Full Of It
text :: Acts 9: 36 - 43
theme verse :: "Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity." (Acts 9:36)
Dorcas, a disciple of Jesus, was "devoted to good works and acts of charity." The actual expression in the original language is more closely, "She was full of good works." The Greek word often refers to those who are "full of the Holy Spirit." The miracle of this story is often seen as the resuscitation of her life by Peter, but perhaps more poignantly, was that Dorcas got right back to doing the things her life was full of. What are you full of? How is that fullness pouring out of your life? (Acts 9:36-43)
prayer song :: 'Holy Spirit (You Are Welcome Here)' (B.J.Torwalt & K.Torwalt) : The Rising Band; Isaac Herbert, leader
special music :: 'Cover the Earth' (K.Jobe & C.Carnes) : The Rising Band; Isaac Herbert, leader
reader :: Bob Flint
preaching :: Rev Mark Briley
anthem :: 'I Have Felt the Hand of God' (C.Courtney) : Chancel Choir; Kelly Ford, director
offertory :: 'Ave Maria' (R.Schubert) : Todd Maxwell, vocal & Susie Monger Daugherty, piano
Acts 9:36-43
Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. 37 At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” 39 So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. 41 He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. 42 This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.
We had the rare joy last weekend of having both my mother and my mother-in-law in town. They had made the trip from Missouri to see our daughter, Morgan, in the Bixby Middle School production of Footloose. It was a marvelous show and brought back all the feels for me as I enjoyed being in school musicals back in the day. I laughed with my mom as we remembered each role I had played and all the shows she took in over the years… always with joy. She’d laugh and shout and clap at all the right times whether it was the first performance of Guys and Dolls I was in or the twelfth. Mom has always been my biggest fan and I’ll admit it has always been sweet to have her in my corner. She and dad left for home on Saturday but my mother-in-law was with us in worship last Sunday. She sat right near the front with Carolyn Buchan (who has always been so kind to my mother-in-law who also happens to be named Carolyne). At the end of my sermon at The Rising, I heard this loud, “Amen!” shouted from the congregation. You have this immediate sense of, “Okay – someone’s convicted today – the Spirit’s really working it today,” but of course, you quickly realize it’s your mother-in-law. I could have cracked fortune cookies and read fortunes all morning and she would have shouted, “Amen!” after every one. Many moms have a way of seeing the best in their kids.
My wife, Carrie, often gets a little excited when we’re in the stands watching our own kids do whatever their thing is in that moment. She’s still learning the rules of baseball but not knowing all of the details hasn’t stopped her from throwing herself into play after play. Hayes is seven and his team is figuring out all the ins and outs of the rules of baseball themselves. A play will develop and Carrie’s hooting and hollering, “Get ‘em!” “Throw it!” “Hold it!” “Tag him!” and sometimes she’ll offer her advice without knowing for sure if that’s a legal move. She’ll yell “Get him!” and then whisper to me, “Can he do that?” and I’ll just slowly shake my head from side to side. Nonetheless, I love the passion of a mother for her kids. I suspect that there’s no greater love on this side of heaven than a mother has for her children and also no greater heartbreak.
I’ve been with those becoming mothers for the first time and held with them that deep awe and wonder of this new bundle in their life. The connection is beyond explanation but they have an immeasurable depth of love for this being they’ve only just met. I’ve sat with mothers who’ve decided their child has strayed so far they don’t know if they’ll ever come back. I’ve sat with grown mothers caring for their own aging mother – sometimes pulling out their own hair in the process, sometimes stroking their ailing mother’s hair as she surely did for them when they were little. It’s a unique relationship – no other like it to be sure. One could never calculate the hours and soul poured into mothering well and so we seldom do. But when we’ve received such care and guidance – selfless and steady – we grieve it when it’s gone.
We meet a woman today named Dorcas – Tabitha in English. It means “gazelle.” Not sure if that was the inspiration of her own parents when she was born or if she embodied such graceful and elegant movement in her life. A dancer perhaps… or hurdler. Who knows? But…here she is. She’s the first woman in the book of Acts specifically named as a disciple and she is beloved. Acts says, “She was devoted to good works and charity.” The actual expression of this phrase in Greek is more closely, “She was full of it!” It was often a way people referred to being full of the Holy Spirit. Dorcas was full of it… and her death hit the community hard.
Rachel Held Evans[1] may be a name you’ve heard – and maybe not. 
She’s written a number of honest books about her journey in faith. Every year of middle school she was awarded “Best Christian Attitude” at her Christian school so she felt pretty full of it, herself. An over-achiever of the faith. But she had so many questions that easy, pat answers and Christian clichés just wouldn’t satisfy. She was in a church culture, however, that didn’t welcome the questions. “Memorize the standard answers and be satisfied with them,” was the sentiment. But she believed the Christ mystery held so much more.
As she wrote of the breadth and width and height of God’s love in Christ and the extraordinary grace of Jesus some said she went too far. She didn’t understand the fear.
“Perhaps we’re afraid that if we get out of the way, this grace thing might get out of hand,” she said. “Well, guess what? It already has. Grace got out of hand the moment the God of the universe hung on a Roman cross and with outstretched hands looked out upon those who had hung him there and declared, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Grace has been out of hand for more than two thousand years now. We best get used to it.”
She would write these kinds of things. She imagined a church that was full of it. She dreamed:
“Imagine if every church became a place where everyone is safe, but no one is comfortable. Imagine if every church became a place where we told one another the truth. We might just create sanctuary.” And her faith was tested. But she also said: “I am a Christian because the story of Jesus is still the story I’m willing to risk being wrong about.”
Rachel died this past week. 37 years old. Got the flu… had a reaction to the antibiotics. And gone. She and her husband Dan have two young kids – ages 3 and 1. And so many are grieving. I was with forty young ministers this week, leading them in retreat, and a number of them carried her books and held them in their grief, testimony to her impact, as if to say: “This is what she did. This is what we have. This mattered so much to my faith.” And there was grief.
This is the spirit of the room in our story from Acts today. Dorcas has died. And the people are grieving. For she was full of it… good works and acts of charity. She made things for the widows in particular – a forgotten contingent of society – for whom Jesus instructed to give care. Word was that Peter wasn’t far away. Word was also out that he’d done some healing and worked some miracles and it was worth a shot. Jewish tradition was to have the body prepared and buried by sundown, so time was of the essence. They cared for Dorcas’ body but took her upstairs (in a cold room as some translations say) and sent an entourage after Peter. This is a sweet maneuver of the faith movement in this town.
And we’ve all known that saint who we longed to hold onto… full of the spirit… so influential in our lives. It’s worth asking ourselves, “What are we full of?” You’ve got to be careful with your answer, but it is worth a thought. What is your spirit full of that the world would so miss if you weren’t here? Do you know? If you don’t, perhaps we need to think more intentionally about what we’re cultivating in our lives. Theologian Dallas Willard says,
“The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who, by profession or culture, are identified as ‘Christians’ will become disciples – students, apprentices, practitioners – of Jesus Christ, steadily learning from him how to live the life of the Kingdom of the Heavens into every corner of human existence.”
Full of it. And this just isn’t the big stuff… it’s the daily stuff.
Dorcas stands…
“for all those unsung heroines who have got on with what they can do best and have done it to the glory of God. Had it not been for Peter’s, she might never have made it into the pages of the New Testament, and we have to assume that there were dozens in the early years, and thousands in later years, who, like her, lived their lives in faith and hope, bearing the sorrows of life no doubt as well as celebrating its joys, and finding in the small acts of service to others a fulfillment of the gospel within their own sphere, using traditional skills to the glory of God. [N.T. Wright points out that…] Luke is right to draw our eyes down to the small-scale and immediate, in case we should ever forget that these are the people who form the heart of the church. [Their gifts to the whole go uncelebrated too often.] But when you have the pleasure of meeting a Dorcas, you greet them as what they are, the beating heart of the people of God.”[2]
Last Sunday was a beautiful expression of church. One of our most seasoned couples had an issue at home and were introduced to one of our youngest couples of the church who went with them to help them with that issue… never met each other… came back knowing each other and remembering fully what it meant to be church. A greeter, took a first timer all the way into the Life Center which was full of youth and youth leaders and our community and our new friend looked intimidated until our greeter connected her with one of our people sitting close by who, as it turns out, she had known for years… and the joy? Church, my friends. Church. And the youth sponsors interviewed by two of our sharp high schoolers spilling the beans about why they serve and how it transforms their lives as much as it does for our young people. Church. And a young man… a high schooler… new to our community, steps up into the lectern and opens his mouth to belt out a song of the soul. My view was through the supportive admiration of our choir who beamed with pride for his courage and willingness to share his gift… church. A new couple, after worship… cooked a Cinco de Mayo dinner for our fourteen Family Promise guests so that they might feel loved and celebrated and a part. Church. This is what Dorcas was all about… unsung… but hero nonetheless.
So Peter is sought: “Come quickly,” they say. And whether Peter knew Dorcas or knew those who summoned him to come or he was simply moved to move… he does. And it’s a ten mile hike so we’re not talking a three-minute ride to St. Francis Hospital in his Ford F-150 Raptor… I see Peter driving a big truck, you know? Peter goes and as he climbs the stairs of this home, it is lined with widows who hold in their hands the legacy of this woman who touched their lives… steady and faithful. No pressure, Peter. So he clears the room. And I’m not sure how it really happens from there. We get a little bit from the text but let’s remember – Peter did not go to med school. He was a fisherman of all things. Sure he could pull a hook and clean a fish but this was a little different. He knelt and prayed. He doesn’t want to walk back down those stairs by those widows simply shrugging his shoulders, “Ma’am; ma’am. ‘Scuse me, ma’am. I’m sorry, Ma’am.” He’s praying, “Lord, Lord, please.” And after his prayer… which may or may not have done the trick, he simply says, “Tabs? Get up.” She opens her eyes. He extends a hand. And finally… my favorite line and his greatest relief: “He presented her to them alive.” Isn’t that all Jesus wants? That we might be presented alive to the world – full of it – vibrant and active and doing our part for the kingdom.
Just imagine that’s the line for you today as the doors of this sanctuary are opened and you’re released back into the wild: “He presented her to the world, fully alive.” “He presented him to the world, vibrant, active, serving as only he uniquely could.” That’s church. That’s why we’re here. To catch another glimpse. To fill up with the Spirit again. To get back out there and be church for real. We don’t always catch it the first time around… or the second… or even a dozen years into it. But don’t quit calling for it. Don’t settle that it will never come for you. You never know when it’s gonna take.
There’s a great healing story (Mark 8) where Jesus heals a guy’s eyesight twice. After Jesus’ first try, he asked the man, “What can you see?” The man told Jesus, “I see people but they look like trees walking around.” Jesus tries again and says, “What about now?” It was only after the second time that the man could see things the way they really were. First attempts like first impressions can be great but many times we need that second touch, that second look, another try. This happens in the faith too. Many have bumped into Jesus along the way but it didn’t stick. It’s not a failure or anything any more than Jesus’ first attempt at the guys eyes was but God does long for us to be real about how we’re being transformed.
Bob Goff, lawyer, author, honorary counsel for the Republic of Uganda to the United States, says about this very biblical story:
“I’ll level with you; if I were the blind guy in the story, I would have been tempted to lie to Jesus after the first touch and tell him I was healed. You know, just so Jesus wouldn’t look bad.” He says, “but what Jesus is looking for are honest answers about what’s really going on in our lives, not a bunch of spin. If the guy without sight had faked it and said he could see everything just fine after the first touch, he wouldn’t have been actually healed.”
We don’t get to know how life always works. Sometimes, the miracles of God may happen in stages. You see a little more the next time and the next time and after the next grace, the next study, the next prayer, the next worship service, the next time you tear a little piece of bread from that common loaf. Even though we’ve been touched by God, we still don’t see people for who they are until something more happens in us. Goff says, “It’s not trees we confuse them for; it’s opinions and positions, social issues and status, titles and accomplishments and behaviors.”[3] We won’t always get answers for these mysteries. Sometimes when we ask for an answer, God sends us a companion.
Has that happened to you? You’re struggling with an issue or you’re unsure of your faith or your childhood doctrine that has more holes than you’re now comfortable with – and then someone comes alongside and you can’t explain it but you just know that person is full of it – full of spirit – full of perspective and experience and wisdom and faith. It’s a prayer to see again and maybe that’s why mom got you to church today, who knows? Our stories are always unfolding and we can’t predict it all.
Just look at Dorcas. The text never says what happens to Dorcas next. Did she go on a speaking tour – “Come hear the woman who was raised!” — Maybe she cashed in on her new fame and became an illusionist on one of the side roads off the Branson strip. I mean, she’s got some notoriety now. The text even says, “many came to faith because of her.” But you know what I think? I think she made some more tunics for widows that had been forgotten. I think she did the tasks that many wouldn’t notice… she folded the bulletins for worship and cleaned up the communion cups after. She laughed about her second life joking, “I’m only 3 years old. I’m only 7.” However long she lived the second time around. You start to count time differently once you’ve been raised… once you start to see life more clearly. I think she oozed of the Holy Spirit and encouraged the others like a doting mother. I think she was beautiful. I think she was full of it. May that also be said of us.
[1] https://rachelheldevans.com/
[2] N.T. Wright, Acts for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1-12 (SPCK. 2008), 154-55.
[3] This paragraph’s quotes and interpretation from Everybody Always by Bob Goff. (Thomas Nelson Publishing. Colorado Springs. 2018.)
who was making a goofy face as he is oft to do. It was only after I got home and mom blew up the picture for me that I noticed the artwork hanging next to him that read, “All of God’s grace in one tiny face.” Oh the grace, my friends; the grace required to love and raise a child well… and for them to allow you the grace of mistakes, missteps, and the gift of growing alongside of them. I’ve learned from many of you that this grace never ends.
… they do exist!… in the Lake District of England where his father and grandfather tended sheep before him as have generations for thousands of years. You sort of expect, given the advances in technology and modern tools, the sheep herding life has followed suit but it’s basically the same as it’s always been – it comes down to the sheep and the land and a get-up-and-get-out spirit. Rebanks has written a book about his experience called 
It’s a powerful image. We’re drawn to it because we can touch it, feel it, smell the smoldering piles of pews beneath it. I’m for its inspiring beauty and symbol of hope and new life. But I also know it’s just a building.
“Try again in 25,536,442 minutes.” That means Osnos’ iPad will not be unlockable until the year 2067.
It has inspired many-a 40th birthday cake ever since. The press conference went viral… one of the very first viral videos in college football to do so as Social Media was a new medium. Mike Gundy’s offensive coordinator at the time, Larry Fedora, missed the blow up of his boss but knew something had gone down at the press conference. That night, Fedora walked across the cul-de-sac where he lived to Gundy’s house, knocked on the door and said, “What the heck happened in your press conference?” Gundy invited him in and said, “I’ll show you. It’s already on YouTube.” Fedora said, “OK, but what the heck is a YouTube?”
Then, this. 
The text says, “a solitary broom tree.” He’s the last lonely prophet and so his greatest affinity is this lonely, solitary broom tree. Elijah is just going off: “God, kill me now. I’m done.” We all have surely felt this way… and often when our bodies are exhausted… it’s why Sabbath keeping and care of our bodies and rest are not just “good ideas,” they are essential to our wellbeing. Our spirits will not be well if we can’t do our best to care for our bodies. Now… I know our bodies betray us sometimes… from no doing of our own, we are stricken with disease or injury and we have struggles that are out of our power to heal. It’s part of the amazing mystery that is our flesh and bones. How are these fleshy suits somehow vessels where God’s spirit is planted to do some meaningful work? And why is it that we are so abusive and hateful to our own bodies and the bodies of others? We reach moments where we have claimed that male bodies are more important than female bodies or straight bodies are more important than gay bodies or white bodies are more important than bodies of a deeper hue.
It is considered one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world..jpg?bwg=0)
onto these ships simply to guide them through the passage – some ten times a day – which ultimately moves $24 billion dollars in goods each year through this passage. Can you imagine a passage so treacherous that an expert withness is flown in to help you get through it? I wonder if that is the kind of company God keeps with us when we’re in those most difficult or uncertain places. And I imagine not a lot is said … just focused company… just a hand held in the waiting room at the hospital… just a tear wiped when the pain was clear but no words could repair. So many will say in times of tragedy or deepest challenge, “I just don’t know what to say.” “Just be there,” I’ll offer back. Just be good company. Silent presence is as powerful a prayer as you’ll ever pray. The Spirit already knows and recognizes the sigh.
It is impressive. They had a running ticker 
of how many Bibles they had printed… tick, tick, tick. Amazing! Some six billion copies of the Bible have been sold. Harry Potter has only 400 million copies sold, coming in third place. Nine out of ten American households own a Bible – the average American household has three. The YOUversion Bible App
What could God open to you if you opened the Bible in a whole new way? That’s what we’re after today.
Ouch. We are the most over-informed, under-reflective civilization in human history. Whoa. Information is more accessible than ever. And we may eat it but we certainly are bypassing the chewing and digestive processes. My son Dane reminds our family of this every time we eat. He reminds me of his great-grandma Briley who always took an additional twenty/thirty minutes to eat her meal after the rest of us were done. Dane is the same way. And we’ll wait and he’ll say, “I’m just savoring my food, guys.” And like our information, we hardly have the patience to savor anything anymore. When’s the last time you savored Scripture? And if you are reading… are you just trying to get through it… to reach some reading plan goal?
How many of you are ready to sign up for that life now? Emma may be on to something. The truth is, we live in a society that values productivity, success, achievement, and all-star status. Imagining time of solitude… silent space to listen to your own heart beat and feel your soul and your very breath again… in and out… gift, gift, gift. Forget about it. But this is extremely critical to building a spiritual foundation that can hold the rest of your life. Even daily doses of solitude will save you from the crash and burn that often takes down too many of us when we just can’t keep up anymore. 
I thought of you… named you in my spirit… held your pains that I knew of and celebrated your joys. I sat with myself in a way I hadn’t for a long time. It’s sort of a big reflective year in my household. My wife and I both turn forty. We’ll also celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary. This will be our tenth year of living and serving among you. The church turns sixty in just a few short weeks. And I just sat with my soul… and allowed it to feel what I hadn’t made time to feel. It was hard and it was sweet. There were tears and there was healing. There was uncertainty and there was hope. Now I stayed on that mountain for a good while… honestly part of it was I realized it was going to be a lot harder to get down than it was climbing up. There was no path… it was reaching, stretching and climbing rocks. But I also felt so close to God. I came down the better for having made the climb.
even Canaan in full Spiderman garb. As they left, Giselle asked Canaan, “Can you tell me what the ashes mean?” “I have dirt all over me,” he said. His mom then asks, “and what does that have to do with Jesus?” Canaan says, “He washes the dirt off of me.” 
Lent is a sacred season that always affords us such an opportunity if we are willing. Where are you willing to go? Where are you willing to grow? What is your deepest spiritual desire? Do you long for more? The movement from desire to discipline is important and so tonight… in what may be the most straightforward and honest night of any church night, is a perfect place to own where we are and be willing to go someplace else.
“Wow!” every time. Absolutely breathtaking. I look forward to it everyday. It makes me so grateful. Humility does this … it widens our sense of awe and gratitude and acceptance that God is so good that we should do everything in our power not to take that gift away from someone else.
but love does what love does and her parents knew of course that they would want to learn sign language so they could engage and enjoy their daughter. They worked at it fervently the first couple years of Sam’s life. As Sam found her feet and began to bounce around the neighborhood, the neighbors were sad that they couldn’t engage Sam as they’d like. But… you can’t expect all of the neighbors to learn sign language can you? Certainly, you cannot. But, you sure can appreciate it when they do. Thus began the story of twenty neighbors who sit in silence to learn a new language so their littlest neighbor will know what their own kids raised in that neighborhood had always known: community; friendship; and inclusion.
this is how love widens the circle. Terry Nowak, one of the neighbors said, “We will all be participants in helping her as she grows. We do that with each other’s children. The community is already in place. This is just a new way to express it.’’ Sam parents were speechless and humbled in their gratitude. They’ve noted how much it has changed Sam’s demeanor already… and honestly… the demeanor of the ever-widening neighborhood as well. That’s how American Sign Language has become the second tongue now spoken on one end of Islington Road. Why? Because that’s Samantha Savitz’s language. And there was no way her neighbors were going to let her practice it alone. That neighborly warm embrace is now there every time a neighbor leans down and signs with Sam. 
Every chance encounter of inclusion in the local grocery store. Every time Sam points to the living room chairs where her neighbors meet to learn her language, she makes the sign for “friend.’’
who sang to us wearing their brand new choir robes of which they were so proud. And we met a saint of the church, a beautiful woman of 102 years, who had never met a foreigner before. 
She smiled and clapped as their choir sang and as we offered a spontaneous song back to them too. She held my face in her hands and offered me a blessing. I wonder if she’s celebrating 105 years soon or if she’s joined the resurrection. If the Good News isn’t true for her, it’s not true for me. That woman loved her some Jesus.
– all shapes, colors and varieties with a message that says: 19 people: That’s all we could pack into the handful of family-style tables and counter seats in our tiny shop on South Congress Street in Austin back in 1971. Everyone – hippies and politicians, artists and farmers – sat side-by-side. We’ve always believed that whether it’s food or people, when you welcome all flavors, you get an experience to savor. That’s our spirit of originality. GLAD YOU’RE HERE! And of course, I’m always thinking about church. Here we are, all God’s children, making the journey on our own and together – wondering if God, or anyone else, is glad we’re here; curious if there is any real purpose for our existence. I’d put your picture on a side of a cup if I could so that you might know I’m glad you’re here… not just in this sanctuary in this moment, but here in the world, eager, longing, yearning for a life that is full and meaningful. A life that is whole.
He also concluded that people are more prone to believe the “Wondrously False” than the “Wondrously True.” “Of all the offspring of Time, Error is the most ancient, and is so old and familiar an acquaintance, that Truth, when discovered, comes upon most of us like an intruder and meets the intruder’s welcome.”
that said, “Sorry I’m late. I didn’t want to come.” Even that guy joined in on the rage of the mob. We are addicted to outrage.
written by a black senator, Tim Scott, and white congressman, Trey Gowdy, who say that we’ve got to stretch ourselves to create unlikely friendships in order to make room for the creation of a unified vision, purpose or melody. While we need legislative change and need to press those in power to do right by all Americans, they note that we clearly aren’t getting anywhere with loyalty to labels above all else. Tim and Trey note the limitations and struggle for legislative remedies right now. You certainly don’t have to buy all they say (or what anyone says) to find common agreement. What stuck with me was this word: “We believe the firmest foundation for positive change is found with individuals in relationship with one another. Laws are external. Relationships are internal. Policies make you have to. Relationships make you want to. Relationships contain the power necessary to change the course of history, and the delicate, personal touch needed to change the trajectory of a single life.”
“What would it mean for Christians to rediscover their faith not as a problematic system of beliefs, but as a just and generous way of life, rooted in contemplation and expressed in compassion, that makes amends for its mistakes and is dedicated to beloved community for all?”
Your friends determine the quality and direction of your life. Your friends determine the quality and direction of your life. Your friends determine the quality and direction of your life. This mantra is one leadership guru and pastor Andy Stanley shared with his kids more times than they’d like to count. If even to the point of annoyance, Stanley felt it was worth restating over and over again so that it was front of mind. Your friends determine the quality and direction of your life. To whom, in this life, are you soul bound? We are naturally designed to be soul bound to others. If there is a part of God in each of us, if we are in fact made somehow in God’s very image, it makes natural sense that there would be a magnetism of our souls that is constantly yearning to be connected. It is why feeling disconnected is very hard and why loneliness hurts as it does. It’s why break ups and relationship fights and family drama have accompanying wounds… they can heal over, yes, they can scab and scar and, sometimes, become stronger in the broken places but what is undeniable is this deep longing we all have to be connected. Even more simply stated, this desired connection is why we do the wave at sporting events or have a moment of excited curiosity when we go to the curb to see what’s in the mailbox and why you check your phone every ninety seconds hoping to find more “likes” on your latest social media post.
My soul felt bound to his joy.
for forty-five minutes or so before returning to my parents to sleep. It snowed all night and I tossed and turned wondering how we’d get back home. But we rose, packed up, and headed home to Tulsa. Our waking connection to my family was only a few minutes while the time in the car was significant. Why do we do things like this?
There are now more than 900 regular Death Café events taking place in 19 countries across the world where people simply come together and talk about heavy topics over light refreshments. I’ve learned that there’s a monthly Death Café gathering held here in our own city.
Mr. T. Of course. Paul was guiding a people in a faith-filled conversation. We would do well to remember that. He’s talking about things with these folks that no one really knows anything about. He’s not teaching a science class. He’s talking faith. He’s using the best of his human limitations with words and descriptions to describe something otherworldly. It’s every preacher’s hindrance. We’re so limited. You want to know about heaven and all I can tell you is a story about playing ping pong with my brother on New Year’s Day. I actually love this humbling quote by Barbara Brown Taylor that says 
Warren Zevon appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman shortly after finding out he had cancer, Letterman asked him, “From your perspective, do you know something about life… that maybe I don’t know?” Zevon answered, “I know how much you’re supposed to enjoy every sandwich.” There is something in your life right now… something you’re struggling with, wrestling with, concerned about, maybe down right fearful of. How can getting some perspective on that very matter, grant you a new opportunity to see it as a seed… one day producing something bigger and greater than you can possibly see from this vantage point? How can talking about those matters… even the fear of death itself… bring about a new possibility for life? Jon Underwood, the British Web Designer and self-named “Death Entrepreneur” who started the Death Café phenomenon along with his mother, a psychotherapist who helped facilitate says, “When people sit down to talk about death, the pretense kind of falls away, and people talk very openly and authentically. And… they say things in front of strangers which are really profound and beautiful.”
Marcus Mumford, offers a line of faith in the title track of their latest album release entitled, “Guiding Light.” In his signature raspy grit, he sings, “Even when there is no star in sight, you’ll always be my only guiding light.” This is the draw of relationship with Christ and our eyes adjusting to the light as we move out of the dark corners of our realities into a humble willingness to follow the ways of Christ even when we struggle to see the glory. And on this first Sunday of the year, I’m betting that we’re all here ready for something more; hungry for it even. In that same song, Mumford’s lyric, says, “If we come back and we’re broken; unworthy and ashamed; give us something to believe in and you know we’ll go your way.” What do you need to make that commitment to God today? What do you want most that you’re willing to stick with the necessary discipline to forego what you want now? Arise. Shine. Light. Glory.
Do you know what that emoji is supposed to communicate? I probably gave it away already but that’s okay. I always thought it meant you were cry-laughing – you know, you’re laughing so hard that tears just flow. And I think that’s pretty much the idea, but I looked it up and it is most accurately intended to represent uncontrollable joy. And who doesn’t love uncontrollable joy? It generally means guards have been put down, all fear is abandoned and this contagious connection between you and the sender of that uncontrollable joy is satisfying. I want that for you this morning… on JOY Sunday… also known as Gaudete Sunday – a Latin word meaning rejoice. While we still carry a spirit of waiting this season and maybe even a weariness that things in our lives still exist in tension and conflict and challenge… Gaudete Sunday is where we begin to make the turn toward the manger. It is why the advent wreath candle we light today is pink instead of purple. It’s Advent’s hump day – the time we turn from expectation to celebration. The rose candle invites us to intentionally make the turn with expectant confidence that what has been promised will come to pass. It’s an invitation into uncontrollable joy. And the RSVP on that invitation was for today’s worship gathering. I want our guards to be relaxed, our fears released, our connection to the coming Christ and each other to be full of joy.
But not at all. Elizabeth’s joy is not diminished by Mary’s own news. In fact, it is enhanced. Do you have that kind of joy? The kind of joy that can celebrate another’s? It is a disposition of joy… and Elizabeth’s got it. How could you be an Elizabeth to someone else in your life right now?
Jennifer Hudson always offers the encouragement to a contestant’s singing that has moved her: “You better sing!” Most people, even those without any musical talent, find joy in music. You’ve likely been so moved in hearing someone sing that you felt what JHud feels even if you couldn’t verbalize it that way. “You better sing!” she shouts! It’s a feeling. It’s passion! It’s freedom! It’s uncontrollable joy! It’s as if she’s saying, “You better praise God!” “You better keep it up!” “You better sing!” It’s not a threat. It’s not an “or else.” It’s “How could you not?!!” Elizabeth has this spirit with Mary. “Mary,” she says with uncontrollable joy, “You better sing!” And, of course, Mary sings – the Magnificat follows. Her soul magnifies the Lord. Her spirit rejoices with uncontrollable joy. It doesn’t mean that it won’t be a hard road. There will be morning sickness, and ridicule from her community, and struggle for her and Joseph as they sort out this unexpected addition coming to their lives. If we always waited until everything was just right, just so, before we could express our joy, we’d likely never get there.
It always makes the rounds on most channels during December. One of the favorite scenes is that of Linus, standing on a bare stage, reciting the story of the birth of Jesus from the gospel of Luke.
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“How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.” What a title – and what a challenge to imagine how you would go about such a thing. But Bono admitted concerning the grandness of the title, “Actually I was talking about my father Bob. He was the atomic bomb in question.”
Some people refer to it as the “Cathedral of Saint John the Unfinished.” It’s an impressive landmark in New York – 601 feet long and 124 feet high. It features the longest Gothic nave in the United States and the largest rose window in the country as well. 
10,000 pieces of glass. Besides the sanctuary, there are seven chapels. It’s an architectural beauty. Construction began in 1892. Worship and other ministries started taking place there in 1899. The building wasn’t opened end-to-end until 1941 but even then, there was much work waiting to be completed. Over the years, the structure was plagued by financial woes, changes in building plans, wartime delays, engineering problems and in 2001, a destructive fire. And so, today, 126 years to the month after the cornerstone was laid, this massive church is still sometimes dubbed, “Saint John the Unfinished.” ‘Unfinished’ seems like such a downer of a word. You never like when the idea is attached to your personal projects. She didn’t finish the race. His dissertation was never completed. The remodeling of your bathroom may not have begun as far back as 1892 but still, as you step around the unfinished tile every day and the counter-top-less sink area, it could be called “the john unfinished.”
of 95-year-old war veteran and senator Bob Dole, with all his strength rise from his wheelchair to salute 94-year-old war veteran and past president George H.W. Bush. Man, that was a moment. And across the land, if but for a little while, there was a peace that focused on dignity and respect over poorly constructed spewed words of hate and division. It shouldn’t take death for us to treat each other with dignity. To whom can you offer some dignity that you’ve been withholding of late? What relationship can you restore? Not easy, I know, but you can take a humble step if even the other person will not. The staff team named Romans 12 in our Bible study last Monday. In it, Paul writes: “As far as it is up to you, be at peace with everyone.” You’ve got some agency in this peace-work. Theologian Paul Tillich said, “Faith is the courage to accept acceptance.” Not a bad word for us on either side of the forgiveness equation. In Christ, we are loved beyond measure and we are in turn called to love in that same way. That’s a kind of love that breaks chains.
God will never cease to amaze me.
Never.
lost his right eye to an improvised explosive device while serving our country. He continued to serve even after that injury. Most recently he was mocked on Saturday Night Live as Pete Davidson made fun of several politicians. Many were outraged. Crenshaw, a Navy Seal who had experienced the chaos and injury (of all kinds) of war had been through harder things than a comic’s mockery. Crenshaw was invited onto SNL 
the following week where he and Davidson did a bit together, bridging the difference in a light-hearted way, honoring veterans who have served faithfully and sharing a need to forgive, heal and move forward together. Crenshaw said, “I try hard not to offend others and try even harder not to be offended.” Not bad advice and maybe some helpful feedback for you and me to remember.
In front of his home, in between a few shrubs, stands a curious tower. It’s about four feet tall, filled to the top with stones. Inspired décor you ask? Well… sort of. “It’s there,” he says, “to remind me how brief life is and how important the time we have here is.” Okay. But why the tower of stones? “It’s a little morbid,” he admits, “but it’s a tool my Bible teacher taught me in high school.” The stones were inspired by the Psalm his teacher shared with him that says, “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Cousins said, “It’s about making a deposit in people’s lives in a way that matters.” We only have so many days. The quarterback transformed that verse into a visual reminder: 720 stones. 
He calculated what he considered a feasible number of years he had left given his health and history, measured that time in months and came up with 720 months left in his life Lord willing. “Every month I’m going to take out a stone,” he said, “put it in my pocket and think: ‘Once this month is over, this is gone. You can’t get it back.’” Cousins was going to be intentional about how he spent the time he had left… wanting to stay the course of his faith, his call to live generously, in pursuit of his life’s purpose. Carrying each stone reminds him to be less selfish and more giving to others because, in the end, he says, “It’s not going to be about what I did for myself, but what I did for others.” So he pulls a stone and he asks the question, “What impact am I making, not only today, but for eternity?”
Staff Sergeant Johnny Jones with his quote that reads, “People ask how I stay so positive after losing my legs. I simply ask how they stay so negative with theirs.”
Bishop Michael Curry, most known for the sermon he gave and Harry and Meghan’s Royal Wedding this summer, was interviewed this week as he has a new book coming out entitled, “The Power of Love” which also just happens to be, arguably, the title of one the best songs from 1985, “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News. Back to the Future soundtrack. “The Power of love is a curious thing…” If I got that song stuck in your head, you’re welcome. Enjoy! But I digress. Bishop Curry was first asked to respond to the words of Rabbi Jeffrey Myers who experienced eleven of his own being executed a week ago Saturday at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. The Rabbi quoted the Psalms, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. But,” he added, “I want those eleven lives back.” Curry noted that “When it hurts, it hurts and we need to own that.” He spoke of the Jewish tradition that never allows a dead body of one of their own to be left alone. He said, “We do it together. We have to exist in the rituals of faith which were beta tested a long time ago. Those disciplines hold us in the difficult seasons while God’s energy finds a way to be reinfused into the community.”
“Nebraska: honestly, it’s not for everyone.” Some marketers are calling this genius. Sort of a reverse psychology notion. The thought that it might not be for you makes you want to know why. Now I have to go! A terrific and tested sales tactic – transparency. When someone asks, “Why should I hire you?” it may be best to answer, “I don’t know if you should. I’m not a good fit for everybody.” All the sudden the person leans in to understand further. The honesty campaign is attempting to change the perception that people will say anything to get the sale… to get you to come to Nebraska. But honestly, it’s not for everyone.
The claim expands to say this: “The Gathering Place is a world class riverfront park designed to welcome all Tulsans to a vibrant and inclusive space that engages, educates and excites!”
You can see the results in this picture. This set off a series of prank/counter-prank, between the two schools that ultimately had to come to a close before things got seriously dangerous. As to this initial stunt, many were amused. TCU did blank the Mustangs of SMU that day 21-0. The paper’s report had this to offer from TCU’s grass experts: “The annual rye will likely reappear next year, but will eventually fade out, much like SMU’s football program.”
He and his wife, Jennifer, have three beautiful daughters for which he coaches each one of their soccer teams – ‘Dad of the Year’ material here. Andy’s mother passed away a couple of years ago now and he posted a beautiful story this week in connection to that great loss and has allowed me to share it with you this morning. “I have this scrappy little African violet 
that was part of a basket that Sharon and the PTA at my kids’ school sent for my mom’s memorial service (I was serving as treasurer at the time). For a couple of years, I’ve watered it, and I’ve looked at it thinking “I should really do something with that.” It just kept hanging in… a little water, a little light… and it puts out these beautiful, delicate blooms once in a while. Somewhere along the way, it became “mom’s violet” in the back of my head. It needs a better pot. It probably needs some fertilizer. It needs me to read up on how you take care of these beyond mild neglect. Somehow, it made it beyond a couple of years. Somehow so did I.”
Thomas’ character was known as “The Soup Nazi” which was also the name of the episode. The plot line follows Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer and their struggles to stay on the good side of Larry Thomas’ character so that they could enjoy his most delicious soup. One false move, however, and The Soup Nazi held a forever grudge. Try to order soup after crossing that line and you would receive that harsh, famous line, “No soup for you!” Of Seinfeld’s run of nine seasons and 180 episodes, “The Soup Nazi” ranks second on the list of most popular episodes of the series. Larry Thomas called it, “The easiest four days of work I ever did.”
Alexander Campbell migrated to the United States, a Scots-Irish immigrant, with his family. He and father, Thomas, would be two key founders of the movement that became the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Coming out of the Presbyterian tradition, the Campbell’s wrestled with a number of the practices of the church. One that stuck out more than most, perhaps, was the practice of communion. The church had created an elitist practice when it came to communion which essentially resulted in only the privileged wealthy being invited to share in communion. Church leadership would give them tokens which had to be presented before receiving the elements. No token – no communion for you. The pivotal moment was captured in a poorly produced video I watched as a child, learning about our denomination. It was a low budget production. Tom Hanks did not play Alexander Campbell, okay? But the point was clearly made. Alexander Campbell is standing in line to receive communion, with great angst by what had become such a restrictive experience – not the freedom flowing, grace-filled salvific experience he believed was the first intention of Jesus. And so, when Campbell reaches the front of the line, and with great drama of a made-for-tv movie, he slams his token down on the Table and walks away. The music swells, the camera shot widens, and behold, something new was taking shape. That was the beginning moment of our denomination; a movement that would be defined by an Open Table where any and all were invited to share in the meal. The invitation belongs to Christ, and is not merely our own. This is why Disciples churches have communion at every worship service and why the Chalice is the symbol you’ll see on Disciples church signs. The Table defines what we most deeply value – that the love of God, in Christ, is a wide invitation; open for any and all people who will come. The invitation is yours today. Will you come? This I know, we don’t always come, even when we’re invited.
the very Table where she was humbly invited and received for the first time, the gift of encountering Jesus. The Food Pantry builds community and empowers people to work together and share food with the neighborhood. There’s not much bureaucracy. They don’t ask hungry people to fill out forms or prove that they are deserving. “We’re strong on participation,” Miles says. “Most of our volunteers are folks who came to get food and stayed to feed others. They welcome everyone to the table––disabled workers, retired grandparents, homeless gay teenagers, middle-aged cleaning ladies, long-time San Franciscans and new immigrant families from all over the world––and they invite everyone to pitch in. Our volunteers speak a dozen different languages. Some are young and strong, some old and sick; some live in houses and some on the streets. But at The Food Pantry, every Friday, we share the privilege of doing meaningful work together, and feeding our community.”
