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All Saints Lutheran Church
February 25th, 2004
Pastor Tim Johnson
Focus Texts: 2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
When you think about the most effective ways to care for another
person, what’s on your list? When we talk about the Four Keys
to nurturing faith in our homes, do you remember the very first
of those keys? Well, you’d have been right if you said caring
conversations. Interestingly, one of the most powerful ways that
we can help others to grow in faith is when we takes the time to
express genuine care about them, building them up through our words.
This past week, as I re-read parts of a book[1] there was a sharpening
of that idea--that one of the most effective ways to care for another
person is through the act of encouragement. The giving or granting
of courage. Of course, all any of us need to do is to reflect on
our own life and relationships a bit to know how true that is—that
often times what we most need are people who inspire our courage
to do what is right and to keep the faith, especially when the going
gets tough.
The authors also noted how important encouragement is between members
of a church. Interestingly, they said that one of the most crippling
dynamics for churches that worked against it being a place where
genuine encouragement takes place is that of living on the surface.
In other words, conversations that never or rarely get beyond the
weather, sports or vacation information. Some people have even suggested
that our Minnesota Nice can ultimately be a pleasant but intentional
way of staying at a safe distance from others.
Earlier in the fall, I preached a couple of sermons on being real
or authentic with one another, and I heard a number of comments
on how challenging that is for us, and even a comment on how that
sounded just a bit too “touchy/feely” for their liking.
And yet, that’s central to our relationship with God—God
getting real with us—intimate, authentic, relevant, and life-changing.
And so, hard as it may be for us, there is something absolutely
necessary about stepping out of our comfort zones in order to help
create more authentic community. …..The truth is, though,
that human beings have struggled with this whole matter of relationship
from the beginning of time.
In Genesis is the story about how Adam, before he sinned, enjoyed
a perfect relationship with God. There were no walls, no distance,
no tension. But sin immediately brought consequences that affected
the relationship. Among them was the presence of a new emotion:
fear.
In response to this new emotion, Adam fled from God and went into
hiding.
Obviously, an all-seeing God knew that Adam was fearfully crouching
behind the tree.
But He called out to Adam and asked a question—the first question
asked of sinful man by a holy God:
“Adam, where are you?”
Perhaps God wanted to create in Adam a realization of his trouble
and to bring about a confession of sin. After all, it seems that
too frequently only exposed problems motivate people to ask for
help.
In Adam’s response we catch a glimpse of what we can find
ourselves doing in our lives as well. He says, “I was afraid
because I was naked; so I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:10)
One might sum up the matter with these three observations:
“I was afraid,” reveals a core emotion—one that
says that we’re scared, anxious, troubled. The kind of fear
that immobilizes, that has us keep to ourselves, that keeps us from
experiencing joy.
“I was afraid,” said Adam, “because I was naked.”
Here is a core motivation that can keep us operating on the surface
of our relationships. We’re afraid people will see us for
who we really are—people with problems, people with fear,
people who have hurt others and been hurt, people who are insecure
or who feel inadequate.
Finally, Adam declares his core strategy—the way he’s
going to deal with the problem. “I was afraid (core emotion)
because I was naked (his core motivation); so I hid myself.”
His core strategy.
Even for us--fear due to our inadequacies results in hiding—from
God and from each other. Not the stuff of caring relationships!
In fact, people will pay great prices and have other people pay
high prices to keep from being found out.
In many ways, our lives are a lot like Adam’s. There is a
verse in the Bible that says: “For as in Adam all die.”[2]
In other words, if our primary emotion in life is fear; and our
primary motivation in life is more focused on our nakedness than
anything else; and our primary strategy in life is to hide or to
keep people at a safe distance, we’ll die. At least a spiritual
death. Gone will be hope, joy, love, peace. Like one author put
it, reflecting on our drive to hide behind facades: “The more
skillful we are at impression management, the more we are trapped
in our true aloneness.”[3]
But God has seen our need and has rescued us; “So in Christ
all will be made alive.” it says in the second half of that
verse.[4] In other words, to live with the love of Christ fully
alive in us results in connected relationships and life that has
meaning, where we don’t live in fear, and have no need to
hide. In Christ, we remember that we are given the grace and power
to withstand all that life throws our way.
This Lent, in our desire to be a more prayerful and caring community,
we have a team of people who will be making contact with every All
Saints’ home. They aren’t professional phone callers.
They are people who had the willingness to take a bit of a risk
in order to foster some of the characteristics that God has taught
us should mark Christ’s church. This Prayer and Care Team
has three simple objectives: to be genuine and authentic as they
make their contacts—a friendly call as a fellow church member.
Also, to check in with you—in other words, to see how things
are going and whether people are feeling connected. And finally
with an offer to pray for anything that may be on your hearts. We
hope you’ll welcome their call and spend a bit of time speaking
with them. It’s meant to be a blessing.
We’re also having five different All Saints’ folks share
on Wednesday nights how they have experienced God in the midst of
their life storms. Again, it’s about being real together.
It’s about testifying to the power and love of God in our
midst. It’s to encourage one another. It’s to give thanks
to God.
Tonight you will be given a prayer journal. You’re invited
to write the names and concerns of those in your life whom God has
called you to love and care for. The great thing about caring for
others is that you never know how important the simplest act may
turn out to be.
There was a high school boy who was walking home after school one
day, when just down the block from his house, he dropped all of
his books. Kicking them, and finally just kneeling down next to
them in defeat as he was evidently going to pick them up, came another
boy also walking home. Not too interested in taking the time to
stop for this known-to-be odd kid who had dropped his books, he
nonetheless did, bending down to help him pick them up. And in so
doing began an unplanned conversation about the boy’s life,
and an invitation to hang out. Lo and behold, a friendship was borne.
Caring takes initiative. Caring takes time. Caring takes the willingness
to set aside whatever else you may be doing in order to attend to
someone else. Caring takes meeting someone in the messiness of life.
Years later, when that first boy was speaking at his graduation
as the valedictorian, the other boy who had taken the time to extend
some care and friendship came to understand the gravity of that
earlier situation. As it turns out it was the kindness that was
extended that day that actually saved a life, for the boy who dropped
all those books had just cleaned out his locker, as he was headed
home to take his life. Caring that took a risk saved a life. So,
we never know when God is going to use us to do something profound.
So, instead of the fear, inadequacy and hiding away in safe places
that drove Adam, may the confidence, perfect love and risky caring
of Christ send us out as praying and loving disciples.
I pray that you will let God use you in the weeks ahead.
Amen.
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[1] Encouragement: The Key to Caring, Dr. Larry Crabb & Dr.
Dan Allender, Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.
[2] 1st Corinthians 15:22a
[3] p. 74 Ortberg
[4] 1st Corinthians 15:22b
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