Sermon Illustrations for Lent 5 (2016)
Illustration
Object:
Isaiah 43:16-21
When your travels take you to the state of Washington, visit the Mount St. Helens Volcanic Monument. At its visitor center, people of faith are able to see a modern recounting of God’s capacity to make a way in the wilderness.
On Sunday morning, May 18, 1980, a powerful volcano erupted deep with snow-covered Mount St. Helens. The entire north face exploded, creating the largest landslide ever recorded. A column of smoke and ash rose 15 miles high, depositing ash over 11 states. The molten lava melted the snow and glaciers that covered the top of the mountain. The ensuing volcanic mudslides reached as far as the Columbia River, nearly 50 miles away. Fifty-seven people and thousands of game animals were killed. Hundreds of square miles were reduced to a wasteland, at an estimated cost approaching $3 billion in today’s dollars.
As the visitor center movie of the eruption draws toward its end, the camera gives a panoramic view of the devastation right after the event. There is an enormous hole in the side of the mountain. The landscape resembles the pictures sent back from the moon or from Mars. The only colors are black, white, and gray. There is no evidence of life.
Then a large curtain opens to reveal a large window. In the distance the viewer sees Mount St. Helens with the gaping hole in its side. But the valley between the mountain and the visitor center, once lifeless and devastated, is now showing signs of grassy meadows. Since the eruption three and a half decades ago, trees have begun to spout from the floor of ashy devastation. Something new and beautiful is being made in the wilderness.
R. Robert C.
Isaiah 43:16-21
Father Peter-Michael Preble, a Romanian Orthodox priest, wrote an article for the Huffington Post in December 2013 addressing the social issue of the war on Christmas. He discounted this as an act of persecution, since individuals are free to worship as they choose. He also noted that no individual Christian is “prevented from saying ‘Merry Christmas’ to anyone they choose.” Preble astutely noted, “The real war on Christmas is the number of people who will go without food and adequate housing.” He went on to write, “The real war on Christmas is that we choose to focus on the nonsense” while people around the world suffer.
Application: During Lent we are expected to give something up to remind us of the sacrifice of Jesus. Let us avoid the nonsense of no more chocolates and take seriously what we can surrender to alleviate the suffering of others.
Ron L.
Isaiah 43:16-21
We are not very good at forgiving and forgetting. It is like 19th-century Congregationalist minister Henry Ward Beecher (brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe) once put it: “I can forgive but I cannot forget is only another way of saying I will not forgive. Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note -- torn in two and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one.”
God has no trouble with such forgiveness, our lesson makes clear. The great Reformed theologian Karl Barth profoundly explains the nature of God’s forgiveness: “The act of divine forgiveness is that God sees and knows this stain [of sins] infinitely better than man himself, and abhors it infinitely more than he does even in his deepest penitence -- yet he does not take it into consideration, he overlooks it, he covers it, he passes it by, he puts it behind Him, he does not charge it to man” (Church Dogmatics, Vol. IV/1, p. 597).
Forgive and forget like God. The first-century Roman writer Syrus (Publius Syrus) said it well: “We may with advantage forget what we know.”
Mark E.
Philippians 3:4b-14
Pressing on is tough. Anyone who has ever run a race knows this. I remember a spring during which our son was part of the track team, not as a runner but as a discus thrower and shot put athlete. He had a really strong upper body, and these were good events for him. But during one meet, the team was short a runner for the 220 meter hurdles. If the team didn’t field a runner, they would receive zero points for this event and it would lower their ranking. So my son volunteered to run an event which he had never run before. To my knowledge he had never even tried running hurdles, but he volunteered nonetheless.
Well, he ran really well until the next to last hurdle. He caught his trailing foot and toppled the hurdle and himself onto the cinder track. As a mother it was all I could do to stay with the spectators. To my surprise, our son got up, jumped the last hurdle, and finished the race. He pressed on. And knowing my fears, he had presence of mind enough to send someone to tell me he was going to be all right.
This is the message Paul shares with us. I will press on. I may not succeed, but I am all right. I am aligning myself with God through following Jesus. May we all press on in such ways.
Bonnie B.
Philippians 3:4b-14
The 1992 Barcelona Olympics had plenty of highlights. The original United States men’s basketball “Dream Team” crushed all opposition on the way to a gold medal. It was also the first Olympic Games after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Baseball and badminton became Olympic sports. Many athletes won medals and nations celebrated.
There was one event, though, that may now be lost in the pages of history. Derek Redmond was a British runner. During his career, he held the British record for the 400 meters, and won gold medals in the 4 x 400 meters relay at the World Championships, European Championships, and Commonwealth Games. In the 400 meters semifinal, Derek tore his hamstring. It was a crushing blow for him personally and for his nation. He crumbled to the track in pain as competitors flew by. His hope of a medal was dashed, but he was determined to finish the race. Redmond lifted himself to his feet, ever so slowly, and started hobbling down the track. The other runners finished the race. People were stunned as they realized that Redmond wasn’t dropping out of the race by hobbling off to the side of the track. No, he was actually continuing on one leg. He was going to hobble his way to the finish line. All by himself. All in the name of pride and heart. Redmond’s father saw his son and his determination to finish. He broke through security and ran to the track. In one of the most iconic moments of Olympic history, father and son, linked arm and arm, hobbled around the track and across the finish line.
I like that story on many levels. One thing that stands out as we examine this text is Redmond’s determination to do whatever it took to finish the race. He was out of contention for a medal. He wasn’t going to win. He wasn’t going to have a great race. But he was determined to finish. I think that’s the image Paul is presenting here. He and we have made plenty of mistakes. None of us has run a perfect race. The question is, will we press on? Will we be determined to finish? For us, the prize is not in getting first, second, or third. The prize awaits those who finish. When you’ve fallen, when you’re tired, or when you’re hurt, remember Derek Redmond. Remember what Paul wrote. Press on. Finish the race.
Bill T.
Philippians 3:4b-14
It is easy for a pastor to brag and tell others how he (or she) grew up in a Christian home, was baptized in the church, and was always a faithful church member. In my case I wandered away for a while. My mother always prayed that I would be a Lutheran pastor, but I was 30 before I was ordained. She told the lady sitting next to her at my ordination that she had prayed for 30 years that I would become a pastor, like my great-grandfather who was a missionary to the Danes in America. He came right after the Civil War. She was always bragging about him! They couldn’t brag about me because they were killed in an auto accident on the way home from my ordination. But they had the knowledge that their prayers for me had been answered.
I loved what I had been doing in my motion picture business in California. I was not in a hurry to leave it and I had an opportunity for great advancement, but when the Lord came to me and I got to know him, I considered all things as trash compared to knowing Jesus Christ as my savior. That is now the only thing I am proud of. I have talked with many members and fellow pastors who feel the same. If they don’t, then I need to work with them.
One of the sad facts of parish life is that after we confirm young people, some of them never come back to church. Those who do come back and are faithful have pastors who they can see obviously know the Lord.
I was interested in my faith when I left for college, but the religion professor spent all his time on highly academic details. He talked about the JPDE theory of how the Bible was written. I guess he assumed that if we signed up for his course we must already be solid Christians and not need any spiritual support. It took almost 10 years before I went back to the Bible after that course in college.
We need more “St. Pauls” in our churches to encourage us to a more solid Christian faith and to show that our God loves us so much that he suffered agony to save us. Don’t ever forget to look at that cross in every church, which is a symbol of what our Lord suffered for us! Then ask yourself if Christ’s sacrifice has turned you into a different person. Is knowing him the most important thing in your life?
Bob O.
Philippians 3:4b-14
The theme of joy permeates this letter to a largely Gentile congregation. In the passage prior to this lesson Paul identified one of the major difficulties facing the Philippian church -- not a major theological issue, but a conflict between two of the women of the church, Syntyche (With Luck) and Euodia (Good Song). Although churches may find themselves conflicted over the issues of the day, a more likely cause of dissension would be personal animosity between two fellow believers. Paul’s response, even in these circumstances, is to remind us that the default position of the Christian is joy. After all, the Lord is near, in both senses of the word. The Lord is literally near, always at hand, an unseen presence in all we say and do. So it is wise to act like Jesus. The Greek word for “near” also implies that Jesus is on the way. We are not living in a visible Kingdom of God, but because the ruler is approaching we live by the rules of that kingdom. That’s why it is possible for us to have the peace that passes understanding to keep our hearts and minds settled in Christ Jesus.
Frank R.
John 12:1-8
“Pastor, this is the year for the passion play in Oberammergau, Germany. You may know that little Bavarian town has staged a biblical play every ten years since 1634. I have always wanted to go, and this is my opportunity. I am mentioning this to you because I want you and your wife to come as my guests. I am also asking Pastor Bill and his wife to come. He was our pastor before you came, and I appreciated his ministry as much as I appreciate your ministry. We will be gone about two weeks and will visit not only Germany but Switzerland, Belgium and France as well. I am going to pay for everything. It is just my way of saying ‘Thank you.’ I am so excited about this trip. We will have a wonderful time.”
“But, Diane,” the pastor responded, “you shouldn’t do that. The money can be put to better use. The expenses for this trip would stock the church food pantry for a year. For that matter, the sanctuary needs a new roof. Your gift to the cause would really help. I also need to say I can’t accept your gift. What would the church think?”
Despite his protests, Diane insisted the pastor at least give her offer prayerful consideration. He agreed and sought the counsel of the wiser, more experienced Pastor Sue.
She said, “It is my experience that parishioners who offer these gifts of extravagance with effusive exuberance usually do so out of their love for Christ’s Church, not to ingratiate themselves with the minister. Keep in mind that the gift will raise some tax issues for you, but other than that, it is not unlike Mary anointing the feet of Jesus with a bottle of much too expensive ointment.”
R. Robert C.
John 12:1-8
Time magazine began selecting its “Person of the Year” in 1927. The first individual to appear on its cover was Charles Lindbergh. The individual selected does not have to be a good person, only the one who most influenced world events for that year. Pope Francis was Time’s 2013 Person of the Year. He was the third pope to be selected. The editors stated that what made Francis “so important is the speed with which he has captured the imagination of millions who had given up on hoping for the church at all.”
Application: Mary, in anointing the feet of Jesus with oil, recognized that he has changed the world.
Ron L.
John 12:1-8
Over 1,500 years ago Saint Augustine offered an insight about what this gospel lesson might mean. The perfume with which Jesus was anointed in our story, he claimed, was the sweet odor of righteousness. This scent could make all the disciples smell good, and nothing much matters if you smell that way, not even the future. Worries about what come next are less likely, it seems, when you smell good. Neuroscientist Janina Seubert has found there is an emotional link between perceived attractiveness and odor, that certain scents make people look more attractive to others. Christians anointed by God smell good, and so look good, and attractive people are more confident. With such confidence we men and women of faith can say along with American journalist William Allen White: “I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have yesterday and I love today.”
Mark E.
When your travels take you to the state of Washington, visit the Mount St. Helens Volcanic Monument. At its visitor center, people of faith are able to see a modern recounting of God’s capacity to make a way in the wilderness.
On Sunday morning, May 18, 1980, a powerful volcano erupted deep with snow-covered Mount St. Helens. The entire north face exploded, creating the largest landslide ever recorded. A column of smoke and ash rose 15 miles high, depositing ash over 11 states. The molten lava melted the snow and glaciers that covered the top of the mountain. The ensuing volcanic mudslides reached as far as the Columbia River, nearly 50 miles away. Fifty-seven people and thousands of game animals were killed. Hundreds of square miles were reduced to a wasteland, at an estimated cost approaching $3 billion in today’s dollars.
As the visitor center movie of the eruption draws toward its end, the camera gives a panoramic view of the devastation right after the event. There is an enormous hole in the side of the mountain. The landscape resembles the pictures sent back from the moon or from Mars. The only colors are black, white, and gray. There is no evidence of life.
Then a large curtain opens to reveal a large window. In the distance the viewer sees Mount St. Helens with the gaping hole in its side. But the valley between the mountain and the visitor center, once lifeless and devastated, is now showing signs of grassy meadows. Since the eruption three and a half decades ago, trees have begun to spout from the floor of ashy devastation. Something new and beautiful is being made in the wilderness.
R. Robert C.
Isaiah 43:16-21
Father Peter-Michael Preble, a Romanian Orthodox priest, wrote an article for the Huffington Post in December 2013 addressing the social issue of the war on Christmas. He discounted this as an act of persecution, since individuals are free to worship as they choose. He also noted that no individual Christian is “prevented from saying ‘Merry Christmas’ to anyone they choose.” Preble astutely noted, “The real war on Christmas is the number of people who will go without food and adequate housing.” He went on to write, “The real war on Christmas is that we choose to focus on the nonsense” while people around the world suffer.
Application: During Lent we are expected to give something up to remind us of the sacrifice of Jesus. Let us avoid the nonsense of no more chocolates and take seriously what we can surrender to alleviate the suffering of others.
Ron L.
Isaiah 43:16-21
We are not very good at forgiving and forgetting. It is like 19th-century Congregationalist minister Henry Ward Beecher (brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe) once put it: “I can forgive but I cannot forget is only another way of saying I will not forgive. Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note -- torn in two and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one.”
God has no trouble with such forgiveness, our lesson makes clear. The great Reformed theologian Karl Barth profoundly explains the nature of God’s forgiveness: “The act of divine forgiveness is that God sees and knows this stain [of sins] infinitely better than man himself, and abhors it infinitely more than he does even in his deepest penitence -- yet he does not take it into consideration, he overlooks it, he covers it, he passes it by, he puts it behind Him, he does not charge it to man” (Church Dogmatics, Vol. IV/1, p. 597).
Forgive and forget like God. The first-century Roman writer Syrus (Publius Syrus) said it well: “We may with advantage forget what we know.”
Mark E.
Philippians 3:4b-14
Pressing on is tough. Anyone who has ever run a race knows this. I remember a spring during which our son was part of the track team, not as a runner but as a discus thrower and shot put athlete. He had a really strong upper body, and these were good events for him. But during one meet, the team was short a runner for the 220 meter hurdles. If the team didn’t field a runner, they would receive zero points for this event and it would lower their ranking. So my son volunteered to run an event which he had never run before. To my knowledge he had never even tried running hurdles, but he volunteered nonetheless.
Well, he ran really well until the next to last hurdle. He caught his trailing foot and toppled the hurdle and himself onto the cinder track. As a mother it was all I could do to stay with the spectators. To my surprise, our son got up, jumped the last hurdle, and finished the race. He pressed on. And knowing my fears, he had presence of mind enough to send someone to tell me he was going to be all right.
This is the message Paul shares with us. I will press on. I may not succeed, but I am all right. I am aligning myself with God through following Jesus. May we all press on in such ways.
Bonnie B.
Philippians 3:4b-14
The 1992 Barcelona Olympics had plenty of highlights. The original United States men’s basketball “Dream Team” crushed all opposition on the way to a gold medal. It was also the first Olympic Games after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Baseball and badminton became Olympic sports. Many athletes won medals and nations celebrated.
There was one event, though, that may now be lost in the pages of history. Derek Redmond was a British runner. During his career, he held the British record for the 400 meters, and won gold medals in the 4 x 400 meters relay at the World Championships, European Championships, and Commonwealth Games. In the 400 meters semifinal, Derek tore his hamstring. It was a crushing blow for him personally and for his nation. He crumbled to the track in pain as competitors flew by. His hope of a medal was dashed, but he was determined to finish the race. Redmond lifted himself to his feet, ever so slowly, and started hobbling down the track. The other runners finished the race. People were stunned as they realized that Redmond wasn’t dropping out of the race by hobbling off to the side of the track. No, he was actually continuing on one leg. He was going to hobble his way to the finish line. All by himself. All in the name of pride and heart. Redmond’s father saw his son and his determination to finish. He broke through security and ran to the track. In one of the most iconic moments of Olympic history, father and son, linked arm and arm, hobbled around the track and across the finish line.
I like that story on many levels. One thing that stands out as we examine this text is Redmond’s determination to do whatever it took to finish the race. He was out of contention for a medal. He wasn’t going to win. He wasn’t going to have a great race. But he was determined to finish. I think that’s the image Paul is presenting here. He and we have made plenty of mistakes. None of us has run a perfect race. The question is, will we press on? Will we be determined to finish? For us, the prize is not in getting first, second, or third. The prize awaits those who finish. When you’ve fallen, when you’re tired, or when you’re hurt, remember Derek Redmond. Remember what Paul wrote. Press on. Finish the race.
Bill T.
Philippians 3:4b-14
It is easy for a pastor to brag and tell others how he (or she) grew up in a Christian home, was baptized in the church, and was always a faithful church member. In my case I wandered away for a while. My mother always prayed that I would be a Lutheran pastor, but I was 30 before I was ordained. She told the lady sitting next to her at my ordination that she had prayed for 30 years that I would become a pastor, like my great-grandfather who was a missionary to the Danes in America. He came right after the Civil War. She was always bragging about him! They couldn’t brag about me because they were killed in an auto accident on the way home from my ordination. But they had the knowledge that their prayers for me had been answered.
I loved what I had been doing in my motion picture business in California. I was not in a hurry to leave it and I had an opportunity for great advancement, but when the Lord came to me and I got to know him, I considered all things as trash compared to knowing Jesus Christ as my savior. That is now the only thing I am proud of. I have talked with many members and fellow pastors who feel the same. If they don’t, then I need to work with them.
One of the sad facts of parish life is that after we confirm young people, some of them never come back to church. Those who do come back and are faithful have pastors who they can see obviously know the Lord.
I was interested in my faith when I left for college, but the religion professor spent all his time on highly academic details. He talked about the JPDE theory of how the Bible was written. I guess he assumed that if we signed up for his course we must already be solid Christians and not need any spiritual support. It took almost 10 years before I went back to the Bible after that course in college.
We need more “St. Pauls” in our churches to encourage us to a more solid Christian faith and to show that our God loves us so much that he suffered agony to save us. Don’t ever forget to look at that cross in every church, which is a symbol of what our Lord suffered for us! Then ask yourself if Christ’s sacrifice has turned you into a different person. Is knowing him the most important thing in your life?
Bob O.
Philippians 3:4b-14
The theme of joy permeates this letter to a largely Gentile congregation. In the passage prior to this lesson Paul identified one of the major difficulties facing the Philippian church -- not a major theological issue, but a conflict between two of the women of the church, Syntyche (With Luck) and Euodia (Good Song). Although churches may find themselves conflicted over the issues of the day, a more likely cause of dissension would be personal animosity between two fellow believers. Paul’s response, even in these circumstances, is to remind us that the default position of the Christian is joy. After all, the Lord is near, in both senses of the word. The Lord is literally near, always at hand, an unseen presence in all we say and do. So it is wise to act like Jesus. The Greek word for “near” also implies that Jesus is on the way. We are not living in a visible Kingdom of God, but because the ruler is approaching we live by the rules of that kingdom. That’s why it is possible for us to have the peace that passes understanding to keep our hearts and minds settled in Christ Jesus.
Frank R.
John 12:1-8
“Pastor, this is the year for the passion play in Oberammergau, Germany. You may know that little Bavarian town has staged a biblical play every ten years since 1634. I have always wanted to go, and this is my opportunity. I am mentioning this to you because I want you and your wife to come as my guests. I am also asking Pastor Bill and his wife to come. He was our pastor before you came, and I appreciated his ministry as much as I appreciate your ministry. We will be gone about two weeks and will visit not only Germany but Switzerland, Belgium and France as well. I am going to pay for everything. It is just my way of saying ‘Thank you.’ I am so excited about this trip. We will have a wonderful time.”
“But, Diane,” the pastor responded, “you shouldn’t do that. The money can be put to better use. The expenses for this trip would stock the church food pantry for a year. For that matter, the sanctuary needs a new roof. Your gift to the cause would really help. I also need to say I can’t accept your gift. What would the church think?”
Despite his protests, Diane insisted the pastor at least give her offer prayerful consideration. He agreed and sought the counsel of the wiser, more experienced Pastor Sue.
She said, “It is my experience that parishioners who offer these gifts of extravagance with effusive exuberance usually do so out of their love for Christ’s Church, not to ingratiate themselves with the minister. Keep in mind that the gift will raise some tax issues for you, but other than that, it is not unlike Mary anointing the feet of Jesus with a bottle of much too expensive ointment.”
R. Robert C.
John 12:1-8
Time magazine began selecting its “Person of the Year” in 1927. The first individual to appear on its cover was Charles Lindbergh. The individual selected does not have to be a good person, only the one who most influenced world events for that year. Pope Francis was Time’s 2013 Person of the Year. He was the third pope to be selected. The editors stated that what made Francis “so important is the speed with which he has captured the imagination of millions who had given up on hoping for the church at all.”
Application: Mary, in anointing the feet of Jesus with oil, recognized that he has changed the world.
Ron L.
John 12:1-8
Over 1,500 years ago Saint Augustine offered an insight about what this gospel lesson might mean. The perfume with which Jesus was anointed in our story, he claimed, was the sweet odor of righteousness. This scent could make all the disciples smell good, and nothing much matters if you smell that way, not even the future. Worries about what come next are less likely, it seems, when you smell good. Neuroscientist Janina Seubert has found there is an emotional link between perceived attractiveness and odor, that certain scents make people look more attractive to others. Christians anointed by God smell good, and so look good, and attractive people are more confident. With such confidence we men and women of faith can say along with American journalist William Allen White: “I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have yesterday and I love today.”
Mark E.
