April 11th, 2021

Second Sunday Of Easter April 11, 2021

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“ Walking In The Light “ 

(  Acts 4: 32-35, 1 John 1: 5-10, John 20: 19-31) 

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

Last summer I went for my Annual eye examination at Fort Sam Houston. My doctor is the head of Optometry for Brooke Army Medical Center and he is an excellent provider. As part of the procedure I had my eyes dilated since they were going to check my cornea etc. The examination went well. They gave me extra shades to wear. I had my prescription sunglasses with me as well.  I walked out of the Troop Medical Command Clinic into the bright July sun. It was blinding ! I had to keep looking down at the ground.  I got inside of my car and turned the air conditioning on and sat there while my eyes gradually adjusted to the bright light. I knew that I couldn’t drive right away since that would not be safe. I wanted also to rest and allow myself  to recover and to be able to see clearly without any distortion so that I could again proceed on my way home.

The Resurrection of Jesus certainly was a visual adjustment for the disciples. They were gathered together the evening of that first day of the week.  According to John’s Gospel,

“ Jesus came and stood among them. “ Peace be with you “ he tells them. Jesus then shows them his hands and his side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. “ ( John 20: 19-20 )  No doubt, the disciples were happy to know that Jesus was alive, but what did his presence now mean ? For Jesus’ appearance was not as it was when he was living as a terrestrial human being.

The major clue that indicated that things were now different included the following:  “ Again Jesus said, “ Peace be with you ! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that he breathed on them and said:  “ Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone their sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. “ ( John 20: 21-23 ).  Jesus is here with the disciples but not in a permanent sense. Now the Holy Spirit has been introduced as a gift for the disciples and now it appears that the disciples will be going to work proclaiming God’s Kingdom.

You really wonder if the disciples had thought that they would be doing this ?  After all they had left their livelihoods for three years to follow Jesus throughout Judea as he preached and did his teaching. Then there was the journey to Jerusalem, the confrontation with the religious authorities in the Temple, the Passover Seder meal, the betrayal, the arrest in Gethsemane and the trial, and Crucifixion.  It’s very understandable that after all of this that the disciples would feel very tired and afraid and would want to lay low for a while.  Of course the one who is most skeptical about all of this Resurrection stuff  is Thomas. He’s the kind of guy who has to see everything in order to believe that it is true.

We’re a lot like him aren’t we ?  Our society is data driven. We know that things are true based upon observable facts. We strive for having best practices regarding everything in life.

Consequently, anything that is mystical or ethereal is not worth our attention.  Jesus knows that Thomas is the “ Show Me “ kind of guy, and he immediately responds to him by showing him his wounds.  Yes Jesus becomes vulnerable with Thomas.  Thomas does declare to Jesus “ My Lord And My God. “ His vision changes and he now sees Jesus not as a mortal man but as the Resurrected Christ.  Jesus in turn responds with this rather cryptic saying:

“ Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” ( John 20 : 29 ).

Unfortunately , there is usually not a happy ending with a terminal illness. Years ago, I visited with a man who was suffering from terminal cancer.  I remember the day I saw him, he was wearing a T-Shirt with a picture of Daffy Duck holding a machine Gun. The inscription on the T-Shirt read: “ Chicago Everybody Duck “  The T-Shirt was a nice ice breaker. It allowed us to talk about our mutual experiences being in Chicago. He also was able to relate a story about when he was a child, it was his responsibility to keep a coal stove operational at a small church. He was only seven years old at the time. Tragically, one of the hot coals rolled out of the stove onto the wood floor and the church caught fire and it burned. The man tearfully told me that his mother dragged him home hitting him with her umbrella blaming him for the tragedy.  I told him that the fire was not his fault. He was only seven years old and it wasn’t appropriate for him to be doing this job of overseeing a wood stove to heat a church.  When we finished the conversation, his face looked brighter after the tears and he seemed to be more at peace.

He died I believe the next day.

Now, I would be remiss if I did not note that there are many people who will a terminal illness and who will recover, in some cases full recover from the illness. I have known some people who have had this experience, I suspect you have too. I have one friend now who was basically told that they would be dead and yet now they are still alive and are doing well.  I praise God for that recovery for my friend.

Our faith is a journey.  Sometimes the path is very dark and not clear. It can be hard to see during those times.  But then there are occasions when maybe there is too much light, like having your eyes dilated and again where it becomes a challenge to  be able to focus and to see well. 

I John says that if we walk in the light, as God is the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin “ ( I John 1: 7 ).  We walk in the light because God has given us the light.  But we also walk in the light together.  We don’t walk alone

For we are a part of a community of faith where our God is with us in all things, times and places, in our life, in our death and in our life beyond death.  May we continue to walk in God’s heavenly light now and always.

May it be so.

In Christ’s name.

Amen

Easter Sunday April 4, 2021

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“ Looking Into The Future And Seeing It Now “ 

(   Acts 10: 34-43, John 20: 1-18 )

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

They came to the tomb before dawn. Grief will do strange things to you. One moment you think you’re doing okay, the next moment you are sitting in your car crying.  Mary Magdalene probably goes to the tomb for some confirmation that Jesus is really dead.  This morning, we are here in the Grove adjacent to the Redeemer Cemetery. We know that our loved ones who are buried there are no longer with us in our earthly lives and yet we know that their lives are continuing in the heavenly realm.  Mary saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance to the tomb. She was overwhelmed with feelings, excitement, anxiety. She ran to Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said:  “ They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have put him ! “

Peter and the other disciple respond by running to the tomb. The other disciple outruns Peter and reaches the tomb first. Simon Peter goes into the tomb and he sees the strips of linen and the burial cloth around Jesus’ head, folded up by itself, separate from the linen. The other disciple in turn looks into the tomb and he sees and believes. Yet the text tells us that they did not understand from the Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

Here we have these disciples looking into the future and not realizing totally what will happen. 

The earliest followers of Jesus were apocalyptic Jewish Christians. The inclusion of gentiles in the developing early Christian Church caused a schism between Judaism and Jewish Christianity during the first two centuries of the Christian Era. In 313, Emperor Constantine I issued the Edict of Milan legalizing Christian worship. In 380, with the Edict of Thessalonica put forth under Theodosius I, the Roman Empire officially adopted Trinitarian Christianity as its state religion, and Christianity established itself as a predominantly Roman religion in the state church of the Roman Empire. Christological debates about the human and divine nature of Jesus consumed the Christian Church for two centuries, and seven ecumenical councils were called to resolve these debates. Arianism was condemned at the First Council of Nicaea (325), which supported the Trinitarian doctrine as expounded in the Nicene Creed.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christianity

So a lot of things are going to happen in the life of the Early Church that these first disciples will not realize.  Yet these early disciples know that their lives have been changed because of Jesus.

While the other disciples went back to their homes, Mary is still standing outside the tomb trying to comprehend what has happened.  She sees two angels in white and then turns around and sees another figure. Initially, she thinks that this is the gardener. Again, she asks where Jesus has been carried away.  It’s only when Jesus calls her name “ Mary “ and she responds with the Aramaic name “ Rabboni “ translated as teacher that Mary realizes that Jesus is alive.

Again, she is looking into the future and realizing that it is now.

Kairos (Ancient Greek: καιρός) is an Ancient Greek word meaning the right, critical, or opportune moment. The ancient Greeks had two words for time: Chronos (χρόνος) and Kairos. The former refers to chronological or sequential time, while the latter signifies a proper or opportune time for action.  https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=x6RJYNvsN8Gs5NoPvtyRyAY&iflsig=AINFCbYAAAAAYEmy16kA5rK3g9l6kRH6tO6hQn3xJGTN&q=kairos+mean

Mary Magdalene, Peter and the other disciple all experienced a Kairos moment. They had seen Jesus resurrected and alive. They knew that this was a moment for proper action, that would yet to be fully determined.  When Peter speaks to the crowed gathered at Cornelius’ house in Caesarea, according to our text from the book of Acts, he is proclaiming the early Christian message.  “ You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace in Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what happened throughout all Judea ,beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached-how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.  They killed him by hanging him on a tree but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. “

( Acts 10: 36-38,39-40 )  This becomes the core message. The Kerygma, the proclamation of faith.

Today, we are in this place, in this sacred grove and in this sacred cemetery. When we leave here today how will our lives been changed ? Will we see the Resurrected Jesus and will we see Jesus life alive in the lives of ourselves and of those who are around us ?  Not too long ago, I officiated at a burial here. At the end of the service, white balloons were released and I watched them all drift to the north in the sky over the horizon. As I watched the balloons floating away, I thought about the church member we had remembered and I thought about all of us in the Christian realm, those of us who make up that great cloud of witnesses, of believers past, present and future.  That moment again was a Kairos moment, a time for opportune and proper action.

So what will your Kairos moment mean for you ? What will it mean for me ?  Jesus is alive ! He has risen indeed ! Halleluiah ! 

I pray that we can focus upon what that truth means for us and how we can live out that reality daily in our lives.

May it be so.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen

Sixth Sunday In Lent Palm Sunday March 28, 2021 

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“The Kingdom Procession Of Peace“ 

(Psalms 118: 1-2,19-29, Mark 11: 1-11)

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

Years ago, I visited my Navy Chaplain Roman Catholic priest friend Father Richard Vidrine who lived in New Orleans, La. I was then serving on active duty with the Army as the Officer In Charge For Behavioral Health and Traumatic Brain Injury ( TBI ) at the Medical Task Force Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg MS, two hours northeast of New Orleans. I would often visit Rich in his house in Belle Chasse, La not far from the Joint Base New Orleans, La where he was stationed.

One particular visit was right before Ash Wednesday, the weekend before to be exact. Rich Vidrine is a native Louisianan and a proud Cajun. He is a generous person and a gracious host. Rich suggested that we check out one of the Mardi Gras parades.   It was a family parade that followed a route north of Canal Street in New Orleans. Rich was very knowledgeable about the various Krews ( organizations ) that participate in the parades. I remember with this parade the floats were very ornate, the costumes very vibrant and I remember we took home lots and lots of strings of beads. 

Of course, Mardi Gras as it celebrated in New Orleans and in other areas of the Gulf Coast including Houston is a celebration of excess, with food and revelry prior to the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday.  It’s interesting the cultural liturgy of the Gulf Coast contrasts these two parades: that of Mardi Gras and now the parade we celebrate today with the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

Mark, the Gospel writer, describes the details of this event which marks the beginning of Hoy Week.   As they approach Jerusalem, Jesus send two of his disciples telling them “ Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “ Why are you doing this ? “ tell them, The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly. “ ( Mark 11: 2-3 ).  The disciples follow Jesus’ instructions. They find the colt, as described, and they bring it to Jesus. Cloaks are thrown over the back of the colt and Jesus sits on the colt and begins the ride into the city of Jerusalem

Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan in their book “ The Last Week “ write:

This kind of procession, this kind of parade would not have been lost by Pontius Pilate. The Roman Imperial authorities would likely view this demonstration as an act of insurrection. Jesus is adapting the very forms of regal power, riding in a procession into the heart of the city of Jerusalem.  Borg and Crossan further note:
 

When Jesus is referred to as “ Son Of God “ and as “ Lord “ “ Savior “ this will be interpreted as a direct affrontery to Rome and to Rome’s representatives. For them, only Caesar can be addressed as “ Son Of God, “ “ Lord “ and Savior. “ We are witnessing the beginning of a predictive clash between two systems, the Roman Imperial Empire and Jesus and his followers proclaiming the arrival of the Kingdom Of God.

Again Borg and Crossan observe:

Jesus and his vision of the Kingdom of God is very different from Rome and its regime of terror and control over the people.  Throughout the events of Holy Week, we will witness Jesus meeting with his disciples for supper along with the betrayal of Jesus, the trial and Crucifixion, burial and of course leading to the resurrection and the events of Easter Day.  The Kingdom procession of peace promises that there can be another way-one where there is sharing of resources and justice for all.   Jesus entry into the holy city of Jerusalem challenges us regarding our priorities. Do we follow the morals and valuers of God’s Kingdom or that of the Imperial Empire ?

 It’s not always that easy. We try to be faithful and again we find that we always don’t live up to our convictions and our ideals.  We again will live through the events of Holy Week. We will leave the parade today, one that is different from a Mardi Gras parade.  We will leave this parade and will be asked how can we faithful to God’s Kingdom made manifest in the person and ministry of Jesus ?

 What will be our choice ?

Here’s a vote for the kingdom of peace and justice for all.

May it be so.

 In Jesus’ name.

Amen

Fifth Sunday In Lent March 21, 2021 

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“Many Emerging Out Of One“ 

(Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5: 5-10, John 12: 20-33)

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

I remember one of my first church going experiences. I was 6 , first grader, attending Immaculate Heart School in Portland ,Or. I wore a school uniform, salt and pepper corduroy pants, white shirt and green sweater, Our teacher, a nun, would have us attend early mass every morning before school started.  On this particular rainy March morning, I got off the Rose City Transit bus, ran across the street and entered the church and sat in the back with my classmates. The church was dark and all of the church statues were draped in purple cloth. The priest was in front of the altar saying mass.  As I sat there, I noticed that the second graders were sitting up in front by the priest. I asked “ why are the second graders sitting up in front and we have to sit in the back ? One of my friends said, “ Their in second grade. They get to sit up front. “ I later found out that these second grade students were getting confirmed. They had hit the magic age of seven and were eligible to be confirmed. We were still six, had to wait our turn , had to stay in the cheap seats.  It’s funny how those early childhood experiences stay with you. For a long time, Lent was associated with these kinds of practices: draping statues with purple cloth, abstaining from eating certain things, giving things up, keeping a somber attitude, and avoiding any kind of fun.

You really wonder did Jesus really have all of this in mind?  Martin Scorsese in his film “ The Last Temptation Of Christ “ has a scene where Jesus is talking to Paul and in this fictional account, Jesus is saying to Paul, “ No man, you’ve got in all wrong. “ Scorsese is commenting how the institution of the church can sometimes ellipse the intent of the Gospel, i.e. to provide Good News to those who want to hear the saving truth of God made known in Jesus.

I think about my own faith pilgrimage. I left Immaculate Heart Church and over the years my family and I attended an Episcopal Church, a Methodist church, finally settling in an American Baptist church where I spent over 15 years in two congregations. I didn’t officially become a member of The United Church Of Christ until after my first year of seminary.  The diversity that I experienced in my early years of attending church, I think, fostered in me a commitment to worshipping and seeking God and yet at the same time being open to a wide variety of very different religious experiences.  This may have been true for you as well in terms of your faith pilgrimage.

Since the Reformation, there have been many different options out there for people to explore regarding church attendance. Several of you have shared with me your journeys which may have originated in Catholicism, or in Lutheran, Baptist or non-denominational settings.  Again, others have started that their whole lives have been spent in this congregation or in the United Church Of Christ or in the preceding Evangelical And Reformed Tradition.  Both paths that I have described are distinct and different and are a part of who we are as The United Church Of Christ.

Jesus says in John’s Gospel:

“ The hour has come for the Son Of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. “ ( John 12:23 ) Biblical scholars refer to this as a prefiguring statement., i.e. it points to what will occur in the future. In this case, Jesus will be crucified, died, buried and will be resurrected from the dead and from that the Church will be born and will flourish.  Paul’s missionary activities attest to that by the formation of churches in Antioch, Ephesus and finally in Rome. This all occurs within a 20-30 year following the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The world-wide Christian community is diverse and varied with differences in gender, race, geography, social economic status and political affiliation.  We are diverse and yet we are a part of one body.  As the United Church Of Christ logo says: “ That they all may be one “ ( John 17:21 )

Jesus goes on to say : “ that if you love your life, to this world, you will lose it, but if you live, beyond this world, you will find eternal life. ( John 12:25 ).

What could living beyond your life in the world mean to you and me ?  We have people in our own community who have been serving as foster parents for at risk youth, and have been doing so in the midst of the world-wide pandemic and through our recent snow storm. True Light 127 Ministries :  https://www.trulight127.org/  TruLight127 Ministries’ Vision includes the following:

We want to provide children with an environment that is full of love, nurture, support and structure. Thus, preventing them from becoming a statistic of hopelessness.

We seek to do this by:

• being their voice in      a world that ignores them,
• supporting them with      tangible services to meet their real needs,
• empowering them with      the knowledge and self-esteem they need to pursue their dreams,
• and supporting the      families that care for them.

Our program of supportive services adds a community component to our mission of foster placement. We will empower and equip individuals, communities, and churches to move in God’s call in James 1:27 to care for the orphans. By doing so, we can change the course of their lives to be a productive citizen of society full of hopes, dreams, and ambition to do more.

TruLight127 Ministries: Home www.trulight127.org

Living beyond your own life means that you are endorsing the mission of being the continuing cloud of witnesses ( Hebrews 12: 1 ), committing yourself to the work of God’s Kingdom being made manifest in the person and in the ministry of Jesus.  We are the continuing ever-evolving people of God. Our faith community looks different today from what it was fifty years ago and it will look even more different fifty years from now.  Like that six year old boy in the yellow rain slicker running across the street into the darkened church on a rainy Lent morning, let us find that there is room for all and ministry for all, no matter where we may find ourselves on life’s journey.

May it be so.

Amen

Fourth Sunday In Lent March 14, 2021 

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“  Raising The Roof “ 

(   Numbers 21: 4-9, Ephesians 2: 1-10, John 2: 13-22 )

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

How do you handle conflict ? Do you address it head on or do you tend to avoid conflict and hope and pray that it will go away ?  Conflict in any system whether it be in a family or in a church or in any organization, including a government can be deadly if it isn’t addressed at some point.  We have seen that painfully demonstrated recently with the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Here political conflict became violent and ended up taking the lives of several people.

Those who address conflict directly can be seen as “ rocking the boat”, “shaking the trees,” or “ raising the roof. “, especially by those for whom peace and tranquility are highly valued. For some people who hold the value of “ peace at any cost “ there is the expression that you will hear “Be Nice“.  Now kindness can be a wonderful virtue. It’s wonderful to see people treat each other in a caring and compassionate manner.  However, the veneer of “ be nice “ can wear thin if there is real conflict going on between people or within an organization.  The person who is “ trying to be nice “ can be gritting their teeth trying to hide their displeasure, or anger regarding conflict.  You may have found yourself in this position if you were trying to resolve a concern with a spouse, a child, a friend perhaps or within a work organization.

The Gospel lesson for today describes Jesus entering the temple and reacting with anger regarding what he witnessed.  Here you don’t see the picture of a “ meek and mild “ Jesus nor do you get the description of the wise teacher Jesus.  Instead, Jesus is depicted as being livid by what he observes regarding the commercial and financial activity going on within the temple. 

The writer of John’s Gospel describes the following: “ In the temple courts Jesus found men selling cattle, sheep and doves and others sitting at tables exchanging money. He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle, he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said “ Get these out of here ! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market ? “( John 2: 14-16 )

Many Biblical scholars have theorized that this insurrection in the temple by Jesus is probably what got him into trouble with religious authorities of his day. The Gospel writer states that Jesus went to the temple around Passover. It would have been very customary for vendors and merchants to be selling animals for ritual sacrifice in the temple as an atonement for sin.

Here, Jesus did not avoid conflict, he did not take the posture of “ be nice “ but rather he confronted the conflict head on.  The Gospel writer must have thought that this story was very important because it is placed really early in John’s Gospel. This happens even before other events like Jesus teaching Nicodemus that he must be born again in order to enter the Kingdom of God.  No doubt, what really irked the religious authorities was when Jesus remarked 

“ Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days. ( John 2: 19 )

For the Jewish worshipping community, the temple was the center of all life and activity. It was where God was to be found. It was the center of the universe. These words of Jesus were certainly interpreted to be blasphemous to these religious elders.  Again, the disciples of Jesus only recall after the Resurrection “ that the temple that he was referring to was his body. “ ( John 2: 21 ).  Jesus is preaching a “ dangerous “ sermon to his audience. He has reason to believe by suggesting that the physical temple can be superseded by a spiritual temple that he is entering dangerous waters.

Rev. Dr. Frank Thomas of the Christian Theological Seminary  ( Disciples Of Christ ) in Indianapolis, Ind. has suggested that.

•  We cannot talk about ‘salvation through Jesus,’ without the concrete, cultural, political, individual and specific situations in which the preaching takes place

•  Rev. Thomas also argues that there can be several Gospels that believers can reference including the evangelical gospel and the social justice gospel

•  ( Surviving A Dangerous Gospel, 02/04/2021 South Central Conference Clergy Retreat )

Jesus appears to have an awareness of his divine mission that supersedes praise and affirmation by the people who are around him.

In essence, Jesus is raising the roof. However, this behavior will probably contribute to his death.  So what do we make of this ? Again, it raises the question how do we handle conflict ? 

The Beatles once observed:

“ Say you want a revolution.

Well you know,

We all want to change the world “ (Revolution )

Jesus was aware that the zealot community of first century Judaism wanted to violently overthrow the Roman Imperial occupying forces. Yet, we have no evidence that Jesus supported this position.  Dr. Edwin Friedman, the late Family Systems Theorist observed: The Non-anxious presence is a critical behavior to practice. Workplaces, including churches are emotional units and anxiety is highly contagious. Anxiety can lead to numerous organizational symptoms and general stuckness. Chronic anxiety overrides thinking. When emotion swirls out of control, people simply take sides. Playfulness and creativity disappear. A treadmill effect of perpetually trying harder is triggered. The best way to have a calming effect on an anxious group is to be curious about how group members think about the situation. Asking questions is a great way to remain non-anxious and present (Friedman, 1985, p. 72). https://scholars.fhsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1115&context=alj

So, it looks like we have a third way. You don’t have to be passive “ be nice “ neither do you have to be confrontative , an “ in your face “ approach regarding conflict.  Instead, you can remain calm and non-anxious and simply ask more questions in order to understand further and in the process to hopefully be more fully understood by others.

My prayer is that we can use this period of Lent to further raise those questions that concern us regarding how we can be more faithful followers of Jesus.  We can be about “ raising the roof, “ raising the bar of our understanding regarding our faith while still being respectful of positions that are different from our own.

May we experience that holy temple within ourselves where the Holy Spirit can dwell and where the presence of Christ can be felt now and always.

May it be so.

Amen

Third Sunday In Lent March 7, 2021 

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“The Truth Coming Into The Light“ 

(  Exodus 20: 1-17, I Corinthians 1: 18-25, John 3: 14-21 ) 

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

Years ago, I did a Clinical Pastoral Care Residency at the Oregon State Hospital in Salem, Or. I worked as a Chaplain Intern on one of the hospital units. I would leave the State Of Oregon building in Portland, Or  Monday morning early to ride the shuttle bus to Salem, Or to report for my two day shift of duty at the hospital returning again to Portland late Tuesday afternoon.

One week, I believe that it was in the Spring, something miraculous happened. There was a total eclipse of the Sun and it was the first time that I had witnessed one.  What an eerie sight ! The shuttle bus arrived on the grounds of the Oregon State Hospital and drove past one of the main hospital buildings. The light diminished more and more and got darker and darker. I looked out the window of the van at the hospital building and looked up to the balcony.  There were at least twenty to thirty hospital patients standing out on the balcony looking mesmerized up at the sky. They were all dressed in white hospital pajamas. As the light started to return, I could see the smiles on the faces of many of the patients. For that one sacred moment, those patients standing there looking at the sky were not preoccupied with their illness, with their darkness. Instead they welcomed the miracle of light coming forth into the world and into their lives.

We humans need the miracle of light coming forth into our world and into our lives. We are beset with all kinds of messages in life. Go pursue this particular career and you will be a success. Follow this particular diet or this particular exercise regime and you will be super attractive and find love and it will all be well with you. We have people who tell us that facts matter and then there are others who say we can choose our own alternative facts.

Sometimes, the search for truth can be quite confusing and perplexing.

The Hebrew people in their experience of God sought the truth. When Moses encounters God at Mount Sinai, he receives the outline regarding how the Israelites can live in covenant with God.  “ The foundation of all the Torah rests in the Ten Commandments, and somewhere within them we should be able to find all the law. Jesus expressed the essential unity of the Ten Commandments with the rest of the law when he summarized the law in the famous words, “ 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matt. 22:37-40.”)” https://www.theologyofwork.org/old-testament/exodus-and-work/israel-at-mount-sinai-exodus-191-4038/instructions-about-work-exodus-201-17-and-211-239/the-ten-

The Ten Commandments which Moses declares to the people of Israel becomes a vehicle for organizing the community, of setting up guard rails and guidelines regarding how a healthy society can function.

For many people, life becomes more satisfying when there is light to give direction and when there is structure that can generate purpose. You can feel really frustrated if you are working on a project and you don’t get any real clear direction from your boss. This is also true if you are trying to assemble an executive chair or hook up a computer to several monitors and then connect to a bigger network and you don’t have any directions.

The writer of John’s Gospel describes the encounter between Nicodemus and Jesus. Nicodemus is a member of the Jewish ruling council and he comes to Jesus at night seeking the truth. Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born anew in the spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God. Nicodemus is initially confused thinking that he must be born again out of a physical womb. But Jesus again asserts to him that he must experience a spiritual rebirth.  The writer of John’s Gospel is concerned with this theme of light and darkness. Scholars have argued that those who wrote this Gospel might have been influenced by Manichaeism. 

Manichaeism is a  dualistic religious movement founded in Persia in the 3rd century CE by Mani, who was known as the “Apostle of Light” and supreme “Illuminator.”   The saving knowledge of the true nature and destiny of humanity, God, and the universe is expressed in Manichaeism in a complex mythology.  The myth unfolds in three stages: a past period in which there was a separation of the two radically opposed substances—Spirit and Matter, Good and Evil, Light and Darkness; a middle period (corresponding to the present) during which the two substances are mixed; and a future period in which the original duality will be reestablished. At death the soul of the righteous person returns to Paradise. The soul of the person who persisted in things of the flesh—is condemned to rebirth in a succession of bodies.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Manichaeism

Clearly, the writer of John’s Gospel wants to highlight that it is Jesus who reveals the light of truth for all. Through Jesus, we are able to walk into the light and leave the darkness behind.

 “ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he/she has done has been done through God. “  ( John 3: 21)

So who are those persons of light for you ? Might they be a parent, a pastor, a teacher, a coach, a family member who always sends you a birthday card with a monetary gift included ?

 Who is that person of light for you ?

Recently, I had a professional colleague die. I had known him for over twenty years. He was a former Marine, a Clinical Psychologist, a fine teacher and psychotherapist.   Several years ago, I was trained by him in facilitating a specialized form of therapy. At the end of the training, he came up to me and he gave me a light wand that can be used in this specialized form of therapy or it can double as a pointer if you are doing professional presentations and you want to highlight sections in a power point presentation.  Now when I use his light wand, I think of my friend and colleague. I think of his life and of his giving and caring spirit. I think of how he wanted to reveal truth in his work and to guide people to a place of light from a place of darkness.

Our life with God made manifest in the person of Jesus is designed to be a ever revealing journey of darkness to light, from inaccuracies of thought and experience to a greater revelation of truth made manifest through the universality of God..

May our journey of faith always be marked by a path that it well illumined and by the truth that God is with us in all things, in our life, in our death and in our life beyond death.

May it be so.

In Christ’s Name.

 Amen

Second Sunday In Lent February 28 2021 

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“  The Transforming Moment “ 

( Genesis 17: 1-7,15-16, Romans 4: 13-25, Mark 8: 31-38)

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

There are events in life that standout in our memory as being critical, if not life changing. For those of you who are over 60, you can probably remember where you were when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Those of you who are younger can also recall where you were the day of September 11 2001 9/11 or more recently with the insurrection of the United States Capital.  These types of events really create determining markers in our individual and collective histories. They are transforming moments, meaning that our lives have been affected and that we are changed. We become different people.  Certainly, with the collective traumas that we have noted, many people are more acutely aware of the need for security. It’s not uncommon, for example, to see some people enter a strange place and start looking for the security cameras. This is called hypervigilance. It doesn’t mean you are strange or not normal, it means that you have a heightened need to stay safe.

 As a friend of mine once noted to me:

“ Only the paranoid survive. “

Regarding our spiritual lives and our journey of faith, there have probably been events that have stood out in your memory. Maybe it was your own baptism or witnessing your child become baptized, or watching as your child becomes confirmed and they enter the household of faith.  For me, it was my ordination to the Christian Ministry on August 19 1979. The service was held at First Congregational Church in Portland, Or. The sanctuary in this Romanesque style church was completely filled with people, including the balcony.  One of the memories that I recall from my ordination was that my uncles attended along with their spouses. My one uncle had been married and divorced. He came to the service with his second wife and they sat in the downstairs sanctuary. His spouse ( the first wife ) attended with her husband and they sat upstairs in the balcony.  I thought “ Wow, this is something. In our family history these two women had never been in the same room together.”  Now they were sitting in church together witnessing my ordination.  I thought “ well God, this is either going to work or we maybe in store for some interesting fireworks. “   Fortunately, everything went fine. Both my two aunts were cool and everybody got along.  I left the church after the service as Rev. Peter E. Bauer.

Genesis tells us that God appeared to Abram when he was 99 years old.

“ I Am God almighty, walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers. “ ( Genesis 17: 1-2 ).  Abram probably didn’t know what to do. No doubt he probably felt overwhelmed, frightened even in terms of what was being asked of him.   “ Abram fell facedown and God said to him. As for me this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram, your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. “ ( Genesis 17: 3-5 ).

So Abram meaning “ exalted father “ becomes Abraham translated as  ““multitude “.  The transforming moment has come for Abraham and for the people of Israel.

Mark chronicles how Jesus predicts his death. He doesn’t say “ I’ll come in and be the hero and that everything will be fine. “ Instead, Jesus is heard to proclaim:  “ If anyone would come after me, they must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save. What good is it for a person to gain the whole world , yet forfeit there soul. “ ( Mark 8: 35-38 ).

This, no doubt, was a hard blow to those in Jesus’ audience who wanted him to come out clear and forceful against the oppression of the Roman Imperial Empire. The Romans were an occupying force in Israel at the time and they ruled with brute force and terror. It’s not surprising that many people wanted to see them banished.   Jesus’ message here is one that is counter to the message of the empire. Instead of might makes right, Jesus is saying that peace and justice and living in relationship grounded in mercy is far more important and effective.

As Sting has noted:

“ What good is a used up world and how could it be worth having ? “

You and I are living in this world, which sometimes can be described as being used up. We see air getting dirtier, waters becoming more contaminated. Also we see, at times, people becoming more hardened, less generous and charitable with one another. We are witnessing what I would like to describe as a “ death of empathy “ in our society and our world.   These are the gifts of “ a world not worth having. “ Jesus’s words, regarding sacrifice, are hard for us to hear. We are used to getting nearly everything we want through any number of portals and through a myriad of supply chains. We live in a world where marketers tell us  “ have it your way. “  The only problem, however, is that “ have it your way “ is not really satisfying. Like fast food, it may be filling, but not necessarily all that nutritious.

I believe that we are constantly confronted with opportunities for “ transforming moments “ in our lives.  What might they be for you and for me this Lenten Season ?  Can we become more generous ? Can we become more loving ? More patient ? More willing to listen to other voices with whom we may not agree with ? Can we become more open to new ideas and new disciplines which might move us out beyond our comfort zone into areas of greater spiritual growth.

 May we remember that every moment is precious and can be life-changing.

Here’s to change for you and me this Lent.

May it be so.

In Christ’s Name.

Amen

First Sunday In Lent February 21 2021 

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“  The Time Has Come, The Kingdom Of God Is Near “ 

( Genesis 9: 8-17, I Peter 3: 18-22, Mark 1: 9-15 )

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

Three years ago, Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf Coast first landing in Corpus Christi and Rockport, TX before turning east and speeding furiously over to the Houston area where it sat for days. 

Hurricane Harvey, you will recall, was a devastating Category 4 storm. It dumped up to 60 inches of rain on the Houston area. 

It’s Highest wind speed: 134 mph

Date: August 17, 2017 – September 2, 2017

Direct fatalities: 68

Damage: $125 billion (2017 USD); (Tied as costliest tropical cyclone on record)

Hurricane Harvey - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Hurricane Harvey

Several of you may have been affected by the storm or knew people who were. I know that in October 2017 I was in Houston TX  attending a mental health training conference. I remember driving down  through the Memorial Villages and feeling numb at the sight of the damaged furniture, mattresses, etc. that were out on the sidewalk in front of mansions.  I thought what must it be like for the poor people here?

All of this came back to my memory after I heard Kase Kelso, one of our Confirmands, give his excellent Confirmation paper on the story of Noah’s Ark. Check out the Confirmation Service December 13 2020 on the church website. He was able to capture beautifully the message that there can be recovery from trauma and that the process of divine intervention can change from destruction to creation. Hurricane Harvey demonstrated the powerful destructive force that nature can deliver. I attended the Hurricane Harvey benefit concert at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX  which featured Willie Nelson ,Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon and others but I felt that the money raised was going to be only a drop in the bucket in terms of the amount needed in order to heal communities affected by the storm.  Storms like Hurricane Harvey remind us communities, especially low lying communities, are very vulnerable to the reality of rising waters, especially rising sea levels.

Jeff Goodell in his book:

The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities and the Remaking of the Civilized World ( 2017 )

States that cities like Miami, Fl, Norfolk, VA, Houston, TX and New York, N.Y. among others are vulnerable to the increasing rise of sea level over the next several decades.  “ Goodell has little trouble imagining it. He opens “The Water Will Come” with a fictional hurricane whipping through Miami in 2037. It sweeps the Art Deco buildings of South Beach off their foundations, disgorges millions of gallons of raw sewage into Biscayne Bay and eats the last of the city’s beaches. Thousands scramble for bottled water dropped by the National Guard. Zika and dengue fever start to bloom (so much moisture, so many mosquitoes). Out rush the retirees and glamour pusses; in rush the lawyers and slumlords. Within decades, the place is swallowed whole by the ocean. What was once a vibrant city is now a scuba-diving destination for intrepid historians and disaster tourists. “ ( New York Times November 22 2017)  Goodell talks about what Miami Beach, Fl is doing to combat the rising waters. This area is affected several times during the year by rising King Tides. The city has now been spending a lot of money raising sidewalks and foundations for buildings in order to prevent future devastating flooding.

God says to Noah and his descendants.

“ I will establish my covenant with you. Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ( Genesis 9:11-12 )

I’m glad that the waters of Hurricane Harvey stopped but I also know in order to prevent any future devastation from storms that our human behavior has to change, especially regarding rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

Mark, the Gospel writer, introduces Jesus coming on the scene and starting his public ministry. John The Baptist has been imprisoned.  Jesus proclaims:  “ The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news ! “  ( Mark 1: 15 )

Jesus starts his ministry with these words.

We are starting the period of Lent, the time in which we look back at life and ministry of Jesus and reflect again regarding its significance to our own lives as Christian believers, as followers of Jesus.  There is certainly an urgency to Jesus’s words.  How do we live the charge that the kingdom is near ? The probability that the end of the world is going to occur imminently is remote. 

Like the early followers of Jesus who after 88 AD ( CE ) had to come to terms that Jesus was not going to return within their lifetime and thus there needed to be another understanding regarding the second coming; you and I , as followers of Jesus, are left with the same reality. We look with expectancy regarding the return of our Lord and Savior, but at the same time we are commanded to keep our eyes on the ground, on the here and now, to those who are hungry, to those who are poor, those who are sick, those who need to hear God’s word.  Unlike a former President who commented regarding climate change:  “ Don’t worry about it, we’ll all be dead by then. “

The current reality really demands us to respond in a proactive way regarding care for the earth, if we really want to respect and cherish the creation that God has given us.  “ The Time has come, the kingdom is near. “ says Jesus.  What will the journey be like for you and me the next forty days from here until Easter Day?  Remember salvation and redemption doesn’t just effect humans but is also effects all of creation.

Let’s celebrate that the kingdom is near and that our lives and how we behave can point to the reality that God in Jesus is with us in all times and in all places.

May it be so.

In Christ’s Name.

Amen 

Transfiguration Sunday February 14, 2021 

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“The Transfiguring Love“ 

(   II Kings 2:1-12,II Corinthians 4: 3-6, Mark 9: 2-9 )

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

Valentine’s Day has been the holiday that celebrates love, especially romantic love. You may remember when you were a kid in school, that you might have made hand-made Valentine’s for friends in your class. Your grade school class sponsor might have brought in cupcakes decorated with hearts that you enjoyed and shared with your classmates. I remember the Sweet Tarts candies that came in a little roll that would have sayings like “ Be Mine “ or “ Hubba Hubba.” Kids in grade school would give these to each other. Some of these greetings, granted, could be problematic today.

As you get older things change from grade school infatuation to people wanting to desire each other as potential partners.  Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young observed:

“ Love is a rose but you better not pick it
 Only grows when it's on the vine
 Handful of thorns and you'll know you've missed it
 Lose your love when you say the word mine”

( Love Is A Rose )

Joni Mitchell noted:

“ I've looked at love from both sides now
 From give and take and still somehow
 It's love's illusions that I recall
 I really don't know love
  Really don't know love at all”

( Both Sides Now )

Valentine’s Day will feature a lot of men and women buying gifts for their beloved. Flowers, Candies, cards, balloons.  For 2019, Spending is expected to total $27.4 billion in the United States, up 32 percent from last year's record $20.7 billion. ( 2018 ).  Valentine's Day - NRF

nrf.com › holiday-and-seasonal-trends › valentines-day   Indeed a lot of money will be spent by those of us who are still wooing the ones we love.  That is good. Romantic love is about attachment and attachment is good for us as humans, for our emotional and psychological selves as well as for our souls.  Besides romantic love, however, there is the kind of love that I would like to describe as being transfiguring, an expression of emotion and feeling that leads us more to experience our higher sense of self.

The writer of Mark’s Gospel describes this story of Jesus’ Transfiguration as a way to describe God’s transcendent love for people.  “ Then a cloud appeared and enveloped the disciples and a voice came from the cloud: This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him ~! “  The new disciples really don’t know who Jesus is and they are frightened. Mark’s Gospel has moved at a fast pace, covering several miracles including the feeding of the four thousand ( Chapter 8 ) and the healing of a blind man at Bethsaida ( Mark 8: 22-25 ).  Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus goes on to predict his death.  Now, at the beginning of Chapter 9 , Jesus tells the disciples

 “ I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power. “ ( Mark 9:1 )

This proclamation reflects the belief that Jesus will return within the lifetime of these early disciples. This idea will change less than twenty years later after this Gospel is written which is about 70 AD ( CE )

So the disciples have this great “ mountain top “ experience with Jesus and yet Jesus gives them orders not to tell anyone about it. They are not to tell anyone what they have seen until the Son Of Man has risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “ rising from the dead meant. “ ( Mark 9:9-10 ).  Think about when you have experienced a transcendent moment. Maybe it was seeing your child baptized, or witnessing your child getting confirmed. Maybe it was witnessing a glorious sunset, hearing an orchestra play a magnificent piece of music. Whatever that transcendent moment was it gave you the sense of what God’s love might mean for you as a transformational force.

For me one of those transforming moments came in August 1986 when I climbed Mount Fuji in Japan on the last day of the climbing season.  First of all, let me tell you climbing Mt. Fuji is tough. It is steep, there are allot of switchbacks on the trail and you have to climb over a lot of rocks.  My wife and I had flown up to Tokyo from Naha, Okinawa Japan where we were stationed at the Naval Hospital. We checked into the New Sanno Hotel in the Rippongi district of Tokyo. We took the bus out to Station Six at Mt. Fuji to begin our climb. That day was particularly windy and it was determined that there would be too many people on the mountain and so the climb would not happen.  I felt terribly disappointed. Back at the hotel I talked to my wife and she said,  “if you want to climb this mountain, you only have tomorrow to do it.”

I resolved that I would try again. So I took the bus back out to the mountain. It was night and you could see the silhouette outline of the mountain. What was also striking is that you could see a string of lights going up the mountain in zig-zag fashion. I found out that these lights were of flashlights used by people who were climbing the mountain.

I arrived at Station Six at about 9:00 PM. I was bundled up with a jacket, layered clothing, a hat, gloves, climbing stick and a flashlight. I gathered with other people, all Japanese citizens, who were also planning to climb. I discovered that the climb to the top would take all night.   I had left Station Six with my walking stick getting a Kangi Character burned into the stick marking every station where I stopped on my climb. About two hours later I was climbing over some big boulders., holding onto to the steel medal chain that was hooked into the rock and balancing with my climbing stick and holding my flashlight. The wind was starting to pick up a little bit but the night was glorious. I looked up at the night sky and over my shoulder at the lights of Osaka and Kyoto below in the lake district.  By this time there were many people on the tail behind me all anxious to get to the top of the mountain for the sunrise. I too was anxious to get to the top,

 All of a sudden, the unthinkable occurred, my flashlight went out. I was immobilized. I couldn’t see in front of me and I felt anxious that I would be stuck on the mountain. Out of nowhere, a Japanese man and his wife and child came up behind and handed me their flashlight. Words cannot express the gratitude that I felt. 

That flashlight led me and that family up to the top of the mountain. I found out that this man was a school teacher in Yokohama and he was here to climb the mountain with his family as part of a religious ritual.  I had the wonderful experience to see the sun come up on top of Mount Fuji. Even more incredible, the view was spectacular, totally free of fog. I found out later that it was the only day of the climbing season where there wasn’t any fog.  This was a transfiguring experience for me.

God comes and reveals divine presence to us again and again. We can appreciate this if we can make a concerted effort to pay attention.  We are called to go return from the mountain trop to the valley below.

May our journey continue to be illuminated in God’s light.

May our lives be transfigured by the continuing revelation of the love of God.

May it be so.

In Christ’s Name.

Amen 

Fifth Sunday After Epiphany February 7 2021 

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“  Rest And Retreat While On The Journey “ 

( Isaiah 40: 21-31, I Corin. 9: 16-23, Mark 1: 29-39 )

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

Life has been described as a journey and along that path there can be many developmental milestones: growing up, graduating from school, selecting a spouse or partner, working and choosing a career or vocation.  Many of us spend a lot of time at work. You may be working 40,50,60 hours or more per week. If you are working at home, that can certainly be a blessing, especially during these times. But the irony is that you may be working harder at home than you are in an office. Many workers have noted that it is a tremendous juggling act during this pandemic to manage one or more adults working out of offices in their home while attending to children who are learning virtually and at the same time talking care of domestic duties in a home. Not to mention the extra time needed to resolve technological issues with computers and with virtual work portals.

Along with these above mentioned factors, there may be the unspoken expectation that your productivity will he higher because you have the luxury of working from home.

As singer/songwriter Hoyt Axton used to observe:

“ Work your fingers to the bone,

 What do you get ?,

Bony fingers, Bony fingers “

Our biblical tradition described work as follows:

“ Six days you shall labor and on the seventh day, you shall rest “

( Exodus 34: 7 )  There was this notion of honoring the Sabbath, setting aside a day of rest.

Walter Brueggemann in his book “ Sabbath As Resistance: Saying No To The Culture Of Now “ comments “ I can remember debates in my rural community about farmers working on some Sundays in order to harvest wheat in anticipation of the devastating rains that were to come. I can remember from my earlier days, moreover, that because of “ Blue Laws “, Sunday home baseball games for the Phillies and Pirates in Pennsylvania could not begin a new inning after 6:00 PM. This context did not  offer much potential of seeing the Sabbath in a positive way as an affirmative declaration of faith and identity. And, of course, as church monopoly in our culture has in many places waned or disappeared, the commitment to Sabbath discipline has likewise receded. “ ( P. X )
 

If you think I maybe exaggerating, look at the extramural sports activities for some young people. Some kids will tell you that their coaches want them to attend practices or games on Sunday which could conflict with church or other restful activity.  Brueggemann argues that Sabbath is really resistance to a culture that he describes as “ Pharaoh being a hard-nosed production manager. “  ( P. 3 ).  Brueggemann further states:  “ God is not a workaholic. God is not  a Pharaoh . God does not keep jacking up production schedules, i.e. build more bricks but don’t provide any straw. To the contrary, God rests, confident, serene, at peace. God’s rest, moreover, bestows on creatureliness a restfulness that contradicts the “drivenness  “ of the system of Pharaoh. ( P. 30 )

So where does this leave us regarding recovering the rest and restoration of Sabbath for our lives ?  Isaiah writes that God “ will give strength to the weary and increase the power of the weak.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and will not faint. “ ( Isaiah 40: 39-41 )  Here the idea is that God will give rest and rejuvenation to those who are faithful.  This is in stark contrast to some work environments that could only be characterized as “Dickensian work houses. “

One of my former Social Work colleagues made the observation to me one time:

“ Peter, we need another bowl of porridge ! “  Even Jesus needed a break ! 

Mark tells us that as word got out regarding Jesus’ gifts for healing, that many people turned out.   “ That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all of the sick and demon possessed. The whole town gathered at the door. And Jesus healed many who had various diseases.”  ( Mark 1 : 32-34 ).  I wonder if it wasn’t just exhausting for him ?  Where did he get relief or support for himself ?  Again, Mark points out to us.  “ Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place . where he prayed. “ 

Simon and his companions went to look for him and when they found him, they exclaimed, “ Everyone is looking for you ! “ 

Instead of buying into that myth that I need to be needed, Jesus replies

“ Let us go somewhere else- to the nearby villages-so I can preach there also. That is why I have come. “ ( Mark 1: 35-38 )  No doubt this probably frustrated the disciples greatly especially if they were looking for a spectacular response from the people to Jesus.  Recently, a manual was published that provided guidelines and good sense to those who are providing ministry to those who are suffering from Covid-19.  The manual advocates:  “ The current crisis will have repercussions for years to come. It might even be true that others will not be able to the work as well as would. That concern needs to be addressed by increasing the workforce, not increasing our individual workload. “  2020 Spiritual; Care Network And Health Care Association 

 We are on a long journey in life, one that is filled with joys and struggles, of moments of ecstasy and defeat. We needs those periods of rest and retreat in order to restore us, in order for us to replenish our resources so that we can continue for the long haul.

May we know that our God is a not a hard task master, but is a God who desires rest, peace and serenity for all of us.

May it be so for us now and always.

In Jesus Name.

 Amen

Fourth Sunday After Epiphany January 31, 2021

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“From Sickness To Health“ 

(Deuteronomy 18: 15-20,I Corin. 8: 1-13,Mark 1: 21-28 )

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

I remember my first doctor who ever treated me. His name was Dr. Peter L. Hurst and he was a pediatrician who worked for Kaiser Permanente. He arrived in Portland, Or in 1954. His wife Lannie Hurst was born in El Paso, TX, grew up in San Antonio, TX. She attended Trinity University where she studied drama, music and dance and she performed in local vaudeville.  Dr. Hurst was a wonderful doctor. He not only took good care of me beginning when I was 6. He guided me through my tonsils surgery. However, what I remember the most about Peter Hurst was just how genuine and compassionate he was as a healer. He would spend a lot of time with me and my mother really getting to know us. He would really make you feel important and his total concentration was focused on you as his first priority.  I always felt that Dr. Hurst was a part of our family. This is something that might be rare today with the current medical system. Although, I know a lot of doctors who still commit themselves on having a good positive rapport with their patients.

I came across an obituary regarding Lannie Hurst’s death in 2010.   After Peter Hurst retired from Kaiser Permanente, he worked as a medical missionary.  Peter, Lannie visited numerous locales around the world including China, Vietnam, India, Russia, Europe, and countries in Latin America. Upon Peter's retirement from medicine, they lived for several years in American Samoa. Peter died in 1999.   In 1967 Lannie created the Friends of The Old Church in Portland, Or  with local historical preservationists, and saved the carpenter gothic structure from demolition.  The church building was constructed out of wood in 1883. It now serves as a concert hall for Chamber music, etc. I remember seeing guitarist Leo Kottke there years ago.

She received her Master of Arts in library science at the University of Oregon, and started a new career in her 50s with the Multnomah County Library as a children's librarian.”

https://obits.oregonlive.com/obituaries/oregon/obituary.aspx?n=frances-lanier-hurst-lannie&pid=146319774

When you’ve encountered someone who has given you great care, someone who has been a caring healer, you remember.

Mark introduces Jesus right away as an adult. There is no birth narrative. There is the baptism with John The Baptist and Jesus goes into the desert for forty days and then he re-emerges and immediately he starts calling the disciples.  “ The Kingdom Of God is near,  Repent and believe in the good news ! “ ( Mark 1: 15 )  You feel the sense of urgency here. Jesus wants to go out and start his teaching ministry . Right away, Jesus is encountering those who are sick.  Mark records that Jesus entered the synagogue in Capernaum and the people are amazed at his teaching, “ because he taught them as one who had authority , not as the teachers of the law. ( Mark 1: 22 ).  Here, Mark notes that a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit  cried out   “ What do you want with us Jesus Of Nazareth ? Have you come to destroy us ? I know who you are-the Holy One Of God ! “  “ Be quiet ! “ Jesus says sternly and the demon came out of the man with a shriek.   Jesus was able to help this man get over the illness that was ravaging inside of him.

  Physical illness can take a toll on the human body but so can mental illness as well.  “ Some 10–20 percent of the general population will consult a primary care clinician for a mental health problem in the course of a year. Some 10–40 percent of primary care patients have a diagnosable mental disorder.  Mental Health Care in the Primary Care Setting - NCBI - NIH

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › books › NBK232639

So more people will see doctors or be seen in hospital emergency rooms for both physical and mental health disorders, especially for Depression and Anxiety.  Where is the Balm Of Gilead for you and me right now ? More people are getting sick, especially with the ongoing pandemic. How do we receive the healing that we so desperately need ?

Henri Nouwen in his classic book “: The Wounded Healer “ writes:  “Through compassion it is possible to recognize that the craving for love that people feel resides also in our own hearts, that the cruelty the world knows all too well is also rooted in our own impulses. Through compassion we also sense our hope for forgiveness in our friends' eyes and our hatred in their bitter mouths. When they kill, we know that we could have done it; when they give life, we know that we can do the same. For a compassionate person nothing human is alien: no joy and no sorrow, no way of living and no way of dying.”   ― Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society  Henri Nouwen believed that one could heal another person’s wounds only by paying attention to their own wounds and to the need for healing.

Some of us maybe hurting because someone wronged us or hurt us. There might have been a relationship break up, a lost job, a lost opportunity, maybe even a lost life.  Sickness can weigh heavy on a person. Some people will even define who they are by their disease : “ I have cancer, I have ALS, I have Parkinson’s Disease. “

A very wise Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner once said to me:

“ We are more than our disorders. “

That’s the good news. Jesus said to the man with the evil spirit “ Be Quiet. “

He didn’t deny that the man was suffering . But he also emphasized you don’t have to stay where you are, you can move to be healthy, you can experience healing and be made whole.  We experience healing, you and I, when we can be present for one another.  When we listen to one another, when we carry the burdens of one another, we proclaim the truth that Jesus is with us and is here to make all of our lives new.

 Dr. Peter L. Hurst and  Lannie Hurst were remarkable healers and I believe what made them so effective was that they were committed to a vision and purpose of service that was beyond themselves.

The Psalmist says:

“ God heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” ( Psalm 147: 3 )

May this healing continue for you and for me and indeed for our entire world, especially during these turbulent times.

Lord knows we need it !

May it be so.

In Jesus’ Name.

Amen

Third Sunday After Epiphany January 24 2021

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“  Making The Most Of The Time We Have Left  “

( Jon 3: 1-5,10, I Corin. 7: 29-31 , Mark 1: 14-20 )

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

I once knew a man who said to his minister “ I plan on dying at age 75. “ The minister didn’t really know what to say to this man. He knew that he had been depressed for quite some time. The minister said to the man that he should “ hang in there, that things will get better. “ Every time there after when this man saw the minister, he would remind him “ I expect to die at age 75. “   Well, one day this man came to church and after the church service he walked up to the minister and he was very mad. The minister asked him “ What’s the matter? “ The man informed the minister that he had turned 75 and that he was still alive ! “ I was supposed to die at 75 and look I’m still alive ! “ The minister replied, “ Well, I guess God wants you to continue to live for some reason. “

Another parishioner, a woman in her early 80’s also shared with her minister her premonition that she was going to die soon. She put off making improvements to her home, even postponed and deferred dental work because she was convinced that she wasn’t going to live that much longer. Again, several years later the woman came to her minister and said “ I don’t understand it. I’m still alive. I was supposed to die long ago. “ The minister replied to her, “ Well, there’s still time to get that dental work done.” I guess some people will do anything to get out of going to the dentist.

Let’s face it, none of us know how long we will live until our life ends. We can conjecture regarding how we can live longer. Don’t smoke, drink moderately, eat a balanced diet, get regular exercise, get regular adequate sleep. Then you can hear about some elderly residents in the mountains of Sicily who drink wine every day and smoke and live to be over 100 ! You might find yourself shaking your head in confusion. What is the secret to longevity in life ?  Recently, in the last several years there has been some interesting research regarding age duration for people and the zip code where they reside.

A recent study complied by the University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and University Of Texas Health Sciences Center revealed the following:  The study found those who live the longest reside in the northwest part of the city, specifically in zip code 78254. Neighbors there have an average life span of 89.2 years, with women living an average of close to 93 years, and men about 84 years.  On the flip side, one of the zip codes where people have the shortest lives is 78202, where the average person lives just over 71 years. Women in that zip code have an average life span of 75.6 years, while men average just over 67 years of age.

https://www.kens5.com/article/news/health/how-long-will-you-live-the-secrets-in-your-san-antonio-zip-code/273-b03c4625-16cc-4853-b0db-da5ea8a4ac0b

Remember Billy Joel said

“ Only the Good Die Young “

Dr. Bryan Alsip, the chief medical officer for University Health System, noted that average life spans can be as much as 10 to 20 years apart..,. and it can depend upon where you live.  "If you can envision someone living in an area of town that has fewer resources... a lot more stress, and they are not able to take care of themselves, it's obviously going to contribute to worse health outcomes," he said.  ( ibid )

There have been other studies done including one by Dr. Jim Zabora of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. His finding suggested that the average age in Roland Park ( higher income area ) was 81 while 5.5 miles away in Madison Park East ( poor area ) it was 57. 

Recently another report suggested that if you live in the loop in downtown Chicago, you may make it to 90, where as if you are five miles to the southwest in Englewood, you may it to 60. This is the largest gap in age longevity in the United States. https:

//www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-chicago-has-largest-life-expectancy-gap-between-neighborhoods-20190605-story.html

Now consider Jonah. Here was a guy who had some health risk factors going against him. He is on his way to Tarshish. He boards a ship, pays his fare to travel. He hides below deck. A great storm blows up. The sailors on the ship get scared. They throw cargo into the sea to lighten the load of the ship. They then get concerned that someone must have been responsible for this calamity. So they nab Jonah and throw him overboard where he is swallowed by a whale.  After Jonah gets vomited onto dry land he becomes resolved to go to Nineveh and proclaim God’s message of repentance to the people.  What is unique here is that we have another rare example in scripture where God chooses to do differently, to take another course from what was initially proposed. God chooses compassion and not vengeance.

What we do with our lives has s lot to do with how we spend our time, particularly with the time that we have left.

Jesus knew that he was embarking upon a mission:   “ The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news ! “  What we discover is a that a well lived life is one that has purpose not matter what the longevity may be.  Jesus goes on and calls Andrew and Simon, who were fishermen, to follow him. They indeed respond by dropping their nets  and they followed Jesus.  The same process occurs with James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Both fishermen follow Jesus no doubt leaving Zebedee with a lot of consternation. He is going to be two hands short in operating his fishing boat.

It’s true that life is what you make it, but I think it’s even more true that life is what you live for. If you live in the service of others, to support a idea, ideal or moral, value that is greater than yourself, then you have the possibility of what you will do in this life will have lasting significance for others and for those who will follow you.

Note that Jesus began his work knowing that John The Baptist was already in prison. Jesus knew that what he would do could likely be dangerous and yet he realized that it was important to provide this ministry for the long Haul.  We don’t know how long we will live, but we do know who gives is life and that is God. What would happen if we make the most of the time that we have left, the time that is allotted for each one of us ? 

We may discover meaning and purpose. We may experience joy and satisfaction. We may realize validation and integrity in who we are as people of God.

May it be so.

We pray in Jesus’ name.

Amen

Second Sunday After Epiphany January 17 2021

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“ Who Do You Follow And Why ? “

( 1 Samuel 3: 1-10, ( 11-20 ), I Corinthians 6: 12-20, John 1: 43-51 )

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

For those of you who have children in school, it is not uncommon to have the following conversation: One child may say to an older sibling “ I have Mrs. Smith as my teacher this year. She says that she remembers you when she taught you five years ago. “  Now for a young person, this can be a curse. The student may be wondering if the teacher will be comparing them to their older sibling and they may really dread if the teacher says: “ Oh, you’re not like your brother or sister. They were so excellent in their work “

I saw this first hand many years ago, when my oldest niece informed me that she had the same high school English teacher that I had ten to fifteen years prior. I asked my niece what she was like now. My niece said “ She still will refer to us as People, People ! “ I laughed because this is what she did when she addressed my class.  Sometimes, you have no choice in terms of who you follow. You get assigned to a class and who find out that the teacher taught your brother or sister. You drive down a freeway and suddenly you are forced to detour off of the expressway and there you sit in backed up traffic for at least thirty minutes.  Then again, there are instances regarding who we follow that are more of a voluntary nature. There are those who follow the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Cowboys, the Houston Texans. We have people who follow the Democratic or Republican party. We have those who are Steak Connoisseurs and those who are Vegan.

You could argue that who we follow says a lot about our identity, our need to affiliate with others and to be a part of a common bond focused on a common mission.  We follow a sports team because we want them to win. We follow a certain author or musical performer because we like what they write or the music that they perform.

There are characters in the Bible who are called by God and initially there is a response  that is rather ambiguous.  The prophet Jeremiah is called to lead the people of Israel. Jeremiah responds:  6“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”  ( Jeremiah 1: 7 )

Then, there is this strange interaction between God and Samuel. We read Samuel is asleep on the floor and three times God calls him to come to him. Every time Samuel replies “ Here I am “ and every time God tells him to go back to bed. This is reminiscent of a parent telling their recalcitrant child to go back to bed.  Finally God summons Samuel one more time. This time, Samuel responds and says:  “ Speak, for your servant is listening. “ ( I Samuel 3: 10 ).  Samuel is making a leap of faith. He is verbalizing trust in God, an entity that really doesn’t know yet. He is obediently waiting for a revelation of God’s will for him.

John’s Gospel is unique regarding presenting Jesus. There is no birth account, no shepherds, no angels not heavenly host.  Instead, we are introduced to John The Baptist and immediately after that Jesus starts calling disciples to follow him.  Jesus has the following interaction with Nathaniel  “ Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false. “  “ How do you know me ? “ Nathaniel asks. Jesus answered, “ I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.. “

Nathaniel is sitting under a fig tree no doubt enjoying the shade from the heat. of the day.

Nathaniel responds “ Rabbi, you are the son of God; you are the King Of Israel. “ ( John 1: 47-49 ).

Like Samuel, Nathaniel is making a faith claim in Jesus, but not necessarily realizing what that faith claim will mean.  Years ago, my former youth minister Rev. Charles F. Berger related the following story:  He was staying in a cabin on the Oregon coast. It was night and he was fast asleep.  All of a sudden, he related, that he woke up abruptly and he heard a voice which said:  “ Follow me. “

For Rev. Charles Berger, this was a life changing event, he went to college and theological seminary and went on to become a minister to youth, a pastoral care and counselor and he also served as the former Chaplain at the Oregon State Hospital in Salem, Or  I credit Chuck as being the first primary influence that motivated me to learn about being a therapist. I was involved in a encounter group that he facilitated at the First Baptist Church in Portland, Or where I  attended when I was in high school. I was so impressed by how well Chuck ran the group and how attentive he was to all of us high school students who attended this group during the late 1960’s.

Who we follow in life, who we give allegiance to does make a difference, not only for us but to others with whom we have contact.   Jesus calls us to follow him. What that will mean will differ for each one of us. But the common theme here is that following Jesus makes our lives different. We have new priorities, we have new goals. We don’t live for ourselves, but we live for others.  We live so that the Kingdom of God might be made manifest in  our lives and in the life of the world.

I ask you and I and all of us

“ Who do you follow and why ? “

Do you follow the one who is the most popular, the most powerful or do you follow the one who says that to die to yourself and to live for others is the way that you experience God and an enriching life.

May we follow the one who seeks to love and redeem us and the world now and always.

May it be so.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen

First Sunday After Epiphany January 10 2021

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“ What Do You Want ? “

( Genesis 1: 1-5, I Thessalonians 5: 1-8, John 1: 35-43 )

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

I hope that you had a great Christmas holiday and that it was restful, relaxing and meaningful. Perhaps, you received some presents, maybe a tie, or a sweater, a handbag or an electronic gadget, a new phone, tablet or computer. Christmas is a time for giving and now is the time of year when retailers will see a lot of items returned to stores for refunds.

In 2019

According to a survey by the National Retail Federation this year, more than half (55%) of holiday shoppers plan to return or exchange any unwanted gifts within a month of receiving them. And one-third of shoppers say a store’s return policy is an important factor when deciding which retailers to shop.  A similar study by marketing analytics provider Oracle suggests an even higher return rate. Up to 77% of consumers plan to return some of their gifts, and nearly 20% expect to return more than half, an Oracle survey of 15,800 consumers in September found.

A growing number of shoppers who bought gifts online instead of from physical stores in recent years has also put a strain on carrier services. On Thursday, UPS said it expects to process 1.9 million post-holiday return packages on January 2, a peak day which the shipper rightfully named “National Returns Day.2019 Holiday Gift Shopping Hits Record—So Will Post  .observer.com › 2019/12 › 2019-holiday-christmas-shop

One might wonder will the number of returned items be even higher from the 2020 Christmas shopping season ? A news report indicated that the cost to merchants this year 2020 for returned gifts will be 1.1 million dollars ( NPR 12/24/2020 ).   You get the impression that people do not always know what they want. This can be frustrating for someone trying to purchase the perfect gift for a family member or friend. There’s a good chance that the gift you purchased will be returned within a month later.  So what is it that people want for their lives ? The Declaration Of Independence tells us that people, American citizens, should seek life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Financial advisor Suze Orman has noted “ . People first, then money, then things.” Professor Emeritus Dr. Cornell West of Princeton University has written “ “We have to recognize that there cannot be relationships unless there is commitment, unless there is loyalty, unless there is love, patience, persistence.”

Then we read that the prophet Micah declares;  “ What does the Lord require ? But to love justice, do mercy and walk humbly with your God. “ ( Micah 6:8 ).  When we ask the question “ What do we want ? “, we need to consider further are we asking in terms of a life that is centered on ourselves or on a life that is centered and focused towards others ?  One of the factors that really distinguished the early Christian followers of Jesus versus other religions in the Roman Imperial Empire was that the followers of Jesus, who would later be referred to you as Christians, practiced hospitality. They took care of those who were needy. They feed the hungry, clothed the naked, took care of the widows and the orphans.  This can also be seen as a major emphasis regarding ministry within the United Church Of Christ. Institutions like Deaconess Hospital, the Evangelical Children’s Home and the Emmaus Homes all express this commitment to taking care of those who have the least,

As the writer of Matthew’s Gospel would remind us :

“ 10“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. “

( Matthew 18:10 )  John The Baptist and his followers were looking for the coming of the Messiah.  According to the New Testament, John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth were relatives. Some scholars maintain that John belonged to the Essenes, a semi-ascetic Judaic sect who expected a messiah and who practiced ritual baptism. John used baptism as the central symbol or sacrament of his pre-messianic movement.”   John the Baptist - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › John_the_Baptist

When the disciples of John The Baptist saw Jesus they proclaimed  “ Look, the lamb of God “ ( John 1: 35 ) Here these two disciples of John The Baptist follow Jesus and it is here that Jesus asks them “ What Do You Want ? “  Jesus is really trying to unearth their motive ? Are they following him as some type of cult leader, a rock star or are they seeing him as the one chosen by God ?  The disciples ask Jesus “ Rabbi, Where are you staying ? “ and so they come and stay with Jesus and they see that Jesus is starting to call his disciples, first with Andrew and then with Simeon, son of John who will be referred to as Cephas or Peter.

Jesus is asking you and me “ What do you want ? “ Do you want to follow the way of the world or do you want to follow the way of God ?  We can see from the pattern of consumers who purchase Christmas presents, that a lot of the gifts will be returned to vendors by recipients who weren’t happy with what they received.  That’s one way of negotiating life. I will barter and trade to get what I want when I want it.  Another way of experiencing life in a new way is responding to the call of service for the Kingdom Of God. What can I do to express the love of God in my life ? What can I do to lives the gift of charity, of grace, of healing ?

We say in the Communion liturgy

“ The gifts of God for the people of God “  How about we consider our lives as gifts to God and to one another ? How about taking seriously that each of us are sacred human beings who reflect the sacredness of God ?

What do you want ? 

May it be more than ourselves, may it be more than our own power and our own wants and desires.  May we be moved to want to love and serve God and reflect the grace and redemption that Jesus brings into our lives daily now and always.

May it be so.

In Jesus’s name.

Amen

Second Sunday After Christmas January 3 2021 2020

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“ The Light Coming Into The World “

(  Jeremiah 31: 7-14, Ephesians 1: 3-14, John 1: 1-9,10-18 _)

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

One cold December night, around 10:30 PM, as luck would have it, the power went out at my house. I looked outside and saw that it just wasn’t just my house, but it also effected the surrounding houses in my neighborhood.  I thought what could have caused this, a squirrel or two chewing through a power line ? One of my dogs has a dog sweater with the message on its back  which reads:  “ Squirrels cannot be trusted. “  Then again, I thought that maybe there was a traffic accident and that a power transformer was destroyed ?  All I knew was that it was dark and cold and that it was late and that I needed the power back on. After calling CPS, and lighting some candles, I settled down in my recliner with my cell phone close by waiting for the call to let me know that the power was restored.

Here the waiting seemed like an eternity. One hour, two hours passed and then all of a sudden a flicker of lights go on. Hallelujah, the power has come back on !  But only momentary, and then the lights are off and there is darkness again.  Another phone call to CPS, only to be informed  that the estimated time for return to power is three hours away.  I settle back onto my recliner and resigned myself to starting later to work the next day as I wouldn’t shower and shave until the power was stored.  Finally around 4:30 AM, the power returns and the lights go back on.  For those brief several hours, I am left to trying to relax, catch some sleep and not let my mind and anxiety run away with itself regarding whether I will be able to plug the coffee maker in again.

The writer of Matthew’s Gospel notes:

“the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."  (Matthew 4: 16 )

Think about for a moment when there are been moments for you “ when the light has dawned. “ Maybe it was when you realized a successful harvest after much hard work planting and tending the soil. Maybe it was when you completed a project at work and you received tremendous praise from your supervisor. Maybe it was seeing your child get confirmed and become officially a member of the Church and of the community of faith. Maybe, this moment allowed you to reflect that your love and guidance as a parent was important as it is having lasting significance on your child.

Jeremiah proclaims:

“ And their soul shall be as a watered garden and they shall not sorrow any more at all. “ ( Jeremiah 31:12 )

The biblical writer looks forward to the time when the people of Israel will be restored.  What can restoration look like for you and me ? 

The writer of John’s Gospel observes:

“ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all people might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. “ The true light that gives light to everyone who was coming into the world. “  (John 1:6-7 )  When someone exhibits joy and light, you know it. You feel it instinctively. When a total stranger appears at the supermarket and helps me to open a very stubborn plastic bag to order to fill it with vegetables, for that moment, light arrives. In that instance, I’m reminded again that God loves and cares for us.

Reverend Daryl Horton, as lecturer at Austin Theological Seminary Austin, TX has written:

“ What an awesome privilege we have to invite the light of the world into our lives. As I embrace new mercies each morning, I also offer this invitation to Him. It is no casual invitation to be taken lightly, it gives Jesus permission to intervene in the most intimate aspects of my life. My spirit rejoices when I think about the impact of His arrival. Through power and grace, His words cause the darkness to disappear and light appear. Through compassion and correction I am drawn closer to his heart. Through the demonstration of His love, the shadow of death lost its sting and had to flee. Wirth the presence of my Savior comes joy and peace, while victory is proclaimed because he reigns. “  Who are the persons of light for you ? Might it be a teacher, a coach, a friend, a husband or wife, a pastor, a family member ?  Who is that person who extends the light of Christ to you ?

John The Baptist knew that his work was important but he also knew that what he was doing was pointing to someone who was greater, someone who would redeem the world./  

We pray that this new year will be a blessing, one in which the darkness of the past year through which we have lived can be vanquished.  We are called to be people of the light.

So let’s make this new year, 2021, a year of greater light for you and for me, for our congregation, our community and for our world.

We really need it now.

May it be so.

In Jesus’s name.

Amen

First Sunday After Christmas December 27 2020

Redeemer United Church Of Christ ( Zuehl ) Marion, TX 

“ Have You Thanked Your Mentor Today ? “

( Isaiah 61: 10- 62:3 , Galatians 4: 4-7, Luke 2: 22-40 )

Rev. Peter E. Bauer

I was riding down the escalator to the first floor of the old Meier And Frank (Now May And Company ) department store in downtown Portland, Or. There , in front of the cosmetics counter, stood Ms. Laurette Swann, my former high school English teacher. I hadn’t seen here in about 15 years. We briefly spoke to each other. She was delighted that I was going to Princeton, N.J. to attend theological seminary. She then added the following question:  “ Was I rough enough on you ? “

I thought this was an odd but a rather intriguing question. Miss Swann was definitely dedicated to her craft and talent for teaching. She was no nonsense. She was a stickler for detail. She was impeccable about teaching good grammar, good punctuation and good writer.  She was also someone who made you think.   She was the one who introduced me to George Orwell. One of her favorite expressions was :  “ Your education is not complete until you read Animal Farm and 1984. “

How accurate she was in this observation. We have lived in a world which has been threatened by dictators who have used double-speak and gas-lighting in attempts to control people, promote various ideologies that hurt a great number of people while promoting the economic interests of only a few.  When I heard Miss Swann’s question, I paused and then I replied:  “ Yes, you were rough on me and I’m glad that were. “  Miss Swann smiled and said : “ I’m glad that I was rough on you as well . “

Think about the people who have had great influence on your life ? They may have been you parents, grandparents. They may have been your teachers, your pastors, your athletic coaches. What did these people give you ?

Back in January 1985, I was at the Naval Chaplain School at Newport, R.I. The school is located in a beautiful location on Narragansett Bay known for sailing and fishing. The Navy, at that time, had a lot of training schools for the various staff corps.  I remember that I arrived there after the first of the year in 1985. I had lived in San Diego, Ca for four years. I was accumulated to warm weather. I left San Diego with the temperature in the upper 70’s and arrived in Newport, R.I. where the temperature was 32. The next day the temperature dropped to 15 degrees and there it remained for the next month.  Every morning at Chaplain School we would work out in the gym and go for at least a two mile run. I had managed to come down with a bad case of Bronchitis and I was recovering with the help of some good drugs. One morning as I was running along near the rear of the formation, I heard the voice of Gunny Crawford, our Marine Corps Gunny and PT instructor, call; out to me  “ Cheer up, Chaplain Bauer, Spring is around the corner and you will be in Okinawa. “  I thought he’s right and hopefully the weather in Okinawa, Japan will be similar to San Diego.  Gunny Crawford not only helped me loose weight but he helped me gain some confidence that I greatly needed at the time.

Look again at Mary and Joseph. Here we have this young Palestinian Jewish couple who are new parents to their son Jesus. They are trying to do the right thing. They want to be good parents. They bring their child Jesus to Jerusalem to the temple in order that Jesus can be presented to the Lord.  While they are in the temple, they meet two people Simeon who is described as being a righteous and devout man and Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phaneul, of the tribe of Asher. She was widowed and she is described as worshiping at the temple day and night.

Note that both of these two people saw great promise in Jesus and they do not hesitate to share there joy and praise for what they see “ as being the salvation of Israel. “

Simeon is heard to say:

“ This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the hearts of many will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too. “ ( Luke 2:33-35 )

Simeon and Anna serve as sort of spiritual godparents, mentors for Jesus. Their blessing and acknowledgement indicates that Jesus will be significant, that there will be lasting effects regarding his life and ministry.

Again, what have your mentors taught you ?  Maybe, there were the gifts of love and kindness, the gift of learning, education, the gift of civic responsibility and engagement. The gift of fairness and right action in all things whether it be sports, business, economics or politics.  The lives that we lead are influenced by those who have come before us, by our contemporaries who are with us, and by our families and the future generations who will come after us.  I realized that I was lucky to be able to express my appreciation to Miss Swann for what she have me. Not everyone has that opportunity to thank their mentors in person.

What we can hope for is that through the example of who we are and by the work that we do, that our lives can be a witness to what they have taught us and what they have left us.  One sunny afternoon, I was standing in the parking lot of the First Congregational Church in Portland, Or.  Rev. Dr. Lincoln Reed was standing next to me. Lincoln and I were looking across the street at Paramount Theatre ( now the Arline Schnitzer Concert Hall). There was a crowd of young people stretched around the block who were waiting to enter the theatre that night for the concert by the band “ Little Feet. “  The Portland Red Brigade ( this was pre Antifa ) had a habit of tagging buildings downtown. On the side of the Paramount Theatre someone had spray painted in red paint “ My blood is Reid “.  Without hesitation, Lincoln pointed out to me :  “ Remember Peter, if we are going to win the revolution, we have to be good spellers. “

How true was his observation.

We have to be ready, we have to be prepared, we have to do our homework in all things, in order to be ready for those experiences that life will bring us.  Have you thanked your mentor today ?

I hope you have and if not I hope will have the opportunity in the future.  We are blessed by God and we are also blessed by the communities of which we are a part, including our church and the church universal.

Let us always remember those who have contributed their life to our lives.

May it be so.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen