WHAT SHOULD MATTER
Jeremiah 32: 16-20
MARK 1: 32-39
January 12, 2025 – RESET SERMON SERIES
I dream the craziest dreams and frequently wonder who is putting the movie reel into my brain once my eyes close. My most frequent dreams seem to take me back to my work with the Social Security Administration and feature a wide variety of people some of whom I never even had a close relationship with. Last night’s dream actually had a timeline of sorts … it was 2017 and there was mom and dad even though dad went to be with the Lord in 1991 and mom in 2012. People were commenting how young my parents looked because in just three years they both would turn 100 years of age. Bob Zlotnick who early on in my ministry here at St. Paul’s spoke about addiction was in the dream as was my brother. And, in one of the most profound moments I went to get a glass of water and every single glass in the kitchen cupboard was dirty, which mom could not explain. Now, I discovered that I was supposed to give a presentation the next day in Atlantic City, which would be a rather long drive from our home in Buffalo so I went up to my bedroom for some rest but dad came up to talk about his plans … and the dream continued until my dog woke me at 219 this morning.
And, Scripture says … “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men dream dreams.” But friends … I am only 31 so I am a young man dreaming dreams of dear loved ones and of Social Security so my dreams do not mean that the last times are upon us.
There are so many people who are constantly looking for the last days … the end times … the coming of Jesus Christ that they stop focusing in on what matters. Others focus in on the mundane and trivial worldly stuff. They all lose track of today … opportunities of living life for God as disciples and followers and believers in Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said, “See that no one misleads you. No one knows about that day, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son but only the Father knows.”
Ok, my message today is not about prophesying nor about dreams nor about the end times but it is about resetting our lives to live our lives with the understanding that to God our lifestyle … our life reflections … our interactions matter and frankly, as we enter into the year 2025 perhaps we all need to remember that in this short life we live we have choices to make and perhaps the most important choice we make is whether or not we align with God’s expectations or whether we are choosing to push the concept of living as Jesus taught off to some future time in our lives that may or may not ever occur.
Last week I talked about whether or not you have a favorite Scripture verse. Some of you rushed to share your favorite verses with me, which was so cool. The selections that I heard came from both the Old Testament and the New. From the Torah and from the Gospels. Quotes from Joshua and from Paul. If you still don’t have a favorite verse or group of verses I think that does matter if you are living your life connected in faith to God.
Perhaps my dream of last night was profound because I was staying to rest but I was experiencing conversations and challenges that got in the way. Perhaps all of us are too busy to enter into the pathway with God that is always there … you know, walking the Light of Jesus as songwriters might reflect.
Our Gospel lesson for today offers us a reflection of Jesus’ life. It shouldn’t surprise any of us church goers that Jesus’ life gives us insight into ways we can live better lives. Jesus was really busy … Jesus had the entire town at His door … He healed many and He threw out demons. Jesus was a busy young man … Jesus perhaps was exhausted from His life’s calling …
Have you ever felt exhausted from life? Overwhelmed with life challenges? Friends concerns and family issues wearing you down? Bills piling up or a boss overwhelming you?
Once again, I am going to remind you … that we need to reset ourselves. We need to actually rescue our souls and our health by pausing and escaping. Jesus left His disciples … Jesus escaped from the pressures of others … Jesus, as He often did, chose to get some alone time … well, not quite alone because Jesus chose to “go to a deserted place where He could be along in prayer.”
That brief sentence carries in it two powerful lessons. The first element of reset is essentially Psalm 23. Jesus went to where he would not be disturbed. Perhaps his deserted place was a stream or a grassy field but Jesus knew that He had to get away .. to be restored.
But, then Jesus prayed. We do not know what he prayed about because frankly that personal prayer was none of our business. Prayer friends is an essential communication tool that is available to each of us to connect with God. Yes, we pray together in worship as a church family … I always pray that the words that I use as our pastoral prayer connect some dots for all of us and those worshiping online with us. The Lord’s Prayer connects us with Jesus but the rescuing prayers are those private prayers … and if you want to reset your relationship with God … if you want to get into a life that matters I believe that clear and open conversations with God that are solely yours are essential.
I am not sure if I was ever taught that prayer is essentially a type of conversation that you might have with your best friend. Honest and open. Hopeful that your friend will care enough and be good enough to hear you out as you describe your struggles, your joys, and your visions for the days to come. When I think about the essential conversations that I have with my friend Jake … well I take those and increase the intensity when I talk with God. But God prayers need to have your undivided attention and then space so that you will sense God’s response. If I lay out a lot of stuff on Jake and then hang up the phone before he speaks that’s not much of a conversation … likewise quickly praying Oh God bless my family, end war, feed the hungry AMEN I have to get back online to check the latest news … I think you get the idea.
We need to make faith a priority and yes, we can change for God and Christ. The author George Eliot wrote, “It is never too late to be what you might have been” and that definitely holds true for our Christian walk.
Once Peter found Jesus Peter screamed (There is an exclamation mark in our printed Gospel.) “EVERYONE’s LOOKING FOR YOU!!!!” But Jesus, not wanting to be overwhelmed, didn’t say ‘ok, I will go back to the crowds who zapped my energy.” In stead Jesus said, “Let’s head in the other direction.”
Jesus wasn’t stopping His mission …. Jesus wasn’t disconnecting with God … Jesus said he was going to preach in those nearby villages. So, how will you prioritize? How will you determine what matters.
So, what about you and me. I don’t know maybe those dirty glasses in mom’s kitchen cupboard did have a God message to me … perhaps it was about the need for us to get clean with God. Being crystal clear to those who look at us when it comes to our faith walk … I am not saying we will be perfect and without sin but perhaps we need to be transparent in our faith walk. Paul wrote in Romans that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”
If you need to discover what God wants from your life and mine then there are several clear Scripture lessons to read. Not only to read but to focus on during our life journeys. The first is from Luke’s Gospel … you can write these down or check our FACEBOOK page later or my e-blast this week … LUKE CHAPTER 10 verses 25 through 37. It is here that Luke records how Jesus answered someone’s question about what a human like you and me must do to gain eternal life. A key issue for the faithful. And, with clarity Jesus goes step by step in providing a lesson we call can follow in our lives.
And, the second lesson is one you have heard me reference frequently from the prophet Micah. It very specifically lists what is required by the Lord God of humans like us. Micah chapter 6 verses 6 through 8.
Finally, the laundry list of specifications from Jesus spoken with clarity and also perhaps harshness because Jesus wants us to understand what faith is all about. Matthew records the list in Matthew chapter 25 verses 31 through 46.
To reset … to reconnect … it does take spending a few moments in God’s Word and those Scriptures are a good starting point. Give up some of your busy time to pull away to hear God.
Speaking of pulling away … we all are aware of the devastation of the fires of California. No, this is not God’s judgment no more than the drones over New Jersey were a sign from God. Like many of you, I have good friends in the Los Angeles area. I have wept at the losses and close my eyes when the ashen rows of homes are shown.
I am closely aware of and connected with two of our United Methodist Churches that have been burnt to the ground. The Altadena United Methodist Church pastored by J. Andre Wilson and Pacific Palisades Community United Methodist Church. Pacific Palisades was an amazing building and one of the first churches built in that community. A church like ours … whose Christmas services a few weeks ago were awesome. The same is true of Altadena … I want you to pause either today at 3pm or later today or tomorrow to watch Pastor Wilson as he leads worship on their FACEBOOK page today and then to send messages of love showing that you chose to worship with them. UMCOR will be helping to rebuild and we will be taking up an offering soon for the fire victims and our fellow United Methodist churches.
Lord have mercy … I cannot imagine beautiful churches like ours burning down to the ground. My one close friend’s church in Beverly Hills was saved but she stood by her church and saw the flames on the horizon not knowing if it would go down in flames.
And, as we speak of getting closer to God … we speak of prayer … we are going to try something new beginning today at 11am here in the sanctuary. You are welcome to come back here to pray … to be in conversation … to talk about today’s message … we will have the time to lift up special prayer needs. I am hoping this will become a special time for all of us. AMEN