1 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:11,520 Than you for engaging with the homily by Pastor Chill Will from 2 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:16,079 Chapel Hill. I hope this message encourages you, challenges 3 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:21,000 you and moves you to go deeper in your faith and enrich how you 4 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,320 love God and love your neighbor in your day to day life. 5 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,240 Just a reminder. Like the Scriptures and Gospels themselves, 6 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:31,910 this homily was written for a particular community in a particular 7 00:00:32,380 --> 00:00:36,860 context, time in history. And yet, like our sacred texts, I hope 8 00:00:36,860 --> 00:00:41,860 that these words hold timeless truths about God's unconditional 9 00:00:41,860 --> 00:00:45,660 love and grace. We hope these words speak to you in a meaningful 10 00:00:45,660 --> 00:01:00,470 way. The Holy Gospel According to Matthew Glory to you. From that 11 00:01:00,470 --> 00:01:04,030 time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to 12 00:01:04,030 --> 00:01:08,750 Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders 13 00:01:08,750 --> 00:01:13,190 and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed and on the 14 00:01:13,190 --> 00:01:17,550 third day be raised. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke 15 00:01:17,550 --> 00:01:22,070 him, saying, God forbid it, Lord, this must never happen to you. 16 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:27,040 But he turned and said to Peter, get behind me, Satan. You 17 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:32,520 are a hindrance to me. You are setting your mind not on divine things, 18 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:36,760 but on human things. Then Jesus told his disciples, if any 19 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,920 wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up 20 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:44,280 their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life 21 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:48,240 will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will 22 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,960 find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole 23 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:56,600 world but forfeit their life? What will they give in return for 24 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:00,520 their life? The Son of Man is to come with his angels in glory 25 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:04,400 of His Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has 26 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:08,880 been done. Truly, I tell you, there are some standing here who 27 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:12,520 will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in 28 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:23,270 his kingdom. The Gospel of the Lord may be seated. The name of the 29 00:02:23,270 --> 00:02:29,910 Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. I wasn't here 30 00:02:30,150 --> 00:02:37,070 for Pentecost Sunday, way back in May, but it's pretty evident the 31 00:02:37,070 --> 00:02:43,290 Holy Spirit showed up and did her thing for visitors and newcomers. 32 00:02:43,290 --> 00:02:48,170 I was on sabbatical this summer, but as I kept my eye on what 33 00:02:48,170 --> 00:02:51,690 was happening here at Holy Trinity, and then when I returned, 34 00:02:51,930 --> 00:02:56,330 it's pretty clear that over the last three months, that same 35 00:02:56,330 --> 00:03:00,330 spirit and breath of God that hovered over the chaotic waters at 36 00:03:00,330 --> 00:03:04,770 the beginning of creation, that same Spirit that filled the 37 00:03:04,770 --> 00:03:09,010 upper room on that first Pentecost in the Book of Acts, empowering 38 00:03:09,010 --> 00:03:13,970 and inspiring the first disciples, that same Spirit that 39 00:03:13,970 --> 00:03:18,970 hovers over the waters of Baptism, claiming us as beloved children 40 00:03:18,970 --> 00:03:25,250 of God, that same Spirit that hovers over the twists and turns 41 00:03:25,250 --> 00:03:31,810 of our daily lives showed up and worked as this community gathered 42 00:03:31,810 --> 00:03:38,860 for worship and in small groups for coffee hours and for funerals. 43 00:03:39,900 --> 00:03:44,260 That same Spirit guided and gave shape to your explorations of 44 00:03:44,260 --> 00:03:51,140 the parables for here for Reconciled in Christ Sundays, the 45 00:03:51,140 --> 00:03:56,020 Holy Spirit was present when our members and friends were open 46 00:03:56,020 --> 00:04:02,770 and bold in sharing their testimonies and stoking joy for children's 47 00:04:02,770 --> 00:04:11,010 musicals. The Spirit hovered and shaped and challenged and soothed. 48 00:04:12,370 --> 00:04:15,610 And so as I hop on this already moving train and locomotive 49 00:04:15,610 --> 00:04:18,370 called Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and Lutheran Campus Ministry, 50 00:04:18,370 --> 00:04:23,410 an emerging question comes to the surface. Where are we headed? 51 00:04:24,780 --> 00:04:30,140 Where are we going? What road are we traveling? Yes, school has 52 00:04:30,140 --> 00:04:34,940 started. The fall semester is well underway. Soon, hopefully, cooler 53 00:04:34,940 --> 00:04:38,220 weather will roll in and leaves will begin to change color. 54 00:04:38,700 --> 00:04:43,980 Midterm elections are looming, wrapping up another year and getting 55 00:04:43,980 --> 00:04:48,940 ready for a new one is only a few months away. And yet, as the 56 00:04:48,940 --> 00:04:56,620 Holy Spirit hovers and shapes and challenges and soothes, I can't 57 00:04:56,620 --> 00:05:01,860 shake the question where are we headed as a person, individually, 58 00:05:01,860 --> 00:05:07,860 As a congregation? As a society? In our Gospel reading from 59 00:05:07,860 --> 00:05:12,980 Matthew, Jesus reveals some clues. Last Sunday we heard the story 60 00:05:12,980 --> 00:05:17,300 of Jesus stopping at Caesarea Philippi and having a check in with 61 00:05:17,300 --> 00:05:22,300 his disciples. I can imagine Jesus sitting his disciples down 62 00:05:22,300 --> 00:05:26,900 and asking them to share their highs and lows for the day. And then 63 00:05:26,900 --> 00:05:31,540 Jesus asks some revealing questions. Who do people say that 64 00:05:31,540 --> 00:05:38,220 I am? As you would imagine there were a diverse number of answers. 65 00:05:38,780 --> 00:05:42,660 But then he gets more personal. He turns the question to 66 00:05:42,660 --> 00:05:48,680 them and asks them, who do you say that I am? Peter is the one who 67 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:53,440 speaks up first and confesses Jesus to be the long awaited Messiah. 68 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,960 Now if you remember what Pastor Margay shared last week, the 69 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:02,520 place in context of where Jesus asked these questions are pretty 70 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:08,600 significant. Jesus asks them in a town known for festivals and 71 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:14,410 worship of a fertility guide and a town named after the Emperor. 72 00:06:15,290 --> 00:06:20,650 These are I also can imagine that some of the disciples were perhaps 73 00:06:20,650 --> 00:06:24,490 asking to themselves among themselves, okay Jesus, where is 74 00:06:24,490 --> 00:06:29,770 this headed? Okay Jesus, if you are the long awaited Messiah, 75 00:06:30,410 --> 00:06:34,810 what does that look like? This morning we hear the story of what 76 00:06:34,810 --> 00:06:39,550 happens right after this confession and wandering and boy, 77 00:06:39,550 --> 00:06:44,670 what does a difference a week makes. Yes Peter, you are the rock 78 00:06:44,670 --> 00:06:47,550 and your confession is the foundation on which we will build 79 00:06:47,550 --> 00:06:52,950 a church. Or are you a blockhead so hard headed that you 80 00:06:52,950 --> 00:06:58,510 can't see what kind of messiah Jesus is? After Peter's confession 81 00:06:58,510 --> 00:07:01,790 that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus gets real with them and he 82 00:07:01,790 --> 00:07:05,430 pulls them in and makes a passion prediction and shares where 83 00:07:05,430 --> 00:07:09,040 they are headed to Jerusalem and there, the religious leaders 84 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:13,200 will reject him and kill him. But on the third day, he will be 85 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:19,760 raised. Peter's like, wait, hold up. True messiahs aren't defeated 86 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:26,440 and killed. That would and should not happen to you. Jesus doesn't 87 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:31,120 hold back. Peter, don't be a Satan. Literally, a word that means 88 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:36,410 adversary. Get behind me and fall in line. Follow the leader, 89 00:07:37,210 --> 00:07:42,850 watch and listen. You have more learning to do. Those who follow 90 00:07:42,850 --> 00:07:46,930 me let go of themselves and preconceived notions of what messiahs 91 00:07:46,930 --> 00:07:52,490 are and what they do and how they rule. Followers take up crosses 92 00:07:53,210 --> 00:07:58,650 rather than build them. Sure, Peter's confession that Jesus has 93 00:07:58,650 --> 00:08:02,610 the Messiah, he does that. He. Sure, he makes that confession. But 94 00:08:02,610 --> 00:08:07,050 in the shadow of a town named after Caesar and an emperor, Jesus 95 00:08:07,050 --> 00:08:11,810 makes it clear the kind of messiah that he is and will be. It's 96 00:08:11,810 --> 00:08:15,530 almost like Jesus is saying to Peter and the others, this is where 97 00:08:15,530 --> 00:08:21,210 we are headed. This is the kind of messiah that I am and will 98 00:08:21,210 --> 00:08:29,900 be. Watch and learn. Follow. Part of my sabbatical was navigating 99 00:08:29,900 --> 00:08:34,660 and driving in foreign countries. I did the driving in Iceland, 100 00:08:34,740 --> 00:08:38,540 which is a little easier, and Cindy did the driving in France and 101 00:08:38,540 --> 00:08:42,900 Spain. Some things were just like driving over here, but there 102 00:08:42,900 --> 00:08:46,380 were some differences that we needed to pay attention, to be aware 103 00:08:46,380 --> 00:08:51,620 of. Everyone drove on the right side of the road, got a check. 104 00:08:52,430 --> 00:08:56,870 But there are lots of traffic circles to navigate. And while we 105 00:08:56,870 --> 00:09:01,550 do have some traffic circles here in our neighborhoods, man, that's 106 00:09:01,550 --> 00:09:05,430 a different thing over in Europe. And while they keep traffic 107 00:09:05,430 --> 00:09:10,630 moving, man, there are cars coming in and out on all sides of 108 00:09:10,630 --> 00:09:14,510 you, and you need to stay alert. I will confess that when Cindy 109 00:09:14,510 --> 00:09:18,070 was driving in France and there's traffic circles, I was in 110 00:09:18,070 --> 00:09:21,030 charge of the GPs and following where that blue line was, 111 00:09:21,030 --> 00:09:24,890 asked to take a right and head in the right direction. And it was 112 00:09:24,890 --> 00:09:27,970 hard to see at times. And there may have been a few times when 113 00:09:27,970 --> 00:09:34,170 we exited too early. We may have had to pay the toll on the road 114 00:09:34,170 --> 00:09:38,690 a few extra times for me and for us. And I may have been yelled 115 00:09:38,690 --> 00:09:42,090 at a few times. What are you doing? Why did you tell me to do 116 00:09:42,090 --> 00:09:47,690 that when there wasn't a traffic circle and you met a stoplight 117 00:09:48,650 --> 00:09:52,650 In Iceland, they have red for stop. Good. Got it. Check. Know that 118 00:09:52,650 --> 00:09:56,760 they have green for go and of course, yellow for caution. But the 119 00:09:56,760 --> 00:10:01,520 yellow caution light isn't just shining when green turns to 120 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:05,280 red, but when you stop at a stoplight, the red will then turn 121 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:09,440 yellow to give you a caution, and then green the opposite direction, 122 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:12,040 which I thought Just kind of slow up and pay attention in case 123 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:14,360 people were walking across. People behind me were like, no, that 124 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:21,840 means go. Kind of freaked me out. Instead of miles per hour, there 125 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,790 were kilometers per hour, which was fine, as long as you make 126 00:10:25,790 --> 00:10:28,510 sure you match up that number on the road with the number on your 127 00:10:28,510 --> 00:10:33,870 car. But in Iceland, on the speed limit signs, they have speed 128 00:10:33,870 --> 00:10:39,990 radars that clock how fast you are going, which will show you how 129 00:10:39,990 --> 00:10:43,870 fast you are going. And along with that, if you're doing the speed 130 00:10:43,870 --> 00:10:51,070 limit, they flash a smiley face. If you're going too fast, guess 131 00:10:51,070 --> 00:10:59,930 what they shine at you. A sad face, A frowny face. Hmm, another 132 00:10:59,930 --> 00:11:05,450 confession. I got a number of frowny faces and Cindy would shake 133 00:11:05,450 --> 00:11:11,970 her head, just being slightly ashamed. It was an effective character 134 00:11:11,970 --> 00:11:15,810 correction device for sure. I didn't want to get a frowny face, 135 00:11:16,290 --> 00:11:20,420 but I still needed to get to go where I needed to go. In France 136 00:11:20,420 --> 00:11:23,940 and Spain, they didn't have frowny faces and smiley faces according 137 00:11:23,940 --> 00:11:27,180 to how fast or slow you were going. But if there were traffic 138 00:11:27,180 --> 00:11:31,340 or wrecks ahead of you, there were street signs that would flash 139 00:11:31,340 --> 00:11:37,140 this big exclamation mark with the word attention. Caution. Pay 140 00:11:37,140 --> 00:11:44,660 attention. The road you travel needs your attention. That flashing 141 00:11:44,820 --> 00:11:50,460 exclamation mark was for sure effective. This all comes to mind 142 00:11:51,020 --> 00:11:55,100 because I think this is what Jesus is doing when he's shepherding 143 00:11:55,100 --> 00:12:00,460 and leading his disciples. Okay, he's identified them as he. 144 00:12:00,540 --> 00:12:05,180 They have identified him as the Messiah. But caution, tension. 145 00:12:06,060 --> 00:12:13,220 Peter, you're going too fast. Slow down. Sad face. Don't turn too 146 00:12:13,220 --> 00:12:19,020 early in the traffic circle. This is where we are headed. The 147 00:12:19,020 --> 00:12:25,260 road is heading to Jerusalem and it involves a cross. I'm a different 148 00:12:25,340 --> 00:12:31,740 kind of Messiah than you assume I am. The call of discipleship 149 00:12:32,380 --> 00:12:37,020 following Jesus is the call to bear crosses, not build them, and 150 00:12:37,020 --> 00:12:41,750 certainly not to put anybody on them. It's not about conquest, 151 00:12:42,790 --> 00:12:47,830 power, but this word is about saving and losing lives. Jesus is 152 00:12:47,830 --> 00:12:53,310 challenging what we are grasping after versus what we are 153 00:12:53,310 --> 00:12:59,590 called to let go of. I do find it interesting that when Jesus talks 154 00:12:59,590 --> 00:13:03,350 about going, about what's going to happen to him in Jerusalem 155 00:13:03,350 --> 00:13:07,980 and taking up crosses, Peter misses that whole part about Jesus 156 00:13:07,980 --> 00:13:13,380 being raised on the third day. He is so taken back by what sounds 157 00:13:13,380 --> 00:13:20,500 like defeat that he misses the assurance of Easter. And yes, Jesus's 158 00:13:20,500 --> 00:13:26,140 words seem pretty abrupt and harsh. Crosses are certainly scary. 159 00:13:27,020 --> 00:13:31,660 If you're going too fast and you make assumptions, Attention. 160 00:13:32,140 --> 00:13:39,410 You need to slow down. Don't miss the good news of Easter. The 161 00:13:39,410 --> 00:13:42,210 story would end there with Peter. It would be a real bummer 162 00:13:42,210 --> 00:13:46,050 for him. But if you keep reading the Scriptures in Matthew 163 00:13:46,050 --> 00:13:49,930 right after this story In Matthew chapter 17, there is a story 164 00:13:49,930 --> 00:13:54,650 about the transfiguration when Peter take When Jesus takes Peter, 165 00:13:54,650 --> 00:14:00,090 James and John up to the mountaintop and Jesus shines in bright 166 00:14:00,170 --> 00:14:05,830 glory. We will not hear this story in church until Transfiguration 167 00:14:05,830 --> 00:14:10,070 Sunday on the last Sunday of Epiphany in February. But for Peter, 168 00:14:10,230 --> 00:14:14,990 even though Jesus called him Satan, an adversary and reprimanded 169 00:14:14,990 --> 00:14:20,430 him, Jesus redirects the disciples out of the traffic circle 170 00:14:20,430 --> 00:14:25,550 to the top of a mountain to get a glimpse of his glory before 171 00:14:25,550 --> 00:14:29,280 they have to head down the mountain and face the reality of 172 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:35,960 the cross. A grace moment for sure in their journey where they 173 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:41,480 are headed today. When we come to this altar to receive bread and 174 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:45,240 wine, the tangible grace of God, to taste and see that the Lord 175 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:51,440 is good, I hope this can be a grace moment for you and for me that 176 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:54,960 helps keep you going on the road that the Holy Spirit is leading 177 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:59,890 us down. In our traffic circles and traffic jams. If you're 178 00:14:59,890 --> 00:15:04,930 going too fast or slow, be assured Jesus smiles at us when we 179 00:15:04,930 --> 00:15:11,650 come to this altar. He says, keep following me. Where are we headed? 180 00:15:12,770 --> 00:15:17,770 A great question that I hope we'll keep asking. I hope that we 181 00:15:17,770 --> 00:15:22,250 will keep paying attention to Jesus following down the road that 182 00:15:22,250 --> 00:15:27,400 he takes us down. This morning. I challenge you to pay attention 183 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:31,800 to the words of our hymn of the day. This hymn is not in our 184 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:35,920 hymnal, but in looking at the gospel story for today, Megan found 185 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:39,840 this hymn and I think it articulates beautifully the mystery 186 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:45,760 of the cross. A cross that we are called to pay attention to in 187 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:50,450 the hard and difficult world that we're called to navigate. The 188 00:15:50,450 --> 00:15:55,770 last verse really stands out to me. To bear the cross and follow 189 00:15:55,770 --> 00:16:02,010 Christ brings both joy and tears, brings life reborn and sacrifice, 190 00:16:02,970 --> 00:16:08,890 brings hope along with fears. Brings all the ambiguity of being 191 00:16:08,970 --> 00:16:15,890 dust and clay, yet brings as well the clarity of love's eternal 192 00:16:15,890 --> 00:16:22,350 life way. Where are we headed? Let's continue to trust the Holy 193 00:16:22,350 --> 00:16:40,790 Spirit and follow Jesus together. Amen. Thank you for listening. 194 00:16:41,110 --> 00:16:44,510 If there is anything that stood out for you or if you have 195 00:16:44,510 --> 00:16:48,060 a question or. Or you just want to have a conversation, you 196 00:16:48,060 --> 00:16:52,500 are always free to reach out and contact us and remember you are 197 00:16:52,500 --> 00:16:57,300 not alone and that you are loved with a love stronger than death. 198 00:17:11,390 --> 00:17:20,980 Sam.