Vision Comes First

Based on Matthew 17:1-9
First delivered Feb. 23, 2020
Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr            

            This summer is the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Young people from around the world will watch the spectacle of the parade of nations at the opening ceremony. They will see the display of sheer joy of accomplishment on the faces of athletes who set records and win competitions. They will watch the majesty of the award ceremonies, when the bronze, silver, and gold medals are draped over the necks of the champions and the national anthem of the gold medal recipient is played. And as these young people watch the Games unfold, some of them will sense a stirring deep inside, a vision will be cast, they will find themselves dreaming that perhaps one day they will compete in the Olympics. They want the vision of the Olympics that unfolds before them to become their lived reality.

            And so, for these young dreamers, these future athletes, they begin the grueling pursuit toward the vision of competing in the Olympics. It is that vision, the parade of nations, the joy of victory, the splendor of the awards ceremony, that keeps these young athletes motivated during the tough slog of training, of all the competitions, the losses, the injuries, the sacrifices, all in pursuit of experiencing the vision of the Olympics for themselves. Honestly, without having witnessed the Olympics for themselves, perhaps in person but most likely by watching on a screen, these young people would never have ventured on the path of Olympic glory. They needed to be captured by the vision before they would dare to step out on that journey of struggle.

            As we watch these athletes perform at the 2020 Summer Olympics, often you will see them pause with their eyes closed. They may be taking a deep breath, or getting themselves centered. But I have heard also that just before they jump off the diving board or do that gymnastics floor routine, the athlete is playing in their mind the routine. They are imagining themselves doing a perfect run. It is as if they are conjuring up a vision of what they set out to perform, they see in their minds a flawless performance. Then they execute and hope that they perform just as they envisioned it to go. First the vision, then the execution.

            Obviously, not all of us have the same ambition, drive and ability to pursue the vision of becoming an Olympic athlete. But as we make our journey through life, we all take on some major challenges, some dreams, that will require a good deal of work and sacrifice. Maybe the dream is to graduate from college or pursue a professional career. Maybe the dream is to serve in the military, or to start your own landscaping business. Maybe the dream is to purchase some land in the Smokey Mountains and build a log cabin to where you can escape from time to time. We all have dreams, significant life-goals that can be quite demanding. I have found that before starting on that quest, that pursuit of great ambitions, it helps to have a vision of what you are aiming for. You want to envision yourself running that landscaping business, or envision the life of a marine, or envision walking across the stage to receive your diploma, or envision what that little cabin in the woods will look like. It’s those visions of what you aim to achieve that motivates us to keep pushing through, knowing that al the pain and suffering, the risk and the failures, are all part of the process of achieving, making real, what you envision. It is the vision that motivates us not to give up when it’s hard.

            Jesus and his disciples had been on a journey together for perhaps three years. They had been all through Galilee, stopping from town to town, where Jesus taught in the synagogue, went to dinner parties, visited people in their homes, healed the sick, cast out demons, worked miracles, you know, just an ordinary life. Having been together for a few years, Jesus wanted to know from his disciples what they thought of him. He asked them, “Who do people say that I am?” They replied, “Some say you are John the Baptist, others call you Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” And then Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” Peter says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus tells everyone to keep it among themselves, to not tell anyone that he is the messiah. That’s pretty curious. And then, Jesus starts talking about how they are going to go to Jerusalem, where Jesus will undergo great suffering and be crucified. Well, that’s too much for Peter to stomach. So, he pulls Jesus aside to rebuke him, saying “God forbid! This must never happen to you!” Jesus then rebukes Peter for trying to prevent him from fulfilling his purpose. Up to this point, the disciples’ journey with Jesus had been pretty cool. But now, things were going to get ugly. This journey was moving into a new phase that would test the disciples like they had never been tested.

            Maybe, as a way to respond to the anxiety that Peter expressed, an anxiety that was likely shared by all the disciples after Jesus shared a description of what lay ahead, Jesus decided to take Peter, James and John with him and climb up a tall mountain. This was not a walk to clear their heads. Jesus was planning to reveal to these three disciples a glimpse of where all this was headed. Jesus decided to give them a vision.

            What a vision it was! For a brief moment, God removed the veil between this world and the other world. The disciples got to see Jesus in his heavenly body, full of light, as he spoke with Moses and Elijah. It was a glimpse of the post-resurrection reality, that future time in which death has been vanquished. It was a moment outside of time really, a full-immersion vision of eternal life. Wow!

            I can’t help but think that after having experienced this vision, Peter, James and John never saw Jesus the same way again. Whenever they looked at Jesus as they were walking down the road, or when Jesus was teaching, or joking around with the neighborhood kids, or having a heated conversation with Pharisees, that they would recall that vision, of how Jesus looked when he was filled with light. That vision was firmly planted in their minds. And when they saw Jesus beaten, abused, and hanging on a cross, and then watching his body being wrapped and placed in a tomb, surely that vision on the mountain top forced them to try to make sense of it all, to know deep down, hope beyond hope, that what appeared to be defeat was part of the journey to everlasting life. They knew that vision that Jesus gave them had to become reality. Not even death would stop it. Still, I can only imagine that Peter, James and John, and perhaps the rest of the disciples if they went on ahead and told everyone anyway, still struggled to make sense of how it was that the man they saw teaching, healing, casting out demons, who stood before them filled with light and having a conversation with Moses and Elijah, could die on a cross. How difficult it must have been to put the glorified Jesus and the crucified Jesus together.

            As you may know, in a few days will come Ash Wednesday, a day that marks the beginning of our annual pilgrimage through Lent toward Easter. These forty days are set aside for us to take a journey inward, to explore how we are doing spiritually. And it is a journey outward, inviting us to especially be intentional to respond to the needs of others around us. This is a season that calls us to prepare ourselves so that when we arrive at the Passion week, when we relive the drama of that week, we can enter into that week wholeheartedly so that God can speak into our lives, so we can be reminded of the extent to which Jesus was willing to go so that death could be destroyed and we could be redeemed.

            It seems fitting, then, that as we begin this journey toward Easter we are reminded of this vision of Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain top. This vision of the heavenly reality is what lays ahead of us, a vision of our own destiny, the experience that awaits us to have our bodies filled with light, when we will have our own conversations with Moses, Elijah, Jesus, and all our ancestors. It is this vision of the transfiguration that reminds us of what awaits us all.

            These visions I have been talking about are clearly positive visions of the future: winning a gold medal, performing a perfect dive, getting a glimpse of heaven. These are visions that can’t help but motivate a person to push forward, to work toward that vision with patience, determination and hope for the future. These are visions that uplift and encourage. They are life giving.

            Such positive visions are not automatic. Negative and depressing visions can also be conjured. Dystopian visions are available to us. For example, the vision that climate catastrophe is inevitable, that the planet will not be habitable by the end of this century. Or the vision that there is no ultimate meaning to life, that when we die, our light goes out and we fade into nothingness. Or the vision that nuclear annihilation is inevitable. There are all kinds of visions of despair available for our choosing.

            Have you ever thought that the vision for the future we choose to embrace impacts how we live our lives now? Consider how you would live your life if you chose a vision of life beyond death or a vision of life as meaningless. How would you live if you held to a vision that was full of possibility or a vision full of doom and gloom? Absolutely, the vision we choose to live in to impacts our resilience when life gets hard. It impacts how much grit and determination we can call upon to push through. It influences our attitude toward life itself, either a pessimistic or optimistic attitude, depending on what we envision for the future.

            Someone once said that when setting goals, begin with the end in mind. What are you aiming for? What does where you want to go look like? When planning for the future, setting those goals, mapping out our lives, it helps to have some clarity about where you want to end up. If you envision yourself helping people who are sick, then you can start mapping out the steps of how you will achieve that vision for yourself. If you envision living in a world where racism has been overcome, then you can ask yourself what one step you can take to contribute to the realizing of that vision. Making plans, setting goals and intentions, are all about achieving the vision you have placed before yourself.

            This morning, as we remember the vision that Jesus gave the disciples, a glimpse of what post-resurrection life looks like, I invite you to take some time today and consider what visions you hold. Have a conversation with God. Ask God to reveal to you what God’s vision is for you. Perhaps God will use your imagination to give you a glimpse of what post-resurrection life looks like for you. In other words, ask God to stir in your imagination images of what heaven might be like. When I imagine heaven, I am always drawn to this image of a large meadow that you get to by walking through a forest of giant trees. The sky is dark blue and the sun is vibrant. On the horizon are snow capped mountains. Gathered in the meadow are countless numbers of people wearing white robes. The air is warm with a gentle breeze, pulsing with life. What images of heaven do you hold?

            Whatever images you have received, hold them close. Bring them back up from time to time. Let those images work their magic on you, to stir the depths of your spirit, to give you some perspective of what matters, to trigger within you a sense of hope. It is our visions of what lies ahead that pulls us forward, that helps us make our way through the ups and downs of life until the time comes when our visions become lived reality.

Divisiveness is a Diversion

Based on 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
First delivered Feb. 16, 2020
Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr 

            We are well into the primary season, as a number of Democratic candidates for president battle for votes with the hopes of becoming the party’s nominee. Meanwhile, President Trump keeps having his big rallies as he runs basically unopposed for his party’s nomination. All this is happening in the shadow of the impeachment trial that led to Trump’s acquittal on a straight party line vote. The whole impeachment process was partisan all the way through. In fact, the partisanship of that process reflected a partisan spirit that has held sway over our federal government for a long time. The divide is so deep. Every now and then congress does pass something significant and the president signs it in to law. But for the most part nothing of significance is getting done. The problems our nation is facing are not being adequately addressed because the political partisanship is so great that our elected leaders talk past each other, seeking to score cheap political points. Don’t you sometimes wish you could stand in front of the congress and the president and scream out, “Stop acting like children!”

            Paul wasn’t having to deal with a situation quite like this in Corinth. But there was a sort of partisan spirit in the church there. Church members were taking sides on who they liked better. Paul had fans and Apollos had fans. These two groups had an attitude toward each other. There was some pettiness back and forth. A little jealousy thrown in. People felt pressured to pick sides. They talked past each other, looked down on each other, sniped at each other. Paul wasn’t going to have it. If you look at 1 Cor. 3:1-2, you could restate what Paul is saying there by saying, “Stop acting like children!” Just as our nation is mired in our petty partisanship, blocking our nation from making progress, so the Corinthian church with their petty divisions over who followed who was blocking them from progressing in their growth as disciples.

            This divisiveness between the followers of Paul and the followers of Apollos was distracting everyone from their common purpose, which was to proclaim the gospel and demonstrate to the world the transforming power of God. Instead of focusing on their common purpose, these Corinthian Christians were focused on their own internal squabbles about who was better, Paul or Apollos. Their focus wasn’t on Jesus. It wasn’t on the mission. It was instead a focus on being on the right side. The more zealous Christians would decide who they liked better and then use their persuasion to get others to join them in their support of either Paul or Apollos. Everyone else felt pressured to pick a side. So, everyone was stewing over who to follow, even as I am sure there were many who didn’t want to pick a side. They liked Paul and Apollos. But they would say to themselves, “If I hang out with Paul’s crowd then the Apollos fans will look down on me. Same goes if I hang out with the supporters of Apollos. The fans of Paul will think less of me.” So, there was all this anxiety about trying to decide who you are going to go with, sorting everyone into camps. Meanwhile, those who didn’t belong to the Corinthian church went on about their business, unaware of all the inner turmoil going on among the Corinthian Christians. Very little proclamation of the gospel was happening. Not a lot of testimony about the transforming power of God. The outside community was ignored while the Christians fought and struggled with each other over who was worthy of being followed, Paul or Apollos. I also suspect the outside community was ignoring the Christians. If Paul had hair, I’m sure he would have been pulling it out.

            How does such divisiveness affect the church today? I can’t help but think of the decades long struggle among United Methodists about which camp to be a part of. Lately we have it broken down into three parties: Traditionalist, Centrist, and Progressive. There is now a fourth party emerging, calling themselves Liberationists. This partisan spirit within the United Methodist Church really isn’t about choosing among a couple of powerful, charismatic leaders. What we are dealing with is not the same as picking a Paul or an Apollos. Nor is it necessarily petty. The beliefs held among these groups around matters of biblical interpretation, theological traditions, limitations to inclusion, they are deeply held beliefs that do matter. I would not say that the issues that are dividing the United Methodist Church are petty and are not driven by fits of jealousy. But representatives of these groups are talking past each other. The divides are deep. And, as we all know, it appears that come May there is a good chance that some amicable separation will occur. If we were to force our tribes into two camps, the Paul camp and the Apollos camp, we would say that the path is being laid for Paul’s camp and Apollos’ camp to separate and go their separate ways. Meanwhile, the mission of proclaiming the gospel and giving testimony to the transforming power of God is impacted, certainly for those who are investing their energy in staying in the camp they know is right, attempting to persuade others to join their camp, and disparaging those who are in another camp. Thank God not everyone is wrapped up in that fight! Otherwise, the United Methodist Church would have collapsed a long time ago. There are a lot of United Methodists who are not interested in choosing a side. They just want to tell others about Jesus and demonstrate God’s transforming love in the world. The work of the church continues. Yet, it is diminished when there are a lot of people, particularly those in positions of leadership, who are focused on maintaining their camps and insisting on the rightness of their positions. I personally have a stake in this. I have my camp that I’ve selected and sometimes hold back from hanging out with people in another camp for fear of what people in my camp might think of me. But it’s not something I’m spending a lot of energy around. And I don’t see you all doing that either. For that, I am grateful. I am not saying we are always focused on our mission. We sometimes get sidetracked by anxieties around the future viability of our congregation. We sometimes take a swipe at other churches, or maybe even feel a little jealousy about how well a particular church is doing while we struggle. There are things that distract us from our mission of proclaiming the gospel and demonstrating God’s transforming love in the world. It isn’t divisiveness that we struggle with among ourselves. But if we take a wider view of the United Methodist Church as a whole, the divisions that have riled us for decades has had an impact. Enough people are beginning to realize that for the sake of the mission, the bickering has to stop, and the camps need to take different paths.

            Let’s turn back to the church in Corinth who were clearly dealing with a divisive spirit that presented as bickering and jealousy between the followers of Paul and the followers of Apollos. As I have tried to put myself in the shoes of those Christians, it got me to wondering if the temptation to focus on choosing sides, feeling good about the righteousness of your choice and disparaging those in the other group is a way of avoiding personal responsibility to be engaged in mission. Let’s unpack this.

            You may remember we looked at how Paul shared with the Corinthians that he had some anxiety about sharing with them the message that Jesus, who was crucified, was actually the messiah. It is a quirky message. As Paul said, it was a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks. It is a message that doesn’t make rational sense. It is a message to which people would quite possibly ignore, or mock, or worse. I mean, Paul was rounding up Christians to be imprisoned because of this message he was now proclaiming. There was some danger in this message. It took courage, and the willingness to risk a lot, to share this message in those days. I bet there were a lot of people who had come to believe the message, but were fearful to share the message themselves. The idea of going out into the community to tell others about the crucified messiah may have caused a good deal of anxiety. So, instead of taking the bold step to make oneself vulnerable to ridicule, or worse, the temptation would be to align oneself with a leader and find comfort and assurance that they were ok because they were in the right crowd. It seemed less risky to choose sides and be a part of a tribe rather than get out into the community and be exposed as a believer of a crucified messiah. Focusing inward and choosing sides was easier than focusing on the common mission of telling others about Jesus who was crucified and demonstrating God’s transforming love. Focusing inward and choosing sides was a way to avoid responsibility for working toward the common mission. You would think to yourself, “I may not be out there telling others about Jesus but at least I’m on the right side. That’s good enough, right?” Paul would disagree. And I’m pretty sure Apollos would as well. Maybe they even saw this divisive spirit for what it was, a smokescreen to avoid participating in God’s work.

            When a common purpose is front and center and there is a sense of urgency, it is amazing how petty bickering and jealousy is overwhelmed by the immediate need to come together and respond. Many of us remember watching M.A.S.H. back in the 70s and 80s. We watched all the hijinks that went on in that MASH unit. Hawkeye and Trapper John would get Major Burns  and later Major Charles Emerson Winchester III all cranked up. Colonel Potter would be snapping at everybody. Klinger was always acting up with hopes of getting a medical discharge. Father Mulcahy always trying to keep things on an even keel. But, when injured warriors were being brought in, all the pettiness and bickering ended as the unit came together to treat their comrades and save as many lives as they could. The mission of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital took center stage with a great deal of urgency.

            We all remember what it was like after the 9/11 attacks. At the time our nation was pretty polarized. Not as much as now but there was still a lot of bickering between Democrats and Republicans and not the healthiest political discourse, fanned by the popularity of Rush Limbaugh and other right-wing radio personalities on one side and the left-leaning popular media on the other. But, then, the attack at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the thwarted attack that brought down a plane in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, brought the country together like I have never experienced in my life. The national solidarity was amazing. Everyone knew it wouldn’t last. These moments in time when the divisions in our politics are overcome with a common sense of purpose and the urgent need to pull together as one…these moments are few and far between and come at a great cost. It takes a lot to bring a divided people together. But when a people can come together with a sense of common purpose and with urgency, it is such a gratifying experience, even transformational. It is a glimpse of what is possible.

            Paul was completely focused on the mission of proclaiming the gospel and demonstrating the transforming power of God. Paul had a sense of urgency. He believed that in a short time the Lord was going to return and firmly establish the reign of God on earth. The mission was urgent. All of his focus was on that mission. To his dismay, the people of Corinth did not share that same sense of urgency. And it frustrated him to no end how the Corinthian Christians were getting sidetracked with petty squabbles about who was better, Paul or Apollos. As if that even mattered. How is deciding who was better have anything to do with proclaiming the gospel and demonstrating the transforming power of God? It was a diversion. And it detracted from the urgent mission at hand.

            Last week, I talked about the method Paul used to evangelize the Corinthians. He chose not to use fancy words or polished rhetoric. He wanted to make sure that the people were not putting their faith in Paul or Paul’s ideas. He wanted them to put their faith in God. He was just the humble messenger, speaking from the heart. I wonder if another reason why Paul decided to evangelize the way he did was to try to prevent the divisiveness that emerged in the church there. He was doing everything he knew to do to make the point that this mission he was engaged in was not about himself. It was all about God. He didn’t come to introduce a new philosophical school called Paulism. He wanted everyone to look to Jesus, not to him, so there would not be any divisiveness or jealousy. Again, this is all about God and Jesus, not about Paul and Apollos. So, Paul tried to present his message in a way that would hopefully get people to look to God and Jesus and not to him or Apollos. But I guess it didn’t work. Apparently, the people chose their favorites anyway.

            And that’s unfortunate. The truth was that every follower of Jesus had a responsibility to participate in the common mission. Paul and Apollos had their specific roles. Paul said he planted and Apollos watered. That may be another way of saying that Paul laid the foundation and Apollos nurtured the people to grow in the faith. But the responsibility of the people was not to get on board with Paul or get on board with Apollos. Their responsibility was to get on board with God’s mission of redemption. They all had a common mission to proclaim the gospel and demonstrate God’s transforming power. Choosing sides and staying in one’s preferred corner missed the mark. Every Christian had, and has, their own role, their own function, to serve the common mission.

            Having said all this, can we acknowledge that it is perfectly natural to have our favorites? ZNot everyone likes the same music. And not everyone enjoys the same bands. I like U2 and you like Brittney Spears. That’s ok. Not everyone likes the same sports teams. I like the Reds and you like the White Sox. That’s fine. Thinking back over the different pastors you have had, each of you have your favorites. No problem. In Corinth a few thousand years ago some people really liked Paul and others really liked Apollos. That’s just natural. But, for there to be unity in the body of believers, that unity had to be found somewhere other than choosing one leader, either Paul or Apollos. The unity of the church is not found in a favorite leader but is found in a common purpose and singular faith in God through Jesus Christ. Within that unity there can be a diversity of groups. There can be “Paulians” and “Apolloians.” There can be United Methodists and Pentecostals, Roman Catholics and Southern Baptists. Our challenge is to keep our focus on our common mission and affirm that everyone, no matter what tribe they belong to, all are working toward the common mission, to proclaim Jesus Christ who was crucified, and to give witness to the transforming power of God.

Just Tell Your Story

Based on 1 Cor. 2:1-12
First delivered Feb. 9, 2020
Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr 

            From John Cobb: “In Christian tradition the transcendent reality that in its incarnate form is named Christ is called the Logos. Christ is the Logos as incarnate. The Logos is the cosmic principle of order, the ground of meaning, and the source of purpose.”

            From Thomas Aquinas: “The existence of truth is self-evident. For whoever denies the existence of truth grants that truth does not exist: and, if truth does not exist, then the proposition ‘Truth does not exist’ is true: and if there is anything true, there must be truth. But God is truth itself: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’ Therefore ‘God exists’ is self-evident.”

            These are two well-known and highly respected theologian-philosophers. They both plunge into the depths of the mystery of God, using their intelligence and genius in an attempt to put into words their understanding of who God is. And for most of us what they proclaim goes way above our heads. Just imagine someone who has no idea about the concept of God, or of Jesus, who wants to know more about the faith, turning to John Cobb and Thomas Aquinas for answers. I’m not knocking John Cobb or Thomas Aquinas. They are both brilliant. Particularly, Aquinas has had an immeasurable impact on the shaping of Christian theology in the western world. But, let’s be honest. For someone who is not a believer in Jesus Christ or does not know anything about God, how can this testimony of the faith from Cobb and Aquinas help them come to know Jesus? I doubt if it would have much impact. People who have been following Jesus for decades struggle understanding where they are coming from. How can we expect anyone to come to faith in Jesus, to begin to understand the power of God, by reading Cobb and Aquinas? Honestly, I don’t think their target audience is to ordinary people. They are talking to fellow academics who study religion and philosophy for a living, in my opinion.

            So, if you were going to try to tell someone about God, or who Jesus is, where would you start? It might make sense to turn to the Bible. After all, that’s what the Bible is about. It is in the Bible that we learn about who God is, who Jesus is, who the Holy Spirit is, and who we are. There is so much that we can learn from the Bible. We can read and study the Bible for decades and still find something new. There is no other source with the same degree of authority on matters of the faith than the Holy Bible. The Bible is sacred to us. It is trustworthy and true. So, why wouldn’t we turn to the Bible to help someone know about God and Jesus?

            It makes sense to go to the Bible, to tell our friend “The Bible says…” But there is one small potential problem. Maybe the person you are talking to is not impressed with the authority of the Bible. What if your friend thinks the Bible is just a book? If the Bible does not have authority for them, is it really helpful to point them to the Bible? Their response would likely be, “Well, that’s interesting, but so what? It’s just a book. It’s stuff someone wrote a long time ago. What does that have to do with me? How can you trust a book that was written in a time when everyone believed the earth was flat and that the sun revolved around the earth instead of the earth revolving around the sun?” My point is that not everyone believes the Bible has authority. We can’t expect people who don’t know God or believe in Jesus to be convinced just because the Bible tells us so.

            Maybe we can argue our friend into the faith. We can present a rational, logical argument that God must exist, that Jesus is who he says he is, that the resurrection must have happened, that we can have a saving relationship with Jesus. We can go the apologetics route. Apologetics doesn’t mean giving an apology like saying, “I’m sorry to tell you” or “I’m sorry I have to say.” An apology in this sense is giving a reasoned argument for your beliefs. There have been noted apologists through the centuries that have been effective in convincing skeptics. Two rather recent well-known apologists are Josh McDowell, who wrote a classic called “Evidence That Demands a Verdict.” He was an atheist who set out to disprove the existence of God and ended up convincing himself that, indeed, God is real and what the scriptures say about God and Jesus are true. There was also C.S. Lewis, famous for writing the Chronicles of Narnia and the Screwtape Letters. He famously argued that when considering the truth of Jesus, there are only three options: he was either a lunatic, a liar, or the Son of God. He wrote an apology called “Mere Christianity.” I remember after finishing that book thinking to myself, “If someone with an open mind read this book, they would be foolish not to believe in Jesus.” Of course, I was already a Christian, so I didn’t need convincing. And that’s the problem with turning to apologists, or the making of rational and logical arguments for God. They can be helpful for believers to get more clarity about what we say we believe in. But for those who aren’t convinced, there’s always the counter-argument that can be just as rational and logical. People can perhaps be almost persuaded. But it doesn’t always work. And in the end, someone could say to you, “Well, what you are saying makes sense and I see it is important for you. But, what difference does it make? I’m fine without God in my life, so…” People can grant the logic of faith but that doesn’t mean they are going to trust it, be convicted, give their life to Jesus, just because of a clever argument. For many, it takes something else.

            So, we turn to Paul, who records in 1 Corinthians where he is coming from as he made his way into their town to give witness to his faith in Jesus. Paul was a well-educated man. He talks about how he was taught by the great Pharisaic teacher Gamaleil. He had a firm understanding of the Torah. He understood key philosophical concepts and could make a good argument that would impress the philosophers of his age. But that’s not the method he used when he entered Corinth. Instead, he says to them that among them he chose to know nothing but Jesus Christ who was crucified. His whole message, his means to convince the Corinthians of the truth about Jesus was to talk about Jesus who was crucified and to demonstrate God’s power. In other words, Paul came to Corinth to give testimony to what Jesus has done in his life. He came to share his personal testimony, his own personal experience of God through Jesus. Let’s look at this for a minute.

            First, Paul says that he came to them without lofty words or wisdom. In other words, he wasn’t going to try to impress them with impressive rhetoric or well thought out arguments. This is a bit of a risky maneuver for Paul. In those days, there were a lot of traveling teachers who followed a number of philosophical schools. These professors, if you will, worked hard to come up with their best arguments to defend their philosophies. They would show up in the town square, gather a crowd, and make their case for their ideas. It was a sort of entertainment for the people. Those who could make the best arguments, with the finest turn of the phrase, would get lots of applause. Actually, believing what these philosophers argued was secondary to being entertained by a well-reasoned argument. People loved that stuff. That’s what people expected these traveling philosophers to do. But Paul chose not to take that course. He wasn’t going to stand in the town square to make his pitch for his faith in God and Jesus. He chose not to make a reasoned case for Christ. Not that he didn’t have the capability. But he chose not to make his case for Christ through a reasoned argument or rhetorical flourish. He wasn’t there to impress the people with his logic and rhetoric.

            Second, Paul says he came to them in weakness, fear and with much trembling. What’s that about? It’s like the exact opposite of the traveling philosophers. They came in to town with confidence in their ideas and their ability to make good arguments. They knew that if they were going to get a hearing they needed to come in with boldness, to make it clear that they know what they are talking about. The traveling philosopher needed to demonstrate that he, maybe she, had the authority to make their case. And Paul is choosing the exact opposite approach. Not only was he determined not to impress the people with his arguments and rhetoric but he also chose to present himself as weak, and with a little fear and trembling. In other words, he was coming to them to share his message from a place of vulnerability. He did not want to give the impression that he was sharing his belief about God and Jesus like this was some kind of show to impress people with his confidence and personal authority. No, he was going to deliver his message from a place of vulnerability, of authenticity, of sincerity. For him, this was not a show. He had a message to deliver that he wanted the people to take seriously, and to know that it was coming from the heart, and not something he was doing so people would say, “Wow, he’s so well spoken.” Paul knew that the message he was delivering was not about him.

            What does Paul say about his message? In vs. 2 we read, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” In vs. 4 we read, “My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” How was Paul going to share this message? From a place of vulnerability, speaking from the heart. In other words, as Paul came into Corinth to share the gospel, he would talk to them in plain words about Jesus, that he is the messiah, even though he was crucified. And he would back up that message by telling the people how the Spirit impacted his life. Paul was going to give his personal testimony of how he had experienced the transforming power of God in his own life through Jesus Christ. No fancy arguments. No clever rhetoric. Just plain talk about how he has experienced God in his life.

            Why did Paul choose this tactic? He tells us in verse 5. He chose to share his faith this way “so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.” He did not want the people to think, “Wow, Paul made a great case! I’m going to follow his teaching. He is so smart. He has such authority.” No, he was not looking for followers of his philosophical school. He was committed to pointing to God. He wanted the people to place their faith not in him and his ideas. He wanted them to put their faith in God, the one who has the power to transform lives. He wanted the people to hear him share from his heart what Jesus had done for him so that they might choose to give God a chance to transform their lives. He wanted them to be transformed by the Spirit of God just as he had.

            Last week, I talked about how God works through ordinary people to do extraordinary things. You and I, we are ordinary people. Yet, God has chosen us to be on God’s team. We get to participate with God in the restoration of the world. Together, as a community of faith, open to the leading of God’s Spirit, we can do extraordinary things. We can make a difference in the world.

            The same is true when it comes to sharing our faith with others. We don’t have to know a bunch of fancy words. We don’t have to be able to explain the Trinity, or atonement, or sanctification. We don’t have to be great speakers. When it comes to sharing our faith, all we have to do is tell our story. How have you experienced God in your life? How has the Spirit of God transformed your life? Tell that story. Speak from the heart.

            There’s an old African-American spiritual called “There Is a Balm in Gilead.” The last verse goes like this: “If you can’t preach like Peter, if you can’t pray like Paul, just tell the love of Jesus, and say he died for all.” All we have to do is tell our story of what Jesus means to us. Point others to Jesus and give God the glory for the difference Jesus has made in our lives.

            Will it always work? Will people who don’t believe in God immediately change their minds and believe in Jesus right after you tell your story? Probably not. I’m confident that not everyone came to faith in Jesus after hearing Paul tell his story. I would not be surprised if there were people whom Jesus himself invited to be his disciple and they turned and walked away. In fact, there’s a passage in the gospel of John in which, after giving a particularly difficult teaching, we read that many people decided that moment that they would no longer follow Jesus. If Jesus himself couldn’t convince everyone of who he was, we shouldn’t feel too bad if in our telling of our story not everyone will get it. But the seed has been planted. And if that person does eventually come to faith, the story your shared would have played one small part in bringing them to that moment of decision.

            Today I encourage you to be aware of those opportunities as they come along to share your story of how you have experienced God in your life. Somebody once wrote, “This world is sorely in need of a demonstration of the difference the Spirit makes in our lives each and every day.” People want to be inspired by stories of how people’s lives have been changed by the Spirit of God. If you are nervous, even a little fearful, about telling your story, that’s ok. Paul was too. But he cared about people enough, he knew how much he had been transformed in his own life, that he had the courage to tell his story and trust that in the telling the Spirit can move in the hearts of those who hear. Paul understood the power of story. Paul knew that this was not about him. It was about telling others what God has done in his life. All he had to do was bear witness. Now and then, you and I get an opportunity to bear witness, to tell our stories. Don’t miss those opportunities. Every person who has come to faith did so because someone had enough courage and care to tell their story.

Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things

Based on 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
First delivered Feb. 2, 2020
Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr 

            Who are the ones that got picked first on the playground when you were dividing up teams? I can almost guarantee the first ones picked were either the friends of the captain picking the teams or the ones the captain thought were the most athletic. They were likely the strongest and tallest boys. It was highly unlikely if girls ever got picked first, even if they were the most athletic and could beat any of the boys. What got you picked first was your physical appearance, your gender, and your reputation as a good athlete.

            When it comes to picking our favorites, we all have a tendency to choose those we think are the best. Why would we intentionally choose people who we don’t think are as good as others? Depending on what values or abilities we are looking for, we all tend to choose among our options those who have the best looks, who are the smartest, who have the most experience, who are the most skilled, who are the most talented. That is just the way it is.

            Something else I have noticed is that often, when we think of famous or powerful people who we have never seen in real life, we have a tendency to imagine that they are tall. A lot of people have said to me that when they met someone famous they were surprised when they realized how short they are. They just assumed they would be tall. We seem to connect being famous with being tall.

            One day, when I was in seminary, I was walking down the hall in the basement of the administration building. It happened that Archbishop Desmond Tutu was on sabbatical at my seminary. For those who don’t know, he is a well known figure who provided critical leadership in South Africa to end the apartheid system and to establish what was called the truth and reconciliation commission. This was a process in which officials of the apartheid system could publicly talk about the atrocities they participated in against the black people who lived in South Africa and to express their remorse with the understanding that they would then be relieved of any kind of punishment. It allowed for truth telling and the acknowledgment of wrong, which are the first steps toward reconciliation. Anyway, as I was walking down the hall, at the other end of the hall I saw this short black man walking toward me. As we got closer, I realized that was Archbishop Tutu! We greeted each other and kept walking. He is at least two or three inches shorter than me. It blew my mind. I was sure that someone of such great stature and moral courage had to be a tall man. Nope. I am curious if he was one of the first ones picked when teams were dividing up on the playground.

            We have recently been reminded that we are a fame-obsessed society. The tragic death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, along with seven other people, in a fiery helicopter crash, rocked the nation. So many people expressed disbelief and shock when they heard the news. A number of fan tributes have been posted. People who knew Kobe Bryant talked about him and the impact he made. I wouldn’t want to take away or minimize the feelings of those who were shocked by and are grieving his loss. It was a tragic accident. It was a painful reminder that the next day is never guaranteed. But the truth is, tragic accidents happen every day. The only reason this made such an impact on the nation was that the person who died was famous. So many people, myself included, mourned his loss although they had never met him or even seen him play in person. Just because he was famous, so many people felt a connection to him. Not everyone got worked up about it, even if they knew who he was. But for a lot of people, his tragic death came as a shock. A famous person was lost and that triggered a wave of sorrow throughout the nation.

            Recently, the news made someone famous. Several weeks back, there was a mass shooting at a Wal Mart in El Paso. A mysterious man who was in the Wal Mart found a baby underneath some bodies. He pulled the baby out and then ran outside to put the baby somewhere safe. He then ran back into the Wal Mart to help people who had been shot. Later, he just melted away. No one knew who he was. Until a few days ago, his name was released to the public. His name is Lazaro Ponce. At the time, he was homeless, living in a tent at a nearby homeless camp. Here’s a man who was likely overlooked all the time. Yet, here he is, acting with courage in a time of need without making a name for himself. He didn’t stand before cameras or talk to reporters. He went on with his life. It was the police who finally figured out who he was through surveillance footage and released his name to the public. I wonder if those we admire who are famous would have been as brave and as non-attention seeking as Lazaro Ponce.

            Many years ago, I received a call from a woman who was in need of help. She was living in a dump, a house that was completely overrun with roaches. She was living there with her three grandchildren. Her daughter was mentally unstable and had threatened more than once that she would kill her own mother. The lady and her grandkids had to get out of this place and find somewhere else to live. My wife and I talked it over and decided we would let them live at our house temporarily until she found another place. Let me tell you, this woman was amazing. I wish I remember her name. Being in her life for a few weeks, I got some insight into how poor people on public assistance have to deal with the byzantine bureaucracy of social service agencies to get the support they need for themselves and their kids or, in this case, grandkids. She had binders full of documents that she had to carry around and appointments all over the place. Every day was a struggle. But she kept at it because she loved her grandkids, all the while worried that her daughter might show up at any time and do her harm, never mind the racism she had to endure as a black woman. Such a life she lived. How many people overlooked her and had no idea of the struggle she was enduring. But she is a hero. I wonder if those we often admire who are famous would have the ability and persistence to do what she was able to do.

            In our myths and fairy tales, we celebrate the superhero who comes in to save the day: Superman, Prince Charming, the Lone Ranger, Rambo. Does anyone remember Mighty Mouse? What about Underdog? These movie franchises of Marvel and DC Comics are all based on superheroes with super-powers who face down the bad guys and save the world.

            But the reality is that in times of need, when a hero is called for, there are no superheroes who fly in or ride in to save the day or make everything all right. No, the heroes are everyday people, just ordinary people that do extraordinary things when presented with the opportunity. Yes, sometimes famous people get to be the hero in real life. But nine times out of ten the hero is someone the public has never heard of. They have never had their names in the paper. No one has asked for their autograph. They may not have even been one of the first ones picked for teams on the playground. Every day, ordinary people do extraordinary things. And, often, they aren’t even noticed.

            Jesus, of course, was no ordinary person. But he also didn’t act like a superhero. He didn’t ride in on his donkey to save the day. He didn’t travel solo or with a trusty sidekick. Instead, he had a team, of at least twelve disciples and who knows how many more, including several women, who traveled with him. He shared his power, giving his disciples authority over demons so that they also could work miracles of healing. According to the gospel of Mark, Jesus was always trying to keep his healing miracles under the radar. Repeatedly he would tell people he healed to keep it quiet. But, they didn’t. They would tell everyone Jesus healed them. Jesus wasn’t looking for fame. He was just doing the will of his Father. He had many admirers. But there were also a lot of people who did not treat him like a hero. He had his share of detractors. And, as we know, Jesus died like a common criminal, stripped, beaten, nailed to a cross, and mocked by those who passed by. That is no way for a hero to be treated. And yet, this is the very son of God, of whom Paul wrote in the letter to the Philippians: “though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself…he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” Jesus did not act like a famous person or like a superhero. I wonder if he was one of the first ones picked for teams on the playground.

            Jesus’ disciples were ordinary people. Several of the twelve were fishermen. This was work that required courage, discipline and skill. But being a fisherman was not likely something that would make you famous, where you would have poems told about you or have statues made in your honor or your face on coins. One of the disciples was a tax collector. Not heroic. One was called Simon the Zealot. Zealots were another name for freedom fighters, or, if you were the target of their activities, they would be called terrorists. Simon the Zealot could have been a hero if he managed to pull off an impressive attack against the Roman occupation. But, the Romans certainly wouldn’t have considered him a hero. And, as far as we know, Simon the Zealot was not famous for his freedom fighting skills. He was likely an ordinary person like the rest of Jesus’ disciples. They were not wealthy, except maybe Matthew the tax collector. They were probably not wise, like some great teacher. None of them were of noble birth. And yet, Jesus called them to follow and they went with him. They are known and honored to this day as the apostles of Jesus. They were ordinary people that did extraordinary things.

            The people that started the church we are worshipping in were ordinary people like us. Some of them were likely fairly wealthy, or they were business leaders or had some place of prominence in the community. Or, maybe not. But whoever they were, the founding members of our church were not rich and famous. They were ordinary people motivated by an extraordinary vision: to birth a new church that would reach out and minister to the people that live in the neighborhood. With strong and faithful leadership, the pooling of resources, and working together, that first group of ordinary disciples started the congregation that you are a part of today. Ordinary people working together doing extraordinary things.

            Sometimes I wish that there were superheroes who could sweep in and fix things. I’m not just thinking about the struggles we are having as a church. There are all kinds of challenges that I wish a superhero could come in and fix: challenges in the community, in the nation, and all around the world. There is a lot that needs fixed. Quite honestly, there are more challenges than any superhero could tackle alone, no matter how powerful they might be. We have a lot of problems that need to be addressed. Where’s a superhero when you need one?

            The reality is that it is ordinary people like us that God chooses to do extraordinary things. God doesn’t work through us to solve big problems in one fell swoop. It is millions of tiny actions that eventually make the difference. It is simply not the case that a single wise person or a single strong person can alone fix any of the challenges we face in this world. Whether it be racism, or homelessness, or ecological disasters, or hunger, or poverty, or corruption, or whatever else, no one wise person or strong person can fix these problems. It takes the multiplied actions of ordinary people that, over time, can lead to extraordinary change for the good. That’s how God operates. Jesus didn’t work solo. He had a team. Or, I should say, he has a team and you and I are on that team. He picked us to be on his team.

            Because it is ordinary people who, together, do extraordinary things, we have reason to give glory to God. It is God, always acting behind the scenes, inspiring, encouraging, empowering, creating the opportunities, for ordinary people to act in ways that make a positive difference in the world. This is God’s work being done through ordinary people like you and me. John Wesley regularly taught that any good work we do is made possible solely by the grace of God. Each of us do make a positive difference in the world. The world is a better place because we are living in it as participants on God’s team. To God be all the glory.

            We give God the glory because we are ordinary people. Yes, we each have talents and skills. But we don’t have superhuman talents and skills. We are able to go about and do things because God makes that possible. We depend on God for our life, for God is the source of life. So, we give God the glory for each day we have and for each opportunity to do good in the world, so that the world can be a better place, a clearer reflection of God’s intention. Just as God depends on us to do good in the world, so we depend on God to inspire and empower us to do that good work.

            So, here is our challenge. God has called us, chosen us, to demonstrate God’s healing and redeeming power in the world. We are on God’s team. Jesus is the captain of the team we are on. We are ordinary people who together make an extraordinary team with an extraordinary purpose, to be witnesses of Jesus’ saving power and to demonstrate God’s healing love in the world. Our extraordinary purpose is to be about mending God’s creation. That’s what God wants to do through us. Will we allow ourselves to be used of God? Are we open to the possibility that God can and will use us for the purpose of redeeming the world? God has chosen us ordinary folk to be on God’s team. Will we take the field and participate in God’s great work of salvation?

            Join me as I pray on our behalf the prayer written by John Wesley, a prayer of commitment to be available for God’s purposes. Let us pray:



I am no longer my own, but yours. Put me to what you will, place me with whom you will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by you or laid aside for you, exalted for you or brought low by you. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are mine, and I am yours. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.