Pastor Travis Norton's Sermons: Recent Episodes
Travis Norton
20 Years
Today, I celebrate 20 years of Ordained Ministry. I wrotea reflection 10 years ago that still rings true.
My wife, Victoria, wrote a very kind tribute on Facebook for me this week. It was such a joy to read all of the comments from everyone over the years. Here's what she wrote:
"Tomorrow marks 20 years of ordination for Travis. I’ve never known a person more called to a vocation than Travis is to being a pastor. When I tell you that my husband thinks about church, about his congregation, about telling people about Jesus and how to share the good news all the time, I mean, he thinks about it All. The. Time. It’s a regular occurrence to come across Travis reading, watching, and learning more and more about Christ’s church on earth and how he can best serve it…and that’s on his day off. Travis has faithfully served 3 churches in the last 20 years. He’s been PT, the youth director who has shaped and encouraged countless youth from Montana to North Carolina and now in Colorado. His Wednesday night sermons had him duct taping kids together, riding a bike through the sanctuary and giving teenagers someone they can ask hard questions to. He stepped into senior pastor roles to help shape, encourage, love, and grow congregations in ways that will be felt for generations. He’s dived into construction and finance in ways they don’t teach you in seminary to faithfully lead two congregations through major building campaigns. He is constantly learning and growing to be the best leader he can be and serve not only his congregation but also his coworkers. I’m so proud of his ministry and am in awe of his love for God’s people. If you have been a part of Travis’s ministry over the last 20 years, will you leave him a comment below or reach out to him this week? I love you, Travis Norton and I’m so glad I’m along for the ride and get the honor of witnessing your ministry up close."I am so fortunate to have Victoria in my life and as a partner in ministry. I worry that people don't recognize her role in this ministry now that we're in a big church. I wouldn't be who I am without her!
I’m still in this ministry for the simple reason that Ilove Jesus and believe God is at work in the world to reveal His love for us. Iwant, simply, to be part of what God is doing in the world. For me that means preachingthe gospel, helping people understand the scriptures, leading a congregationwell so that it is a place of spiritual nurturing for all who find a home there.
I’m still captivated by God, the scriptures, and the church.Each of those challenge me to pursue something different than myself, somebetter, something that came before me and will outlast me. I’m amazed that Godloves me. I’m amazed that God would deign to do anything through me. He honorsme by using me to bring His word to others. I feel like my biggest question is ‘Really?Do you really love me?’ and all I hear is ‘Yes, oh you of little faith, ofcourse I love you.’ And I need to hear it every time, and thankfully God nevertires of reassuring me.
I love the scriptures. I love to study them and wonder whatGod might say to me and us through these old scriptures that are anything butdusty. I feel like I’m opening a treasure box each time. Sometimes the gold isshining right on top-like in the prodigal son and good Samaritan stories. But usually,I get to dig for the gold in the story, and I love that work. I feel guiltysometimes that I get to see more treasure in the scriptures than can possiblybe shared in one sermon. But the sermon is my work to let others peak into the treasurechest with me. I can’t imagine I’ll ever tire of scripture, nor will I everuncover all that is there.
I love the church. When you’re called to ordained ministry,they tell you that the call comes from God and must be confirmed by the church.You hear it personally and then you look outside and wonder if the church hearsit too. If they do, and you get ordained, then you find yourself in a constanttension between what you hear God saying about your call and what the churchhears God saying about your call. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpensanother, the scriptures say. I find that the church is the iron in my lifesharpening me, making me the pastor they need. If I get too deep in the weedssharing all my exegesis of scripture the church calls me to the surface andtells me to speak in words they can actually use and understand. If I getcaught up in an agenda of my own the church calls me back and asks me to tellthem the old, old story again. If I lay it on too thick and they leave the sanctuaryweighed down by the law I hear them begging me to preach the gospel, the goodnews of Jesus. I sharpen them too. I preach on scriptures and topics they wouldn’tchoose. I lead them to take on challenges they wouldn’t take on without myprodding etc. We are in this call together. I’m grateful for the church.
20 years in I have more clarity on my call and my gifts thanever before. I know what I can do and what I need help to do. I know ifsomething is mine to do and if something is for someone else. I keep my earsopen to what the larger trends and interests are in the wider church, but Ifind myself less and less interested in pursuing those agendas. What interestsme is creating at least one healthy congregation where the gospel is preached, and peoplecan hear God’s word and call in their own lives and pursue whatever God callsthem to do. I’m still running on the fuel that my home congregation gave me when Iwas a kid. I want to give that to others. I want kids to have a place wherethey are nurtured in the faith by loving adults. I want confirmation studentsto be inspired in their faith and commit their lives to Jesus and His way. Iwant High school students to be able to bring their big questions and pushbacksand find people willing to engage them where they are and also challenge them.I want young adults to find a touchstone in the congregation as they determinetheir own flavor of faith. I want them to know they were loved even if they decidethey need something different for their continued growth in faith. I wantadults to find a place where they can live and be part of God’s work. A placewhere they can bring their whole lives and hear God speaking to them however,they need it. A place where they can be sent from, each week, to serve the Lordin their daily lives. I want older adults to have a place to invest in and leavefor their children. I want a congregation who cares for the sick and the dyingand ushers people into the promise of resurrection. I want to help build acongregation that serves the world from a place of deep love and calling.
Most recently in this call I’m realizing that I’m actually pretty good atthis work. That’s a hard thing for me to say because it feels prideful, and Idon’t want to be self-aggrandizing. I admit that’s a temptation for me, even writingand sharing this reflection is giving into that. But I also recognize that itis healthy to know that I’m good at the work God has called me to, because thenI can take responsibility for what I do. I’m no longer just bumbling my waythrough hoping something good comes. I can be intentional, and in fact I thinkthe next 20 years should be about me being more intentional about what I’m doing. I don’t want to coast through this work.I want God to show me the full extent of what He can do through this one life.That scares me to say. It’s super tempting to just lean back and enjoy what is.But I wonder what God would have me do with the next 20 years? I want to befaithful to the challenges God asks me to undertake and not be timid but boldand courageous. I think I’m in a congregation that wants the same thing, justto find out what’s possible. What could God do through us if we didn’t holdback, but fully leaned into our gifts and calling? I want to find out.
| | | My friend Carla Stanton made this for me when I was ordained 20 years ago. It contains all the verbs in the Ordination vows, and it sits on my desk as a constant reminder. |
That might be a strange title, but hang with me for a minute. Valentine’s day is the perfect holiday to consider what you will be giving up for Lent. Lent starts in just two weeks with Ash Wednesday on March 1st. So the timing is right to start making your plan for a Lenten fast, but there’s more to it than that.
Valentine’s day is a day to celebrate the people you love. Often we do that in very concrete ways, with a nice card—sometimes handmade, a tangible gift and some quality time together. It’s not that we don’t express love to our significant others the rest of the year, but Valentine’s day is a day to be more intentional about expressing that love, and to express it in concrete ways. Well, the same is true of Lent and the expression of our love for and our devotion to God.
During Lent, Christians are encouraged to fast-give something up as one of the Lenten disciplines. The disciplines are three; Fasting, Prayer and Almsgiving (giving money to those in need). Each of these are ways to express concretely our devotion to God. They are like Valentines, given to a loved one. They are expressions of love. They aren’t required, you don’t get punished if you don’t do them, you also don’t get extra credit for doing them. They are ways to show God your love, not prove it.
At my church we have special worship services on Wednesday for Lent. This is a way to take up the discipline of prayer and spend extra time during those 40 days in worship. If your church offers something similarly, make a plan to participate. If not, find a church that does. Every year we have a couple come worship with us during Lent because their church doesn’t offer anything. And we are happy to give them that opportunity.
Make a plan to support a charity financially. This can be a church or other non-profit that serve the poor. Our Lutheran church has some great extensions that serve the needy in the world including Lutheran World Relief , ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Services Carolinas .
And make a plan to fast this Lent. This is one of the most personal things we can do to express our love to God and our need for God. Fasting is an interesting exercise, to intentionally NOT do something as a way of expressing devotion to God. Lenten fasting isn’t about giving up an unhealthy thing in order to become more healthy- this isn’t dieting. So maybe this year it’s time to go a little further than giving up candy or Lattes. Here are three suggestions for fasting this year.
1. Choose one or two days a week where you won’t eat anything. Drink water only. You might want to check with your doctor on this one to make sure you’re healthy enough to attempt this. Then throughout the day as you feel the hunger pains, let them serve as a reminder to pray and express to God your commitment.
2. Bury your smartphone. Ok, maybe just turn it off and put it in a drawer. But you know you spend way too much time checking apps like e-mail and Facebook and that silly game you hope you never get caught playing. Imagine spending that time in prayer instead. Every time you get the urge to check your phone and find that it’s not in your pocket or purse, use that as a reminder to express your commitment to God.
3. Go cold turkey and give up all alcohol. We Lutherans can get a little loose with our drinking, and I’m surprised how important drinking has become to our American culture. How many of us look forward to that glass of wine each night, or that beer? How many of us enjoy the weekends because we like to drink more than one? Give it up for 40 days and turn that desire towards God.
Oh and don’t forget, we never fast on Sundays. Why? Because that’s the day Jesus rose from the dead and it’s a day to celebrate His love for us! Happy Valentine’s day!
-Pastor Travis
Luke 23:33-43Our King died he didn’t have to he could have prevented itBut still he diedThat’s the difference between the leader we follow and all other leaders who vie for our allegianceWe follow the crucified one the one who laid down his life for usToday is Christ the King Sunday when we not only proclaim that Jesus is our KIng but we remember what kind of King he isJesus is our King let’s just think about what that means for a minuteWhat does it mean to have a kingI think the closest thing on earth I’ve ever had to having a king was when I played football in highschoolMy coach was king he told us what to do and we obeyedHe told us to bear crawl across a field and we did itHe rallied us toward a common vision and goal winning football gamesI remember at practice he would try out new plays with us and get excited casting a vision of how that play would bring us victoryI still remember our first game when we won against a team that seemed so much bigger than usWe were all excited and piled into the locker room and our coach came in and yelled at us to be quietAnd for a minute I couldn’t believe that he was going to chastise us after a winWE all sat stunned as He said in a very grave voice the only way I know to have an undefeated season then a dramatic pause is to win the first gameHe cracked a smile and we all cheeredI’ll never forget that feeling of being part of a team with a leader who cared about us and wanted good things for usI saw my coach years later when I volunteered to lead worship at a detention center he was working the front desk, giving his time to helping young men in trouble and my respect and admiration for him grew even moreGood leaders are powerful influencers in our life they unleash our potential they galvanize us to reach beyond ourselves for bigger goals and dreams they give us a sense of being cared for, of being importantSo what does it mean to say that our King is Jesus?How does Jesus lead?Well, not like any other leader I’ve ever knownHe leads not from strength but from weaknessInstead of leading from the top delegating to his underlingsJesus leads from the bottom looking like a man in need of help instead of someone offering to help othersJesus was crucified he was beaten and tortured mocked and spit uponAnd as he hung dying everyone pointed out that he wasn’t in any position to help anyone, he couldn’t even help himself“IF you are God’s messiah,” they said “the anointed one Save yourself and us”“He saved others,” he said “but he can’t save himself”Jesus leads by being helpless and needy not kind of thing that usually inspires us to followDon’t we typically choose leaders known for the strength and lack of need?We want leaders who are powerful who can help us who can do something about our problemsNot one who seems to be overwhelmed with problems of his ownCertainly not someone who can be arrested and killedThat’s not a symbol of power is it?But that’s the path Jesus chooses a path that is intentionally weakThe cross was a strong symbol in Jesus’ day it was a symbol of Roman power and authoritythe Romans would line the streets with crosses on which they crucified those criminals and enemiesThe crosses sent a message to the world that Rome was in charge and you’d better not mess with herWhen they crucified Jesus they hung a sign on his cross that said Jesus of Nazareth, King of the JewsA not so subtle message that Rome and not any Jewish King was in chargeIt was a way to emphasize their power and authority a way to say ‘don’t mess with us’Which is the way the world works it is the strong who lead the ones who can defeat the otherUsually you have to win a war in order to lead a nationin our country we’ve civilized things slightly you have to win an election to be the leader but our elections are brutal and viciousThe point is survival of the fittest to ensure the strongest, the fiercest, the most powerful leadBut Jesus leads differently to make a different pointHis conversation with the two thieves on the cross reveal the method to his madnessThey are both thieves likely murdering thieves who lived according to the world’s rules taking what they wanted by force killing anyone who got in their wayOne thief points out that Jesus is weak you saved others, save yourselfBut the other sees more clearly that Jesus is innocent not deserving the punishment he is receivingThis thief recognizes that Jesus’ authority is not diminished by his physical state‘Remember me when you come into your kingdom’ he saysWhat an amazing statement of faith to look at a man dying and see someone who could offer help someone who could meet your deepest needThe theif looks at Jesus and sees someone who still has power who still has something precious to offerThe thief recognizes that Jesus’ kingdom is not of this worldHere is Jesus in the mess with the thief in the same situation bleeding, suffocating and dyingJesus doesn’t rule from on high he doesn’t rule from the topHe rules from where we are in the thick of it with usHe looks the thief in the eye man to man suffering to sufferingAs someone who knows completely absolutely what he’s going throughAnd Jesus speaks hope life and salvation“TODAY you will be with me in paradise”With ME IN ParadiseThat is salvation life with Jesus in Jesus’ kingdomThis is our King the one who knows suffering and deathand can look us in the eye no matter what we’re going throughand deliver us from evil into paradise with Him foreverWhich begs the question if he had the power to deliver on that promise which we know because of the resurrectionWhy go through death in the first place? why did Jesus die, wasn’t there another way?The answer is love Jesus died because of loveOur King loves usLoves you with all his heartHe comes to the depths of where we find ourselves and loves us thereHe loves the guilty murderous thief on the cross and comes to where he is to offer forgiveness and eternal lifeHe loves the least of us the poorest of us the weakest of us the saddest of usHe loves us in our grief in our weariness in our lonelinessHe loves us in our sin our rebellion our addiction our wanderingHe loves us when we’re broken and don’t see a way outHe loves us when our lives are a mess and we’re just so tired of tryingHe loves us so much that he hung on a cross to be with us so we would know that his love knows no boundsso he could look us in the eye and say I know you, I know all about you today you will be with me in paradiseThat’s our leader the one who heals and saves and lvoesOn the cross Jesus forgave the ones who nailed him to the woodCan you imagine praying for the forgiveness of those who caused you so much painHow many of us are still holding grudges against someone who hurt us in some way in the pastAnd yet Jesus in the moment of the pain of having nails hammered through his wrist pinning him to the cross used what little strength he hadTo pray “Father, forgive them”They cast lots for his clothes the roman soldiersThey took what few possessions he had the clothes on his back and they drew straws to see who got to keep themAnd Jesus prays Father forgive themWould you follow a King like this?A King who loves like this?It’s never too late to declare your allegiance to this KingEven in the moment of death after a lifetime of doing wrong this King would still forgive and welcome you into His kingdomThat’s how much he lovesAnd we are called to love like JesusTo live our lives in such a way that the world knows who our king is and what our king is likeThat means forgiving those who sin against us it means loving our enemiesIt means making sacrifices personal sacrifices to bless those around usIt may even mean one day giving our lives to save othersThe cross reveals God’s love for us and the extent of God’s mercyWe are saved by God’s grace and then we are called to go and spread that grace to a world who doesn’t know that they too are loved like thisSo we live our lives in response to what God has given to the salvation our King has won for usWe do this individually and as a congregationI’ve been impressed this week by those who have signed up to clean the church in Stephanie’s absenceStephanie is our secretary and our custodian and she’s on a three week vacationWe put the call out for people to volunteer to cover her workI’ve seen people give up hours of their time to clean bathrooms, vacuum floors mop classroomsThat’s just a small example of what it looks like to be a people who follow a King who gave himself for othersAnother examples is the prayer shawl ministry who has partnered with other churches to extend their ministry widerThey donated 90 items scarves and shawls and hats to Room in the Inn hosted by Mt. Zion UMCIt’s about love extended to all peopleIt’s not about one congregation or one organizationIt’s not about getting credit but about extending graceWe do this as individuals and as a congregationIN a few minutes we’ll have our annual meeting where we do the business of this congregationWe’ll decide what to focus on in the coming year how to use the resources God has given us and elect new leaders to help guide usWe are just one congregation in a city full of churches but God has called us to join Him in his workTo follow the one who cared for the least in the world who healed the sick, fed the hungry and forgave the sinnerTo follow the one who sacrificed himself not just for his friends but for his enemies tooGod invites us to follow the King who obeyed the Father in everything with courage and patience and loveTo follow the One who loved us so much that he gave his own life that we might not perish but have eternal lifeWE are loved beyond measureWe are loved by this King JesusTo follow him is to love as he lovedAmen.
Luke 21:5-17Well wow, what an incredible week it’s beenLots of news to talk about today our world has been forever changedWhere should I start? how do I preach on a day like this?Let’s start with the thing that matters most this week Mike and Theresa Wellens gave birth to their first childA little girl whom they named Madeleine she came in just a little above 5 pounds and the family is at home now I’d venture to say that nothing more important than that happened this weekOur congregation grew by one as did our responsibilities to help this family raise their daughter in the faithShe’ll be baptized as soon as she’s big enough to come to worshipBut of course that’s not the only thing of importance that happened this weekWe got news on Tuesday that Sue Adair had passed awaySue was a long time member of our congregation who has been suffering from Alzheimer’s for a few yearsI remember her at my installation gently but firmly ushering me to the front of the line at the potluck when she found me lingering at the back of the lineSue was a sweet, sweet lady and we were sad to see her goWe held her funeral on Friday and reminded ourselves of the promises Jesus madeThat this world is not all there is that death is not the endThat we can comfort each other with the words of Jesus Do not let your hearts be troubled believe in God, believe also in meSo two big events this week a birth in the life of the congregation and all the hopes and promises that come with thatAnd a death and all the sadness and mourning that accompanies a lossDid anything else more important happen this week?No, not more importantBut there was an election with winners and losers and all the hopes and dreams and sadness and mourning that accompanies every electionI’ll confess it’s taken me several days to find perspective on this election and I’m still lookingI went to bed before the results came in fully expecting Clinton to be elected and wondering what her presidency would be likeWhen I woke up I was shocked to discover that Trump had pulled out the upset of the century and then I devoured the news as I wondered what his presidency will be likeFor some on Tuesday night hopes and dreams were realized their voices were finally heardFor others those hopes and dreams were dashed and new fears have risenIn the past couple of days we’ve seen the stages of grief on display all over the news denial, anger, bargaining, despair, acceptance A lot of the protests in the street are ways for people to grieve—and that’s okFor my part I’ve spent the week trying to figure out how to preach to both groups simultaneously!Some of you voted for Trump hoping he would shake things up in Washington get things done, Maybe it was a desire to reshape the supreme court or finally send a non-politician to break the gridlockOr maybe you just didn’t trust Clinton or felt like the government wasn’t listening to your voice and now are hopeful for what Trump might accomplishOthers of you are extremely disappointed and fearful today you wonder if a Trump presidency will lead to a spike in discrimination against minority groupsYou had hoped for the first female president and are struggling with the fact that half of your country could vote for someone who talked about women the way Trump hasSo we’re a mixed bag today and here we are in the same sanctuary singing, praying, communing togetherWorshipping the One God who is neither conservative nor liberal in whose image we were madeIf there’s hope for our country I don’t think it comes from our politics but from our faithThe appointed scripture for this Sunday is one that predicts the end of the worldWhen I read it on Monday before the election I was like “you’ve got to be kidding”Is this a sign the apocalypse is coming that whoever gets elected will usher in the end of the age?That might be reading too much into it this passage usually comes up around this time after an electionBut still I think there is wisdom for us from Jesus’ words about the end of the ageThe world may not be ending but regardless of who we voted for there is great uncertainty about the future and anger about the presentThere was one scene on the news where House speaker Paul Ryan was giving the Trumps a tour of the capitol building and they were dutifully impressed by the structure and viewOur gospel lesson recounts the time when Jesus came to the capitol of his country the city of JerusalemHe and his disciples toured the temple which was an impressive building in its own right and would have rivaled anything we have in DC todayThe temple stood a full 1/3 higher that the Dome of the Rock which currently occupies that space in JerusalemAnd the disciples are oohing and awwwing as they crane their necks to look up at the templeThe center of power the place where God livedIt was the economic engine of the nationThe political powerhouse the religious centerThe temple was Wall Street, Washington DC and the Vatican all rolled up into oneThe disciples are duly impressed but Jesus it seems is notHe calls them out of their revelry and shocks them when he says Not one stone of this temple will be left upon another all will be thrown downJesus says that everything they know everything about the way the world works will one day come crashing downHe then gives them more bad news about what’s coming in the futureWars and rumors of wars nations and kingdoms rising up against each otherGreat earthquakes and famines and plaguesAnd they themselves will be persecuted and unfairly brought to trial and put in prisonAnd you thought the election signaled the end of the world!Can you imagine touring DC with Jesus and him saying that everything we see would one day be leveled, utterly destroyedThat puts things in perspective everything we see and experience is temporary, it will passDon’t put your hopes on what you see or even in whom you electedIt will one day all come crashing downThat was Jesus’ message to the Disciplesand we know he was right about the temple, at leastIn 2000 I went on a study trip to Jerusalem and I went to the temple mount and walked where the disciples had walkedAnd there was no temple there but instead we walked around these huge blocks that had once made up the temple wallThe romans destroyed the temple just 40 years after Jesus predicted The impossible happened the world as they knew it changed foreverNo more sacrifices no more priests going to the holy of holies no more pilgrims traveling hundreds of miles to see the templeWhat once seemed to be permanent suddenly wasn’tAnd when the temple was destroyed Christians looked back at these words of Jesus for wisdom And what they heard was that this isn’t the endThe world isn’t over just because these walls came tumbling downI don’t know if they found comfort but they did hear Jesus giving them words to live by in an age of uncertaintyFirst, Jesus says Don’t be terrified when these things happenIt’s a reminder that our hope is in Jesus not in human institutionsOur president will not fulfill our hopes nor can he dash themBecause our hopes are in the one who sits on the throne of history only He can bring about what the world needs and He is the only leader who will never let us downJesus says don’t be terrified Then he says don’t be led astrayI’ve seen people led astray already in the aftermath of this electionsThere’s been no end to name calling and labeling from both sides of the political aisleWe Christians cannot give into the way our country has divided itselfWe can’t play alongWe look at this election and this country not from the perspective of Left and Right but from the perspective of ChristianThe best way we can be patriots is to be faithful to our God so we can be a blessing to our neighbor of every stripeThat’s means we don’t bear false witness against our neighbor we don’t label people racists or elitistInstead we love our neighbor as ourselves we do good even to those who hate us and we treat everyone the way we want to be treatedWe listen to each other in order to learn and understandChristians should be curious as tow why some are so upset with the electionChristians should be curious as why people voted the way they didAs we engage in listeningChristians decide ahead of time to love the person with whom you disagreeDon’t be terrified Jesus says don’t be led astrayAnd finally Jesus tells us to look for opportunities to testify to the truthJesus predicts things will get bad before they get better and there is coming a time when Christians will be the targetI don’t think that time is now I hope notbut it might beIn any case we shouldn’t be surprised when trouble comes instead we should be ready to make our case for Christ’s truthI think that’s our job in politics too to be ready to share with what Jesus stood for and wanted for all peopleWe need to testify to Christ and put our trust in him aloneBoth republicans and democrats have as part of their platforms and plans items that align with our Christian faithAnd they both have values and actions that are opposed to our Christian faithWe don’t give any party a pass as more or less Christian than any otherBut as Christians we stand for Christ and we work for Christ and we look for opportunities to share Jesus’ way with those in powerWe are not to be afraid we are not to be led astray and we are to look for opportunities to testifyBecause our hope is in One who is larger that this world and more powerful than anything within itOur allegiance is not to party but to JesusSo we are free to celebrate when our elected officials do what is good and rightand we are free to call them to account when they do what is wrong and harmfulIn this new season of American history we pray for our president we support all who were electedWe listen to the voices of those who put these leaders in powerWe listen to the voices of those who are fearful about the futureAnd we love them bothAnd offer both the hope that comes from the one who gave his life to bring us togetherTo those who celebrateand those who mournlet us tell about the One who has outlasted both emperor and empireThe King is Jesus and he is still on his throneJesus is the one we follow and he calls us to love and serve our neighborHe calls us to celebrate the birth of a child and mourn the death of the loved oneHe calls us to serve and love and offer hopeWe follow Jesus
which in my view is exactly what this country needs, now more than ever. Amen.
Ten years ago today a bishop, a handful of pastors and representatives from two congregations laid hands on me and ordained me into the ministry of Word and Sacrament. It was a huge moment in my life and set me on a fascinating, holy, surprising and Spirit filled path. I am so grateful to be a pastor. I’ve been reflecting this week on these past ten years and today I want to talk about the most important part of my life and ministry. Jesus.Jesus is why I do what I do. His teachings, his actions, his death and his resurrection are what inspire my ministry. When I was in high school I had at tacky bumper sticker on my car that read “my boss is a Jewish carpenter.” That’s how I feel today. Jesus is my boss. I’m trying to do the things he asks me to do. I don’t want to let him down. I’m counting on him to back me up and show me the way forward. I can’t see the whole vision, I trust that I’m playing a small part in what He’s building. Being a pastor, ultimately for me, is about following Jesus.The sacraments that I am called to administer, Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, are all about Jesus. When I pour the water over a child or an adult I am witness to them becoming one with Christ. I teach them that when God looks at them he sees His son Jesus. That they are wholly intertwined and where Jesus goes, they too will go. When I place bread in outstretched hands I’m watching Jesus himself feed his people with his own body and blood. They are being forgiven by his sacrifice, as am I. Together we are united to Christ and called to live his life out in the flesh. That is, we are to be Jesus-like in everything we do. So how am I doing? This morning I spent an hour talking about whether or not the lights in our new sanctuary are going to be dim-able. There’s a lot of my ministry that is hard to connect to what Jesus did. I suppose if Jesus spent anytime helping his dad as a carpenter, there might be some connection. I suppose though he would be patient in conversations like this and use it to help people see God’s love more clearly. But half the time I’m scratching my head about the things I end up doing, wondering if this is really what I’m called to do. A huge part of my ministry is setting up chairs!Other times though, like yesterday, it’s easier to feel like I’m following Jesus. I spent 2 hours helping a family grieve the loss of a loved one, and I’ll do his funeral this Saturday. I look forward to telling all in attendance that there is a resurrection promised to those who are united to Jesus. That Jesus conquered death so that we don’t mourn like those who have no hope. Yesterday I also spent over an hour in Bible study talking about how King David was a precursor to God’s true anointed one. How Jesus was everything that Saul and David and all the other kings of Israel were not. Yesterday was a Jesus day JSometimes I feel like I’m in the thick of a battle and I look up to see Jesus giving directions from a hill off in the distance. Sometimes I feel like Jesus is right next to me as we build something together. Other times I feel Jesus pick me up and carry me. My favorite song is ‘Hold Me Jesus’ by Rich Mullins. I count on His strength, especially when I feel shaken. Whether he’s far or near I work to keep my eyes on Him trying hard to do the things he would have me do. I suspect at the end of time He will give me a grade. I wonder if I’m even catching his drift 50% of the time. But the other thing I know, is that at the end of time, no matter how well or how poorly I’ve done. He is going to welcome me into his kingdom as a brother. It cost him his life to do it for me, but he has covered every deficiency of mine. This is grace.
And that’s why I love him. I love Jesus. I feel extraordinarily loyal to him. I do this work every day because of him. He is the core of what motivates me. And I hope he’s pleased. I hope and pray that he’s happy with my work. October 16th, 2003Jason Stanton, Travis Norton, Phillip Martinthe Unholy Trinity
As my 10thanniversary of ordination rolls around this week I’m reflecting on my short time in ministry. Today I’m thinking about preaching. I remember the first sermon I ever gave, it was sunrise service Easter morning at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Sandy, UT. I was in college and planning on attending seminary after graduation. After I delivered the sermon, I sat down in the pew and cried my eyes out. I felt so privileged to stand in that pulpit. That feeling of privilege and honor hasn’t diminished one bit.I've found that I can’t write a sermon without prayer. Although too often I try and I hit a block and my sermon feel s dry and lame. That’s usually my reminder that I need to pray. Without fail, every time, I mean every single time, when I ask God for help immediately after an idea will come that breaks open the scripture and allows the writing to flow. Prayer is the foundation of preaching for me. My prayer is usually something like “God, please help me write this sermon. Give me the words you want your people to hear. Help me to understand this scripture. And not just the words, Lord, but give me also the ability to deliver the sermon so that your word goes deep into their hearts and helps them know your love.” I love preaching. I think it is so fascinating and interesting. There’s so much going on, so many parts, that I imagine when I’m tired of everything else I’ll still want to preach. I love the first part, which is simply studying the scripture. I read the assigned text and just write down all the questions I have about it. Then I ask God to speak to me personally, what does He want to say me. That’s usually when I get convicted. I’ll never forget writing a sermon on forgiveness and feeling God convict me that I was holding a grudge against my Dad. I hadn’t talked to him in 4 years and so I called him that Saturday night and re-established a relationship. The scripture works on me, and it is endlessly interesting to me.Of course the next part is figuring out what God wants to say to His people through me through this scripture. When I’m figuring out a sermon I’m thinking of individuals. Often I actually write the sermon with only one person in mind(and half the time they don’t show up to church that week!) I am working to balance my theological training, with pastoral care issues with the state of the world and the news and make it something that people actually will hear and be impacted by.And then there’s the actual preaching of the sermon which is a whole other ball game. The Holy Spirit fills you up and you start preaching and you can see the words falling on different people in different ways. And so there’s the mid-sermon audible to take it a slightly different direction or add a line or delete a certain line or emphasize a particular point in response to what you see the Spirit doing. And it’s still not done. Because now the people get a chance to respond. Most of them don’t tell you(really) what they felt about the sermon. Which is fine, because it’s meant to be a vehicle through which God does His work and often God’s just uses a word or a line or a story to spin off a whole different idea in a person’s mind and heart and speak just to them. Sometimes people will tell me that it really spoke to them, and that is very gratifying. I’m a sucker for compliments—it’s probably a flaw of mine, but it’s true. The handshake line at the end of church feels like my report card.Writing a sermon is like creating a piece of art. As the artist I’m never fully satisfied, and it’s never out of my mind until I’m working on the next one. I’ll go home and ask my wife what she thought. She gets tired of me asking and I’m learning not to ask. Because really me asking that question turns the sermon into something about me rather than something God used to do something. It diminishes it. but I still want to know, I want credit. Forgive me. And then Sunday night I’ll rehearse the words in my head and wonder if I think I said the right things or not. I love it. I get excited to preach. I’m never happy with my sermon before I preach it. I’m so glad I get to do this. And I’m amazed that God would deign to do anything in someone’s life through my preaching. I’ve been preaching for 10 years now. I don’t know if I’m getting any better at it. I remember preaching my first sermon at my first congregation, Our Redeemer’s in Helena Montana. It was a good sermon(by which I mean it was well received) afterwards my senior pastor congratulated me and said that I was going to have a hard time topping that. I worried about that for a minute, but I think the way I preached that day is how I’ve preached every day. I tend to use a lot of personal stories. I follow my professors advice and make sure I’m never the hero of the story, but usually the stooge(which isn’t hard to do!). And half the time I’m preaching to myself and the things I know I need to hear. I need to hear that God loves me, that he really does, even though I don’t think he does, he does. And I figure other’s need to hear that too. I assume I’m not all that different than the people I’m preaching too.Being a preacher shapes the way you look at life. Everything is spiritual. I see every experience through the eyes of a preacher and am always wondering ‘if that will preach.’ And it usually does.
It’s a lot of work, preaching. It’s fascinating how tired I am after I preach. I usually am buzzed for about an hour and then I crash hard, especially if it was an emotional sermon. I put my whole self into a sermon. I love it, probably more than anything else I do as a pastor.
On Wednesday, October 16th I will have been an ordained pastor for 10 years. I want to take some time each day this week to reflect on this ministry that I've been called to. We’ll see how it goes, since it’s hard to find any time to reflect and write these days, but I’m planning on using my lunch hour as much as possible. It will be stream of consciousness for the most part. Beware JOne thing I’m not sure people understand is how much I think about the people of my congregation. I’m pretty sure I think about them a lot more than they think about me. I worry about their families. I think of those struggling with marriage, those going through divorce, those whose kids are giving them fits. I think about those who are dying or working to get better from an illness. I think about folks who are hard at work and struggling to make ends meat. I think about people all day long and at night. I love these people and I want good things for them and I pray for them and it consumes me. At my first congregation there wasn't a lot of movement in and out of the congregation. We had new members, but I don’t remember too many people moving away. I counted on people being there, serving, being a part of the body. It floored me when we had a conflict and lost several members. I can’t even remember what the problem was. But I agonized over them. It always bothers me deeply when people leave the church. It just seems so wrong. In my current congregation people move ALL THE DAMN TIME and I hate it. I hate it because I love them and invest in them and count on them and then they are gone. Maybe there’s some psychological problem I have, some failure to differentiate. Who knows? But I have a hard time when people leave. But the worst are those people who drift away, who just stop coming. Not for any conflict. Not because they have moved. Who knows why? Maybe that’s what gets me. I reach out and I get bland responses promising to return. I worry about them. I worry about them not having a church, not having people to pray with them or help them grow. I worry about when they have weddings or baptisms or funerals and have some generic service done by someone who knows nothing about them who can’t speak deeply into their lives. I can’t seem to let them go. But 10 years into this thing called ordained ministry it’s the people that are first on my mind. I’m surprised how much space they occupy in my life and I know they have no idea. Which is the way it should be. I just hope I’ve played some positive role in their life. I hope they spend a little more time thinking about God and who they are as His children because of my work among them. I hope they love God a little more and pray a little more. I hope they trust the One who made them and seek to do His will. Which makes me think of my pastors growing up. Robin Dugall, Jim Munter, Jeff Nellermoe . These guys taught me about God and about God’s word. I’m very grateful for their ministry. I think about them a lot too and their ministry to me takes on a whole new light at I minister to others. I remember their sermons too, well probably only a handful. I remember Pastor Jim cutting up an apple for a stewardship sermon. I remember Pastor Jeff sharing stories of helping a guy at gas station and another one about coming to a crossroads decision about Noah’s ark and I’ll never forget him teaching me to read the gospel of John. I’m so grateful for my pastors!I read the Bible differently now too. When I read Paul’s letters to congregations I get what he’s saying. I can imagine writing those words myself “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you…” “I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love Christ…” “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you.” Yeah, I get that. Constantly praying. Wanting desperately for people to know God’s love. Never knowing for sure if they do. I think I’m becoming more aware the role I play in the lives of others. That at the end of my career, I won’t have anything to show, really. I probably won’t have some huge church or grand ministry or sprawling campus to point to. And if I did, it wouldn't be the thing to point to anyway! What I suspect I’ll have 30 years from now is a greater respect for how small I am and how great God is. I imagine that at the end I’ll just be grateful for the chance to nudge people along in the grace of God as we travel the road together. People. That’s what I think about after 10 years. God bless ‘em!
GenesisWhen I was in 9th grade I wrote a paper chastising my biology teacher for teaching evolution in her classI had just been confirmed in my church and really wanted to live out my faithAnd somewhere I had picked up the idea that evolution was an attack on my Christian faithI was determined to defend my faith and the Bible against what I saw as the onslaught of cultural forcesSo I wrote a scathing paper refusing to answer questions on evolution while sharply criticizing my teacher for teaching such nonsenseMy biology teacher was kind and understanding and wise enough not to take the bait I think she even gave me a B for the paperShe was just doing her job teaching the science of the day with no agenda regarding my faithI hadn’t really though through what evolution was or wasn’t I just knew that as a Christian I was supposed to be against it.In my youth I got swept up in the culture warsLike a child soldier who doesn’t know why he’s fighting just that the enemy is evil and it’s his job to vanquish themBut I was wrong maybe not in my zealous desire to defend the faithbut I was wrong to think that science was the enemy of faithIn the past several decades Christians in America have drawn battle lines over the bibleThey have politicized it and unwittingly and hopefully unintentionally confused our reading of ScriptureAs a result, when we read the story of creation our minds naturally go to these battle linesThe debate over evolution same sex marriage and the age of the earthAre all red herrings that throw us off the trail of the Bible’s messageWe miss hearing what scripture is trying to say because we’ve been culturally conditioned to read this story through the lens of political battle linesYou know the term ‘Red Herring’?It’s a term used to describe a logical fallacyIt comes from an old trick used by bandits or criminals to throw bloodhounds off their trailThey would take a fish—a red herring--- and throw it down a trail going the opposite wayIn hopes that the bloodhounds chasing them would lead the police toward the herring so they could escape captureThese political debates centered on the book of Genesis are the devil’s red herringIf he can get us to argue about science vs. religion then we won’t hear the good news of the creation accountAnd as bonus the devil can make sure non-believers will be turned off altogether from the stench of our argumentsLast week I made a strong statement that got a lot of your attentionI said that Jesus and not the bible is the blueprint for us to followNot that the Bible isn’t of extreme importance to us it is very important, it is the manger in which Christ is laidBut Jesus is the one we follow and He is our guide to reading the bibleI’m doubling down on that statementwhen we give up trying to defend the Bible and instead focus on reading it and letting it point us to JesusWe can slip out of all these pointless debates and fall in love with scripture again as God uses it to open us up to a relationship with Himthe bible is not a science book and we don’t need it to beWhen you read the first two chapter of Genesis you run into a huge contradiction right off the bat one that was put there intentionallyThere are two accounts of the creation story in GenesisYou find not one, but two accounts of creation that when read together clearly contradict each otherIf we read them as science there is no way to reconcile the storiesIn the first story lights and plants and stars and sun and animals come firstThe last thing created is humansbut in the second account the story is almost completely reversed starting in Genesis 2:4it says that before there were any plants God knelt in the dust and made a man and breathed life into himthen God planted a Garden and made animals and gave them to the man to take care ofSo the man comes first in one story and last in anotherAs a science book that doesn’t add upIf we’re talking science we have to decide which story is accurate and which story to rejectBut the author of Genesis wasn’t writing a science bookHe knew that the two stories contradicted and still chose to put them back to back at the very beginning of the storySo right of the bat we know something about the Bible We know that the Bible is NOT interested in scientific questions that’s not what it’s aboutClearly there is some larger truth that we need to pay attention toThere’s a larger truth about God and his creation that the Biblical author is makingIn the first story God says “Let us make humankind in our image—according to our likeness and let them have dominion over every living thing”In the second story God creates the man first plants a garden and puts the man in the gardenHe gives him the responsibility to till it and keep it then God makes the animals and brings them to the man to name each one of themDo you see a common theme a red thread that connects these two storiesDo you see the larger truth that Genesis is makingThe story of creation is about our identity who we are and who we are meant to be as the ones God has createdWe are God’s crowning achievement made in his imageWe are given the earth and all that is in it to care for, to keep and to protectWe are given a special identity as God’s image bearers his representatives on earthThis is who we are!When we tell the Christian story to a world that increasingly doesn’t know even the basicsThis is where we need to start not with silly arguments about evolution and Big bangsBut with the deep truth about humanity that we were created in the very image of God that He has great intentions for usI remember doing a stump the pastor event at my previous congregationFifty teenagers piled into the youth room and our youth director challenged them to ask me anything they wanted about the faithAfter a minute of awkward silence one young man, Matt Bacon, a great kid always joking threw his hand up in the airthinking he had the ultimate question that would stump me and get his friends laughingHe asked me “Pastor, what is the purpose of life”Everybody laughed not taking the question seriously and the kid was pretty proud of himself for breaking the iceBut I took his question seriously and gave him an answerI answered him to reclaim the night so they would take it seriously but also because Christians actually have an answer to that big questionThe answer comes to us from GenesisThe purpose of life is to bear God’s image in the world to live in relationship with God and represent God on the earth in all we say and do I’ll say it again…God made us in his image and he directed us to rule, to be in charge not in some dictator way of the fallen worldBut as good stewards taking care of the garden and the animals watching out for creationWe are called to represent God in all aspects of our lifeIn how we care for each other praying for one another offering support and meeting needsIn our relationships marking them with humble service forgiveness and loveand to represent him just by being the marvelous creatures he has called us to beLast Monday we remembered our dear friend Pat Blaker who died the first week of JanuaryAs we remembered her we learned that she was someone who lived out God’s purpose in lifeShe cared served her family she served her community and she served her church wellShe was a shining example of someone who bore God’s image and lived a life in His nameWe will miss her greatly and I think we who knew her would do well to imitate her life as she imitated Christ’sThere’s a great quote I love by Marianne WilliamsonShe writes “we ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world…We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us;”How many of us have stood in awe at a star filled night overlooking the ocean, listening to the savesHow many of us have been overcome in a moment watching a beautiful sunrise or sunsetAt our Tuesday morning bible study Louise Walker shared about a visit to the Grand CanyonHow there was all this chatter on the trail leading up to the viewing area but upon seeing the Grand Canyon there was a hush that came over them as they stood in silent awe at the incredible sightWell I ask you when was the last time you looked at a person with that same sense of awe and wonderWhen was the last time someone looked at you overcome with your beauty, with the wonder of who you are?Can you see yourself through God’s eyes can you see each other as His work of art?Humans are God’s masterpiece a cut above the rest of creationWe gape at the beauty of the earth and praise God for all he has made and rightly soBut you yourselves each one of you are made in the image of GodLook at the person sitting next to you you are sitting in the presence of a masterpieceWorthy of the same jaw dropping gapes of respect and appreciation we normally reserve for the wonders of the worldThis is the start of the Christian story this is what the world needs to hear from the book of Genesis and from usTell your non believing friends and family “ do you know that in God’s eyes you are more beautiful that a sunrise and more amazing than the milky way You are beautiful, amazing, a miracle given great dignity and responsibility to bear God’s image in all the worldthis is the beginning of the storyNow, it’s not hard to see that things have not remained as God intended them from the startWe have fallen from this original image bearing relationship with GodWe no longer look at one another as divine masterpiecesThe effects of sin are enormous that human choice to trust in ourselves over God has had disastrous consequencesNot just for our own relationships but our relationship with the earth and its creatures as wellBut it was our relationship with God that took the biggest hitRather than living in security that comes with God walking with usWe live in fear and shame rather than faith and honorWhen we pulled away from God we started dyingBut the minute God’s beautiful creation started to crumble because of our sinGod went to work saving usHe finds us hiding in shame feeling vulnerable and naked because we’ve lost our identity in our sin we have forgotten who we areGod sacrifices animals to make leather clothing for Adam and eve to protect them in the new world that they have put themselves at odds with This sacrifice and clothing prefigures the sacrifice that Jesus would make later when he gave his own flesh and blood in order to provide spiritual clothing for usAnd now when we are baptized we are clothed with Christ and our identity is restoredThere’s a reason we have that baptismal font right at the entrance of the churchBecause we go out from here every week into a world that has forgotten who they are as Children of God and what they called to do as His Image BearersAnd we ourselves forget as we are sold countless counterfeit identitiesWe are told that our identity is grounded in what we produce or in what we consumeThat we’re only as good as our last sale or successSo we put the baptismal font at the front of the church so when we return to this space for worshipWe can be reminded that we are clothed with Christ and are children of GodWe are God’s masterpiece forgiven, cleansed, and filled with Holy DignityWe are the ones God has made in his own image destined to represent him in this worldSo next time you dip your finger in that water and trace the sign of the cross on your foreheadStand up tall straighten up your shoulders as the burdens of the world are taken from by GodLet the light return to your eyes and remember who you areyou are God’s very own He loves you, He made you, He died for youAnd in His eyes you are his beloved child