Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Prepare Him Room, Part One

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
First Sunday of Advent

The upside of having a job that partly involves storytelling is that, if something bad happens in your life, at least it can be put to good use as an illustration.  For any who haven’t heard the story: I got into a car accident on Thursday in which no one was hurt (which is why it can already be used as an illustration).  I was at an intersection in Durango behind a rather large pickup, which I couldn’t really see past.  We were starting through the intersection when the pickup abruptly stopped; and my van did not.  I was barely moving, but the pickup’s trailer hitch was just high enough to completely miss my bumper and smash into my radiator.  

I suppose the most urgent lesson from that story is one of those “drive as I say, not as I do” kinds of lessons for my oldest son.  And just so you know, he picked up on that lesson right away.  But that wasn’t the only lesson I picked up on; there was another illustration that came about after the accident.  An illustration that relates rather well to our Scripture text today.  A lesson I really enjoyed hearing again.  

I live in a small town and in a weird way, that makes me kind of a celebrity; if you’re a pastor in a small town, people know you.  If you’re not okay with strangers knowing your business, don’t be a pastor in a small town.  It started while I was waiting for the tow truck by the side of the road.  I got a text from one of my kid’s friends asking if I was okay; she saw me by the side of the road on her way home.  That was just the start.  For the next few days I got texts, phone calls, Facebook messages, emails, and people just walking up to me around town.  Friends, family, church members, and neighbors all checking in to see if I was okay.  My therapist even checked in when she heard about it; which was sweet, but in any other town would be way outside her job description.  

It was kind of an expensive way to go about it, but it was a sweet reminder that I am loved.  People care about me.  I’m not going to, but I did have the thought: “I should get into car accidents more often.”  

It is obviously good to remember that you are loved; that you matter to the people around you; that they care about your wellbeing.  But as Paul reminds us today, it is good to love as well.  

As some of you might know, Sherry and Zane are in Grand Junction this morning; they are soon to be on their way home.  Zane is working to be a foreign exchange student next year and this was an important weekend-long meeting to make that happen.  I’m super proud of him taking the initiative and showing a lot of maturity in all this; but that’s beside the point.  The point is: my wife and son have been gone all weekend.  I miss them.  It’s not terrible, but I miss them in the way you might miss people you care about.  I miss their jokes.  I miss their help around the house.  There are experiences that we’ve had that they aren’t around to share; I miss them.  

I miss them, but it doesn’t seem I miss them anywhere nearly as badly as Paul misses the church in Thessalonica.  He thanks God for them; he prays earnestly, night and day, for them and that he might see their lovely faces and soon.  He prays that their love for one another will abound like his love abounds for them.  Now I kind of feel bad.  Sure, Sherry and Zane are just gone a couple of days, but I wish I felt for them what Paul feels for the Thessalonians.  I wish they felt that way for me too!

To be fair, Paul had more reason to miss them like he does.  In acts we read how Paul’s first visit did not go well.  Paul and his companions began to proclaim the Gospel and—although some were receptive—there were others who were decidedly not so open.  A riot, in fact, broke out and Paul had to leave town quickly.  By the time this letter was written, Paul had still not been able to make it back to check on the young church.  The best he was able to do was send his protégé, Timothy to check on them.  The good news was, they were doing great!  In spite of their persecutions, in spite of Paul’s absence, their faith was growing and they were strong.  

This letter is, in part, Paul’s joyful response to Timothy’s good report.  But I think it’s also a glimpse into how I think things ought to be.  We are entirely more reserved about our devotion to each other than we ought to be.  Can you imagine getting even an email from someone in the church saying, “May our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct my way to you.  You know, maybe we could get coffee.”  Seriously, how would you react?  Would you put out a restraining order or would you embrace the love that ought to exist between us.  Paul is not a maniac, he’s demonstrating a life of faith like it ought to exist.  

Last Sunday I invited you into a spiritual practice.  If you missed it, you’re still invited.  The invitation was this: in the weeks leading to Christmas, I invite you to intentionally get to know one different person a week from this church in a deeper way.  Just by show of hands, who took up the invitation this week?  [Maybe spend some time sharing stories.]  I took up the invitation during our potluck last Sunday.  There were a lot of desserts last Sunday.  That’s what happens when you let me organize a potluck.  It will be willy-nilly and unorganized.  If that sort of thing bothers you, feel free to not let me organize a potluck.  From where I was sitting, no one seemed really bothered by it.  In fact, I got to know some people so deeply that I had to stop and pray with them at one point because I recognized the holiness of the moment.  

I am beginning to realize that moments like that are what the church is meant to be.  Relationships are the very center of God’s plan for us.  We will be talking about this throughout Advent; we’ll be talking about it because Jesus coming into this world is all about God wanting to be in an eternal relationship with you.  

It was suggested to me last Sunday that, in addition to getting to know another person a week, we get to know Jesus too.  And on the one hand, that is a brilliant suggestion.  Do that.  Read a Gospel.  Seek His Spirit through your spiritual disciplines.  Come to my Sunday morning class; we’ll make room for you.  Yes, develop a relationship with the Risen Jesus and don’t stop.  

But on the other hand, that is a different practice.  They can go together—you can get to know someone else as you both strive to get to know Jesus; it happens all the time; it’ll happen in Sunday school—but it’s a different practice.  Frankly, I think we much more readily seek to know Jesus than we do each other; and Jesus wants us to know each other.  It is a practice we need to learn; it’s how the church is meant to work; it’s how the Gospel is spread.  The profound Truth that we remember here at this Table is centrally about the relationships we have with one another and with Jesus.  He didn’t share this with them during a worship service; this happened in the context of a meal; suppertime, gathered with his friends.  I was reminded just last night, as I gathered with some of you at Joyce’s, there is a holiness in a meal together.  

The center of Jesus’ ministry, as he gave his body for our salvation, was the relationships he built on his way to the Cross.  He built these relationships first with those closest to him.  I invite you once more to build and deepen the relationships with those closest to you.  Get to know someone from this church a little bit more.  It can be during our fellowship time or you can pick a time during the week; but make it intentional.  I guarantee you, it will never be a waste of your time.  

Let us strive together to have the same kind of devotion and care that we hear from Paul today; because that love will change the world.

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