Rev. JoBeth
Marshall
Lectionary
Scripture: Psalm 1; James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a;
Mark
Sermon
Synopsis of: "If You Want to be Happy… Open a Window"
"The
disciples did not understand and were afraid. Should we (today) expect ourselves
to have fewer human failings than they did? The Christian faith can sometimes
be confusing and walking with Jesus can be difficult. Rather than pretending we
get it or beating ourselves up for our failings, we need give ourselves
permission to be as human as those first followers of Jesus." (Clergy
Journal, May/June 3009, p. 52)
The argument the
disciples were having when Jesus was trying to teach them about the profound
ministry in which he was involved, was about who would get to sit next to Jesus
when he was in heaven eternally. Unbelievable! WOW! Jesus must have been
frustrated to put it mildly. He was trying to teach them to be leaders to teach
others.
In this passage
about the child, Jesus is teaching all of us that "The child is
representative of one who is insignificant in society – the opposite of the
greatness’ for which the disciples (of Jesus time and many of us today) are
vying." (Ibid, p.51)
Jesus says to us,
"When you welcome a nobody, you welcome me. And
when you welcome me, you welcome God" (Homeletics,
Sept. 2009, p. 25)
Today how on
earth are we to be Christians with open hearts? We are to draw near to God and
receive God’s guidance and support. True wisdom and faith are gifts from God
and they nurture our souls.
So.
. . . . . .
"If you want
to be happy for an hour, take a nap.
If you want to be
happy for a day, go fishing.
If you want to be
happy for a month, inherit a fortune.
If you want to be
happy for a lifetime, get married.
If you want to be
happy for eternity, help others. Who ever wants to be first
must be last of all and
servant to all."
- Carl F. Shultz,
Jr. "True Greatness
We’ve all heard
the saying: When God closes a door . . . God opens a window. Today, our world
seems full of doors slamming closed and sometimes it seems even windows too. It
also seems overwhelmingly full of chaos, greed, unhealthy competition and
increasing lack of civility. As happened in Jesus’ day–this is unfortunately
the world in which we live. But fortunately God leads us. So let us follow
God’s lead. Let us open windows to God’s possibilities to serve, to love, to
care (not just for ourselves or families or friends) but to welcome a nobody and in doing so welcome God. Amen.