"Prioritizing Passions;" Sermon for October 18th, 2015 by Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins

Jesus says a lot to try to help us prioritize, even in another Gospel, Matthew’s Gospel, we hear Him speaking to us not to “spin our wheels:” Jesus says—“²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…” One of the wonderful things I have been reflecting on nearly every waking moment of the day and night recently has been upon the notion of being “called.”

When you think about it, God spends a lot of time working through the Holy Spirit to get us to not only LISTEN to what He is trying to teach us but to live into His Word by DOING! I often like to joke about those early seminary days of clinical pastoral education.  My 1^st unit was like ‘boot camp’ with evasive commentary, seemingly outrageous personal violations in some senses and sometimes dead-on observations!  One observation that has served to both haunt and teach me, still to this very day, was made by the crabby old supervisor of this unit nearly yelling at me: “Quit trying! Just DO it!”

He was right though, for we often are like Peter in today’s Gospel where we’re scared to completely trust in God leading and guiding us into that brand new horizon.  In fact, we can often become cynical and pessimistic like Ecclesiastes warning against the futility of life if we try to live into a self-fulfilling prophecy rather than God’s goal for each and every one of us. Realizing God’s love is hard especially if we have a hard time loving ourselves in order to selflessly serve and love God and neighbor.

The prophetic Words within the letter of Hebrews for today are about truly and truthfully living into God’s Word: “¹² Indeed,” (the author of Hebrews says), “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.”

The thoughts and intentions of the Heart need to be shepherded by God working through you in all that you DO and say on behalf of the Gospel of Christ. The Good Shepherd, Jesus, our wonderful Loving and Gracious Father—I have always loved that image of the Good Shepherd with the sheep!  God does indeed work in amazing and mysterious ways that’s for sure! A dear colleague in the Lutheran world let me have my ordination at his church which was Good Shepherd Lutheran church in Chicago and fairly soon I will be serving a church with the same name!

You think God is trying to tell me something?  Oregon as well, I know God serendipitously works through “Murphy’s law,” since around the same time in January of this year that I was ordained, I had to sadly turn down an opportunity to be a hospice chaplain in LaGrande, Oregon because my husband & I had no money to move & we couldn’t even find a place to move there! BUT God said Ha!  98 miles slightly northwest of there I have been called to be the pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Boardman, Oregon.

This time around through God’s miraculous efforts, I have a momentary opportunity as an outside contracted chaplain working for the Navy of all things, (my hubby’s former employer) at Great Lakes Naval Base, in Great Lakes, Il!  Not only has this been a wonderful blessing to help contribute to fund our move out there but it has been teaching me to reflect on what God’s priorities are not only for my life but what I need to DO with the passion of serving!  Learning how to trust God is learning how to LOVE.

Again, yet another miracle of God’s timing and handiwork, but a home shows up literally 128 feet across from the church for sale.  This coming week, we are in the process of securing this home, buying it, in order to truly and faithfully serve God and the people of Good Shepherd—what a gift! So much to be in store for!

There is so much to DO! You can’t “try” to work through the challenges God gives you in order to grow… You must let go of trying and grow to DO-ing! This is not easy, there is a lot that we have to lift up to God in prayerful tears. There’s a Joni Mitchell song, ‘I Had a King,’ that has had some haunting lyrics for me to contemplate during this time of preparation:  “I can't go back there anymore; You know my keys won't fit the door. You know my thoughts don't fit the man... They never can.” This is the reprise throughout the tune.

While I’ve been driving through the streets of my old neighborhood on the Northside of Chicago, I have been playing this song on my smartphone following it up with Matthew West’s wonderful song; ‘Strong Enough.’ Within this song, the reprise is floating around one of my favorite verses from Philippians 4—“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Joni’s song is more about the Old Nature and Matthew West’s song is about the New Nature.  Something we are always going to be torn by and spiritually battle with—the Old and the New.  We often place ourselves in bondage to the Old Nature & its worldly perspective, quote logic but then it festers & only lays heavy upon the heart: Where DO my priorities lie? Where DO my passions lie?

The Good Shepherd once again has something to say, preach to the heart of the believer from today’s Gospel: “²⁹Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, ³⁰who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’”

Jesus is telling Peter and the other disciples that the priorities of the Good News bears wonderful fruit over and above anything the world has to offer.  To move forward for the sake of Christ Jesus and His beautiful Gospel of Love and Grace—YOU have to MOVE into His priorities, DO, not try for His sake! Being thankful to God is so much more than what the world could ever have to give!

Sometimes though, God has a hard time getting it through our thick heads so He has to keep plugging away by revealing little miracles in our lives that we sometimes do and do not even realize!  He does it with a sense of humor too—or as I like to believe, He works serendipitously through ‘Murphy’s Law’—Good Shepherd Chicago, Good Shepherd Oregon.  Ok God I got the message LOUD and clear: Oregon or bust! Alleluia & Amen!

With a year and a half of previously packed boxes, God’s lesson there was to think about what happens when we don’t MOVE forward.  It was both a literal material message as well as profoundly a spiritual one…  The burden and the pain of your life wrapped up in tape, stuffed away from realizing true freedom—wow, there’s the Living Word of God again working at this very moment inside that 1^st church, my heart.

The Passion of Christ Jesus for our behalf set a whole New Natured priority to be ours, this we must never forget.  What we should forget or move on from is all that holds us down, keeps us in bondage.  All that holds us down and away from the peace of God right at our very doorstep! Open that DOOR! Make that grand leap of faith by stepping out, closing that door behind you, losing the key—that never really fit too well anyway and DIVE into a whole NEW life!  This is the New Nature’s priorities for our lives as children of Grace and Promise!

For the love of God and neighbor, I am closing that door and stepping out boldly… even with grinding anxious teeth, and light insomnia that my sweet little cats are very happy about—I AM DOING over trying, for the Gospel’s priorities have fueled a New Natured Passion that I will be obedient to.  The futility of the world and its empty material offerings cannot give your being real, holistic purpose; only the Kingdom of God can and DOES!

Let us pray—

Gracious Good Shepherd,

Continue to guide us to develop New Natured Priorities

That embolden us with a Passion

For the pursuit of righteousness, truth, love, mercy and so much more!

Help us to face our fears and close the door to all that puts us in bondage

Help us to realize the peace and blessings

Of all that You have to offer

May we never not be grateful for all You have given us!

AMEN

October 18^th, 2015; 21^st Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 24; Year B; SOLA Lectionary

Sermon By: Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins

Psalm 119:9-16; Ecclesiastes 5:10-20; Hebrews 4:1-16 & Mark 10:23-31

The link below was from the sermon being delivered at the Grace Hub Discipleship Ministries' House church service at 8am October 18th, 2015
https://youtu.be/xSDk2S4a8dg