A LIFE CHOICE
2 Corinthians 6: 1-13
MARK 4: 26-34
JUNE 23, 2024
You and I get to choose … who knows why human beings were given that power by God and perhaps that reality has always been a question that I have found to be unfathomable. Why did the God of creation decide that we get to choose rather than somehow God forcing or directing God’s humans, us, to actually care for the earth as God commanded… to actually love all of our neighbors, which Jesus said is the second Commandment following the Commandment to love God, and why didn’t God nudge us to spend our lives caring for those who don’t have as much as we have. I have always wondered about God in that way as I have wandered through my life’s adventures.
Friends, we get to choose, within certain parameters, how we live our lives, don’t we. We get to choose our daily journeys albeit tied to how we raise the moneys to feed, clothe and house ourselves and our family members. We choose the movies and television programs we watch; we make right and wrong choices about sports teams to follow, and even decide whether or not we will sing with enthusiasm in church on a baptism Sunday morning.
Almost all of us ultimately get to determine how our lives turn out and yes, we get to choose to ignore or reject God while lusting for the world’s mandates, pressures, and considerations if that is how we want to be remembered. Of course, we can also choose to make God a priority … turning to the teaching of Jesus for life decisions.
Yes, there are realities that are beyond our control, and I am not denying that fact. Not a single one of us who is gathered here today celebrating the baptism of handsome Francis and beautiful Arabella can control the heat outside. Thankfully, those of us who have air-conditioned houses and cars can praise the inventor of air conditioning but there are others who have to sweat it out.
What choices are you making about life … your life? Your future and even about today’s realities. Are you still so connected to the past … allowing memories and grudges to pull you down? Is your choice just to maintain? That is a choice after all. Are you a visionary of faith dreaming dreams and seeing visions as the prophet Joel suggested.
A few days ago, I had a conversation with my best friend Jake. We talked some baseball, debated memories and came to the conclusion that Ernie Banks IS someone we spent time with, and we reflected on the Stanley Cup but then we talked about life. We talked about time. We talked about life choices. Of course, we also celebrated our friendship.
I know that a few of you here have been around for at least a few decades. Jared just celebrated a monumental birthday (My goodness you are getting old my friend.) … you know I can remember turning 50 it seems like yesterday. I can remember 40 and frankly I can remember 25 but those are now mere historical markers in my journey. I have made so many choices along the way both excellent ones and some really stupid bad ones … a life of imperfection … it’s life so they say.
The entirety of my conversation with my friend could have been a sermon. He’s a great philosopher but the essence … perhaps frighteningly so … was our consideration if the last 25 years went by in a flash … how quickly will the future years come and go? What does that mean? What choices are to be made? You know, how do we live life today, tomorrow, and into the unknown remaining years or year in a way that is significant while also being the best life for ourselves?
And, since the beginning of time … God keeps calling us to restore our souls. To find the still waters. To love God and to love all of our neighbors. To find a peace that goes beyond human understanding … John even writes this about God, “God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in them. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. We love because He first loved us.”
Ah but that is a choice, isn’t it? The 21st intellectual or should I say overloaded schedule human has witnessed the vanishing church with the diminishing worship of God. Perhaps the corresponding lack of love in the world today is a result if we take John’s statement to be truth … there is a lot of fear out there you know. ‘All You Need is Love’ is a song that’s been listened to and sung to for 57 years but certainly it is not an anthem for the year 2024 if you read the headlines.
Worship and church are true choices because no one can set your alarm clock to wake up and then use your GPS to find a place to worship God on a Sunday morning other than you … somehow we, as a collective society, clearly choose to ignore God amongst our overwhelming choices and then we wonder why there is so much tension in the world … we shake our heads as people wave flags of hate in the direction of their neighbors … as another church closes its doors and as children are swallowed up by a world encompassing isocial media that offers more not less opportunities to bully others and to accept untruths as the banners to live by.
I love the philosophical writings of Thich Nhat Hanh. In his book, ‘Peace is Every Step,’ Hanh writes, “When we are capable of stopping, we begin to see and if we can see, we understand. Peace and happiness are the fruit of this process. We should master the art of stopping in order to really be with our friend. When we have joy and peace in ourselves … we will serve the world in a positive way.” A choice … STOPPING … our opening slide shared Thoreau’s thoughts that are reflective of the Twenty third Psalm, “When I sit here by the sea and listen … I feel free from the obligations of the world.”
I am not sure how closely you followed today’s Scripture reading, the first part of which came from a letter Paul wrote to the early church in Corinth. He wrote about choices that he and other early Christian leaders made and also of what they experienced. He was writing to a group of challenged people who were trying to sort out life … you know make choices.
We first heard him put some key words for 21st century Christians to remember that were also important for those first century Christians to hear … “We don’t give ANYONE ANY reason to be offended about ANYTHING so that our ministry won’t be criticized. “ Takes you back to John’s love message doesn’t it?
What I find intriguing in this portion of Scripture is how Paul weaves together how his choice and the choices made by those around him also took them through some storms that they had not control over.
In our lives we face all kinds of storms … the ups and downs of the lives of our families and friends. Losses that make no sense to us. Our own health realities or our loss of jobs or a litany of other challenges that get us spinning throughout our lives wondering why.
Paul shares that they were “beaten, imprisoned, survived riots, hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger. They were verbally abused, seen as fake. They suffered pain and were poor having nothing.”
However, by making God their choice Paul continues “we were always happy while carrying righteousness in their right and left hands.” Even though the Corinthian church wasn’t fully embracing Paul he writes that “there are no limits to the affection that we feel for you … OPEN YOUR HEARTS WIDE TOO!” A choice …
Today, Shaniqua and Francis and Amanda and Kevin made active choices to have their children baptized in church before all of you and all of you made a commitment to God to care for them. We made this choice with great happiness. We made this choice in a holy place. It felt good as I walked around the church … I sensed in the moment your hearts were wide open too.
But we face a vicious and challenging world … are you willing or interested or even care about what your future will be once the days are gone? You can glance at your neighbor and debate in your mind if your neighbor is a church person … or a person of faith … I could do that too but all I know is your presence here in church but I don’t know your heart.
I have talked faith with some of you … been in Bible study with others here … laughed and played basketball too but today might be the last day for you to make a choice about life’s journey.
The good news is that God’s love never dissipates and never vanishes. God obviously doesn’t force God nor Jesus Christ onto you and those who attempt to force faith onto others clearly are not paying attention to God’s Word or God’s call. Our faith is not to offend but to embrace … God’s love through Jesus Christ is a life changer.
I want to encourage all of you … as I have been challenging this church since last summer … to find the peaceful place you need in your life. If the world has been overwhelming your time and your very soul STOP to pray … STOP to find peace … STOP to discover how to love God and love all of your neighbors.
Believing isn’t that hard but having faith is changing who you are. You know … God knows … where you are at in that part of your life’s journey. When you find God … when you take Jesus on as truly your Master and teacher and Savior … the Holy Spirit will help direct you forward towards a peace that exceeds human understanding. It’s your choice … my choice … I hope if you haven’t made that choice perhaps today as you made a pledge to God for these two children and their families that you will consider the value of being with God rather than outside God’s realm. AMEN