The Bungee Cord 4-23-18

Hello,

          In the book of John, Jesus calls himself, “the good shepherd.”  What makes him “good”?

     Years ago, I found myself in a church with lots of kids in 4H, and so when county fair time came around, that is where I found myself, rubbing shoulders with the folks and their animals at the Hancock County Fair. Before I went to that church, I had never stepped foot on the grounds of a county fair.  (Is there such a thing in suburban Chicago?)  I can’t say that I became an expert in animal judging, but I learned a lot.  I learned that some pigs were really “handsome” and “pretty”.  I learned that some calves had nice legs and nice rear ends.  I learned that some sheep were sturdy.  And I learned this: the kids who brought high quality animals were considered “good” animal raisers.  The more perfect the animal, the “good-er” the one who brought it.

     Is that what makes Jesus a “good” shepherd?  That he raises really good sheep?

    That may be the criteria that county fair animal judgers use to determine what makes a person a “good” animal raiser, but when we listen to what Jesus says about what makes him “good”, it is clearly a different criterion.  Jesus said that what makes him “good” is the depth of his care for his sheep, even to the point of being willing to wrestle with a wolf, to lay down his life, for his sheep.  Unlike a hired hand who would run for cover when the wolves prowl, because they don’t care for the sheep, they only care for themselves,  Jesus would run to save a wolf stalked sheep, because he cares for the sheep and not for himself.  Willingly. Not because someone has told him he has to, but because his heart tells him he has to.

     Interestingly enough, Jesus never (at least I can’t think of a time) talks about the quality (goodness) of his sheep.  He simply says that he is so connected to them that he knows them by name, and when he calls them, they come running to him because they know that the one who is calling has self-giving love for them.  Unlike those shepherds who are mostly concerned with the quality of the sheep, considering some of the sheep more worthy of attention than others, and even more worthy of living than others, it is not so with Jesus.  Jesus is concerned with caring for the sheep, each and everyone of the sheep….. considering each one worthy of his complete attention, and each one’s life so valuable that he would give his life for each on.  Even the gimpy ones, the dumb ones, the ugly ones, the stubborn ones, the mean ones, the old ones, the young ones, the skinny ones, the ill ones, the bothersome ones, the…..  

     So, when Jesus sees one of his sheep in trouble, a sheep who bears his name,  there is only one thing that comes into his mind, “I have to save that sheep.”  The Bible tells us so, “for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:12)

“That sheep is mine,” says Jesus, “and I must save it.” ….save it when sin like a wolf has its teeth clasping its neck, save it when curiosity makes it wander into dry and arid lands, save it when it has fallen into a hole of its own making and is starving to death, save it when the world shames it and it sees no reason to live, save it when death is stampeding over it.    That is the depth of his care for his sheep, and that, according to Jesus, is what makes him good.

     I am thankful that Jesus, according to the Bible, is not out to have a flock of perfectly good sheep, but instead is out to perfectly love each and every sheep that he has.  I say that because I know that I am not a very good sheep.  I know that I possess every quality that a shepherd who is trying to raise a perfectly good flock would want eliminated from his flock. If it is perfect sheep that the shepherd wants, I am pretty sure that when the wolf came prowling, such a shepherd would put a sign on me that says, “Take this one.”

     But nonetheless, Jesus is the good shepherd, good because of the depth of care for each of his sheep, when Jesus sees the wolf trying to drag me away into his den, Jesus comes and tugs me away saying, “You can’t have this one.  This one is mine.”  So when you look in the mirror of your life and see a sheep that is far from perfect, and you see a wolf with drooling jowls lurking nearby…..have no fear....for you are tended by the Good Shepherd, the shepherd who so cares for you that he is willing to lay down his life for you….not because you are such a good sheep….but because he is such a good shepherd.

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

The Bungee Cord 4-15-18

Hello,

     And then there was one.

     One chicken left.  We started off with 8 chickens.  Over the past year, we slowly and sequentially lost four of them, leaving us with four chickens for quite a while.  However, the evening before Easter, my wife and I were eating our supper and we looked out into the field below our house and we saw something stirring: a fox.  It was bobbing its head up and down, and when we pulled out our binoculars to see exactly what it was doing, we saw that it had something in its mouth.  A chicken.  The chicken seemed to be flapping its wings a bit, but soon the flapping stopped.  The fox dropped it and started making its way back toward our house. Not knowing the extent of its carnage, my wife ran outside to scare it off.  Too late.  The sprawling of feathers across the ground was evidence that the fox had already made its hit on two other chickens.  My wife’s search led her to one un-killed chicken, apparently the next to be snatched by the fox except for my wife’s intervention.  Foxes tend to have their litters in the spring, and we suspect that the litter that this fox left behind as went out to hunt was well fed that night with our chickens.

     And then there was one.

     One nervous, frazzled, lonely chicken.

     Ever find yourself akin to this chicken?  Alone?  In the cross-hairs of a hungry fox?  Rightfully fearful and scared?  Maybe you feel like the woman caught in adultery who was brought to Jesus, her accusers all too ready to assail her with stones.  (John 8:2-12)

     If so, here’s the thing.  In a world full of voraciously hungry foxes that are out to get you to chew you up, there is one who is out to get you in order to embrace you with forgiveness and mercy.  Jesus. That is what Jesus did when that woman of adultery was brought to him.  He threw no stones, but instead with forgiveness unchained her from her past. “Go and sin no more,” Jesus said to her, not as a command, but as an invitation to live in the forgiveness that had saved her from hurling stones.  Surely, she would sin again.  People do. And of this I am certain, when face to face with Jesus again, she would find herself likewise treated by Jesus as he had before.

     When I listen to folks, however, this is not the Jesus that they have somehow come to know.  To them, Jesus is much more fox-like, ready to condemn unless one obediently stays in the coop.  And so, if they find themselves outside the coop, they instinctively run away. 

     My wife went hunting for the lone un-killed chicken, and when she found it, needless to say it was a bit wary of this one whose arms were reaching out to gather her up.  Fear can be all consuming and blinding.  But though the chicken quivered and resisted, my wife nonetheless gathered her up and carried her to safety.  She was far more like Jesus, than the fox.

     So, if you ever find yourself like our sole living chicken…alone and fearful from being hunted by a fox, and you see someone coming up to you with cross-born wounds on their hands and feet, rejoice and be glad.  For even though there may be an overpopulation of foxes in this world, there is one who, like my wife reaching out to her chicken, has come to save you, gathering you up in love and mercy.

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

Bungee Cord 4-9-18

Hello,

     Yesterday as I was on my way to church, I was called an “a##h%$e”.

     Let me tell you what happened.  The current church that I am serving is about an hour and half away from my house, and the route that I take to get there is nearly entirely two lane roads.  Because of the distance, I always leave a bit earlier than necessary just in case I encounter some sort of delay, which happened yesterday.  Two-thirds the way to the church we came upon a stoppage of traffic.  Cars were parked along both sides of the road for a good mile or so, and people were walking back to their cars with gizmos and gadgets in their hands.  Having seen this sight before, I assumed it was a farm sale.  Upon more careful inspection, it became clear that it was some sort of massive rummage sale taking place at the local volunteer fire department.  A fund raiser, I suspected.

     The reason for the stoppage of traffic was the fact that there was a one lane road going into the parking lot, and those who wanted to enter from the high-way were being blocked by those who were trying to get out. I suppose that I was about the sixth or seventh car from the cause of the blockage, and so I took to waiting to see if the ketchup might start to flow.  But it did not.  There was a car that was not moving at the beginning of the line, even though an occasional car exited from the lot.  The pick-up in front of me decided that he had waited long enough, and on several occasions tried to move into the oncoming lane to get around the blockade, but was forced back into line by cars that had finally exited the sale.  Not giving up, finally an opening came that allowed him to pass and continue his journey.

     Having seen the pick-up accomplish his departure from the clog, I decided that I, too, would give it a try.  So, when a break came, I pulled into the oncoming lane and almost made it to the front of the line, only to be met by a pick-up starting to come out of the sale. Since I had almost escaped, I lightly tooted my horn, and the pick-up stopped and began to back up.

     Just then, a man dressed in a fire fighters jacket came running onto the road and with smoke billowing from his ears and lifting his arms above his head in anger yelled at me, “Hey!  What are you doing?”

     Almost free from the jam, I slowly kept going forward, and as I passed him, I, in my clerical collar, rolled down my window and calmly said to him, “You’re blocking traffic and I need to be somewhere.”

     That is when as I was passing him he yelled at me, “You a##h%$e!”

     I don’t know that I deserved that title because of my deeds yesterday, but that is what he named me.  Actually, I am sure that there are other times in my weeks that I am so named by the world, but I just don’t hear it.  Unfortunately, I have to admit, that sometimes that moniker might just be well deserved.  After all, I am a sinner, and my deeds can reflect that reality.  I can be self-centered.  I can be judgmental.  I can be prideful.  I can be ……, the list goes on and on.  In truth, there are times when I deserve to be called “a##h%$e” by the world.

     Interestingly enough, after being dubbed “a##h%$e” by the voice of the world yesterday, twenty minutes later I found myself in a place where I heard another name cast upon me, a name that I absolutely do not deserve, “Beloved.”  I arrived at the church, walked in, and as I was conducting the worship service, I heard that God so loved me, that he sent his Son to die and rise for me, that I might be in God’s embrace, forever.  “Beloved.” 

     Why does God so name me?  Certainly, not because I, who have a history of faithful infidelity, of mischievous wandering, infliction of pain, and even divine backstabbing deserved such a name.  But God names me “beloved” because …. Well, because God does!  God looks at me, as insignificant as I am in the universe and as pesky as I am in the universe, and says, “This one I love.”  Amazing!

     As I think of who I would like to be, I would rather be a “beloved” than an “a##h%$e”.  I would rather be one who brings divine hope, peace, joy, love, and mercy into the world than one who brings excrement into peoples’ lives.  Thing is, as I spend my time in the world, the world does not always bring out the best in me, actually it tends to bring out the worst.  But as I spend time with God, the one who sees me as beloved, I find the merciful hands of God shaping me to be one who is the bearer of the name God has given me.

     I am thankful that after being named a name yesterday that I all too often deserve but really dislike, I heard myself being named yesterday a name that I certainly do not deserve but hopefully will take hold of my life.

     “Beloved.”  That is God’s name for you, too!

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

     

The Bungee Cord 4-1-18
EASTER!

Hello,
Here's my Easter message this year:

Mark 16
Easter 2018

Who will roll away the stone?

• I bet that God cried when Jesus, the Son of God, was being whipped and flogged. 
• I bet that God cried when Jesus, the Son of God, was spit at and crowned with a crown of thorns that was pushed down on his head. 
• I bet that God cried when Jesus, the Son of God, stumbled his way through the streets of Jerusalem under the weight of the cross and the taunts of the people. 
• I bet that God cried when Jesus, the Son of God, was laid down on that cross and was secured to it by ropes and nails. 
• I bet that God cried, when Jesus, the Son of God, hung there, blood spilling from the wounds, the sun baking his skin, the birds landing on his head and pecking at his eyes, pain shooting through his body like lightning, and his lungs gasping for air. 
• I bet that God cried when Jesus, the Son of God, screamed in agony and breathed his last breath. 
• I bet that God cried when Jesus, the Son of God, was taken down from the cross and laid in a tomb. 

But when they rolled the stone across the door of the tomb, I bet that God laughed. I bet that God whose power filled the universe full of stars and planets, and whose power holds it all together laughed when those soldiers rolled that comparatively puny bolder across the door of that tomb. Did they really think that that stone, that puny stone, was going to keep God out of that grave? God must have laughed at those soldiers as they rolled that stone, like you or I would laugh at an ant thinking it could keep you or me out of its nest by covering the entrance with a speck of dirt. When God saw those soldiers foolishly rolling that stone across the entrance to the tomb to keep everyone out, I bet that God laughed!

And I also bet that God laughed when he heard those women who approached the tomb on that first Easter ask, “Who will roll away the stone?” But this laugh was different than the laugh God laughed at those soldiers. The thing that brought laughter to God as he watched them roll that stone was their unbelievable foolishness. But the thing that brought laughter to God when he heard those women’s question was the thought of the upcoming surprise those women were soon to find…the same kind of laughter that a young man feels begin to erupt when he sets a small box containing an engagement ring in front of the one who is hoping for marriage.
Who will roll the stone away? When God heard that question – hardly able to wait for them to reach the tomb to see – God must have laughed.

And I don’t know if you can hear it today, but today, on this Easter Sunday there is laughter rumbling through the universe….God’s laughter. 
• Laughter when God sees the world rolling a stone of shame and guilt across the door of your heart, thinking that will keep God out. 

• Laughter when God sees the world rolling a stone of hatred and vengeance across the door of your heart, thinking that will keep God out.
• Laughter when God sees the world rolling a stone of tragedy and misery across the door of your heart, thinking that will keep God out. 
• And maybe laughing loudest when God sees the world rolling a stone of doubt and disbelief across the door of your heart thinking that will keep God out.
How foolish can the world be? All of these things are mere pebbles in the eyes of God. With the mere flick of God’s pinky finger, and they are gone….gone forever.

And today, we can hear God snickering in delight when we ask those women’s question, “Who will roll the stone away?” When you and I are entombed in the darkness of lives, and maybe you have come here today with the world having rolled a big boulder across the door of your heart, a boulder that you have tried to move, but cannot. When you and I are worn out from trying to push it away so some sunlight can get into our life and we ask…. 
• Who will roll away that stone of guilt and shame? 
• Who will roll away that stone of fear and despair? 
• Who will roll away that stone of doubt and disbelief? 
• Who will roll away that stone of the pressure to succeed and the crushing weight of failure?
That is when God gleefully snickers with anticipatory delight to see our reaction when we discover that when God rolled that Easter stone away from that tomb, God set off an avalanche rolling away every stone from every tomb that the world foolishly rolled there to keep Jesus, the light of the world, out of our lives.

Easter is full of laughter, God’s laughter, a contagious laughter. What stone could ever keep Jesus away from us. Ha! Ha! Ha! What stone would God ever let seal us in darkness? Ho! Ho! Ho! What stone will stand in the way of God’s love for you and me in this life or when this life has come to an end? He! He! He!

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho! Ho! He! He! He!
Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

Have a great day!
God's grace and peace, (ggap)
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger