July 2022
51When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55But he turned and rebuked them. 56Then they went on to another village. 57As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:51-62
Dear Friends of First Lutheran,
The pastor began his sermon with a story about three men who all lived very happy and active lives until they grew old and ended up in the nursing home. All three men ended up in the same room, Cliff, Edward and Sammy. All three were bedridden, unable to get out of bed and move around. They were the grumpiest group of guys you would ever see, always complaining about something! Cliff was the only one who had a window view. Each day Cliff would tell the others what he would see… Today I see the streets full of people and store windows decorated for Christmas. Today, I see the leaves changing color and gently falling to the ground. It was the season of fall. Cliff reported that he saw flowers blooming in the park across the street and children, boys playing ball and little girls jumping rope. At first Edward and Sammy would complain to Cliff about what he would see and then eventually they would ask Cliff to tell them more! Sammy would always ask to be moved to the bed by the window, but staff told him no. The day came when Cliff was no longer there to report what he saw. He passed away in the night and nurses moved Cliff and the bed out of the room. Now the window spot was open, and Sammy was moved to the spot which had the window view. Edward said to Sammy… tell me what you see… what is going on outside today? Sammy was stunned by what he could see. What Sammy saw was a dead-end street with a garbage dumpster and a brick wall. Now Sammy had a decision to make. What would he tell Edward he saw?
You see, Cliff saw nothing but the brick wall and a dumpster. But that was depressing. Cliff told the other men of something much more positive and happier, something that they could look forward to. Cliff was dreaming of a day when things would be much more cheerful, a day of paradise. Cliff’s reporting of seasons changing and children playing brought joy to his roommates. Cliff saw something that others did not see!
The Gospel lesson for this Sunday is about discipleship, following Jesus and seeking God’s will...put your hands on the plow and don’t look back! When the people of First Lutheran Church, in the year of 1860, decided to build the church, what did they see? What vision did they have? Did some people see something great, wonderful, promising, and full of possibilities? Was it a dream? Did they get a glimpse of God’s vision? Did they answer the call to follow Jesus and not look back? What if they said to Jesus; I must first build my barn! Or I must first plant my crops! I must first make a lot of money and buy a horse! Did they ask what if it does Not work out? Or did they say let’s do it! Let’s build a church to worship in, to educate our children and to further God’s vision by building a church home to gather in and to worship in.
When First Lutheran celebrates their 175th anniversary, I wonder who will be sitting in the pew? What will be the stories people tell when they talk about their history? Who will be the pillars of the church keeping things going? Will we be looking forward to the future for the sake of the gospel message and for the future generations? Or will we be stopping to take care of our own business and simply forget about God’s vision and mission?
In Christ,
Pastor Jim