Prestidivination

PRESTIDIVINATION



Acts 16:16-34; John 17:20-26

Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.



Prestidigitation is sleight of hand—magic tricks accomplished with objects such as coins or cards, disappearing from one place and surprisingly reappearing somewhere else. I learned one just for this sermon. (Demonstration) Now, a magician is never supposed to reveal the secret, but I am no magician, so I am going to show you how it’s done. (Next Demonstration)



Not really "magic" now, is it? The coin didn’t truly disappear from my hand and jump into my pocket. The magician sets a scene to look like one thing happened while something else was going on—that’s the sleight, the trick.

Fortune tellers perform prestidigitation, too; they magically get money out of your pocket into theirs and they make mucho bucks doing it. Ever since the invention of money, "fortune-telling [has been] a commodity within the marketplace."1

1 Feingold, Ken (1995), "OU: Interactivity as Divination as Vending Machine", Leonardo, Third Annual New York Digital Salon 28 (5): 399–402, doi:10.2307/1576224, JSTOR 1576224



In Acts 16 we see that two astute businessmen had made quite a lot of money from this commodity in the marketplace; they must have been dancing in the streets every day, believing there was no end in sight to their earning power—unless something unfortunate happened to their slave girl, like illness or death.…they did not plan for "prestidivination."

Don’t go searching for "prestidivination" in the dictionary; you won’t find it. I made it up. It’s a play on prestidigitation, and it does not stand for sleight of divine—as if God, Jesus or heaven would play tricks on us.

Prestidivination gains its meaning from two divine/Godly actions being accomplished at the same time—one event that we can see, and one that we likely miss because it’s happening over here…or behind the curtain…seemingly apart from and/or completely unrelated to the first.

When Paul finally grew annoyed enough that he wanted that slave girl to "be quiet already," he cast out the spirit that enslaved her. She was free. Not only did Paul cast out the demon (and restore quiet), but Paul’s faith in Christ also set the slave girl free from her enslavers.

Another example of prestidivination in this passage is the saving of the jailer’s life. When Paul shouted from inside the prison, "We are all here," many salvation begins to tumble all over the place--the jailer’s life was saved because he did not fall on his own sword, and he no longer feared

his enslavers—the Roman magistrates; yet he was also saved for everlasting life with when he received his baptism in Jesus Christ.

If Paul hadn’t been so irritated by the slave girl’s predictions; if the slave girl’s owners hadn’t been so angry when their hope of making money was gone; if the mob hadn’t gone wild on behalf of the slave owners; if the magistrates hadn’t bought the lies the slave owners told and been so afraid of the mob that they threw Paul and Silas in jail….

…If Paul and Silas hadn’t such confidence in the love of Jesus Christ, so that they could sing praises to God from the deepest bowel of the prison; if Luke hadn’t written this account of the early church exploding across Europe in the book of Acts . . . IF…IF…IF! So many ifs!

Christ doesn’t need "If-fers." Christ needs followers, believers, carriers of the faith. Christ needs us to "go viral" with the good news that God is with us. Christians might live in the "IF" of what might be, but we are called to follow in the Way—the Way of Jesus Christ. This faith we have been offered is a faith that happens over here and over there, in the sight of God and to the sleight of none…a faith that can sing praises to God at midnight….a faith that can say to our demons, our addictions, our diseases, our temptations, and our failings, "In the name of Jesus Christ, I order you to come out of me!!"

What holds you captive? Is it stress over money? Is it fear about the future? Try singing praises to God. What imprisons you today? Is it an unhealthy relationship? Is it an unfulfilling career? Strengthen your relationship with Jesus Christ first, and relationships with the important people in our lives and the contributions we make to society will be strengthened and fulfilling as well. Become one with Christ, one with his community. Oneness is the way to heaven.

We can learn about oneness through the actions of the jailer. No—I don’t mean deciding to fall on your sword! I mean, call for the light—the light who is Jesus Christ. Don’t you know that we have a Savior who does something for us that no other god in the universe—past, present or future—does for his followers: Our Christ prays for us!

Christ’s prayer is that we may all be one, a community in unified in God’s love—Jesus prayed, "As you Father are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us … that they may become completely one, so that the world may know…that you have loved them as you have loved me..." This unity, this love, is shaped like the cross of Christ. You see, glory cannot be separated from crucifixion—this is the ultimate prestidivination. Amen.

May 12, 2013

First Parish Federated Church of South Berwick, ME

The Reverend Donna Lee Muise, Pastor

Love Has It's Reasons

Love Has Its Reasons




Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8

"…This one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus."


The ancient city of Philippi was located along a main trade route between Rome and the East. Philippians had the luxury of being considered Roman citizens, which afforded them some handsome benefits. They were allowed to buy and sell property, exempted from land and poll taxes, and entitled to protection under Roman law. For all intents and purposes, they spent their days living in MORE—more wealth, more possessions, rights, and presumably more happiness.

Howard Hughes’ was a man who firmly believed that MORE of everything would lead to happiness. You might even say that more was his middle name. "He wanted more money, so he invested his enormous inheritance and increased it in just a few years to a billion dollars. He wanted more fame, so he went to Hollywood and became a filmmaker and a star. He wanted pleasure, so he used his fabulous wealth to buy women and any form of decadence he desired.

Howard Hughes may have been counted among the wealthiest of people on earth in his day, but in the end he could be numbered among the poorest of souls. For all that Hughes had gained from his relentless pursuit of MORE, not one thing was "significant enough to bring meaning to his life."1 He died emaciated, drug addicted and horribly disheveled.
1 Wilkinson, B and DM. The Dream Giver for Parents. (Sisters, OR: Multonomah, 2004), pp 45-46.




Paul says that not one fleshly ambition we might pursue in our lives will ever come even close to the value of knowing Jesus Christ as Lord…and Paul should know; he had it all. "If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh," he writes, "I have MORE..." (Phil 3:4b). At first glance, Paul appears to be more of a braggart than anything else, and nobody likes a braggart. Yet, Paul has good reasons for his boasting, and he goes on to list all the ways he believed he had been made righteous by the Law.

It’s not that the Law is a bad thing, because it isn’t: today, people are still willing to fight battles all across this nation to keep monuments engraved with the Law outside their courthouses, village greens and public buildings. What Paul wants us to realize is that the Law cannot save us, only the love of Jesus Christ saves. The Law does not make us perfect; only the love of Jesus Christ does. The Law can

never breathe life into the dead, only Christ’s love can resurrect the dead.

Paul’s message to the church at Philippi and to us today is that knowing Christ is the only way to be made righteous before God. We must not fool ourselves into thinking that our rituals, rules and regulations are true faith. The law and all the other pursuits we seek in the name of the "church" are likely religiosity, look-alike impressionists masquerading as faith. In the end such practices are worthless.

Such actions cannot bring about righteousness or secure salvation any more than money can buy happiness or fame can buy true love.

Knowing Jesus Christ surpasses the value of everything else we could ever hope to gain in this life. Paul prayerfully pleads before the Philippians, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own" (3:10-12).



Paul yearns for his beloved Philippian church to chase after no fleshly thing, only to turn all its focus and energy, its hope and its mission upon the "surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus" as Lord.

Say these words to yourself, "Christ Jesus has made me his own." Frankly, friends, I am at a loss to conceive of why Christ would make me his own: I do not deserve his love, yet he gave it for me on Calvary. I may not be able to understand the why of his love this side of heaven, but I do know that divine Love has its reasons. So in feeble gratitude for Christ’s making me his own, how else can I respond but to pour out the very best of me upon the Lord.

And that’s what Mary is doing with the expensive nard, pouring out all of it upon her savior’s feet. I think as the fragrance of Love filled that room she knew the gift was hardly enough to thank him for raising her brother Lazarus from the dead, for being her teacher and protector, for being the Lord, the Messiah, come personally for her.

So Mary leaned down and wipe her savior’s feet with her hair and her tears. I am at more of a loss to explain what was happening to Mary in that moment, I can only say she did what she did because that kind of Love has its reasons.

As Christ is nearing Jerusalem and the Crucifixion, we are nearing the cross as well. Are we making the effort during this Lenten

season to know Christ Jesus as our Lord, or are we merely going through the religious motions that accompany this season? Are palm branches waving, flowers blooming, and Easter-basket filling the sum total of faith in our holiest week of the year? Not if we know Jesus.

Knowing Jesus IS a strange thing for us who are used to being self-sufficient, organized, ruled by Roberts, and independently minded—outspokenly so—because this knowing means heeding his voice like sheep following a shepherd, loving one another like a master washing his servants’ feet, or abiding in him like branches on a vine. Knowing Jesus does not mean changing who we are; it simply means knowing whose we are.



We belong to Jesus Christ; he made us his own by dying in our place upon the cross and thus making us righteous before God. We could not accomplish righteousness on our own, but we can express our gratitude by living as he lived: healing, visiting, teaching, feeding, clothing, releasing and proclaiming his love. And if anyone should ask you why you are doing those things, if you really know Jesus, you might simply respond, "Love has its reasons." Amen.

March 17, 2013/First Parish Federated Church of South Berwick, ME/Rev Donna Lee Muise,

Grace and Disgrace

Grace and Disgrace



Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

"But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion;

he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him."


Grace is receiving mercy that we do not deserve. What then is disgrace? Disgrace is dispensing shame upon those who do not deserve it. Grace is good because it comes from God through Jesus Christ, and disgrace is bad because its source is sin through human self-righteousness.

Franklin Graham, son of evangelist, Billy Graham, tells his story of living as a prodigal in his book Rebel with a Cause. Franklin was a rebel; in fact, he openly opposed every value and every virtue his parents stood for, including the Christian faith. He smoked, he drank, he cursed, he caroused; he did it all. At the height of his rebellion, Franklin Graham was kicked out of a conservative college in Texas for taking a co-ed off campus for the weekend and piloting a rented plane to Florida.



He writes: "The drive home from Texas was dreary. Maybe by driving slow I was prolonging the inevitable; I would have to face my parents. I knew they had to be disappointed in me--I was! They had invested a lot of money in my education, and now I’d messed up.

"I drove through the gate and started up the road to our home, imagining the lecture my parents would give me. So many other times when I had come home I could hardly wait to say hello to everyone. But no joy this time. I felt so badly when I finally reached the house. Then I saw mama standing on the front porch and I wanted to run and hide in the nearest hole. It was one of the few times I can remember not wanting to look her in the eye.

"When I walked up to her, my body felt limp. I barely had the nerve to lift my head or extend my arms for a hug. But I didn’t need to. Mama wrapped her arms around me, and, with a smile, she said, ‘Welcome home, Franklin.’" 1

1 Steven Molin, http://www.lectionary.org/Sermons/Molin/OT/Isaiah%2043.01-7,%20We’rePrecious.htm.



2 Deffenbaugh, DG. Feasting on the Word, Year C, Volume2: Lent through Eastertide, p116.

Franklin’s long drive home from Texas was equal to the slow journey home for the prodigal son, who "came to himself" as he was standing at the feeding trough with the pigs, wanting to eat their slop. "The younger son personifies what appears to be a universal human perception that worse than death is the feeling of being lost, especially when this condition has been brought on by one’s own lust, greed or arrogance"2.


Let’s visit some great disgracers in the Bible and examine where they entered the "troughs."

 Eve cavorted with the devil denying God’s power and ended up teaching the world to sin.

 Adam went down for an apple and when he stood up, he was naked.

 Noah had a few too many drinks and woke up naked in his daughters’ bed.

 Lot pitched his tent on the road to Sodom and had only a salt shaker left to show for it.

 Moses refused to clock the rock with his staff, and never crossed the threshold of the Promised Land.

 Jonah ran in the opposite direction from God and ended up the protagonist in a whale of a tale.

 David spied a woman in the tub and gave a whole new meaning to the name BATH-sheba.

 Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver and ended up spilling them and his guts in a field.

 Peter denied Jesus 3 times and found himself standing among the Lord’s enemies.

 Thomas doubted Jesus’ return and made a bet he couldn’t keep.

 Paul slaughtered Christians and ended up a blind, whimpering fool eating dirt on the road to Damascus.
Disgrace is a terrible thing, and it has but one course of treatment that brings a cure: repentance. Repentance literally means to change one’s mind. If we are merely sorry for what we have done, chances are high that we will sin again in the same way, because repentance is not simply a matter of agreeing with God that you’ve been a bad boy or girl; it’s not glibly promising God or anybody else that you won’t do it again. This shallow understanding of repentance results in a mere mouthing of guilt, the minimizing of the shame and horror of the sin. That’s immature repentance, baby repentance. And it shows the sinner just doesn’t "get it."

A prisoner was particularly sleepy in his GED class. He did not even try to stay awake, but put his head down on his desk and slept. The teacher quietly walked around the classroom and noticed the sleeping student; the teacher gently tapped the man on the shoulder, and then walked on. A little later, the teacher again made his way past this fellow's desk, and he was still sleeping soundly. He gently tapped him again.

The third time around, the teacher grasped the fellow by the shoulder and gently shook him. The young prisoner awoke, jumped to his feet, and then threatened the teacher, "If you ever do that to me again, you're going to get it!" The threatened teacher backed away from the student and made his way to the door, where he beckoned for the guard, who escorted the student to the "hole" (solitary confinement).

A month later, the student was released from solitary confinement and returned to his classroom. He made his way to the teacher to "apologize." "I'm really sorry about what I said to you," he explained, "but I think you misunderstood me. What I said to you was, 'If you ever do that again, you might get it.'" That, my friends, is baby repentance.3

If we regret what we have done, then there is hope for us; and it means that transformation can happen; that radical, positive, fruit-bearing change is on the way. This mature repentance is evident in Jesus’ parable. The prodigal son "messed up" completely, and he knew it. He had deserted his family and squandered his inheritance. Yet this young man, realizing his great transgression, identified where he went wrong and confessed, "Father I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am not worthy to be called your son."



Though the son expected nothing in return, he had hope for the first time since he had demanded his inheritance. The father's in the parable joyfully granted grace to his son, for he gave to this young man what he did not deserve.

God, "Our Father" watches for us, runs out to meet us in the person of Jesus Christ. In that moment when we who know so well how it feels to be lost that we can then proclaim in faith that greater than life itself is living with the knowledge that we have been found! Like the prodigal, we must see that being our Father’s servant is better than being a slave to sin in a place so far from our heavenly home.

Many of us here have found ourselves, at some point, in the slop, far from "home," broke or broken, sinner of sinners, and in desperate need of grace. We are the tax collectors and sinners that Jesus wants to sit down and eat with—and the Pharisees and the scribes just didn’t get it, they never could say, "I have sinned," all they could do was grumble.

There are already way too many grumbling Christians. Far better it is for us to re-turn to the word of God, to call sin by its biblical name, and to respond to Jesus’ invitation to the table with true, mature repentance and faith, for we have already received what we do not deserve:

 instead of pig slop, we get a fatted calf cooked to perfection;

 instead of loneliness with only swine around to commiserate, we get a party to which the whole town is invited;

 instead of rags to wear, we’re dressed in a colorful robe, a ring is put on our finger, and our feet are slid into brand new sandals;

 and instead of a stern look and a cold shoulder, we are embraced and kissed.

Such is the scandal of grace, of which the only disgrace is to squander the opportunity for great rejoicing, and the best response to all of this love is this, "Amen!"

March 10, 2013/First Parish Federated Church of South Berwick, ME/Reverend Donna Lee Muise, Pastor

A Love Ne'er Too Far

A Love Ne’er Too Far




John 21:9-19; Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)

"Yes, Lord. You know everything. You know that I love you."Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep."   

 

When Christ spoke to his disciples out on the water, he was instructing them to "steer themselves" in a specific direction—the right direction. The right side of the boat symbolizes the righteousness that Jesus Christ calls us to live as his followers. As any vessel steering toward the long low tone of the fog horn will crash into the south tower, casting our hope on any other Savior will lead to destruction.

I believe that Jesus is not standing ne’er too far from us, as far away as he may feel at times. Christ is as near to us as he was to the disciples in their boat that Galilean morning. We know what it is like to work as hard as possible and still come up empty handed. All night the disciples fished and yet had caught nothing; they felt like failures; they were just sitting there in their boat, nets empty, nothing to show for all their hard work.

Yet, within the stillness and behind the fog, Jesus was there! The disciples were able to hear the Lord speak to them, even though they could not identify him by sight. It was not as important for them to see him as it was to hear him, and though it was important to hear him, it was far more important to obey him, which leads us to the second section of this passage. If Jesus were to say to us, "Do you love me?" would we be able to say yes, and not only mean it but also prove it?

Probably many of us can identify with Peter and how his feelings were hurt by Jesus asking him three times, "Do you love me?" There is a reason for the Lord’s persistence. If we love Jesus, truly love him, then we must act on that love. We must dedicate ourselves and all our efforts into carrying on his ministry. That ministry is to feed and tend the sheep that belong to his flock. Love for Jesus must always be followed by action for Jesus.

We can see this formula in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. He was a man who took great delight in having Christians slaughtered. You could say that Saul had a nasty reputation…but he received a divine revelation. Granted, Christ had to knock the man to the ground to get his attention, blind him for three days, and send Ananais to restore his sight, but the point, at any rate, is that even as far as the old hate-breathing Saul was from the new greatest-of-these-is-love Paul, Christ love was ne’er too far from either one of them.

When Paul was ordained to his new role, he told Christ he loved him by spreading the Gospel throughout the known world to those who needed to hear it most. Next to Jesus, Paul was the greatest fisher of all.

We do not have to be the greatest fishers of all, but we do have to fish. We do not have to be the best shepherds of all, but we do have to tend the sheep and feed the flock. To love Christ is to serve him and to serve him is to love one another and all the others.

The trouble for all of us overworked and discouraged Christians is that we want to give up. We can’t see, feel or hear the love that comes from God. The fog is thick; the horn is silent; and something like scales seem to cover our eyes. This is exactly the time when Christ’s love is nearest.

A simple message lies herein for the followers of Jesus Christ. His words to the Church are the same as they were to the first disciples: "Children, come have breakfast with me." His breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Amen.

April 14, 2013

The First Parish Federated Church of South Berwick, ME

The Reverend Donna Lee Muise, Pastor

 

Love By Degrees

LOVE BY DEGREES




John 13:31-35; Acts 11:1-18
Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are y disciples.
Think for a minute about your stove at home in your kitchen. Can you picture the temperature knobs? How are they marked? My stove has Off, Warm, Low, Medium, Medium High, and High. Choosing the correct setting will bring the corresponding burner to the right temperature so that you can cook whatever you’ve placed in the pot or pan just the way you want it. It does not matter if its Farberware or Correll or the Wal-Mart brand. To achieve a delicious result, you need the right setting, the right temperature, and the right amount of time…of course, you need to watch over the pan, stir the food inside so neither burns up—I speak from experience.
At 211 degrees Fahrenheit, a pot of water is very, very hot; you certainly wouldn’t want to put your bare hand in it. What happens, though, if we raise the temperature of that water just one degree—to 212? At 212 degrees, a steam engine can haul a mile-long freight train up and over a rugged mountain pass. As scalding hot as 211 degree-water is, that water has no power to move a steam engine, not even by half an inch…what a difference one degree makes!1

1 McCartney, Bill. blind spots: What you don’t see may be keeping your church from greatness. Wheaton, IL. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 2003, p 149.


Both of our scripture passages this morning reveal how 211-degree believers became two-twelvers. The temperature of the "burners" in Jerusalem and Joppa, is about to go from Medium High to High, and the Christian faith train starts to move. The high degree of love they are commanded to show to one another is the only steam that can keep their gospel train stuck at the station.

Acts 11 revolves around the hottest debate among Jewish Christians of that day: Is their newfound faith in Jesus Christ intended only for Jews, or is this faith also given to the Gentiles while allowing them to remain Gentiles—that is, uncircumcised, outside the Jewish Law. It’s the circumcised believers who are steaming mad at Peter.
Their question is not a question at all, it is scalding criticism. "Why did you go to the uncircumcised and eat with them?" After detailing his vision on Simon the Tanner’s rooftop and sharing its application to his present life-situation, Peter turns up the heat on his critics—not to wound them, but to move them forward: (1) because he loves them and (2) because the gospel is meant for all people all over the world. "If God gave [the Gentiles—Cornelius and his companions] the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?" (Acts 11:17).



Jesus knew that his impending death could severely hinder the faith of his disciples, and without their faith, the spread of the gospel would falter at 211. The Lord gathers all of his teachings, the meaning of his miracles, the intent of his journey on earth and his glorification to come, and sums all of it up in this way: "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35).
What’s so new about the idea of loving one another? We already do love one another, don’t we—how could we be a part of Christ’s church or take Christ’s name if we did not love one another? Yes; we love each other, but do we love each other to the degree that Christ has loved us?



Christ loved us so much that he was willing to go to the Cross, to suffer and die for us. He took our place. No known love has ever gone this far before for us. This "new commandment is a profound plea cried out to Christ’s disciples of every century that we will choose to abide in Jesus’ way of life and love." Time is too valuable to spend it caught up in technicalities like the Christians in Jerusalem did when Peter ate with the uncircumcised believers in Joppa.

Abiding in Jesus’ love is the one trait of Christian character that can bring others to Jesus Christ simply because they observe how we love one another. Likewise, Christians behaving badly outside of the new commandment also sends a message to the world—that we are hinderers—more concerned about standing in God’s way than being on God’s side.
In the midst of the Civil War, a certain pious person told Abraham Lincoln, "I hope the Lord is on our side." The President responded, "I am not at all concerned about that…But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord’s side."2



2
To be on the Lord’s side is to LOVE one another to the 212th degree. With love for one another, we will get through those rugged mountain passes that come into our lives from time to time. When we allow the love of Christ to take deep root in us, so that it flourishes in all that we do and say to one another, it is the first step in helping the world understand how a Christ-centered community is the hope of the world. Let’s set our love on HIGH and give thanks to the Lord for he is so very good. Amen.




April 28, 2013

First Parish Federated Church of South Berwick, ME

The Reverend Donna Lee Muise, Pastor

Name Lifting

Acts 4:5-12; John 3:16-21

“Let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth....”

Name dropping is used to inflate one's stature in a conversation by linking oneself to a famous person or situation. This is sometimes done while talking about something completely different. The names are just "dropped" into the conversation. Some attempts are more subtle than others, but the practice is annoying and considered in poor taste. Name dropping can become very hazardous to one's mental and sometimes physical health. Consider what happened to Romeo and Juliet after she suggested they drop their names....

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
......................
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet...¹

In exploring “What's in a name?” this week, I came across the Kabalarian Philosophy. KP claims the dissemination of the wisdom of life “based upon definite laws clearly understandable and applicable, teaching one's relationship to the two basic laws of life—mathematics and language.” When language is used to attach a name to someone this creates the basis of mind, from which all thoughts and experiences flow. By representing the conscious forces combined in your name as a mathematical formula, one's specific mental characteristics, strengths and weaknesses are measurable.

With an understanding of the basic principles of language and mathematics, the characteristics of any name can be calculated to reveal the mind of that person, and an understanding of mind allows one to see the source of one's success or failure. A name that encourages balance with one's inner purpose is an open door to happiness and fulfillment, but a name that encourages discord does just the opposite. A change in name leads to a change in one's mind, and, with a knowledge of KP, that change can be for the best.²

I think I would like to suggest that there is another wisdom-of-life reason the initials of this philosophy are “KP” (Kitchen police).

The true wisdom of life comes to us through the Word of God. After Peter and John perform a miraculous healing of the man born lame, they were teaching the crowds that had gathered at the sight about the Lord and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead” (Acts 4:2). Luke tells us that many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about 5000 (Acts 4:4).

For their trouble, the High Priests, rulers, elders and scribes had the two men arrested and called them out with the weighty question, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, bluntly answers, “...this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth....” (v 4:10b).

Though they denied his name, even the chief priests and the scribes could not argue the issue. Verse 4:14 says of the rulers, “When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside Peter and John, the Council had nothing to say in opposition.” Annas, Caiaphas and the others did not believe in Jesus' power, of course, but they could not deny the miracle standing before them, accomplished in the name above all names, Jesus Christ.

What does the name of Jesus Christ mean to you? Is it a name to drop into conversation once in a while, or an expletive to be deleted? It is a name we use in prayer, in sacrament, in reverence and in times of sorrow and of celebration, in praise and thanksgiving. The name of Jesus Christ means to me a savior, a fellow sufferer and co-servant; the name claims me, loves me no matter what. There's just something about that name, it belongs to the one who rescues me from the dominion of darkness, assuring me that I am not alone.

You can get a free name analysis from the Kabalarians by plugging in your first and last names along with your birth date. Free being the operative word, I had my name analyzed. But then, the devil in me filled out another form, in which I placed the first name “Jesus,” and the surname “Christ.” I gave the birth date as December 25, and I tried using the year 0004, but the form came back that I had to use a date from 1900 on. So, I used 2000.

Here's a sample of the free analysis that was mailed to me in a matter of minutes. Your first name reveals your personality—your desires, ideals, goals, ambitions, as well as potential health weaknesses.

Your name of Jesus has some fine qualities. You have a pleasant, diplomatic way with people, and seem to sense how others feel. For this reason, you could do well in public relations work. You appreciate the finer things in life and like to have a good material standard of living. You feel that it is important to convey the impression that you are financially secure, and you place importance on your mode of dress, and on appearances generally.

While you could do well in a position of authority, there is a certain lack of initiative in your makeup, and a tendency to procrastinate, which may prevent you from attaining positions of responsibility. Inability to make important decisions and a degree of passivity prevent you from concentrating or truly applying yourself to your work. You prefer to choose the easiest way to accomplish your goals, and would probably readily admit that you dislike hard work. However, your likeable personality sees you through most situations. Weaknesses in health could affect the kidneys or lower back.

The “surname” Christ carries an equal amount of erroneous analysis, yet in a haunting way:

“Impulsive and intense in nature, they (Christs) are taken into chaotic situations and encounter serious accidents. These people are inclined to trust people and take them at their word, only to find that others let them down. Caustic and uncontrolled speech is another great detrimient to their success and personal happiness, and their very independent natures will not allow them to merge with others.”

KP claims that the combined names “Jesus Christ” create “a desire to be financially independent and have an interest in economics and business affairs. Just when opportunities seems to be coming your way, you are overlooked in favor of someone else. You are taken away from association with people and experience much aloneness. You could experience health problems affecting the heart and lungs.”³ Let's try these names:

Son of God/Son of Man/Son of David/Word and Lamb

Rabbi/Teacher/Head of Church/Name above Names/Righteous Word

King of Kings/Lord of Lords/Life and Death/Means of Grace

Morning Star/Fairest Face/Savior/Servant/Rebel, Truth-- What's His name mean to you?

You could pay the Kabalarian Society $145, and they will help you change your name to one that is more balanced and will bring you success and strength. God's Word tells us, though, that there is but one name that will give us all we need for this life: it is the name Jesus Christ. He paid the ultimate price to give us his name.

In Jesus' day, people witnessed miracles and ate their fill; beneath his cross they wept unto death; they betrayed, confessed, ran away and denied his name. Still--In the name of Jesus, people are healed and raised from the dead. He saves from our sins, grants us mercy and promises salvation. His name is Jesus.

This is the name—the only name—that allows the weak to be strong; the poor to feel rich, the hungry to be fed, and the lame to walk. His name aids the tempted to resist, the hopeless to rise, and the forsaken to rejoice—all, all because of what Christ has done for us.

Do not deny thy Father and refuse thy Son's name, for it is the name of Jesus Christ that holds within it the power to walk, to see, to heal, to serve and to love. His name is not the enemy; it is the Savior. In Christ we are born anew. We have it in writing: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Do the math and claim your name, my friends. Get out of KP Duty. Forget about name dropping; get in the habit of name lifting and see what an amazing-grace difference it makes in your life. I know it has in mine. Amen.

April 29, 2012

First Parish Federated Church of South Berwick, ME

The Reverend Donna Lee Muise, Pastor

1Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet, First Folio.

2Kabalarians.com

3Kabalarian.com/Jesus/Christ

Walking With Moses

John 20:1-18; I Corinthians 15:1-11

“I have seen the Lord!”

Perhaps it seems to you odd that the title of our Easter message today is, “Walking with Moses.” Of course, it was my intent to have you wondering and perhaps even squinting at me a little askance. I would never want to become so predictable that you felt you could skip Easter worship because, after all, it's the same story every year, right? You remember how it goes....

The Resurrection is not a story to be remembered, it is a hope to feel, a life to live, a Savior to follow for the rest of our lives. As our children sang just a few minutes ago, “Alive! Alive! My Jesus is Alive—alive forevermore—sing Hallelujah!”

For Christians, unless we have come to believe in vain (as Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth), there is no better, greater, higher, deeper, wider, more fulfilling, chilling, thrilling, fascinating, exacerbating, confusing, inducing, incredible, indelible, truth-is-stranger than fiction fact that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead! Sing Alleluia!

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary and the other women made their way to the tomb expecting to quietly anoint the Lord's body so that he would be properly buried. Their only concern was about that stone over the tomb's opening. Who would remove it for them? Yet when Mary and the others reached the place, they saw that the stone had been not just rolled away, but that it had been removed altogether.

We all know what it is like to feel your heart pounding in your chest...throbbing in your eardrums... forcing blood through your veins. You can hardly breathe, it seems, and the muscles begin to contract all over your body; you begin to tremble physically and fearfully.

Of course, Mary thought the worst had happened—perhaps that was God's intent—to have her see something that doesn't make sense; she, like we, quickly dropped from a moment of wonder into squinting askance at the oddity, and then still not able to make sense of it, she crumbled, as we often do, right into rapid-fire succession into the emotions of worry, panic, sorrow that cause us, and the women, to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Last Tuesday, I too had such an experience when I took my first “walk with Moses,” and I can tell you all of those emotions and symptoms I just described happened to me within 2 minutes. I'd never gone for a walk alone with Moses, and I was so looking forward to it. My friend Moses is an 11-month-old puppy.

We started out here at the church, turned right at the sidewalk and started up Academy Street. This was going to be a perfect arrangement: Moses would get out of his house while his owner worked, and I would get some much needed exercise.

I think I was as excited as Moses was until... just two houses up from the church, out from the backyard charged a huge Husky, barking and jumping, glaring at us with those white eyes and baring those even whiter teeth. We stopped; well, I stopped. Moses doesn't stop much. My heart was pounding, my leash arm was aching, I could hardly breathe....walking with Moses takes courage, I decided. I began to rethink this perfect arrangement as I remembered that sage advice, if you don't want to run with the big dogs, you might as well stay on the porch. The porch very quickly started looking quite appealing to me in that moment. Fortunately, the porch was the farthest thing from Moses' mind.

As we walked through the neighborhoods of Sewall Road, Parent Street, and Butler, too, I had envisioned a peaceful journey...away from the constant traffic on Main Street. I'd look at the houses and spring flowers as Moses walked along at my side. Then I remembered something—it was like an electric shock through my body. Unlike the women that first Easter morning, who brought their spices to anoint the Lord, I was not prepared to do what I had to do if Moses had to do...you know...do. I could only hope that Moses could wait until he got home.

Mary did not wait around for any explanations for this impossible thing that had happened. She ran all the way back to where the disciples were staying, and she woke Peter and John. “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then the three of them ran back to the tomb. They ran after the wrong impossible thing. It was not that the stone and Jesus' body were gone from the tomb; the “impossible” thing was that Jesus had risen from the dead—He was alive! Alive forevermore!

Not too far into the journey, Moses began taking me on this walk, sniffing the bases of telephone poles or “marking” fire hydrants. Somewhere along the way I realized that I was unprepared for the “elimination event.” The worst part was when he ground to a halt and crouched down on his hind legs; the wrong possible thing was happening. I had to laugh, though, at the irony of the biblical Moses who was the great lawgiver, and this Moses (and I) were lawbreakers.

The Resurrection breaks all kinds of laws—physics, biology, and nature's order. Many of us today find it difficult to trust good news because we're used to bad news. And that will never change until we can receive and believe the good-est news of all, that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead; that Christ is alive, alive forevermore. This is news that should not be kept quiet.

We “mosey” along in life with the information that Jesus Christ is alive. Yet what God has designed for us in the resurrection of Jesus Christ is transformation. Shall we stand inside a dark tomb of fatigue and distraction, emptiness in the midst of the rapid-fire pace of 21st-century living? Don't you long for someone to roll away that stone that keeps us locked in the tomb? Don't you want to turn over a new leash in life, not one that fits around your neck but one that is made of God's amazing grace and Christ's abiding love?

Moses wanted off his leash the other day. A woman with two small and white, curly coiffed dogs came around the corner. Moses began to strain against his leash, pulling me forward. The little dogs looked like fluffy white cupcakes to him, I am sure.

Well, the woman with the well-coiffed dogs pulled both leashes up short and squished herself and the two cupcakes between a fence...and a fire hydrant. A brilliant move. Moses thought he'd died and gone to heaven. As I struggled to get Moses away from his prey, she squinted at me askance and weakly apologized. “I know I shouldn't have stopped at a fire hydrant.” As I pulled Moses into the crosswalk , I felt like barking, too. “You're lucky you didn't get … wet.”

Cars were coming to a stop all around us, right there, and I said a prayerful apology to Sarah Orne Jewett. Finally, I had to take Moses by the collar and physically turn him around. I thanked the guy in the Ford Expedition for not running over both of us. I went walking with Moses, and we both came back alive.

Christ indeed is alive with us today because he was willing to die for us on Friday. He lives so that we may also live, and live abundantly. He lives not to protect us from difficult experiences like worry, panic and sorrow; like facing the next scary situation that comes around the corner. He lives to give us strength and courage to get off the porch and run with the big dogs.

He lives, and because he lives we can face all the tomorrows, leashed or unleashed, because we know he holds the future in his hands.

Get walking with Jesus; get talking about Jesus. Christ is risen. There's no other way to tell it. Christ is risen; He is risen, indeed! Amen.

April 8, 2012

The First Parish Federated Church of South Berwick, ME

The Reverend Donna Lee Muise, Pastor

Juggling Greatness

Ephesians 2:4-10

“For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

In the early 1980s, one dark and rainy night, Kit Summers was crossing the street on his way to the Atlantic City casino where he performed his world-class juggling show when he was struck, full speed, by a truck. Kit was thrown onto the hood of the truck, broke the windshield with his head, rolled off and tore off the side-view mirror with his body, and was thrown into a crumpled heap 30 feet away.

For 37 days, the juggler lay in a coma. When he awoke, it was quickly apparent that this man would have to learn to do everything all over again—eating, walking, talking, let alone juggling! In his mind, Kit knew how to do these activities, yet the pathways from his brain to his nervous system had to be established all over again. After a year of patience, dedication and discipline, and on the anniversary of his terrible accident, Kit performed his juggling act again before a live audience.

Kit would never again be world-class at juggling--it was physically impossible after the accident, but he found a way to use his talent for a very good work: the entertainment of juggling is now a background he uses to teach young people in schools across our country to set goals, make good choices, don‘t go to school to get good grades, go to school to learn. Summers calls this day-long presentation “Educational Entertainment Excellence.” If you go to his website (www.kit summers.com), you will find among many sayings of his these words of encouragement.

“Things don't get better by chance, they get better by change.”

“Learn from what happens--set-backs, successes, accidents, etc.--

then move on.”

We hear stories like Kit Summers' from time to time on the news, of people overcoming great challenges or heartbreak and use their experiences to motivate, encourage and bring healing to others. If you're anything like me, you might ask yourself questions like, “Would I have the strength, determination, and heart that it takes to overcome the odds?”

Maybe the better question is, “Would I be able to do that--to take a setback, limitation or calamity--and use it to achieve something important for others?

Perhaps the best question of all to ask ourselves is, “Will we trust God, who made us to be what we are, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (2:10)?

Most of us, fortunately, will never suffer such a catastrophic accident and injury like Kit Summers, yet I think one of the teachings from this Ephesians’ passage is that God created each one of us with a job to do, a purpose to accomplish, a ministry to share in and through the relationship we have with Jesus Christ.

Paul's testimony in his letter to the Ephesians reminds us that “We are what [God] has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life” (2:10). [Other texts read, We are the handiwork of God.]

So, how do you feel about yourself today? Do you feel you are the handiwork of God? Do you feel you could change the world or are you satisfied to just get by, make your way through daily life--juggling mediocrity?

We are not created for a life of just getting by, taking care of our own, and turning away from those in need even when we are in need ourselves. Kit Summers used determination, commitment and sacrifice to regain his ability to juggle neon scarves, bowling pins and flaming torches. Then, Christ used Kit to carry out good works with youth across America. That’s when Kit Summers began juggling greatness. He is beautifully woven into the handiwork of God.

Paul’s words say that we are created for greatness--over the course of my ministry the last 17 years, when I am counseling someone who is struggling and about to settle for less--or worse, give up, I have used this promise: “You are created for great things.”

Greatness in God’s eyes is different from what the world sees as greatness. Some of us are called to be world-class parents, some world-class firefighters, some world-class nurses and teachers and grocery store workers. It’s not the actual job/work that encompasses greatness it is what you bring to it, how you put your personal mark of who you are created by God to be that makes all the difference. [Story of “Johnny the Bagger” (www.YouTube.com)]

There are thousands of people who do great things in our world, but the ones who know they are God’s handiwork are the ones who juggle true greatness. We become God’s handiwork when we unclench our death grip on our lives and ask Christ Jesus to live within us, so that we may engage, enact, and encourage others with acts of loving service in Christ’s name. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God….”

Friends, being the handiwork of God is not for the fainthearted, for folks who are willing to settle for mediocrity. Life does not get better by chance; it gets better is by change, and that change comes when we are willing to give Christ control of our lives.

It is not enough to know in our minds what God wants us to do through Jesus Christ; we have to establish and reestablish daily the pathway between our hearts and our hands, our faith and our Father, our works and our Savior.

Christ did not come into this world so that we can walk around comatose to the deep needs of others around us. Christ did not hang on the cross so that we might have the status of belonging to his church. Christ came to us, spoke to us, prayed for us, and died for us so that we can humbly and lovingly be world-class jugglers of God’s greatness. Thanks be to God. Amen.

March 18, 2012

First Parish Federated Church of South Berwick, ME

The Reverend Donna Lee Muise, Pastor

The Path of Influence

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

“I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations,

for an everlasting covenant to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”

Some products we use daily might not be here at all if somebody hadn't goofed but then realized the fortuosity of their “mistake” and they started something important to us today. Corn Flakes and Silly Putty, Post-It Notes and the Slinky all were discovered or devised as the result of an accident, oversight.

Of course, we hear often of others who “invent” schemes and products to deceive the unsuspecting—to steal their life savings or sell them inferior products that do not do what they say they can do. These folks start things like Ponzi schemes and cellulite removing creams. Neither of which work except for the one who started them.

Maybe you have heard the story about the man who was refused entry into a fancy dinner club because he wasn't wearing a tie. The doorman sent the man away with instructions to return if, and only if, he had a tie wrapped around his neck. The fellow rummaged through his car, but couldn't find a necktie. However, he did find a pair of jumper cables in the trunk. He decided to fashion a ;necktie from those jumper cables. He returned to the door of the club. The doorman saw those jumper cables around the man's neck and realized that technically they could serve as a tie. So the doorman said, “Well, I guess you can come in.” Then he added, “Just don't start anything.”¹

When God created heaven and earth, God was starting something, started something big, started something that would last through all generations, something that was very, very good. Yet, along the way evil slithered in and spawned its influence over people who were vulnerable, folks who were told they could be like God or even becoming God.

Of course, none of us can become God, but we can strive to be like God. Jesus was God in the flesh and he came to show us the way away from evil and to teach us how to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

Jesus is the perfect path of influence to follow if we desire to become like God, to become the people God designed us to be. This is God's plan, God's covenant. This life we have is no accident, no fluke, no mistake, for whatever God makes is good—very, very good. God designed us to be intentional about life. We are not here to profit, to destroy the earth or devastate one another. We are here to lengthen the path of influence which began so long ago, in a desert place, at the feet of nomads, Abraham and Sarah.

The paths we tread are not marred by physical boulders and hills, tree roots and thick, prickly branches, but we do encounter these elements symbolically in the challenges and troubles we face in life as we strive to remain under the influence of our Savior, Jesus. We can be blocked by stones of sin, hills of struggles we think we might never be able to conquer, tripped by the roots of evil that send us falling off the path and into the arms of painful brambles that draw, if not blood, some of our life force.

During Lent we remember the pain and struggle—and the triumphs—of Jesus' journey. If it happened to him it can happen to us, too. How do we stay on the path of his influence? We keep our eyes on him, on the goodness he leads us to, that we may experience God's love and grace, as Jesus experienced it. We train our hearts to listen and our eyes to witness God's promise that echoes through the generations: “I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”

Entrusting self and soul to the Son of the God of the Covenant is a tall order for anyone. Perhaps we can take a cue from Henry Brown.

Mr Brown was a slave in Richmond, VA, in 1856, and he decided to runaway, even though the penalty for doing so was a first-class trip to the gallows. Henry had heard of an abolitionist in Philadelphia, and so he concocted a plan. He found a wooden crate just large enough for him to drawl inside. He postmarked the box to the free territory of Pennsylvania. He got inside the box, sealed himself in, and mailed himself to freedom.

This was not a well thought out plan: it took three weeks for the abolitionist to get the package. We have no idea how Brown managed to survive the trip, but when the man opened the crate, Henry managed to stand up and he said, How do you do, sir. My name is Henry Brown and I was a slave. I heard about you being and abolitionist, so I am entrusting my future to you.”²

God wants us to entrust our futures, in this world and the next, to Jesus Christ. Jesus is God's son and a great son in the line of Abraham's sons down through the generations. It may be difficult to envision the hundreds and hundreds of generations since Abraham and Sarah had Isaac. It's too broad to understand that path of influence, so let's focus it a little closer to our own history in the faith.

Way back in 1858 a Sunday School teacher in Chicago named Ezra Kimball became interested in the spiritual welfare of a young shoe shop clerk in his town. After debating inwardly what to do about it, Kimball took himself to Holton's shoe store. He walked by the store several times before going in the door, finally mustering the courage to approach the young man, who was working in the stock room at the time. Kimball proceeded to talk with this youth about his faith. The shoe clerk Kimball influenced that day was Dwight L Moody, who subsequently became a great evangelist and whose works are still influencing others for the faith today.

Yet, this is not where the path of influence ends. Moody went on to preach a crusade in England and, in 1879, awakened the heart of Frederick B Meyer, a pastor of a small church. Meyer went on to become a renowned theologian. In fact, years later, Meyer was preaching in Moody's school in Northfield, MA, when a young man in the back row heard Meyer say, “If you are not willing to give up everything for Christ, are you willing to be made willing?” Those words transformed the ministry of another man, J Wilbur Chapman. Chapman became a YMCA worker, back when the Y was still a religious institution. The path does not end at the Y.

Chapman recruited a former baseball player to help him in his ministry. After being a popular outfielder in baseball's National League during the 1880s, Billy Sunday became one of the most celebrated and influential American evangelists during the first 20 years of the 20^th century. Later at a revival in Charlotte, NC, Billy Sunday so excited a group of local men that they began an ongonig prayter group. Later they engaged an evangelist named Mordecai Hamm to come to their town to keep the revival spirit alive. In that revival, Mordecai Ham influenced another young man with the gospel so much so that he came to faith on the spot. Perhaps you know him? That man was Billy Graham. And so the path of influence continues, generation to generation.

Ezra Kimball had no idea was chain of influence his obedience to the Lord set in motion. If we widen the historical lens, Abraham and Sarah had no idea what would happen because of their obedience to the Lord. What would they say if they knew that today, you and I would be revisiting their story; that “more than a billion Christians and nearly as many Moslems and Jews would be telling and retelling their story all over the world”?

You and I do not have to be Dwight Moodys, Billy Sundays, or Billy Grahams, yet we should strive with all our heart, mind, soul and strength to be the influences God has created us to be, to influence others to find faith in Jesus Christ, and to join the path of influence that others, too, may take the journey to salvation. The future depends on us. If we fail to influence others, generations after generations may never hear of Jesus, let alone know him, and never mind feasting at his table. Make no mistake: our generation has an important job to do: to influence the next generation. Let us not become the weakest link. Amen.

March 5, 2012/First Parish Federated Church of South Berwick, ME/The Reverend Donna Lee Muise, Pastor

1Duncan, King. “Acting on Faith” Dynamic Preaching, Jan Feb Mar 2012, p 1.

2Gregory, Leland. Stupid History Tales of Stupidity. Kansas City, MO: Andrew McMeel Pub, 2007, p 246