Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.” ’
Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
   and serve only him.” ’
Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you,
   to protect you”, 
and
“On their hands they will bear you up,
   so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’ 
Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

God Is Present in the Wilderness

This week we have crossed a threshold on our spiritual journey. We have completed our Season of Epiphany. It began with the Wise men coming to Bethlehem. The Season of Light has a way of letting us down easy after Christmas. But as we have found out—the journey is trying. We have witnessed the baptism of Jesus—and the voice from heaven affirming his identity. This is my son…. We saw Jesus in his hometown proclaiming the fulfillment of God’s Word. This did not set well with the home folks. We saw Jesus at the wedding in Cana turning water into wine—a symbol of what was to follow. Last week we witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus and again heard the voice of God. This is my son…. an essential detail to Luke’s story that focuses on the identity of Jesus.

We have moved from the Season of Lights into the Season of Lent and we find Jesus in the wilderness. One moment we are on the mountaintop with the disciples—and then we are thrust with Jesus into be bareness of the dessert.

Luke in his telling of the story—already reveals to us that the journey that Jesus is taking is not the track to earthly power or human adulation. Early in the gospel—we are preparing for the unexpected. Luke reminds us that this is God’s path. Today we find Jesus facing a great test.

If you have been watching the Olympics this week you have seen athletes from around the world who are tested under pressure. The test they face is not just the event itself but also the preparation—the willingness to make the sacrifices necessary to even compete. They give up a part of their lives for the goal of competing and any number of things along the way can deter them from that goal. The question is if they can persevere.

Testing is a common theme in the scriptures. Moses was tested first in his call and then in his perseverance for 40 years in the wilderness. The prophets were tested. Elijah went 40 days without food or water. ((1 Kings 19:8) The Israelites were tested and often failed on their journey.

Here at the beginning point of the journey, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness where he encounters the adversary. The adversary appears like a seductive friend. What he offers Jesus’ sounds both reasonable and inviting.

Luke T. Johnson comments, the three specific temptations Jesus faces have to do with “the seizure of palpable power” and “would suggest to the Hellenistic reader of the first century, the threefold categories of vice: love of pleasure, love of possessions, love of glory.” (The Gospel of Luke. Sacra Pagina Series, Vol. 3, p. 76).

What’s wrong with satisfying one’s hunger? Why not take up the mantle of earthly authority?
What could be wrong with showing one’s real power—the miraculous Jesus was given a world stage. Why beat around the bush. Show your cards. The temptations are real. Luke not only reveals Jesus’ identity as the Son; we see Jesus in his full humanity. This was a real test. The temptations were not staged only to reveal the hero of the story at the end.

It was as real as temptation is real in our lives. Who is there among us that thinks any of us is above the same temptations in our lives. Sadly, in our culture, people live vicariously by taking pleasure in others failures. The Tiger Woods story is only one story. Many who give ear takes a certain self-righteous satisfaction. For those of you who are golf fans—I was tempted this morning to title this sermon “The Desert Classic” in light of Tiger Wood’s confession and apology this week. The fall of Tiger Woods, sad as it is, is not just an individual story. It is a universal story. There is a litany of human failure  through history from King David to Tiger Woods….

We might think—I’d never do this or I’d never do that. We can get caught in our own spiritual pride.  C.S. Lewis in “The Screwtape Letters,” has a scene where the Senior Devil is instructing the Junior Devil about how to tempt a young Christian. He tells him to bring it to the young man’s attention that he is becoming very spiritual, and that is a very good thing. Make him proud of that.

More often, the subtlety of sin seeps slowly into our spiritual lives.

Barbara Brown Taylor gives a summary of how the church historically drifted from its moorings. Little by little, Christians became devoted to their comforts instead: the soft couch, the flannel sheets, the leg of lamb roasted with rosemary. These things made them feel safe and cared for — if not by God, then by themselves. They decided there was no contradiction between being comfortable and being Christian, and before long it was very hard to pick them out from the population at large. They no longer distinguished themselves by their bold love for one another. They did not get arrested for championing the poor. They blended in. They avoided extremes. They decided to be nice instead of holy, and God moaned out loud. (Christian Century, February 18, 1998, page 169)

Sometimes a wilderness experience is what can direct us back to a course from which we have drifted. We’ve all been in the wilderness…times when relationships seem to be falling apart or threatened, times of crises, times when our security has been pulled out from under us, times when our own failures have caused us or others pain. The good news is that God does not abandon us in the wilderness. The Spirit is present in the wilderness!

Lent is a time when we can all renew our covenant with God. We can ask ourselves the hard questions.

What are the things in our lives make us comfortable and cause us to avoid the discipline of struggle at any cost. What voices do we hear that often can drown out the voice of the Spirit?
What voids in our lives to we seek to fill up with the pleasures of life thinking that this one more thing will make me happy?

How can this Season of Lent be different this year?
Maybe it could be a small step like consciously giving something up. It might be giving up a single meal instead of a full fast—but nonetheless an act that intentionally focuses upon God. It might be giving up T.V. for a night if for no other reason than to be mindful of God’s presence. I knew a family once in one of my congregations who gave up television (with young children) for the entire Season of Lent. It is not so much what it is that we give up but rather the conscious effort to focus anew upon Jesus.

The Christian life is demanding. It is also undergirded with grace. We are not alone.

When God was speaking through Moses to his people calling them to renew their covenant these words were spoken: Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe. (Deut. 30:11-14)

“The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart”

The good news is that Jesus’ temptation is a narrative of hope.

“For the desert is not God-forsaken nor does it belong to the devil. It is God’s home. The Holy Spirit is there, within us and beside us. And if we cannot feel that spirit inside of us or at our side, perhaps we can at least imagine Jesus there, not too far away, with enough in him to sustain us, enough to make us brave” (John Stendahl, New Proclamation 2001).

“The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart.”

Luke 5:1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Letting Go of Certainty, letting Down Our Net

After our worship hour today, members of Salem will gather for the semi-annual meeting where we review the year past. I don’t know about you but I have very mixed feelings about annual meetings. I’ll let you in on a little trade secret; that is true of my colleagues as well. We gather for meetings—hear reports for the year, whether attendance has gone up or if it has slipped a bit, has the recession hit our budget even more—how large a deficit are we facing again—Then we kick into problem solving mode. Who’s going to fix it? Whose fault is it? So much of our conversation in business meetings centers around what we see and what we feel. We want certainty.

Imagine a business meeting—where we all sit around and share how God has moved in our lives this past year. What are our growing edges? Where have we fallen down? What have we neglected? What have we learned?

Sometimes I think we’d be better served at our business meetings if we opened scriptures and did a spot check.

Let’s see—Jesus says we are to feed the poor. How are we doing at that?

Jesus said: when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. How are we doing with that?

Paul says: Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. How are we measuring up to that?

Jesus said: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. How do our conversations reflect that?

What is it that we expect of God in our lives and in our shared life as a faith community?

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Luke 9:28-36

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Confronting God’s Glory

Last Spring when I was on sabbatical, in early May I was driving from San Diego to the Midwest and stopped for two days to camp in Zion National Park. (I have talked with some of you who have visited that beautiful park.) I was in my element climbing the rocky paths and taking photos—surrounded by grandeur and beauty in every direction. There was a waterfall that projected over the path that I was walking on and the water fell on this red rock that was laden with green algae. The wetness brought out the color of the rock and the algae provided a beautiful contrast of green with red so I took several pictures. When I was doing this something was happening which my eye could not see until the picture was developed. The sunlight directly above was filtered by the water, which in turn was dispersed as through a prism into the colors of the optical spectrum. When the picture was developed there was this rainbow of color on the rock. What my eye saw as red and green, now revealed yellow and orange and blue and purple. My eye could not see what was, in fact captured by the lens.

Luke gives to us today in our gospel lesson, a snapshot that captures the mystical story of the Transfiguration with layers of meaning beyond the picture itself. It one of those scenes that words alone cannot describe.

There are experiences in our lives that go beyond any inadequate description we might attempt to explain. A soldier goes off to war and witnesses atrocities one can never prepare for. It is something that is felt to the core of one’s being. But it is not something that anyone could possibly understand if they were not present. Thus it is not uncommon, the returning veterans from war often do not talk about their experience.

We al have had experiences that go deeper than any words can express.

How do you describe falling in love? How do you describe the birth of a child? How do you describe the death of a spouse? We experience moments in all of our lives that we cannot fully comprehend, at least in the moment, if ever. Sometimes experiences are layered with meaning that takes a lifetime to unfold. Sometimes there are things happening in our lives that we do not even see. How do you explain spiritual growth, for example. An experience may change us forever, but often it is the subtle things that take place in our lives, things we do not notice but nonetheless affect us in profound ways over time.

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About a dozen years ago, Jill Lepore (born in Worcester) wrote a book entitled The Name of War: King Philips War and the Origins of American Identity. Metacom (or King Philip as he was known to the English) became Sachem of the Pokanoket and Grand Sachem of the Wampanoag Confederacy after the suspicious death of his older brother. The son of Massasoit, Metacom began negotiating with other Native American tribes after the death of his father to deal with the continued incursion of settlers into their native territories. To the settlers, King Philip became an enemy to be destroyed. To his own people, he was their hope for holding on to their dignity as a people and their land that was their home. The book covers the events of the late 17^th century war between the settlers and the Wampanoag tribe that encompassed much of southern New England (even Worcester County). The premise of the book is that war is defined by the person who is telling the story. The Wampanoags had a different interpretation than the settlers and vice versa.

History has a way of capturing the life of public figures that, once presented, is indelibly printed in our collective conscience, names like Washington, Churchill, or Nixon. We see in our mind’s eye, figures of great prominence whose iconic images have ready recognition.

The prophet Jeremiah in many ways is such a figure. Prophets were often not “painted” in the best of light. They appear as “off the wall” characters, rough and abrasive, often tragic. Jeremiah is stereotyped in traditional prophetic fashion. Here was a prophet who from the outset, did not see himself worthy of God’s call, who attempted to back away, and who much later after fulfilling his prophetic calling, mourned the very day he was born. He appears as anything but an uplifting character. He is even branded in our English language by the word “jeremiad” referring to a long, mournful complaint or lamentation; a list of woes.

Jeremiah lived in day when, as the scriptures revealed, everyone did what seemed right in their own eyes. As a prophet with a divine mission, he had pleaded to the point of reprimand, making a spectacle of himself but to no avail. He along with his people witnessed what he had warned about—the fall of Jerusalem.

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Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10    Luke 4:14-21

When we read the Scripture lessons every Sunday morning in worship, we do so in stride. In fact, that could often describe our approach to worship in general. In the words of Annie Dillard, words we use in worship are “things we have learned we can say to God without being killed.”
We often have a very lackadaisical attitude when the scriptures are read. We respect them and expect them to be read in worship. Perhaps we are so familiar with them we do not anticipate hearing anything new. We read the gospel lesson and conclude with the words: THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD. We say it without missing a beat. But what impact does this Word of the Lord have upon our lives?

Contrast what is often our approach, with our text from Nehemiah. The people of God had returned from exile. Jerusalem was in ruin and the walls were leveled. (Picture the scenes we’ve seen in Haiti this past week). Nehemiah drew his people together and against great odds rebuilt the wall. When it was completed they asked Ezra the priest and scribe to bring forth the law of Moses, the Word of the Lord and to read it in the public square. When he opened the scriptures all the assembly stood up to listen. They were almost 50,000 in number who had gathered. Ezra read from early morning to midday, the congregation standing all the while. And all the people wept when they heard the words of the law of God. They were moved to the very core of their being.

Let’s be honest. For the most part we do not like to be disturbed. That’s true on several levels but I suspect it is also true in worship. We want to hear confirmation that we are doing well. We prefer affirmation that confirms our lifestyles are in synch with God—to hear that we are doing all the right things. But if you have lost everything you have known, as was the case with the Israelite people, you hear things in a different way. The Word of the Lord fell on their ears like rain on parched soil.
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Isaiah 43:1-7

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. 4Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; 6I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— 7everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Called by Name

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God.
Those words spoken through the prophet Isaiah are one of the beckoning invitations in all of Holy Scripture.

Do not fear….I have called you by name.

One of the most moving monuments in our nation is the Vietnam Memorial on the mall in Washington, D.C. Maya Lin, designer of the Vietnam Memorial, explaining to a TV interviewer why her remarkable work has come to have such a strong tug upon the emotions of all who see it, responded: “It’s the names,” she said, “the names are the memorial. No edifice or structure can bring people to mind as powerfully as their names.”

Do not fear…I have called you by name. In a world where people can grab their 15 minutes of fame—our names are known by the one in whose name we are marked in baptism.

Even though the words of the prophet come as comfort and promise, they also recall the terror of the first Exodus. “When you pass through the waters … when you walk through fire.”

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I love the liturgy for Lessons and Carols that includes the Bidding Prayer we shared on Christmas Eve:

Dear People of God: this year, more than ever, we yearn for the message and power of Christmas. In the story of God’s unwavering love and steadfast commitment we hear words of consolation and hope for a world torn apart by violence and war. In this dark time of fear and violence in the world, it is the promise of peace on earth and goodwill among the peoples of the world that, like a shining star, draws us to the stable in Bethlehem. There we find, wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger, the child in whom the hopes and fears of all the years are reconciled for ever.

As we stand on the threshold of a New Year, the story of Epiphany comes to us as good news. We yearn for the message and power of Christmas.

Of all the four gospels, only Matthew tells the wondrous story of the visit of the magi that we celebrate on Epiphany. It is a story that comes to us with good news as we mark a New Year.

In his recent commentary on Matthew (2006), Stanley Hauerwas of Duke observes that sentimentality is one of the greatest enemies of understanding the gospel, especially the Christmas story and the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. Our sentimentality can eclipse what the text reveals and doesn’t reveal. A good example of that is the story of the Magi. When we hear the story retold or we see it illuminated in pictures, we more often see three men, dressed in royal garb, journeying to Bethlehem on camels bearing gifts.

We don’t know that there were three. That particular number was a later century attribution to match the three gifts mentioned.  We sing the story: “We three kings of orient are….” but the wise men were not kings. In the ancient world in the region of Persia and Babylonia, a magos (which is the singular of magi) was a wise man or astrologer who specialized in the reading of the stars. They would have taken to any anomaly in the heavens because they looked for signs. They noticed something that apparently escaped the noticed of ordinary people.

Matthew was piecing this marvelous mystery together. Writing to a Jewish audience, he paid particular attention to the presence of Gentiles and saw it as a fulfillment to OT prophecy. Matthew makes more reference to the Hebrew Scriptures than any of the four gospel writers.  You may have noticed that already in our Isaiah text when we read:

the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

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Calling hours are Sunday May 10th from 3:00 until 7:00 P.M. in O’Connor Brothers Funeral Home, 592 Park Avenue, Worcester. A memorial service will be held on Monday May 11th at 10:30 A.M. in Salem Covenant Church, 215 East Mountain Street, Worcester. A graveside service and tribute will precede at 8:30 A.M. in All Faiths Cemetery (New Swedish Cemetery), 7 Island Road, Worcester. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Salem Covenant Church Camp Charlton Fund, 215 East Mountain Street, Worcester, 01606 or North Park University Memorial Fund, 3225 West Foster Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625.

Donald H. Berg, 82 years young, formerly of Worcester, died on Thursday morning, April 30th. His wife of 55 years, Louise May (Rollins) Berg, predeceased him in June of 2008. He leaves his daughter, Jennie Lucretia and her husband John Pagano; a granddaughter, Nina Lucretia Pagano; a grandson, Michael Angelo Pagano, all of Paxton; his brother, John Berg of Maine; his sister, Natalie McNerney of Lincoln; and many nephews, nieces, cousins, and dear friends. His beloved daughter, Nancy Ann Berg, died in 1969. Most proud to be a Worcester native born and bred with Swedish heritage, he never tired of sharing stories of events from the past.

Born on November 1st, 1926 in Worcester to C. Harold and Elizabeth Marie (Selen) Berg, Donald immediately began his gregarious and never ending grassroots campaign to spread good cheer and leave no one in his path untouched. He graduated from Classical High School, worked in the family lumber business, and went on to attend Massachusetts State College at Amherst, HQ. Army Training Schools. Donald served in the Army Air Corps during WWII, 1943-1946, and attained the rank of Sergeant in the 6th Air Force, with the bulk of his deployment spent at Ancon Hill, Albrook Field in the Canal Zone, Panama. As he liked to tell the tale, “wearing nothing but my boots, holster and sunshine.” Studying on the G.I. Bill, Donald graduated in 1949 from North Park College in Chicago, Illinois, finding time between high jinks to both attend classes and actively support the sponsored club, sports and band activities on campus. He returned to Worcester to enter the lumber business with his father, and to begin his family on Vernon Hill by marrying the petite Louise May Rollins, a graduate of the Memorial School of Nursing, on February 28, 1953. He and his brother Jack represented the 3rd generation of Stone & Berg Lumber Company, Inc. (established in 1883), with Donald retiring as President in 1991.

Donald was very active in civic, social and religious activities: he served as a Director for six years on each of the following boards: Friends of North Park University (Illinois), Pilgrim Pines Covenant Church Camp (New Hampshire), Cromwell Children’s Home (Connecticut), and the East Coast Conference of the Covenant Church. As a member of Salem Square Covenant Church since 1939, (and later the Salem Covenant Church) he served as Deacon, Steward, Sunday School Teacher and member of the Te Deum Male Chorus. He was Chairman on the committee which brought four Billy Graham movies into Worcester theaters for the viewing public in the 1970’s. Donald was a member of the Worcester Host Lions Club, as well as the Worcester Chamber of Commerce, during his years in the business arena. He thoroughly enjoyed the more recent camaraderie of his friends at Southgate, and the membership he was offered in the Albanian Men’s Club of St. Mary’s Assumption Albanian Orthodox Church.

By shear force of personality and good cheer, he was a local notable and much beloved. His all encompassing humor and boisterous voice of inclusion will surely be missed by many. Donald simply loved life and found his greatest pleasure and inspiration in every possible opportunity.