice and to get our hearts ready for Christ's return.

God bless,
Sam

Mark 13:24-37

²⁴“But in those days, after that suffering,
   the sun will be darkened,
     and the moon will not give its light,
²⁵ and the stars will be falling from heaven,
     and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
²⁶Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. ²⁷Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

²⁸“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁰Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. ³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³²“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. ³⁵Therefore, keep awake — for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, ³⁶or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. ³⁷And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

reviewing our history

Good morning friends,
This morning I would ask your prayers for the Western New York NEXT conference. The conference will be held at Third Presbyterian today and will focus on empowering the church for effective and faithful ministry today.

In our reading for this morning Joshua gathers Israel together to give a farewell speech. He reminds them of where they have been and how God has led them. His goal is to prepare them for life without him, since he is coming to the end of his life. He also wants to encourage them to be faithful to God. It's a good review for us of the Old Testament story. The context is always changing, but our calling is still to follow where God leads us.

God bless,
Sam

Joshua 24:1-7

Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. ²And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. ³Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; ⁴and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.

⁵Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterwards I brought you out. ⁶When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your ancestors with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. ⁷When they cried out to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did to Egypt. Afterwards you lived in the wilderness a long time.

wise and foolish

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Jesus tells a parable to show the importance of being prepared for his return and the coming of God's kingdom. A wedding feast is the setting, which is appropriate because God's kingdom will be full of celebration for everyone. Like yesterday's stories the challenge for us is that God calls us to be ready for God's kingdom, but we don't know when it will come. It also feels like it's taking longer than it should. Jesus reminds us that even if it feels like we're waiting for a long time, when the kingdom comes it will come suddenly.

God bless,
Sam

Matthew 25:1-13

¹“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; ⁴but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. ⁶But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’

⁷Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. ¹¹Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ¹²But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ ¹³Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

joyful faith

Good morning friends,
Today's readings both talk about joyful faith. Our passage from Philippians is mostly closing thoughts commending the efforts of some of Paul's coworkers and urging the community to stand firm in faith. Our passage from Matthew is a parable we will explore in worship today. Jesus compares God's kingdom to a royal wedding feast. We are invited to that feast and called to invite others. What's holding you back?

God bless,
Sam

Philippians 4:1-9

1Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

2I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.



4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.



8Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.



*Sunday

Matthew 22:1-14

1Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’



5But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6while the rest seized his slaves, maltreated them, and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 10Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.



11“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. 13Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14For many are called, but few are chosen.”

a reed swayed by the wind?

Good morning friends,
Jesus starts out by talking about how great John the Baptist is and how special God's ministry is through him. Still, Jesus says, the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. I've never quite understood that since John serves God's kingdom. Maybe Jesus' point is that when God's kingdom comes in all its fullness, it's beauty and power will dwarf the things and people who point us to God now. Equally challenging is Jesus teaching that until that moment the violent take God's kingdom by force. I guess he means that those in power who want to control people through religion use their power to limit how people can come to God.

That day, he says, is coming to an end. The law and prophets had an important time to speak for God, but now God comes into the world in a new way. John prepares the way for the Messiah, for Jesus, for a new revelation about God's loving kingdom. Jesus urges those who can to hear that word and join God's kingdom movement. Let everyone with ears to hear listen!
God bless,
Sam

Matthew 11:7-15

7As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’



11Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; 14and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15Let anyone with ears listen!

preparing for persecution

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Jesus warns his disciples that the mission he is giving them will not be easy. Persecution will come with sharing and living the good news of God's love. In the midst of persecution they will be able to lean on the Holy Spirit, who will guide them. Following Jesus is not about having our way, but about following the way of Jesus, no matter what.
Blessings as you seek God's way today,
Sam

Matthew 10:16-23

16“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; 18and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. 19When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; 20for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.



21Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

preparing for Christ

Good morning friends,
This morning's readings are exactly what we'll hear at Laurelton a little later this morning, so if you really want to hear what I think about them, you know what to do. If that's not an option, or to just get you warmed up here's a teaser. Our Isaiah passage this morning is a beautiful vision of what God's kingdom will look like. Peace and justice will fill the earth, not only in human society, but for animals as well. This kingdom will come through God's chosen king. Isaiah talks about that king as a shoot from the stump of Jesse. Jesse was King David's father, so that's a poetic way of saying the chosen king will be David's decedent. For Christians, this expectation is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Our passage from Matthew is about God's kingdom and the justice it will bring, but John the Baptist takes it in a different direction. John invites us (to put it gently) to prepare ourselves for God's kingdom by repenting. There are so many things that separate us from God's kingdom: fear, greed, habit, etc. To get ready for God's kingdom (which is really the point of Advent) we need to turn away from those things and turn to God. John emphasizes that repentance isn't about feeling guilty; it's about changing our lives. Following John's invitation, I'd like to invite you to take one step each week in Advent to change your life in a practical way. My step for the week is volunteering at a local school; I'll keep you posted on that. What is your step going to be?

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 11:1-10

1A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

6The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.
9They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.

10On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.



*Sunday

Matthew 3:1-12

1In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."3This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'" 4Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.



7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.


11"I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

planning for the future

Good morning friends,
Today Paul finishes his visit with the Ephesian elders reminding them again of his example and warning them that their community will face trials as well as he will. He warns them especially of false teachers, disciples who don’t hold the truth. We don’t know if he had some particular teaching in mind or if he is speaking in general, but the warning is clear. The love and fellowship Paul and these leaders have for each other is touching. They have worked hard together to spread God’s word, so naturally they are sorry to imagine that they might not see each other again. Blessed be the ties that bind.

In our second reading we see the crowd of faithful Christians in front of God’s throne. We’re told that they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. We’re also told that they have come out of the great ordeal. That seems to suggest they have been delivered from persecution. I suspect they left that persecution by going through it, witnessing to their faith even to death. Now they are sheltered by God’s throne where no more evil can harm them. Truly in life and in death we belong to God; no matter what comes in the end we are safe in him.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 20:29-38
29I know that after I have gone, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30Some even from your own group will come distorting the truth in order to entice the disciples to follow them. 31Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to warn everyone with tears.

32And now I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified. 33I coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing. 34You know for yourselves that I worked with my own hands to support myself and my companions. 35In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

36When he had finished speaking, he knelt down with them all and prayed. 37There was much weeping among them all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38grieving especially because of what he had said, that they would not see him again. Then they brought him to the ship.

*Sunday

Revelation 7:9-17
9After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10They cried out in a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!" 11And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12singing, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" 14I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. 16They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; 17for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."