Month: November 2023

Jesus Is the Answer

On By Rev. Dr. Jarrett BanksIn Sermons Year A1 Comment

Ephesians 1:5-23 NRSV

On this Sunday after Thanksgiving, as a Christian pastor, I am most thankful for Jesus, for I truly believe with all my heart, for me personally, Jesus is the answer.

Now, I know how cliché, cheesy and bumper-stickery that sounds, but I can’t help it. When it comes to questions about theology, about all I got for an answer is Jesus.

And you should know that I dislike few things more than bumper-sticker theology! It tears my nerves up when people try to reduce something as miraculously mysterious as faith in the Holy-Source-of-all-that-is into a few pithy words to slap on the back of a vehicle.

“Jesus is my co-pilot.” If Jesus is merely your co-pilot, I suggest you switch seats. Because I believe it’s Jesus who needs to be your pilot, the one who makes the decisions, charts the course, and steers the ship, leading you on the way of love that has the power heal sick religion, restore a distorted morality and make whole a fragmented planet.

“Honk if you love Jesus.” Please don’t do that. If you truly love Jesus, if you are following the way of love that Jesus embodied and taught his disciples, please, never toot your own horn. If you really love Jesus, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, love the outcast, forgive the sinner, care for the dying, and be a friend to the lonely.

“Got Jesus?”  No, I don’t. Because I don’t believe Jesus can be “got.”  I believe the way of love Jesus modeled wants to get us. Jesus wants to get us to deny ourselves, pick up a cross and follow him. We don’t get Jesus to meet our needs. Jesus wants to get us to meet the needs of the world. We don’t get Jesus as some sort of ticket to heaven. Jesus wants to get us to bring heaven to earth.

“Jesus is the reason for the season.” If we call ourselves a Christians, shouldn’t Jesus be the reason for every season, be the Lord over, reign over, every season, every month, and every day. Shouldn’t the way of love of give meaning and direction to our lives all year long?

“Keep Christ in Christmas.” Why don’t we first try to keep Christ in “Christian?” For I believe the reason so many people are turned off by Christians today is because many Christians act nothing like the Christ by whom they identify themselves. And in many cases, behave in a way that is best described as anti-Christ.

“If Jesus had a gun, he’d still be alive today.” No, I am afraid that it is because of Christians like you that the way of Jesus seems dead in this world today.

“Are you following Jesus this closely?”

Hmmm. I actually kind of like that one.

However, I am thankful that faith in God cannot be condensed into a few simple words that will fit on a bumper sticker. Yet, this Sunday after Thanksgiving, I still am most thankful, that for me, that Jesus is the answer.

On this Christ the King Sunday, I am thankful for these beautiful words of Ephesians:

God put this power to work in Christ…far above all rule and authority and power and dominion…And [God] has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Jesus is above all and is the head over all things.

That is why we celebrate this “Christ the King Sunday” on the last Sunday of the Christian calendar. At the end of the year, we proclaim that our church, our faith, our theology, everything we do, is all about Jesus. In other words, Jesus is the answer.

This is particularly good news for me as I am one who readily confesses that, when it comes to faith and theology, when it comes to this amazing grace that we call life, I have far more questions than I have answers. In fact, over the years I have discovered that the more I know the less I know.

For me, life is as mysterious as it is miraculous. The very existence of God, and the specific revelation of God through Jesus Christ, is even more miraculously mysterious. God, the creator of all that is, is so incredibly large that I will never be able to wrap my mind around God. And I will never understand the height, the depth and the breadth of the love of God.

My mind is not only very small, but I believe it is also very flawed. Whether one blames it on “original sin” or “the Fall of Humankind” or just “being born in an imperfect world,” we can agree that all of creation is seems to be fragmented. Consequently, as a creature on this earth, I will always understand God and God’s will for the world and my life as “seeing through a glass darkly” (1 Corinthians 13). My understanding will always be limited, imperfect and incomplete.

As I was waiting to get my car inspected this past Wednesday, when they found out I was a pastor, someone asked me if I thought we were “living in the last days.”

Honestly, I don’t know much about such things. All I know is that life is precious, fragile and fleeting and, as I said last week, none of us are guaranteed that this is not our last day.

In the days before Halloween, someone asked me about the role of Satan and demons in the world. Again, I don’t know about that. I believe demonic evil is real and personal. I have experienced it in the hate that has been directed at me by people, ironically by those who claim to be Christian, but I don’t really know where it comes from or exactly why it exists in this world.

People have asked me the same questions about angels. Some people believe they have guardian angels that have intervened in their lives, sometimes saving their lives. Again, I don’t know much about that.

People ask me if God created it all, then who created God? Who was Cain’s wife? How did that fish swallow Jonah? How can God be both God and Jesus? If Jesus was God, how does God pray to God? Why do some people seem be blessed and others seem to be cursed? Why are some people healed while others suffer and die? Do people who do not accept Christ as their Lord and Savior go to Hell? What about people who have never heard of Jesus? What about two-thirds of the world’s population who were born and raised in another faith? What really happens to us after we die? Does the soul really leave the body immediately and go to heaven?  What does the Bible mean when it talks about the dead being raised on the last day? Do we have a soul? Are we really any different than animals? Again, I know very little about such things.

And I believe there are many people who agree with me on this. And they say that this is one of the reasons that they find faith in God so difficult. They don’t have all the answers. Consequently, they call themselves agnostic or atheist. And I respect that. In fact, I get along better with agnostics and atheists, than Christians who believe they have all the answers.

However, for me, living in this fragmented world, I cannot imagine life without some type of faith. Without faith, it’s difficult for me to understand how my life would not be devoid of meaning. For there would be nothing to define my life, steer my life, fulfill my life, to give my life hope other than my own selfish desires. So, to give my life meaning, I choose to believe that God, or the Creator of all, or a Higher Power, is not completely mysterious.

After all, I do know some things. I know that I did not do anything to earn the gift of life. I know life is in an inexplicable gift of grace. And I am compelled then to express gratitude for this gift. And the only way I know to do that is through a life of faith in the Giver, the source and power behind it all.

Furthermore, I have specifically chosen a life of Christian faith in this Source or Power. I have chosen to make the God, that is revealed in the words and works of Jesus, my God. I often wonder if I would have chosen this faith if I was born to parents in another part of the world. Nonetheless, I am grateful for the way that this choice informs my beliefs and enriches my life today.

Consequently, my limited understanding of who God is, how God acts and what God desires is derived from the words and actions of Jesus as revealed in scripture. In other words, Jesus is the answer.

As you have heard me say before, I don’t know much. I don’t have all the answers. However, on this “Christ the King Sunday,” on this Sunday after Thanksgiving, I am very grateful that for me personally, Jesus is the answer. The revolutionary way of Jesus recorded in the Holy Scriptures—the radical way Jesus elevated the status of women, lowered himself to wash the feet of others, befriended the lowly, welcomed the stranger, learned from the foreigner, sought justice for the poor and the marginalized, brought wholeness to the disabled, fed the hungry, defended and forgave the sinner, embraced the untouchable, welcomed the children, told extravagant stories of grace and love, healed the sick—the scandalous way his selfless love for others led him to suffer and die on a cross, the way he sacrificially gave his body and inclusively poured his life out for all people, is more than enough to build my life around, to give my life purpose, meaning, direction and hope.

Question: Jarrett, what if we are living in the last days? Answer: I am just going to keep following the way of Jesus, keep doing the things that Jesus did, keep loving the people Jesus loved, keep taking the stands that Jesus took.

Question: Dr. Banks, how real and powerful is the demonic? Answer: Not as real and as powerful as the way of love that Jesus taught and embodied.

Question: Rev. Banks, do you believe angels can save you? Answer: I believe the way of love Jesus emulated saves me, and that is enough for me.

Question: Rev. Dr., why do people suffer? Answer: Jesus suffered, thus when we suffer, I believe that the Divine compassionately, empathetically and intimately understands, and that is all I really need.

Question: Preacher, where are we going when we die? Answer: We need to be more concerned about where we are going while we are living, to the places and to the people Jesus went.

Question: Pastor, what is the meaning of life? Answer: Well, Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love our neighbors as ourselves. And that is enough for me.

Question: Minister, what will it take to make the church relevant in the 21st century? How can the church be revived to make a positive impact in the community, throughout the region and around the world?  Answer: Jesus. The way of love that Jesus modeled. The acts of welcoming, healing, feeding and liberation that Jesus performed. Jesus is the answer.

I know it sounds like a bumper sticker. But you know something? I really don’t care. Because for me, and perhaps for you. For the sake of the church and this world, I believe Jesus is the answer.

         Jesus is my king, my lord, my savior, my friend, my guide, and my hope in life and in death.

Check Your Oil

On By Rev. Dr. Jarrett BanksIn Sermons Year ALeave a comment

Matthew 25:1-13 NRSV

Jesus said the Kingdom of God is like a group of bridesmaids getting ready to meet the bridegroom to enjoy a grand wedding reception. Half the bridesmaids are very wise and fill their lamps with oil. The other half are foolish and forget to fill their lamps. Then, when the groom, “Love himself,” shows up to take them to the party, the ones who ran out of oil are left in the dark, while the ones with oil in their lamps go to the wedding banquet and have the time of their lives.[i] Later, when the bridesmaids who forgot to check their oil somehow find their way in the dark to the dance, they find the door to the banquet hall has been shut, and no one any longer knows who they are.

How many times have you heard “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone?” You don’t know what you’ve got until a relationship ends, a moment is lost, a freedom is taken away, a right is relinquished, a democracy dies, a window is closed, a door is shut.

I once visited a man in the hospital who one day found himself completely paralyzed from the waist down. After he had a successful surgery to remove two cysts on his spine and had regained the use of his body, he said; “One day, you are going about your business taking everything in life for granted; then the next day, everything is gone.” Then he said, “You better believe, I will never take anything for granted anymore!”

A woman who was suffering with cancer and lost her the ability to perform even the most mundane tasks to take care of herself once told me: “It is amazing how much we take for granted every day. Oh, how I would give anything in the world to be able to get up out of this bed, walk into my kitchen and just pour me a bowl of Froot Loops.” She went on, “You know, when I was healthy, when I could get out of bed and walk to the kitchen, when I could feed myself, when I could chew and swallow my food, I don’t believe I once ever thanked God for a bowl of Froot Loops.”

Who in the world even thinks about the awesome gift of being able to do something as mundane and as boring as pouring a bowl of Froot Loops? Someone who can longer pour a bowl of Froot Loops.

Who thinks about the miraculous gift of being able to walk? Someone who has lost the ability to walk does.

Who thinks about the gift of healthy lungs? Someone living with COPD or asthma does.

Who thinks about their kidneys or their liver? Someone on the way to a dialysis treatment. Someone living or dying with cirrhosis.

And who truly thinks about the miracle that is their life, the miracle that is this creation? People diagnosed with a terminal illness do. Those who have had a close encounter with death do or those who have a loved one on the verge of death or those who lost a close friend or family member to death.

In the epistle of James we read: “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14, ESV). In other words, life, creation, appears for a little time, then the window closes, the door is shut.

Frederick Buechner has said:  “Intellectually, we all know that we will die, but we do not really know in the sense that the knowledge becomes a part of us. We do not really know it in the sense of living as though it were true. On the contrary, we tend to live as though our lives would go on forever.”  In other words: “We know we are going to die but we don’t live as though we believe it is true. We live as though we are going to live forever.[ii]

In other words, we are really good at taking life for granted. Most of assume that we will be here tomorrow, at Thanksgiving and Christmas, even next year. We live as if we assume that nothing truly ever ends.

About 15 years ago I walked into an AT&T store to talk to someone about getting a new cell phone. As I as waiting in line, I could not help but to hear the conversation that was taking place between the salesperson and another customer. It went something like this:

 “Here’s my phone that no longer works. Will you be able to retrieve my contacts and put them om my new phone?”

The salesperson, who appeared to be a college student, responded: “Sir, that all depends. Did you back up your contacts on the computer with the USB cord that came with your phone?”

“No,” the man answered with a very frustrated tone. “I was not expecting my phone to just one day die.”

The salesperson said: “Oh, that’s too bad. Then I am afraid your contacts are lost.”

The man was flabbergasted. “What do you mean ‘lost’? This was a very expensive phone. It was the best and latest version on the market when I got it. This phone was not supposed to die!”

It was then I noticed the clerk getting a little exasperated, and then, she responded: “Sir, everything dies. People die!”

There’s nothing like being reminded of your mortality by a college student selling cell phones.

It was about this time of the year in 1997 when the doctors told my grandfather, who had been suffering with lung cancer for over a year, that he would likely not be here for Christmas. Looking back, I remember Granddaddy living more during those last few weeks than he did his entire 74 years on this earth. He no longer worried about the insignificant things that occupy the majority of our time. He took nothing and no one for granted. He traveled to Florida to visit his brother whom he had not seen in a decade. He made it a point to spend precious time his family and his friends. He gave more of his money to the church.

Granddaddy was of that generation, or of that mindset, that didn’t do anything that would cause anyone to accuse him of being soft. For example: I don’t remember him ever holding or playing with my little sister. In fact, never remember him ever holding or playing with any of his grandchildren. I never remember getting a toy from him; but I do remember getting a pocket-knife or two and a BB gun.

It is remarkable then when I think about the picture I have of him that was taken right before his last Thanksgiving. He is holding my daughter Sara in his arms, who was about 5 months old. In the picture he is looking at her as if she was his very own. I will never forget taking that picture and watching him adjusting her tiny dress, touch the ruffles on it with his tough, weathered hands as he held her and smiled.

Granddaddy appreciated each new day as he never had before. He cherished each breath. He was grateful for every bite of food and he relished every sip of drink. He treasured watching sunsets, cherished the frost on cold autumn mornings, and revered his friendships. He took absolutely nothing for granted. During those precious weeks, Granddaddy didn’t miss anything.

Jesus said that the foolish bridesmaids forgot to check their oil and missed the whole dance. They never believed that the door to the banquet was one day going to be shut. And he ends the parable with these words: “Keep awake” (Matthew 25).

Keep awake. Check your oil. Keep your lamp burning. Keep watching and keep looking, recognizing that we are never promised tomorrow. Check your oil. Keep your eyes wide open. Take nothing for granted. Treasure your lungs, your kidneys, your liver. Cherish the ability to walk into the kitchen and pour something as mundane and boring as a bowl of Froot Loops. Relish every taste. Revere every sight and every touch. For in life, nothing is ever mundane. It is never boring. It is all miracle. It is all gift. It is all grace. And it all will certainly one day come to an end.

As you may know that I spent the last four years planting a new expression of church in the Greater New Orleans. My salary was funded by the First Christian Church of Mandeville which had made the decision years earlier to close their doors for good. A few of the former members of the church helped me with the new church plant. I would often here them say: “You just don’t ever think that a church will close, that its ministry will come to an end, that the doors would be shut, and shut for good.”

Keep awake. Check your oil. Keep your lamps burning. Keep worshiping the God of love. Keep following the way of Jesus. Be grateful for every opportunity you are given through this church to serve others. Cherish every chance to love your neighbors with this congregation. Relish every ministry team meeting. And revere every board meeting. Although it is a little work, be thankful for every year we’re able to host the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service and have a Christmas Eve Candlelight service. Be grateful for even what appears to be the mundane or the boring aspects of church, because the truth is, nothing in this world is mundane. Nothing is boring. It is all miracle. It is all grace. And one day, the doors will be shut.

Let’s check your oil. And let’s keep your lamps burning and not miss the bridegroom, Love, love’s self. And let’s dare not miss the dance!

[i] Paraphrased from Frederick Buechner: http://frederickbuechner.com/content/weekly-sermon-illustration-once-upon-time-our-time

[ii] This quote and the remarks in the paragraphs above came from and were inspired by: http://jbailey8849.wordpress.com/2010/07/15/taking-life-for-granted/

Great Cloud of Witnesses

On By Rev. Dr. Jarrett BanksIn Memorials, Sermons Non-LectionaryLeave a comment

Hebrews 12:1-3 NRSV

A couple of weeks ago, Janelle Boss sent me a registration link for next year’s Virginia Ten Miler. Although I have not run regularly in a couple of years, I signed up. And then I looked at a map of the very hilly course with the last mile running uphill from the Farm Basket to EC Glass.

If my knee and my back allow me to do this next year (and after moving into our home this week, I have my doubts), I am going to need the entire congregation to line Langhorn ROAD (or “Langern” as I am learning to say) from the Farm Basket to EC Glass to cheer me on as I run that last arduous mile! And Jeremy, wouldn’t it be fantastic, if during the last 100 meters, the choir could be standing there in your robes singing the Hallelujah Chorus!

And you should know that as a preacher I have some scriptural justification to ask this of you. For in our epistle lesson this morning, the writer to the Hebrews compares life, the struggle to be and to carry on, to a difficult race and encourages the faithful to run this race with perseverance by remembering that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses: people of faith who had previously run and finished this difficult race that we call life. The writer infers that those who have gone on before us can give encouragement, strength, inspiration and hope to those of us who are presently living, and oftentimes struggling, like runners huffing and puffing up Farm Basket Hill wondering whether or not we can finish.

Living in a fragmented world, a world where humanity surprises us with its inhumanity, we quickly learn how important it is to surround ourselves with supportive cheerleaders, persons who are always there for us, pulling for us, rooting for us persistently, loving us unconditionally: like Helen Tatom, that saint who never missed a game, a recital or a performance that her children Matt and Andy were in. Later, she would move to Lynchburg to be close to her grandsons so she would never miss their events until the time came when she was unable to travel. And even then, oftentimes unbeknownst to their parents, she would secretly Venmo her grandchildren money to spend on vacations. And Helen supported her church and the University of Lynchburg with the same unfailing love.

And the writer to the Hebrews says we can keep running, keep persisting, keep fighting, keep persevering, keep moving forward, because Helen’s spirit still supports us today, while encouraging us to be there for one another and to always love one another unconditionally.

However, there are times on this journey when we may be moving forward, taking a step ahead, but we won’t be smiling. The years may pass by, but there may not be joy. It is during those times we can remember Patsy Warren, that saint who had this special ability to always make everyone in the room smile when walked in. A saint who possessed an infectious, contagious, holy joy that could transform anyone’s beleaguered running into carefree dancing!

But in this world, we know that there will always be loud and powerful voices that will want to squelch our dancing, take away our freedoms, strip away our rights and prevent us from being the person we were created to be. That is why we are grateful for saints like Don McVey who started attending our church because we made the commitment to be an Open and Affirming congregation. Because Don understood that no church who claims to follow the way of love that Jesus taught his disciples has any business being Closed and Condemning. Many of us can still see and are still inspired by the joy on Don’s face as he sang praise with the choir to God for God’s love for all people without exceptions.

As I said in a couple of sermons ago, I believe that one of the best ways to finish this race we call life is by possessing a heart full of gratitude. Thankfully, we can be inspired today to be more grateful, more giving, and more generous, by remembering a saint named Jean Wood. Following the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians that we studied together last week, Jean generously gave not only of her finances to this church, at one time, donating a window, but Jean selflessly gave of her very self as a School Teacher. And Jean loved to offer her gifts of teaching through the church teaching Vacation Bible School. Jean continues to inspire us today as we prayerfully consider pledging our tithes, offerings and gifts to the church.

One of the things that most excites me about being a part of this congregation are the big, holy dreams of this congregation and the courage to bring those dreams to life. Whether we are talking about using our gifts to be the church outside of these four walls or to promote social and environmental justice, there exists a powerful imagination and a hopeful belief that there is nothing that we cannot accomplish together.

Perhaps it is because we are surrounded by trailblazing saints like The Rev. Marilyn Taylor. For Marilyn will always be remembered for breaking the glass ceilings for women in ministry as she worked quietly yet faithfully to open pulpits in Virginia to accept women clergy, paving the way many women who are still serving throughout our today.

And what is remarkable is that Marilyn may not be remembered for the great things she accomplished during her life as much as she will be remembered by how she accomplished them— with an unassuming spirit and a servant’s heart. Because she never boasted of her work and always pointed out the contributions of others around her, her children were surprised to learn of the big role she played in setting up and leading the first meeting that became the Summit Senior Living Community and in leading its dedication to help residents thrive both physically and spiritually.

And like so many in this congregation, Marilyn possessed this exuberant youthful and playful spirit. She is remembered wearing the best costumes at Halloween for Trunk-or-Treat. She danced with the sacred dance ensemble and never missed a game night. The Rev. Stephanie Mclemore, former Associate Regional Minister at Christian Church in Virginia, once called Marilyn “the most authentic person I know.”

And speaking of authenticity, this congregation is also blessed to be surrounded by saints like Penny Cline, one of the most authentic, kind, gregarious, compassionate, maternal, non-judgmental, forgiving, funny, very social people some of us ever knew.

Penny had this special gift. It was something innate in her personality, in her eyes and in the way she smiled, that made you feel like you were the most special person in the world to her. When I met her for the very first time, although she was tired and weak, her smile had this way of making me feel like I was truly welcomed into her life like family, like she really, truly loved me like I was her own. I must confess that I was a little disappointed when I learned that she, having never met a stranger, treated everyone this way.

And speaking of trailblazers who knew how to dance, we are also blessed to be surrounded by that saint named Dr. Ann Bishop. As a follower of the way of Jesus, the one who set up a free healthcare clinic everywhere he went, Anne believed all people deserved good healthcare, and all means all. Anne simply had no tolerance any type of social injustice, especially an injustice which prevented people from accessing quality, compassionate healthcare. Consequently, Anne, in her quiet but determined, pioneering way, worked with fellow church member, college colleague, and saint Dr. Jack Scudder, and the faith community of Lynchburg, to found and subsequently serve on the board of the Free Clinic of Central Virginia that still operates downtown today. Ann taught us to accomplish big things, like the founding of the school of nursing at the University of Lynchburg. And like others who went before her, she taught us how to accomplish things with grace, humility, laughter and dancing as she also loved expressing her faith as part of our church’s liturgical dance team.

Yes, thanks be to God that we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses that we can not only run into 2024 with holy expectation and bold faith, bit we can dance into the new year with a copious amount of hope!

And there one more saint that is with us today, perhaps the most important one of them all: a miraculous gift of God’s grace named Henry Yates Sadler. Although I read traditional words during his baptism from the Methodist Book of Worship asking God to forgive his sins, we all know that Henry was no sinner. Henry was a most innocent, most pure, most precious gift of God’s grace that we received during this past year—a profoundly sacred gift who taught his parents Emily and Miles how extraordinarily capable they are of love, who awakened a love deep within them that they did not know existed.

And he awakened that same love in us when we learned of his premature birth and the tragic reality that his life on earth would be most fleeting. With a profound sense of empathy that caught us by surprise, we offered our most heartfelt prayers and did what we could do to support the grieving parents, from generous donations to the Mustard Seed offering, to mowing their lawn and picking up their mail. Henry Yates Sadler taught us how to be the church, how to love unconditionally, compassionately and empathetically. Yes, Henry is perhaps the most important saint among us, because without such love, we cannot fully live, and we certainly cannot church.

The writer to the Hebrews says: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  By faith, Helen Tatum, faithfully supported this church and community like she supported her children and grandchildren and taught us more than she ever knew.

By faith, Patsy Warren made us smile and filled us with more joy than she ever knew.

By faith, Don McVey continues to strengthen our mission to be Open and Affirming. Perhaps why our flag that was stolen during the night has already been replaced by Elizabeth, one of our youngest congregants.

By faith, Jean Wood taught us generosity.

By faith, Marilyn Taylor taught us to do big things with humility and authenticity.

By faith, Ann Bishop taught us to do big things and to always dance.

By faith, Penny Cline taught us the miraculous power of hospitality.

And by faith Henry Yates Sadler taught us how to love and how to live.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.