beneath the stained glass: service & sermons at first pres salt lake

Three months ago, I was preparing to take a Stated Supply Pastor position in a small town in central Utah.  That is, until a few details failed to work out and it unexpectedly fell through.  I wasn’t sure how to feel about it or what was going to happen next.  It was all a bit of a shock.  I had just finished my Master of Divinity degree and been certified “eligible to receive a call” by my ordination committee.  It had seemed like the next right step… until it wasn’t. 
 
Then, less than a week later, I got a voicemail from the Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Salt Lake City (a former mentor in my ordination process) asking if I’d like to come work with her at the church as a Pastoral Associate.  Not a called position, only temporary and part-time, but a chance to do pastoral ministry in a historic church with incredible pastors and staff and a committed congregation.  It was as if God winked at me and said, “Did you really think I didn’t have a plan?” 
 
I’m pretty sure I danced like a fool in my kitchen that afternoon.

And talk about being overwhelmed by grace!  These last three months have been amazing… 

I’ve learned so much about the ins-and-outs of daily, practical ministry. 
I’ve met many wonderful and passionate people. 
I’ve been able to lead worship, events, and volunteer trainings. 
I’ve had meetings with intelligent, prayerful church members who care deeply about the life and health of our community.
I’ve sat on the floor with preschoolers drawing and talking about God’s creation, and at tables with college students processing transitions.  
I’ve preached several Sundays.
I’ve been offered ridiculous amounts of affirmation and encouragement.
And every time I go into the sanctuary, I’m struck by how awesome it is to look at our beautiful stained-glass windows. 
 
Regardless of what happens next, what’s been happening now is a gift.
 
As I love getting to study and preach, I’ve made a habit of posting my sermons here (for wisdom, interest, feedback… whatever folks would like to make of them).  In the thick of it all I’m three sermons behind, so rather than post the entire things, here are some teasers and major thoughts from Amos, Ephesians, and Genesis:
 
True Worship (Amos 5:21-24)
 
Imagine someone showed up in the middle of your Sunday worship service and said, on behalf of God:

“I despise what’s happening here.

I take no pleasure in your religious holidays and celebrations.

I won’t accept your confessions or your thanksgivings.

Your liturgy and your sacraments mean nothing to me.

I refuse to listen to your songs or your prayers.”

 
What would that be like?  How would you respond? 
 
We’d likely feel shocked, and even offended.  We might wonder, “Well, what the heck are we doing here?” or we might tell ourselves this stranger is clearly of unsound mind and dismiss them outright.  But if we could take it at face value, what would it mean that God hated our worship?
 
This is exactly what the people of Israel had to wrestle with when the prophet Amos showed up in their temples (see Amos 5:21-23).  He was sent to warn them that God wasn’t at all pleased with the way they kept up their religious rituals but were trampling on the poor.  The priests and landowners thought they could get rich, scheme people out of property, and walk all over their neighbor while still appeasing God… but God wasn’t having it.  Instead, he said,

“Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:24)

 
The problem wasn’t that the Israelites’ rituals were wrong—it’s that they were empty.  It was hypocrisy.  To worship God and then oppress your neighbor is to miss the point of worship altogether, because love of God and love of neighbor go hand-in-hand, as Jesus said (Matthew 22:37-39). 
 
True worship, on the other hand, changes our hearts and compels us to act with justice and mercy toward our neighbor.  To see those who are marginalized and oppressed.  To treat everyone with dignity as children of God.  True worship doesn’t change God for our benefit, it changes us for God’s benefit—so that we can love Him and love others in the way that he does.   

Members of the Household of God (Ephesians 2:11-22)   
 
As Christians read the Bible today, we recognize that the story within is our story.  We claim it because ultimately, it is God’s story and we have been adopted into his family in Christ.
 
The Apostle Paul points out, though, that unless we come from a Jewish heritage, this wasn’t always the case.  There was a time when we Gentiles stood outside the covenant promises of God—outside the family.  And this distinction between who was “in” and who was “out” caused a lot of contention.  Jews and Gentiles treated one another with contempt, disregard, and even violence.
 
Sound familiar?
 
We humans still love to draw dividing lines between who is in and who’s out.  We see or hear people of different backgrounds, experiences, political persuasions, or faith traditions and we treat one another with contempt.  We disparage one another in person, online, and in the media.  Accusations are made, wars are fought, and we continue to be mired in hostility. 
 
But then, Paul uses 5 very important words: “But now in Christ Jesus.” 
 

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.” (Ephesians 2:13-14) 

 
Do you believe it?  It sounds too good to be true.  Even when we desire to be one family and we come together in worship, we’re all still broken humans with rough edges… and when we rub shoulders with one another, it can still hurt. 
 
The idea of being one family without hostility is still as radical today as it did when Paul wrote this letter.  But now in Christ Jesus, it’s a reality whether we like it or not.  There are no individual Christians.  We are now “members of the household of God” being joined together as a holy temple to the Lord (v. 19-22).  Jesus is our peace.  Welcome to the family.

God’s Rescue Plan Begun (Genesis 12:1-5 & Galatians 3:6-9)
 
The first five books of the Bible are called the Torah, the “teaching” or “law” of God.  But rather than being just a series of rules and regulations, the Torah tells the cosmic story of creation and its aftermath. 
 
In Act 1 of the narrative, God creates the heavens and the earth, populates the land and seas, forms human beings in his image, and sees that it is good.  The first humans live in perfect relationship with their Creator.
 
Act 2 follows shortly thereafter with human rebellion and the beginning of sin.  Humanity decides not to trust God and instead wants to decide for themselves what is evil and good, and we quickly see the harmful and violent consequences of their actions.
 
After sending a global flood and allowing humans to spread out on the earth once again, God finally institutes Act 3—his rescue plan for creation—through a man named Abram and his wife, Sarai.  The pivotal point takes place in Genesis 12 through a call, a promise, and a response. 
 
God calls Abram (later renamed Abraham) to “leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you” (v. 1).  And while this may have sounded terrifying to Abram—to leave his home and entire support system—God also yolks himself to this call with a promise:

“I will make you into a great nation.  I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.  I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt.  All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” (vv. 2-3)

 
In this moment, Abraham decides to trust God and responds to the call with obedience.  He leaves everything he knows, steps out in faith, and heads in the direction that God showed him. And God does indeed bless him.  While the story is brutally honest about how broken Abraham’s family continues to be, they nevertheless grow into nations and kings… and from the line of Abraham finally comes Jesus. 
 
Jesus is the culmination of the Rescue Plan—our ultimate blessing.  Through him, all families on earth have been forgiven their sin and invited back into right relationship with their Creator.  
 
The moral of the story here is that when God calls, there is always a purpose; and whatever he promises, he always performs.  He is worthy of our trust—so don’t be afraid to step out in faith with whatever it is that his Holy Spirit is calling you to today.