Sermon in a Sentence: All of us, like Jesus in today's Gospel Lesson, experience the power of temptation: How we respond determines if it is a positive or negative experience!
Mother's Day! The start of National Family Week. Is there a better way to celebrate the sacrament of baptism? So, today Nicholas James' parents Jenn and Omar, and his big brother Joseph have come to celebrate the baptism of another beloved son. And they, along with all of the other parents, siblings, grandparents, family, friends and Church family only want the best for Nicholas James and all of our children.
Am I going out on a limb as I make that statement? Of course I'm not because the truth is that for Nicholas and all of our children the celebration of the sacrament of baptism is all about our shared desire and commitment to do all that is within our ability so that our children will continue to grow in God's grace! But, and here is where I am going out on that limb a bit, does that shared desire and commitment to our children include an awareness that part of their journey of life and faith will include times when, like our Lord in today's Gospel lesson, their growth in God's grace will be the result of their experiencing and conquering the power of temptation?
I'm not sure if we look at temptation as a positive experience in life. After all, if David Letterman was making a Top 10 list of things that Mom, or any of us, want for our children I don't think temptation would make that list. However, last week at our Adult Ed forum when we discussed today's gospel lesson, we were all reminded that our Lord's temptation in the desert truly was a time when He grew in God's grace. So today, as we celebrate Mother's Day and the start of National Family Week, let us consider how our Gospel lesson contains some wonderful insights about how conquering the power of temptation is an important way in which we and our children can grow in God's grace!
Perhaps I need to start our reflection with a very simple definition of what temptation is. If we look at today's gospel lesson we see how in three different ways our Lord is asked to do something that He knows is wrong. Our Lord, like each of us, was blessed with the knowledge of right and wrong, and temptation is simply the experience of feeling the pressure to choose wrong over right. With this definition in mind, let us consider how today's Gospel lesson does help us to face and overcome that pressure so that we can grow in God's grace!
Let me continue our reflection by asking you this question: Have you ever heard yourself wishing that you could escape to a deserted island to recoup your energy? Maybe this past week when day after day we awoke to gloomy skies and wanted to just pull those covers over our head is an example of that feeling. But over the years, as you have read or heard the story of Jesus being tempted in the desert, did you ever think that He was in that desert to escape the stress and pressure of His daily life and be renewed in God's grace? Well, if we look at Matthew's gospel that understanding of why Jesus was in the desert seems to me to make a lot of sense. For those 40 days in the desert occur right after our Lord's baptism and just before He started His ministry, and I think He knew that it was the perfect time to take a retreat. It was a 40-day sabbatical, and it prepared Him for a mission that would change human history forever.
Take Time To Be Holy. That's the name of the hymn we will be singing in a few minutes, and it is a hymn that contains the best advice any of us could have if we want to face the challenges and temptations of life, overcome them in faith and thus grow in God's grace. We all know that, but what we also know is that the rapid and hectic pace of life makes finding that time to be holy and spiritually renewed very difficult. Actually, we live in a world where we are overwhelmed with demands upon our time that make our desire and commitment to find that time to be holy next to impossible. I hold in my hand Exhibit A to prove my point. You see this is a gracious invitation sent to me to attend a lovely Brunch. Now the person who sent me this invitation knows that I am a clergy person. Guess when this lovely Brunch is scheduled for? You got it. Sunday May 17th from 9 - 11AM! Did they think that I might be planning on doing something else on Sunday Morning? Of course, this is just one example and I know that you all face the same pressure in many ways but the truth that today's Gospel Lesson reminds us of is that we must find the time to grow in God's grace or it just isn't going to happen!
And so right before He began His public ministry, as well as throughout His ministry Jesus found the necessary time for prayer and reflection that enabled Him to grow in God's grace and thus to find the ability to grow in His faith by meeting and overcoming the power of temptation! Of course the best example of our Lord doing this is found in His time of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane right before the Cross. Its clear that He was being tempted to avoid the Cross for He begins His prayer with the words: "Father, if it is possible, take away this cup of suffering from me."
But as He continued His prayer, He was led to offer His greatest prayer and service by saying: "Father, not my will but thy will be done!"
It wasn't easy, but because Jesus found the strength to overcome the power of temptation in His life, He was able to change our lives forever by dying for our sins and thus restoring our relationship with God forever! You know I know that there are a lot of things that aren't easy in your lives also. There are challenges and disappointments that would make us pray those same words: Father, take away this cup of suffering. And there is nothing wrong with that prayer or else our Lord wouldn't have prayed those same words! But at the end of the day, in the face of whatever particular challenge we may be facing, we need to find the courage and faith to pray and live those words: Father, not our will, but thy will be done.
You know, other than all of us, there are four businesses who really love Mother's Day! Can you guess what they are? Restaurants, Yes!! Florists, Yes!!
Cards and Candy Stores, Yes! Can you guess the fourth? Well it's the businesses that put out the enormous amount of Sentimental emails that describe the blessings we receive from our Mom and our family, and so this week I had lots of possible email stories to conclude today's sermon with. The one I have selected was sent to me by Jo-Ann D. who found an email that told the wonderful story of a homeless couple who met and fell in love in a Church Shelter in Washington DC.
Well do you remember last year's MRC Talent Show and the stunning duet Carla and I did that included the line: "They Say Our Love Won't Pay the Rent." Well that was truly the case for this couple. Not only did they not have money for rent or a wedding but their life was filled with financial challenges. Every one working in the shelter felt that they were a wonderful couple, but they could see that they were struggling. They might have been tempted to give up all hope but then something wonderful happened. You see the people who were hosting that shelter decided that they were going to go the second mile for this couple by providing them with a wonderful wedding, including all of the bells and whistles! In case you are wondering what that might cost, ask the families of Keri and Brad, or Samantha and James. And so, in the same church where they usually slept in the shelter, this couple united in marriage, and the same people who provided the wedding are now working to find them affordable housing and jobs that will allow them to leave that shelter as soon as is possible. Oh, by the way, this is a church that lives up to its name which is Grace Church.
Now I share that story for a couple of reasons. First, it is a story that reminds us of how blessed we are that we can provide a loving home for Nicholas and all of the children of our families. Second, because like that congregation, we are blessed to be able to express care and concern for those beyond our family through our individual and collective witness for Christ. Yes, we live in a world where we can be tempted to feel overwhelmed by the challenges of daily life. But thank God, that in His grace, our Lord has blessed us with faith and trust in Him. He has blessed us with Mothers, families and friends and others who share our commitment to serve as instruments of His grace in one another's lives. And yes, He has blessed us with the integrity and ability to live and pray the words: Thy Will Be Done!
I'm not sure if we look at temptation as a positive experience in life. After all, if David Letterman was making a Top 10 list of things that Mom, or any of us, want for our children I don't think temptation would make that list. However, last week at our Adult Ed forum when we discussed today's gospel lesson, we were all reminded that our Lord's temptation in the desert truly was a time when He grew in God's grace. So today, as we celebrate Mother's Day and the start of National Family Week, let us consider how our Gospel lesson contains some wonderful insights about how conquering the power of temptation is an important way in which we and our children can grow in God's grace!
Take Time To Be Holy. That's the name of the hymn we will be singing in a few minutes, and it is a hymn that contains the best advice any of us could have if we want to face the challenges and temptations of life, overcome them in faith and thus grow in God's grace. We all know that, but what we also know is that the rapid and hectic pace of life makes finding that time to be holy and spiritually renewed very difficult. Actually, we live in a world where we are overwhelmed with demands upon our time that make our desire and commitment to find that time to be holy next to impossible. I hold in my hand Exhibit A to prove my point. You see this is a gracious invitation sent to me to attend a lovely Brunch. Now the person who sent me this invitation knows that I am a clergy person. Guess when this lovely Brunch is scheduled for? You got it. Sunday May 17th from 9 - 11AM! Did they think that I might be planning on doing something else on Sunday Morning? Of course, this is just one example and I know that you all face the same pressure in many ways but the truth that today's Gospel Lesson reminds us of is that we must find the time to grow in God's grace or it just isn't going to happen!
You know, other than all of us, there are four businesses who really love Mother's Day! Can you guess what they are? Restaurants, Yes!! Florists, Yes!!
Cards and Candy Stores, Yes! Can you guess the fourth? Well it's the businesses that put out the enormous amount of Sentimental emails that describe the blessings we receive from our Mom and our family, and so this week I had lots of possible email stories to conclude today's sermon with. The one I have selected was sent to me by Jo-Ann D. who found an email that told the wonderful story of a homeless couple who met and fell in love in a Church Shelter in Washington DC.