A Graduation Call

According to the Christian calendar, Pentecost is the first Sunday after the Seven Sundays of Easter. Next week will be Pentecost Sunday in which we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the disciples as they pursued the work of Christ after his ascension. More than simply remembering that special time in the theological history of the church, Pentecost is an opportunity for us, as a congregational unit of the greater Body of Christ to re-embrace the presence of God among us. The Holy Spirit, God's presence, is something that has profound meaning for us as Christians.

But before we reach Pentecost Sunday, let us look to the moments preceding that tremendous story. Our scripture this morning speaks of a graduation moment of sorts.

Many of you are familiar with this graduation story, a moment when the disciples take on the responsibility of God's work for themselves without the physical, observable presence of their Christ.

Text: Acts 1: 6-11

The disciples, in a very real sense, have graduated from physical followers to leaders. Although they will follow after the Will of God and the teachings of Christ, they now are left to lead the up-building of God's Kingdom without their Lord and Savior to hold their hands or instruct them in each moment.

According to our text this morning, two men appeared next to the disciples as they gazed toward heaven. They asked a very poignant question, “Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?” In some sense, they are asking, “What are you doing standing around?” The Christ was gone, but he had not left; his instruction and his spirit were now the tools and inspiration to carry on God's work—and there was no time for “dilly-dallying.” Although the disciples had made it to a milestone in their faith, although they had witnessed the resurrection and seen the ascension, it was now time to press on with the things of God, with the Kingdom of God.

This morning we are the proud family of faith who has helped nurture several graduates among us. Many of us have had our own graduations, some of us look forward to the graduation that awaits. All of us, however, have the opportunity to reflect on graduation. Graduation has a way of turning our attention toward the process and adventure of life, and draws our focus toward the greater questions life proposes.

Like the graduation of the disciples, we have important choices and great tasks which lie ahead. We too have the work of God before us and the spirit of Christ with us. The question of graduation is this: How will we use our past to build-up our future?

Joe: “My college really turned out some great men.”
Bill: “When did you graduate?”
Joe: “I didn’t graduate. I was turned out.”

Through your work in high school, middle school, and elementary school, you have prepared yourself to be turned in, and not turned out. You have the opportunity now, to use the skills and knowledge you have gained thus far to your benefit as you learn more, live more, and love more.
We are all called to graduate. We are all called to leave those who have guided us and to make decisions for ourselves. Like the disciples who took on the up-building of God's Kingdom without the physical presence of their Lord and Savior, we too must make decisions based on our past instruction and experiences; we must use the guidance of our parents, the experience of our faith, and the knowledge of our schooling to make decisions for our future which are not only personally important, but meaningful for the world in which you live.

One of the most important realizations for those who graduate is that they cannot stand around looking at the sky forever. The question is posed to us all, graduated, graduating, or yet graduated: “Are you just going to stand there?” We cannot be caught up and so absorbed with the sky, with our past, with our fear of the future, that we forget to move and act in this world, in our world. We have important work to do, and the clock is ticking.

Sarah, Stephen and Matt, you as graduates have the opportunity to move further into the world as independent men and women. You have the opportunity to make life the fruitful adventure it can be, and to do the work of God in your own unique and creative way. The possibilities are truly endless for you. But as you ponder the possibility of the future, do not be paralyzed by indecision, fear, or uncertainty. Remember where you came from, realize where you are, Dream of where you are going, then go there.

Because I am privileged with this pulpit, I want to take this opportunity to share with you and everyone here one of my greatest graduation lessons. In all my time in school, I feel the greatest lesson I have learned about the world is this: we are not born into this world evil, instead we are born far worse: indifferent. I have found it is far easier to simply not care and float along than to ever be or do evil, or be or do good. And the truth is, too many people in this world simply do not care. It's not that they are mean-spirited, hateful, or even malicious, but they just don't care. They float through life without passion or compassion. They contribute to the pain and evil in this world by not becoming a force that seeks to stop it or change it. Do not be a person of indifference, instead recognize that this world needs caring, involved “doers.” Our world needs people with vision, people with passion, and above all, people with compassion.

Sarah, Stephen and Matt, as you move your separate ways and take on the new responsibilities and lives of young men and women learning the ways of adulthood, my prayer for you is not that you would make the right decision every time, nor that you would be perfect and happy at all times. The truth is, you won't. There will be mistakes along the way, poor judgments, and even...dare I say it for our valedictorian, bad grades. My prayer is that you care. That the poor decisions, bad grades, and unhappiness would not be accepted, but that you would have the desire to make better decisions, better grades, and live happily. My hope, my prayer, and my charge to you this morning is that you would remember that care and compassion lead to passion and good work.

The greatest example of this truth for us as Christians is the life of Jesus. Jesus' compassion in his ministry led to his passion, his suffering and death, and ultimately to the resurrection of Christ. May your compassion give you the passion to make this world a better place to live, to build-up God's Kingdom. When you learn to care, when you remember to care, and when you do care, you make this world about more than yourself: You make it about God and God's children.

Sarah, Stephen, and Matt, we are proud of you. We appreciate you. We love you. We want you to know that as you move forward, you can always return to us for support and encouragement. We consider you a part of our family, and family never dies. The memories of family keep each member present and alive, and we will always remember you, always pray for you, and always lift you up.

Amen.

Benediction:

God of Grace, God of Mercy, we thank you for our graduates this morning. We appreciate the opportunity we all have to encourage them, support them, and love them as they extend a part of us out into their new worlds. May we all be reminded that our world needs compassion and passion, and that indifference is our greatest foe. Let us be people of God, children of God, faithful servants of God. Grant to us the wisdom and understanding to overcome our challenges, move past our mistakes, and embrace the beautiful future we have in you. Be with our graduates as they leave us, draw them back to us in times of need, and keep them safe in all they do. We thank you for our time with these graduates, from childhood to adulthood, and may that time prove meaningful as the opportunities of life burst forth. May those opportunities not be wasted, and may all of our lives be a pleasant offering to You.

Amen.

Loving a Child in the Making

“ Loving a Child in the Making”

Writing a Mother's Day sermon is difficult for 2 reasons... 1.) for me—not a parent, not a mother... I can only speak from the perspective of a child, loved by a mother, and as an outsider, one day hoping to be a parent...

2.) We may all readily recognize that Mother's Day is a special time when we can recognize together the important work and sacrifice of mothers. It is a day to celebrate the wonderful gift of motherhood. But Mother's Day cannot pressupose/assume that every child and every mother has the same experience. For some, Mother's Day can be painful.

There are those who are mothers not by choice, but by accident.
There are those who can never become mothers.
There are those who have had traumatic and painful experiences because of their mothers.

We must remind ourselves that speaking about mothers is not always a welcome idea to everyone. I am cognizant and sensitive toward that; I understand that could be a reality in our congregation.

Thus it is my hope to speak generally about the beautiful possibility of motherhood. No matter the imperfect lives we live, no matter the pit-falls and disappointments we experience, motherhood in its purest form is something valuable, something worth noting. So Mother's Day is a time to be sensitive to those who understand mother's differently, but also to celebrate together the joyous possibility, the great responsibility, and the wonderful ideal that is motherhood.

We all have our ideas of what it means to be a mother:
A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does. The next day in a written test, she included this question: " My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I pick up things. What am I?" When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50 percent of the students answered the question with the word “Mother.”

Some see a mother as a cleaner or a tidier.

Some see their mother's as exalted deities above reproach:
A little boy forgot his lines in a Sunday school presentation. His mother was in the front row to prompt him. She gestured and formed the words silently with her lips, but it did not help. Her son's memory was blank. Finally, she leaned forward and whispered the cue, "I am the light of the world." The child beamed and with great feeling and a loud clear voice said, "My mother is the light of the world."

No matter what we think of mothers, I hope we can all admit that mothers have tremendous impact, tremendous influence, and tremendous responsibility. It's often said that to become a mother is quite easy, but that being a mother is very hard. With motherhood there are many joys, many sorrows, and many moments of self-discovery.

I am sure there are many opportunities for you to hear just how a mother should act, or maybe ten ways to successful parenting, but honestly I believe that there are no cookie-cutter formulas for motherhood which will guarantee perfect children or the perfect life. Many good mothers will be disappointed with the poor decisions of their child or children. Some inattentive, indifferent, or neglectful mothers may find their child or children to be upstanding and respectful.
Being a mother is not so much about making a child lovable as it is about loving a child in the
making.

Each child is pre-disposed to certain behaviors by virtue of their genetic personality type (just how they are born). Some children are born rebellious, others born obedient. But children are also shaped by a variety of outside influences. Some children may be able to make good and forthright decisions despite poor parenting. Other children, no matter how excellent their parents were, may still make short-sighted and harmful decisions. There is just no formula for perfect results in parenting, in being a mother.

There are a few traits, however, that all mothers who call themselves “Christian” should seek after: discipline for their child(ren); joy for their child(ren); and hope for their child(ren).

1. Discipline
“The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” Proverbs 29:15

Mothers have a responsibility to discipline their children. This does not necessarily imply physical discipline or a type of physical discipline, but it does imply the discipline of love: teaching consequences and correcting harmful patterns. The point of parental discipline is to teach self-discipline, to develop a child toward making good and praiseworthy decisions for themselves.

A child left undisciplined can bring shame to his mother (because the child has brought shame to herself).

2. Joy
Psalmist writing about God:
Psalm 113:9 “He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!”

Mothers must be joyful for their children. Rejoice in the accomplishments, revel in the life of their child(ren).

When children see that they bring their parents happiness, just for being who they are, no matter what they do, then those children taste the Love and Grace of God. The Joy of a mother for her child provides an unmatched feeling of self-worth and value. Children need to be loved, just as we, children of God, desperately seek after the Love of a most Merciful God.

3. Hope
Proverbs 10:1 “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.”
Mother's must have hopes and dreams for their children. Mothers have reason to be disappointed because they hope for the best. They desire to see their child grow into good men and women, into loving, caring, and driven people. Mothers have hopes, mothers have dreams, and mothers impart to their children the value of having hopes and dreams. Just as a mother's love must be unconditional, so too must the mother hope unconditionally for their children; that despite their decisions, they should still reach their goals, dreams, and aspirations.
Being a mother is not so much about making a child lovable as it is about loving a child in the making. That Love is one of Discipline, Joy, and Hope.

“The love of a mother is never exhausted. It never changes--it never tires--it endures through all; in good repute, in bad repute, in the face of the world's condemnation, a mother's love still lives on. “--Washington Irving

Our world needs the Discipline, Joy, and Hope of mothers for their children. It is in those moments of a mothers love, that children can taste the sweet Grace of God, the rich Love of our Most Merciful Lord. It is in the caring arms of a mother, in the tender instruction of her voice, and in the tears of her disappointments that children can find for themselves the beauty and hope of life.

As for you children in the congregation:
“Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching.” Proverbs 1:8

Amen.

Benediction:
Gracious God, you have brought mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, and children into our world. We offer up to you our gratitude for the opportunity to share life with our families, and for the special privelage to live in a world where mothers exist. Not all mothers are great mothers, and not one mother is perfect, but we thank you for the gift of a loving mothers in our world, that we, as children, might have the chance to taste a portion of Your Powerful Love for us. We ask that we see the possibility and responsibility that motherhood brings, that we would be supportive husbands and respectful children; that we would be Loving, Disciplining, Joyful, Hoping mothers. May we all be sincere Children of God and may Your Love shine for us so that we might shine for you.
Amen.