Pastor S Notes for Lectionary 16 in Pentecost, C Date: 7/21/13

Pastor’s Notes for Lectionary 16 in Pentecost, CDate: 7/21/13

Theme: Jesus Visits Martha and Mary

Bible Ref’s: Genesis 18:1-10a; Psalm 15; Colossians 1:15-28; and Luke 10:38-42.

Prayer of the Day

Eternal God, you draw near to us in Christ, and you make yourself our guest. Amid the cares of our lives, make us attentive to your presence, that we may treasure your word above all else, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Brief Sermon Outline: “The Main Course”

Focus Statement: Jesus is literally “the main course” for our worship and for our daily lives.

1. Many of us have experienced those times (at work or school or church or relationships) when we lose sight of just why it is we’re doing what we’re doing. Maybe we catch ourselves going thru the motions of what we have always done, but now that activity has become tedious, boring, irritating.

2. Or perhaps someone points the fact out to us—“Jim, the quality of your work has gone down; Ann, your grades have been slipping lately; Carl, you used to be so involved in things around church.”

3. At times we forget or lose sight of why we got into the work we do, or why we go to school, or why we go to church, or why we started a family—it’s the story of our lives we’re missing.

4. Our faith relationship with God suffers when we fail to give faith the attention it needs. In my pre-marital counseling, I always tell couples an image Walt Wangerin used when talking about healthy marriages. Think re: the marriage as a 3rd person in the relationship (to be fed/nurtured/cared for).

5. All relationships, if they are to be life-giving and fulfilling, need attention. And this is most certainly true of faith—if we neglect our prayer life or worship life or Bible study or practice hospitality, our faith suffers—but I’m not talking about simply going through the motions of religiosity, here.

6. When we pray, we need to know why we’re praying; when we go to worship on Sunday a.m., we need to know what’s going on—why we sing, read Scripture, give money, celebrate Communion.

7. It all points to Jesus, depends upon Jesus—you might say that, for all the marks of discipleship, Jesus is the reason we do it: because Jesus said “do it,” because God’s promises hang on the very life, death and resurrection of Jesus who casts out everything that’s tedious, boring, irritating.

8. This was Martha’s problem in our gospel lesson: she had lost sight of the reason for her excellent hospitality. Our text read, “Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen.” The NRSV says Martha was “distracted by her many tasks.” This gospel reading shouldn’t invite us to pick on Martha. I liked what one commentator said, “Martha’s important work meant that Jesus didn’t have to worry about putting out the meal for all the guests that were coming.”But still this scripture leaves us thinking we need to be more like Mary. Jesus didn’t criticize Martha’s good work, but what he commended was Mary’s attentiveness to himself as “the main course” for their gathering.

9. When we get together for worship every Sunday, it is to be attentive to Jesus as the main course in our lives—which is why the celebration of Holy Communion every Sunday is a big deal for us Lutherans—because Jesus is literally “the main course” for our worship and for our daily lives.

10. Holy Communion is the high-point of worship; Jesus is the host, we are his invited guests, and Christ’s table is open to all because it is the Holy Spirit that convicts us that the forgiveness and blessing are “for each of us” & moves us to take and eat/drink, proclaiming Christ crucified for all.

11. Communion isn’t an appetizer or side dish—it’s the main course. But we also hold the reading of Scripture and the Sermon important because it’s through these words and stories that faith comes alive, we see the connections between God’s story and our story—actually, that we’re already IN God’s story on account of Christ thru the H.S. And now it’s our privilege & joy to live out that faith.

Hymn of the Day: “O Jesus, Joy of Loving Hearts” (LBW #356)

Children’s Sermon

Pastor: Good morning, kids. We’ve had a wonderful week this past week with Blockbuster Bible Adventures. We learned about how God cares for us, protects us, loves us, saves us, and is with us always. I wonder if all of you and Eldon can tell everyone here a little bit more about what you experienced at Vacation Bible School? <take the kids’ responses, with Eldon chiming in…>

Monday: Baby Moses was saved (Exodus 1:1-2:10)

Eldon promises not to take center stage, but to work with all the kids to tell the Bible stories we’ll hear this week, and capture the whole story of VBS.

Tuesday: God protected the Israelites from the plagues (Exodus 7:1-10:29)

Eldon is weighed down today with fear about the plagues of Egypt. God protects us from all that would scare us or harm us, just as he delivered the Israelites from the fearful plagues.

Wednesday: God spared the Israelites during Passover and crossing the

Red Sea (Exodus 11:1-15:21)

Eldon is excited to learn about how God delivered the Israelites to freedom—it’s a cliff-hanger! We’ll learn about how God expresses his love for us, as well.>

Thursday: Jesus is crucified and rises from the dead (Mt. 27:11-28:7)

Today’s the “BIG DEAL! It’s the part of the story in the Bible where God shows the extent of his love for all creation. Jesus came to heal the hurt.

Friday: The Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47)

Today is “ACTION” day as God energizes us to act out God’s awesome love story all over the world. Through VBS, we have learned about how God cares, protects, loves and saves by God’s presence with God’s people. With Jesus’ promise to be with us always and the sending of the Holy Spirit, we can be confident that God will use us as actors and actresses to act out God’s will in the world.

Let’s pray: Dear God, Thank you for the fun we’ve had and the friends we’ve made. Thank you for caring for us, protecting us, and loving us. And thank you so much for sending Jesus to save us and for being with us always. Give us confidence tell your story of love to others, and give us courage to be your actors and actresses in the world. And all the Film Crews of God said, “Action!”

The Word

(Genesis 18:1-10a)(NRSV)

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. 3 He said, "My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on-- since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said." 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes." 7 Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate. 9 They said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" And he said, "There, in the tent." 10 Then one said, "I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son."

(Psalm 15) A Psalm of David.

1 O LORD, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill?

2 Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart;

3 who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;

4 in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the LORD; who stand by their oath even to their hurt;

5 who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved.

(Colossians 1:15-28)

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers-- all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. 21 And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him-- 23 provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel. 24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. 25 I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

(Luke 10:38-42) (NRSV)

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." 41 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

(Luke 10:38-42) (The Message)

As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. 39 She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. 40 But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.”

41 The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. 42 One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.”

Sermon Notes

We 21st-century North Americans understand Martha’s predicament well. It isn’t only matters of hospitality that distract us and pull us in many directions; it’s the unrelenting nature of our schedules. Oddly enough, it seems less complicated to plow ahead and attempt to keep up with the calendar than to make a change. It is easier, for example, to make a casserole for a grieving family than it is to offer a word of hope in Christ, easier to welcome a new neighbor with a fresh loaf of bread than to invite her to worship.
Indeed, we are so distracted that our sense of Sabbath takes on an ironic twist. Worship becomes a “scheduling problem,” one that interferes with “the one day when we can sleep in and spend time with family.” But while the rest and recreation we seek are utterly in keeping with a scriptural understanding of Sabbath, those of us who miss worship lose the opportunity to rest in God’s word, to recline at the Lord’s feasting table for the sake of spiritual refreshment.
God’s commands are always backed with promise, and the story of Mary and Martha is no exception. Each story gives us energy and aptitudes for living lives rooted in Christ and reaching out in service —to the world and to the neighbor alike. Jesus is clear about the importance of the main course—it is not an appetizer or a side dish.
Living this side of Easter, we know what Mary and Martha could not know: that hearing and doing are finally in the realm not of law, but of gospel—because the host of the banquet has himself become the main course. Whenever we are tempted to think that we do works of service to gain our own salvation, we might remember what [Lutheran] theologian Gerhard Forde said to his students when he wanted to convey the wild, freeing nature of God’s saving work in Christ: “What are you going to do, now that you don’thaveto do anything?”
The good news is that Jesus the host grants permission for all distracted, frantic people to sit down and eat their fill of word and promise. When we join them and nourish ourselves at the table, we’ll be ready to put hands and feet, hearts and minds to work.

(excerpted from “Living with Martha” by Stephanie Frey in The Christian Century, July 13, 2004)