One night at the legendary jazz bar, Birdland, Cab Calloway was introducing a promising young saxophone player. As the sax player finished his set, a self-appointed jazz critic came over to him and said, in front of Cab, “You aren’t that good, man. All you can do is play like Charlie Parker.” Cab took the young man’s saxophone and handed it over to the critic. “Here,” he said, “you play it like Charlie Parker.”

Sometimes it is just like that, isn’t it? There will always be someone who is quick to criticize, quick to tear something or someone down.

On the other hand, there was an early disciple whom we read about in the book of Acts who was nicknamed “Barnabas.” Barnabas means “son of encouragement.” I love that. Son of encouragement! He sounds like someone we would want to spend time with.

In life, it is easy to criticize. It is easy to find and point out what is wrong. And I know that I can so easily fall into that habit. But, I would rather be like Barnabas. I would much rather be the kind of person who finds and points out what is good, and what is beautiful. I think we all would.

May you and I ever be looking for ways to lift people up, encouraging them in their faith, encouraging them in using their gifts, and letting them know they are appreciated and loved.  

May you and I find ways to be a “Barnabas” to others – even today. 

Let us pray: Generous God, we thank you today for people in our lives who have made a difference for us. We also thank you for family, for good friends, for men and women who serve others, for all those who serve your church, and for those who care for the heartbroken and hurting. Help us find a way, today, to encourage and build them up. May the very words we speak, or write, be instruments of your grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Many years ago now, in a Sunday morning class, a friend shared with our class very honestly about how his relationship with his wife had fallen apart. He said that there was one particular moment when he and his wife were fighting, and in the middle of this fight he said some things that were just horrible. And the moment the words came out of his mouth, she burst into tears and he knew he was wrong. He said, “I know I can’t save the marriage, but I would do anything, anything if I could only take back those words.” 

My friend was not a bad person. But he had a bad moment. I think we’ve all had those moments when we realize that there is a sense in which I am not whole. I’m broken. And this brokenness is not just in the world around me, it’s also in me. 

It is true. As it is written in the book of Romans (3:23), “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” However, the sacred scriptures also make the bold claim that sin doesn’t have the last word. Pain and brokenness do not have the last word. All throughout the scriptures we get a beautiful picture of a God who is at work even now to heal and redeem; a God who is taking the broken, the hurting, and the sinful and making it whole and new. 

T.S. Elliot once wrote:

There shall always be the Church
and the world;
And the heart of man;
Shivering and fluttering between
them, choosing and chosen,
Valiant, ignoble, dark and full of light;
Swinging between Hell Gate and Heaven Gate.
And the Gates of Hell shall not prevail.
Darkness now, then light.

Let us pray: Gracious God, You know how we struggle, between hope and despair, goodness and sin, love and hate. We thank you today for your grace, for your forgiveness, and for the hope that you make all things new. Make us new, this day, that we might live in the fullness of your joy and love. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.  

Psalm 105 begins: 

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;

    make known among the nations what God has done.

Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

Not only here in the Psalm, but throughout all of scripture, there is a sense of enthusiasm – a spark of life that can’t be kept in. That’s, that’s a big part of what our scriptures are: they are stories and poetry that name what God is doing and give praise for what God has done.

Sometimes people try to reduce the Bible to a rule book. But it’s not that. It was written by people telling us that their faith makes a difference – that the God they worship makes a difference. It is mostly evangelical, trying to share with us good news, trying to open our eyes to God’s work in the world around us.

It is widely believed that this Psalm was written while the community of faith was living in Exile in Babylon. If we were to read it to the end, it tells the story of early Israel. It retells the story from Abraham through the Exodus – out of Egypt – God carrying, God rescuing, God saving. It is poetry and may very well have been sung or chanted in worship from a very early time.

Now I just have to imagine that there were people in exile who heard these words, this poetry, this song who were feeling some measure of anxiety. I have to imagine there were people who were worried about their situation and who wondered, “What kind of world will our children grow up in? What will their lives be like?” I have to imagine there were people who were longing for healing: will this diagnosis; this disease, this divorce, this problem get to have the last word in my life? Or is there hope?

And I have to imagine that when this Psalm read was out loud or sung by a congregation, people would hear its overwhelming tone of joy; they would hear the witness of the community over a thousand years; they would hear this powerful reminder that God had moved in their lives in the past; a reminder that we worship a God who rescues, who redeems, who saves. And I have to imagine, these stories, these words would have to give them a measure of hope…

But this Psalm does something else as well. It also reminded them, and it reminds us, that we have this same power to bring hope with our own words and with our own stories.

The Apostle Peter once wrote, “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting of the hope that is within you.” (2 Peter 3:15) 

I wonder what hope you have within you… I wonder when and how God has touched your life… I wonder if there may be someone who is looking for an accounting of the hope that is within you… if there is a story you have to tell. 

Let us pray: God give us eyes to see your hand at work in our lives – now and in the past. And as our eyes are opened, may we give thanks, rejoice, sing, and even find words to tell. Amen.

Today’s message was written by Rev. Dr. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.

One of my favorite baseball stories is about three umpires who were discussing how they did their jobs, especially when they were working behind the plate, calling balls and strikes. The first umpire said, “Some of ’em are balls; some of ’em are strikes. But I calls ’em as I sees ’em.” The second one said, “Some of ’em are balls; some of ’em are strikes. But I calls ’em as they are.” The third one said, “Some of ’em are balls; some of ’em are strikes. But they ain’t nothin’ until I calls ’em.” 

A sermon is in that story because it’s a parable about life. Each of those umpires tells us something about our relationship to the truth. (Read Matthew 16:13-16, 21-25; John 8:32). The third umpire is my favorite. Here is a man who creates truth by his word. When we create truth or meaning or relationships, we are sharing in God’s creative activity. Made in God’s image and likeness, we are all artists and creators. The Bible uses the metaphor or speech to describe God’s creation: “God said, ‘Let there be light;’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) The parable of the umpires teaches us to never be afraid to call life as we see it, to express our love for God and our fellow human beings.

Let us pray: How great thou art, O God, without whose spirit nothing grows, without 
whose love, we wither and fall away. We thank you for Jesus of Nazareth who leads us 
in this way… 
where to be great, one has to be humble, 
where to be exalted, one has to serve, 
and where to find life, one has to lose it. 
Teach us that great truths are great simplicities. Awaken us today that we hear the 
singing of trees and watch morning and night changing guard. Through the grace of 
Jesus. Amen. 

According to the book, Life of Francis d’ Assisi, Francis once invited a young monk to join him on a trip to town to preach. Honored to be given the invitation, the monk readily accepted. All day long he and Francis walked through the streets, byways, and alleys, and even into the suburbs. They rubbed shoulders with hundreds of people. At the day’s end, the two headed home. Not even once had Francis addressed a crowd. Greatly disappointed, his young companion said, “I thought we were going into town to preach.”

Francis responded, “My son, we have preached. We were seen by many and we were closely watched. It is of no use to walk anywhere to preach unless we preach everywhere as we walk.”

And it is so true, that our everyday actions speak volumes about what we believe. Listening ears, generous hearts, and forgiving spirits proclaim the good news in a way that words never can.

The prayer of Saint Francis is one that continues to touch my life. It is a constant reminder to me, that faith and hope are action words. The more we draw on them and put them to use the stronger they become.

Let us pray: 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. 
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek 
to be consoled as to console, 
to be understood and to understand, 
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, 
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.