Chris Yaw

A guy walks into an ice cream shop and really wants two scoops of Rocky Road.

But he's on a diet and he knows he can only have one. So in the name of personal health he orders one scoop.

Two women come in right behind him, one asked the other what she wants and she says she wants Rocky Road. The first woman says that's exactly what she wants!

So when it's their turn to order the first woman orders Rocky Road and the server tells her she's lucky because there's only one scoop left.

So the first woman says "Oh don't worry about it, give me the mint chocolate chip, my friend wants the Rocky Road."

In both cases these customers denied themselves.

However one did it for himself, the other did so for someone else.

In Sunday's gospel Jesus talks about denial, and I have a feeling he's talking more about the second case then the first.

While there is no discounting the value of discipline, of denial, Jesus appears to prefer that we did so in a specific manner. It is denial centered not on self, but on others.

The challenge of following Jesus, what you and I deal with everyday, is thinking first about others before we think of ourselves. Our culture, our instincts, everything in and around us has forced our default setting to be on ourselves, when Jesus invites us to another way.

He invites us to look at our lives, at our calendars, at today, and question what we are doing in the light of love, in the light of whose day we are trying to make, who's load we are longing to lessen, how we might live our own lives, for the benefit of others.

The irony is that this denial for the sake of others doesn't simply benefit other people, but at the end of the day when we live lives of giving, we are the winners.

Ever see this guy before?

He's August Landmesser, one of thousands of Germans gathered at a shipyard during the Second World War for a dedication ceremony. And when the crowd is asked to

show its approval with the Nazi seig heil, they all do. Except August Landmesser.

Turns out that this proud German had been harboring doubts about the new regime, he had a Jewish girlfriend he was unable to marry, and he was not going to sit by idly and just go along to get along.

In the face of monolithic support for Hitler, August Landmesser said 'no,' he would not support a racist ideology, he would not support an aggressive military, he would not suppress his conscience. Instead he would speak up. No matter the cost. He would not stay silent. And he alone in the crowd, would end up on the right side of history.

Its conviction like this we will hear about on Sunday when a non-Jewish (Syrophoenician) woman breaks with all social decorum and asks Jesus to heal her sick daughter. At first, Jesus is taken aback. Yet her persistence and faith in the character and power of God wins the day - she holds her ground, talks back to Jesus, and her daughter is healed.

It’s clear that Our Lord commends those who stand up and speak out, after all, that’s what got him killed. So as followers of Jesus, we have to take this seriously: Am I silent in the face of inequality and persecution? Do I choose the easy path of cordial acquiescence? How am I shunning any temptation to speak up?

Like the Syrophoenician woman, how are we being invited to boldness? What issue(s) are we being asked to champion? How might we see ourselves as alone in the crowd?

When the Canadian border opened up to U-S tourists, my family members were among the first to head north and open up a lakefront cottage we hadn't seen for nearly 2 years.

Upon arrival we noticed, down by the beach, that a number of old and rickety beach chairs were stashed away under the shelter of trees. It was in an area where, historically, loud trespassing teenagers brought beer and made bonfires and noise on the beach at night. It had become apparent that in our absence someone had been using our property!

There was great debate about what to do with these chairs. Until I and others decided that whomever had stowed them on our property should not have the right to see them again, so the chairs were taken to the dump and ceremoniously thrown away.

The following week family members encountered an elderly man on the beach who inquired about these chairs. He said that he was a retired hydrologist, and he along with other environmental advocates had taken it upon themselves to make regular trips to our beach and take water, soil and air samples to measure the quality of the environment. He mentioned that they had brought some chairs with them because it was a long walk from where they had to park. And had anyone seen those chairs?

Embarrassed, no one spoke up - and the elderly man walked off.

Since then we have been humbled by what we saw and what we did, we were forced into introspection: why were we so distrustful? Why had we automatically jumped to such a negative conclusion? Aren't we, as Christians, called to calibrate our default setting at love and faith and not fear and suspicion?

In Sunday's gospel, Jesus confronts a band of religious leaders who seem to regularly have done the same thing. He called out the tendency of these Jewish religious leaders to operate out of control and fear instead of open-hearted trust. Jesus seems to use them as negative examples of what you and I are supposed to do.

At our core, you and I are built to love. We came into the world through love, we become our best selves when we love, and we are destined, one day, to be reunited with love. However when we listen to the voices of fear and suspicion, love becomes lessened. And God knows, that we are surrounded by voices of distrust, fear, and suspicion that are trying to lessen our love!

Bertrand Russell once said that, "love is wise, hatred is foolish. In this world, which is getting more and more closely interconnected, we have to learn to tolerate each other. We have to learn to put up with the fact that some people say things that we don’t like. We can only live together in that way and if we are to live together and not die together, we must learn the kind of charity and the kind of tolerance which is absolutely vital to the continuation of human life on this planet."

We have to learn to be less judgmental of beach chairs and open to the possibility that they are owned not by selfish trespassers, but by caring people.

One of my favorite sayings in the 12 step community comes out when a group of people in recovery share about how their addiction has negatively impacted their lives - the ways they have lost homes, jobs, and relationships.

And the saying is this, “my best thinking got me here,” the implication being that the regular choice of the bottle, the needle, another cupcake, or whatever seemed like the right thing to do at the time, in retrospect certainly was not.

And so these wonderful folks, who have hit rock bottom, are now discovering that they weren’t as wise as they thought they were.

So they gather together, to hear from other people and to hear from a big book, so that they can listen less to themselves - and gather the wisdom to, instead, talk to themselves with words of truth that have come from the big book and a wise, caring community.

Don't listen to yourself, talk to yourself.

This Sunday you and I will hear Jesus say, "The work of God is to believe in the one whom God has sent, Jesus Christ."

And we may wonder:

What makes believing so difficult?

What keeps us from doing that?

Is it really, as Jesus says, work?

What keeps us from doing that is that we listen too much to ourselves, and we don’t talk to ourselves enough about the truth is according to God, and who we are in God's sight.

Time and time again we prove ourselves to be inferior predictors of our happiness, poor judges of people, lackluster predictors of stocks, world events, and even blackjack why do you think the house always wins?

This means talking to myself more from God's perspective, about who God is and what God is up to in my life, and listening less to the doubts, fears, and anxieties that pop up inside of me – the apprehension and objections that I have deep inside - is gospel work that Jesus calls me to do.

Don't listen to yourself, talk to yourself, with the words God uses, given to us in our big book, in a community of like-minded souls, and in prayer that brings it all home.

Theology 101, there is a God, and we are not him / her, let us do the work of opening ourselves up to the perspective of the one who is.

If you look at all the stories in the Gospels, there's one that stands head and shoulders above the others.

Now you may be thinking about the resurrection - or the raising of Lazarus.

But the resurrection story is only mentioned in three of the Gospels, if you go by the oldest manuscripts.

And the raising of Lazarus is only in one of the Gospels.

But there's one story that's told six times, that's right six times in four gospels.

It was so popular that it became the basis for the very first symbol of Christianity, yes even before the cross.

You've probably guessed it, it's when Jesus feeds the multitudes - with bread, and fish which was the first Christian symbol.

What made this story so popular?

What resonated so with early believers?

The first century hearers of this story lived precariously short, dangerous lives - where nearly everyone was a subsistent farmer, fisherman, or craft person. And so the daily provision of something to eat was the number one agenda item nearly every single day.

So the carefree and simple provision of such an important commodity made an indelible impression on these folk.

And Jesus' message was quite clear: if you're most important need is to be fed, I will feed you.

Don't worry about things like food, or even clothing or housing; concentrate on me, and my mission for you, to do the work of loving and redeeming the world, and I'll take care of you.

Fast forward 2,000 years to you and me, and acquiring food does not take on the same urgency, in fact most of us would be just fine if we had less of it...

But Jesus' message endures because our hunger endures:

We still hunger.

We hunger for purpose.

We hunger for meaning.

We hunger for social acceptance.

We hunger for approval.

We hunger for security.

We hunger for health.

We hunger for peace.

And Jesus' promise, that spans the centuries, is that he will feed us.

Sure, we may have wanted steak, a burrito, or spaghetti, but we find that bread and fish do the job, it's enough, while God doesn't always give us everything we want, it's usually what we need.

No matter the hunger, Jesus will feed us.

One day during our pandemic I was in the church office when two of our parishioners popped by.

They said they had received an unexpected government check. So they came to church to donate it - to give it to help others through the ministry of our parish.

There are a couple of things to note about this noble act.

What impressed me was not simply this couple's altruism and generosity, but their wisdom in knowing that the true power of wealth is wielded not by those who amass it, but by those who spend it properly. If love is the most powerful force in the universe, then acts of love like this are where real power lies.

This Sunday we will hear a couple of stories about Jesus's ministry of teaching and healing. And we will notice that his true power is not found in his ability to do the miraculous, but in using these miracles to improve the lives of others.

While none of us are able to heal and teach like Jesus, all of us have gifts and powers of our own. And our true power is not in the stockpiling or self-indulgent use of them, but in using them properly - recognizing that they were given to us for the betterment of the world.

What does this look like to us?

How are we being asked to use our gifts for those around us?

When we understand that God's plan is for us to play our own irreplaceable role in furthering the health and redemption of the world - and we choose to share our gifts, we experience the real power of God, to heal, to restore, to bring joy, and ultimately to love.

Aristotle famously reasoned that our habits shape our virtues.

He taught that the development of good, solid, healthy habits are what enable us to make the right choice in our moments of decision.

It's our daily devotion to the push-ups, the sit-ups, and the jogging, that suddenly pays off when someone is seriously injured on the hiking trail and we have to run 5 miles to get help.

So what happens when we are in the break room at work and someone tells an off-color joke that's demeaning to a certain segment of humanity?

Do we have the courage to speak up?

Most people let these things slide, reasoning that it's not a big deal, that it would be unpopular and uncomfortable to speak up. Albeit small, it's a failure of nerve.

In fact, a big reason our country is in the place it's in is because of a rampant, widespread failure of nerve. In politics, business, and family life, we have not been careful enough to form habits that lead to the virtues needed for us to stand up in the face of injustice, dishonesty, and moral transgression.

This Sunday we run into an example. His name is Herod. And we will read about his failure of nerve as he allowed John the Baptist to be killed. We will be reminded of the ways his moral failings are more imitated than shunned in our modern world.

And we will see that the shaping of habits is crucial for us as we endeavor to live virtuous lives that affect our world in positive ways.

That's why I believe in church.

We are a community of people dedicated to the formation of godly habits - habits of prayer, of scripture study, of holy community, that form us into a people of generosity, altruism, hopefulness and courage that help us make good decisions, that produce better communities.

When we are grounded in good habits, we make good decisions.

What are the habits we need to make? Or break? In order for us to be prepared to make the right choice in our moments of decision?

The notion that that deadly Miami condominium collapse may not have been the fault of a terrorist or natural disaster - but of lax oversight by a volunteer condo committee, is enough to wake a lot of us up.

I’m talking about anyone who's ever sat on a condo board, a neighborhood association, little league board, or a church vestry.

All of a sudden our tedious, mundane, under-appreciated, and sometimes boring work can go way sideways. And we’re shown how critical it is for us to show up, time after time, with our game faces on.

This is what made Jesus so remarkable.

The essential element in his personal magnetism was his consuming focus, determination, sincerity, and overwhelming faith in the importance of his work.

This guy showed up - always - which is what we see front and center in our gospel this Sunday.

It’s the story of Jesus performing miracles everywhere but in his hometown, where no one believe in him.

But despite this hiccup, Jesus went on.

He tried something else.

He sent his disciples.

And they healed and cured.

This notion of determination - of single-minded focus - is crucial because we’re always trying to shout down those voices of apathy and negativity - and we need to be reminded that our everyday, seemingly unimportant work - is much more important than we know - and we do not want a Miami condo disaster to be the only way we wake up to this.

Which makes me wonder:

What do I need to wake up? To perk up? To show up?

How about you?

How is this our spiritual vocation?

How is Jesus asking us - and equipping us - to show up well-prepared and ready - and assuring us that, as much as anything else, this is our spiritual job and duty?

It was a hot and rainy night in New York City.

The busses were running late.

Harried, wet, and irritated riders were getting on, trudging through their evening commutes. People jostled for seats and elbowed for the best places to stand. Courtesy had given way to rudeness.

Everybody noticed the air conditioning was broken.

Nobody wanted to be there.

Writer Elizabeth Gilbert was among them and tells of something magical that happened next.

The bus driver made an announcement:

“I know you all are hot and bothered that can’t get where you want to go on time. Y’all have a million things to worry about and this ride isn’t helping. But I want you to know we will get there - and when we get to your stop I am going to hold out my hand and as you leave - I want you to take your worries and put them in my hand. My route ends by the river and when I drive by I promise I’ll dump all those worries in the river.”

Gilbert says some people laughed, some people ignored him, but when they exited, most people approached the bus driver, with his outstretched hand - and acted as if they were handing over their troubles. Some were playful and more than a few were seriously moved - even to tears - as that caring bus driver made a really lousy commute, unforgettable.

On Sunday you and I will hear a well-known Bible story about two women whose suffering was much worse - and whose odds of getting better were much longer. But in both cases Jesus turned the tables - and brought relief and healing to the anxious and hurting.

You and I come to Jesus with our own suffering - enduring our own kinds of pain - troubled by world events, community injustices, personal failings and stuck in places we don’t want to be.

And like the bus driver, Jesus is not out to ignore us but to surprise us - stretching out his hand to bring us relief:

Jesus can turn around hopeless situations.

My friend recently applied for a job as a hospital chaplain.

In this day and age of scientific and technological advancement, when people are going to church less and trusting in human knowledge more, why are hospitals investing in improving the spirituality of their patients? Wouldn’t they do better to invest in labs and research?

Actually, study after study shows that spirituality, and all that goes along with it, is as reliable and effective as exercise, eating right, and sleeping well as ways for patients to cope with and recuperate from sickness and injury. This is particularly true with stress.

Our faith helps us cope with stress in a number of ways:

Knowing Christ gives us a sense of purpose in the world. We find meaning. And that helps us reach out and connect with the world in which we are called to work.
Our faith often leads us to church, and a network of support to enhance the good times and help us get through the hard times.
Our faith also asks us to release control. Time and again Jesus calls us to hand our burdens over to him, and scripture is clear in promising us that God will care for us.

On Sunday we will hear the familiar story of Jesus asleep in a boat during a storm. Jesus, surrounded by panicked disciples, he asks them, 'Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?’

Hmmm… is fear tied to faith?

If we build our faith can we lessen our fear - and our stress?

In tying anxiety to faith Jesus suggests that deepening our spirituality reduces stress, which sounds a bit like something scientists have subsequently proven.

So if taking steps toward deepening our spirituality is so good for us, why don't we do more of it?

This is our challenge, our mission, and our call.

How might we look to the coming weeks and months to deepen our faith?

When my friend Ed was 11 years old he decided to climb out his bedroom window with his cousin and sit on the roof.

Arriving home, his mother and aunt pulled up in the front driveway, gazed up at the roof, and saw their two sons happily perched on the steep incline, nearly two stories above the concrete driveway.

"Jacob, you get back into the house immediately!" Shouted Ed's aunt, as his embarrassed cousin scampered toward the open window, "Jacob, you could fall off that roof and break your neck in a heartbeat! What's gotten into your head?"

That left Ed sitting alone on the roof as his mother looked up at him. He waved to her and then she asked nonchalantly, "Ed, where's your coat?"

Of course I could have just told you that my friends' mother had a parenting style that encouraged independence and maturity, but chances are you will remember that lesson much better after hearing this story.

In Sunday's gospel Jesus declares that he always told important lessons to his followers through parables, through stories.

Human beings are narrative creatures, meaning makers, who look for patterns and get through life by imitation.

Of course, the most important stories are the ones we tell ourselves.

Psychologists say we're not very good at this. Many of us endure excessive stress because we tell ourselves we're not smart enough, good looking enough, talented enough, or rich enough, etc which leads to stories that add to our discontent.

One of the fruits of the gospel is that it gives us much healthier, authentic, and more life-giving stories.

Jesus tells us that we are light, we are salt, we are chosen, and we are adored. Our narrative is not one of defeat, condemnation, and damnation, but of abundance, caregiving, and provision.

Our challenge, is to make God's story our story, to chase away that untruthful and false self-talk and work toward a more authentic depiction of our story as a people who live in God.

Coming out of covid, we have a rare opportunity to make ourselves different, to live more fully into our authentic selves, as defined by the God of courage and love, not out of the fears and haunting frailties told us by our lesser angels.

How might we choose this day, this week, this summer, to talk to ourselves more kindly and more truthfully, as we move to see ourselves as God sees us?

How can we help long-time felons get paroled?

This was the question a group of law students recently asked before forming an organization dedicated to helping inmates gain their freedom.

Apparently there are a lot of inmates eligible for parole, but time and again they fail to get past parole boards because of inadequate preparation and poor interviewing skills. So this group of students arranged to coach eligible inmates during the weeks preceding their parole board interviews.

But the students kept running into the same problem: time and again inmates refused to admit guilt or take real responsibility for their crimes. The students couldn’t understand that even in the face of overwhelming evidence of guilt, pride and years of telling themselves the same dubious story of Innocence had made it pretty much impossible for the inmates to change. And sympathetic parole boards, wanting simply to hear contrition and remorse, never did. So the next parole meeting was set for 5 years down the road and inmates were returned to their cells.

It was Friedrich Nietzsche who said, "People don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed."

I wonder how often I buy into this.

On Sunday we will hear Jesus talk about something similar. The topic is hell - and C.S. Lewis famously described it as a place we’d rather stay in than give up our illusions.

But this is what the truth of the Gospel asks us to do.

When I look at my stubborn beliefs and behaviors I can't help but wonder how much is illusion I’ve cultivated to make me feel safe, comfortable, and at peace. I wonder how much is really a prison that I desperately want to leave, but only if the change isn’t too painful.

Admitting fault, owning mistakes, apologizing, and facing the music are things we all have trouble doing. And while they are often at the heart of what keeps us locked up, they are also the key to opening our prison doors.

How is Jesus calling us to greater honesty and transparent self-evaluation?

If the truth may hurt for a little while but a lie hurts forever, how are we being called to rip off the band-aid and embrace the freedom Jesus wants for us - and we want for ourselves?

Chris Yaw

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Divine Denial

Alone in the Crowd

Love and Suspicion

Don't Listen to Yourself, Talk to Yourself

Jesus Will Feed You

True Power

Meeting Our Moment of Decision

Showing Up as Vocation

Jesus Can Turn Around Hopeless Situations

Faith and Stress

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

Freedom from Illusion

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