Freedom in Chains

Acts 16 sermon Easter 7 year C

Acts 16 Freedom in Chains

What does it look like to be free? We in America certainly have our own views about freedom. We tend to paint freedom with a brush that leads to financial success and a lack of trials or tribulations of any kind. Here in the south our image of freedom often includes the right to have firearms, to wear or carry a certain flag, to keep others from stepping into our space. We tend to have a limiting idea of freedom. “Your rights end where mine begin,” is not an uncommon phrase. Freedom is only freedom when it benefits us.

In today’s scripture lesson we begin with an instance of freedom. A girl who is doubly enslaved, by an earthly master and a spiritual oppressor stumbles upon Paul an Silas as they are teaching and preaching in the area. Instantly she recognizes them for what they are, truth speakers, those with the words of salvation, those with the knowledge to set people free.

She follows them around for days, scripture tells us and finally Paul has had enough. He is annoyed by her presence. He is annoyed by her words and proclamations and in this annoyance he casts out the demon inside of her. In one way she is set free. But what did this leave her captive too?

In his annoyance, Paul set her free, but seemed to pay no head to what might happen to her in this new found freedom. Just a few verses earlier Paul brings the good news to Lydia, a wealthy merchant woman and then stays at her house, uses it for a base of operations. But this girl, doesn’t get so much as a backwards glance.

In fact, I’m convinced she wouldn’t even have been a footnote in Christian history had she not been of value to someone else. Not emotional value, but financial value.

You see, people haven’t changed too much over the centuries. Mess with our money and we will come and get you! Paul had annoyed the wrong person with his action. He had taken the financial stability of someone else and the marketplace would not stand for that. This poor slave girls life has been dramatically changed, there are real possibilities for healing and restoration, and instead the money people get involved and we witness the marketplace at its worst.

They gather together against Paul and Silas. They were stripped and beaten with rods, then thrown into prison. Things look dark indeed. I find myself wondering if Silas had wished Paul had held his annoyance in a bit better. We don’t have a record of what they said to each other in that prison, with their hands and feet in stocks. But whatever it was encouraged them enough to begin singing songs. And not just any songs, but songs of praise!

Songs of praise in the midst of their imprisonment. Songs of praise with their backs bleeding, skin broken, hands and feet tied. Songs of praise in the midst of the dark. Songs that not only encouraged Paul and Silas, but had an affect on the other prisoners as well.

How do we know that? Because when the earth begins to shake, when the walls begin to crumble, when the shackles fall free, no one, not one prisoner leaves. They all stay put in the midst of calamity, even when they have every opportunity to be set free. Why?

Perhaps because Paul had learned his lesson. This time perhaps Paul thought about the consequences his actions would have on another. This time maybe Paul paused, looked past his own nose and realized that there was much more to be gained by staying.

In staying he saved the life of the jailer, literally. He also led the jailor and his family to Christ.  He showed the love of Christ by thinking of others first, by putting his own needs after those of another person. By living the life Jesus asks us, rather commands us to live. A life that does the unexpected, that loves in unusual and life changing ways.

Sometimes when I’ve heard this text talked about I hear the comments “Wow, that must have been some powerful singing.” And I think it was. It was powerful enough to change the hearts of the prisoners and Paul. Praise can do that, when it is genuine. Paul’s reaction of love leads to freedom for Silas, and leads to the beginning of another house church group in Philippi.

This passage leaves me wondering how I can love in a way that changes lives. How we can all love as Christ called us to love, in unexpected and amazing ways.

There is a well-known story that Tony Campolo shares about a speaking engagement he had in Honolulu, Hawaii. He had jet lag and found himself awake at 3 in the morning and craving food. He hunted down an all night greasy spoon, one with a counter, no booths, and sat down for a breakfast of day old donuts and stale coffee. While he was sitting there the doors opened and in walked 10 or so prostitutes. He tried to make himself invisible, but it was a very small space, and he’s not a small guy. The women began talking with one another and the woman on his right said to her friend “Tomorrow is my birthday.” Her friend replied “What do you want me to do about it? Buy you a cake or something.” “No,” the woman replied “I was just telling you, you don’t have to be mean to me. I’ve just never had a party or nothing before and I wanted someone to know it was my birthday tomorrow.”

When they left, Tony turned to the owner of the greasy spoon and asked “Do they come in here every night?” The man nodded. “Even the one sitting next to me?” The man said “Agnus, yeah, she comes every night.”

“Let’s throw Agnus a birthday party!” He planned it out with the man and the next night Tony arrived at 2:30 to decorate the place. When Agnus and her friends arrived, a crowd had gathered and they shouted “Happy birthday Agnus!” Agnus was floored. She had to be lead to a stool to sit down. They brought out the cake, and she was too overwhelmed to blow out the candles. The diner owner told her to cut the cake and Agnus said “I can’t. Do I have to?” Tony said “It’s your cake, do what you want with it.” “Id like to take it home and show it to my mother, I only live a couple of doors down. Let me show it too her and I’ll be right back.” And with that Agnus left.

Tony was left standing there with a diner full of prostitutes and the owner/operator of the greasy spoon. There was absolute silence and then Tony said “Let’s pray”

He prayed for Agnus, for her mother. He prayed that God would bring about new life in Agnus. He prayed that she would be healed from the things terrible men did to her, because at some point that’s how all of this had started out. Some man had hurt her at some early age and then left her to deal with the fallout, while society blamed her and not the man who did these things to her. As he ended the prayer the Owner of the greasy spoon said “What kind of Church do you preach at?”

In one of those rare moments where the perfect words come together at the right time, Tony said “I preach at the kind of church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the morning.”

The owner replied “No, no you don’t; cause I’d go to a church like that.”

Tony ends this story saying “Wouldn’t we all go to A CHURCH LIKE THAT? Well friends I’ve got news for you, that’s the kind of church Christ calls us to be, not some hybrid church/country club! We are called to be the kind of people that reach out with love and compassion wherever and whenever it is needed.

Friends we as Christians are too often known by what we stand against, what we hate, what we disapprove of. But that is not the command Jesus gave his disciples or us! They will know we are Christians, not by what we rally against. Not by who we exclude. No. They will know we are Christians by our love. By who we love, and how we love. May we love as Christ commands us to love. Our neighbor, our enemy, the foreigner or stranger, the widows and the orphans. Let us love one another since love comes from God.

Storytellers: Acts 11:1-18

Once upon a time. In the beginning. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. If music be the food of love, play on. Call me Ishmael. A good hook, or opening line, is what every storyteller searches to craft. These opening lines of well known tales draw in an audience. They cause our ears to perk up and our interest to be peaked.  We cannot wait to hear what happens next.
In our sermon scripture for this morning we hear a great first line from Peter "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision." With those words Peter insures that his audience will listen. With those words he sets the stage for something different to arrive.
What follows is a beautiful story about his encounter with God through vision, prayer, people and the Holy Spirit. This story is so powerful, so convincing, that the leadership of Jerusalem experience a changed heart, just from hearing it!
Story is powerful. Story is life changing. Story is Gospel.
Think about that. What we have in the scriptures are stories. Stories so powerful they have passed the test of time. Stories crafted and handed down generation after generation. Stories that have changed the world one hearer at a time.
Peter's story is powerful and life changing. It is his story that he shares of his experience with God.
This experience has led to great discussions of theology, of justice, of worship planning, but it didn't start out as all of those things. It started out as his experience with God.
If Peter's story has had such an affect, what might our stories do? Now there is a frightening thought. We spend week after week listening to other ancient peoples stories, commenting on their message and success. But how often do we think about our own story?
We each have one you know. We each have had an experience that has changed the way we view God, the way we view ourselves, the way we view our neighbors. These encounters can become amazing witnesses for Christ if we share them as our stories of faith.
But something within us is scared to share them. Scared of judgement, of not being good enough, of being ridiculed. These fears keep God's story from spreading, they keep God's message from reaching new ears.
If Peter had let that fear stop him, his mission to the Gentiles would have ended with Cornelius and his family. We would not have the good news if fear of being reprimanded had kept him silent.
Right now I want you to think of an encounter you have had with God. Perhaps it was running out of fuel, but coasting to the station safely on fumes. Perhaps it was an angel among us story. Perhaps it happened on a hike, or in a hospital waiting room.
Now then, I'm going to ask you to do something really uncomfortable. I want you to turn to your neighbor and share this story right now. Go on, don't be shy, no one here is going to tell you you aren't doing it right.
How did that feel? What did you learn? Would you do it again?
Stories tell us about ourselves, about God and about our relationships to God and one another.
A good story makes us think, makes us reexamine our beliefs and search for truth.
I'd like to share a story with you about a time when I had my faith changed through an experience with God.
I have always believed that children have a special place in the family of faith. They are essential to the faith community. That being said, I'd usually limited the amount of participation I offered to children to Sunday School and the children's moment. Times when they were learning, or being cute.
Steve and I co-pastored a church in Knoxville when Zanna was very small. She often went with me on pastoral visits, and was the hit of any place she went, I might add. One afternoon when we were driving home from one such visit with an elderly man who would soon pass away, who kept saying "I'm okay, I've got Jesus in my heart" Zanna began asking questions.
-What did Mr. Fred say was in his heart Mommy?
-Jesus
How did Jesus get there Mommy?
Umm, Mr. Fred asked him to live in his heart honey.
Does Jesus live in your heart mommy?
Yes
Does Jesus live in Daddy's heart, mommy?
Yes, baby.
Jesus doesn't live on my heart. How can Jesus live in my heart mommy?
Long pause, well, you can ask him to come live in your heart Zanna. You can tell him you want to live your life for him and ask him to live within you.
Okay. (Long pause, whispers) Jesus, could you come into my heart please?
(Me, crying and trying to not drive off the mountain)
Listen mommy! Do you hear that?
Hear what baby?
He's singing!
Who's singing baby?
My Jesus, he's singing to me!
At that moment every belief I had about children's spirituality and relationship process flew out the window. In that moment I realized that children didn't have to wait until they knew the "right words" or prayers to become followers of Christ. I realized that claiming them as children of God is not for their benefit. It's for our benefit. God knows, they know, it's us grown ups that need the reminder.
Stories are powerful, they change lives, they change us.
So tell your stories this week. Share where you have encountered God! Share where God is shaking you up! Share the good news, in any form you dare!

Wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles (Acts 9)

Names are super important things in our society. The first things we try to teach new babies are names, mommy, daddy, baby. We recognize people by their names. It's one of the ways that we distinguish one from another.
In my own family names have been very important. As I believe I've told you all before, my parents picked mine and my brother's names on their third date. Family names, names that meant something. Names that they hoped would leave us in good stead.
In the biblical accounts names are often exceedingly important. Abram and Sarai, both have their names changed through a close encounter with the divine. Is sacs name mean laughter because his mother laughed at Gods promise. Jacobs name means trickster and it was perhaps a bit too on point! Why the whole book of Ruth is filled with names of meaning, Malon, weakness, Chilion meaning sickly, it's no surprise when both of Naomi's sons die as very young men. Joseph means, may the Lord increase, and through Joseph the lord increased The Israelites.
In our scripted today we have another important name, Tabitha.
Tabitha is an Aramaic name. That in and of itself should give us pause. There are not many strictly Aramaic words recorded in scriptures. Aramaic was the language of an oppressed people. The People of Judea  used Aramaic as their everyday language, they had Hebrew in the synagogue and Greek was the language of commerce.
The name comes from the word for gazelle. It evokes the image of a beautiful wild creature, graceful, swift and strong.  It tells us something of the hopes and dreams her parents must have had for her.
Her name is beautiful. But it is also surprising. Surprising because we know it at all. Many of the women recorded in scriptures don't have names given. Simons mother in law, the syrophenitian woman, the widow who helped Elijah all have had their stories told and there names forgotten.
Here, in 94 words we get the story of a named woman.
Not only is she called by name, she is called something else, she is named a disciple.
What a bold claim! What a worthwhile and wonderful title. We are told of her works, her legacy, her actions of grace. Really it is almost like hearing her eulogy.
I was privileged to speak yesterday at a women's Spring Fling at Bates Hill CP church in McMinnville, TN. There they spent a great deal of time remembering together a woman from that community who had passed away last year. Charlotte Rose was a woman of great creativity, hope, joy and encouragement. She started a grief support group that has made a huge impact on her community. As I sat there looking at her pictures and listening to her friends testimonies I couldn't help but think about Tabitha.
Her friends had gathered as well, to grieve, to remember, to morn. They too had sought comfort from one another by gathering things given to them by Tabitha. No doubt their gathering was similar to one we have during a visitation for a loved one.
But something was different among Tabitha's friends. They could not, would not let her go.
They sent for Peter, the Apostle who came, heard their cries of distress and then, in a quiet room prayed, and God worked a miracle, bringing her back from the dead to sit among them and serve with them once more.
And when I read this part of the story I get mad.
Why does this happen for Tabitha, but not for others? Why did they get the miracle and the rest of us don't? What made her more special than anyone else?
Why did she come back, surrounded by loved ones, while my uncle passed away yesterday morning surrounded by his loved ones?
It's easy to get caught up in the why question. It's easy to feel anger or sorrow or confusion. Especially in this particular text because we are not given a reason for this miracle. Peter does not give a speech about Jesus' healing power or lordship. He doesn't give a speech at all, which is really unusual for Peter.
We are left with an unexplained miracle, unjustified miracle one might say.
And while there is much of me that wants to put this tension aside, much in me that wants to give an answer as to why Tabitha was resurrected and others are not, I can't. And I won't.
Miracles exist outside of what we can understand or explain. That's why we call them miracles! Tabitha was restored to a community and she was able to be a living reminder for a time of Christ's wonder working power. Her story is shared even today as a reminder that death does not have the last word and God is more powerful than we can even imagine.
Tabitha serves as a reminder of all of the named and unnamed saints who work tirelessly for the gospel.
We don't know why this miracle was granted to Tabitha and her friends, and honestly the why doesn't matter.
It's what happened after the miracle that is important. She is returned to community and she continues to do what she has been called to do! No resting on her laurels, no going around in a traveling circus side show as the resurrected woman. She goes back to serving the Lord in a manner that allows this story, her story, Tabitha's story to be told for generations to come.
The miracle isn't the end of Tabitha's story, it's the intermission.
Friends, each of us here as experienced at least one miracle in our lives. If we believe in Christ, if we have surrendered ourselves to his salvation, we have experienced our own resurrection! We are no longer slaves to sin and death. Rather we are new creations, citizens of heaven sent forth to share that miracle with those around us.
Will we be like Tabitha, working loving breathing reminders of the resurrection? Will we share God's love in such a way that generations later people will associate our names with his resurrection power?
That is the life we are called to live here at Christ church, we are called to bear witness to the miracle of Christ's resurrection and of our own resurrections. As new creations may we wear the name of Christ and boldly love as resurrection people with nothing left to loose!