The Same But Different – All Saints Sunday, 1 John 3:1-3

Posted on November 7, 2023 by patrick h wrisley

He was doing what all pastors do on Sunday morning; he was at this church leading worship that spring morning directing the people in prayer, sharing the news of the church family, and preaching his sermon. While all this was going on, a group of people from the church broke into his house, the manse across the street, and were ransacking the place because they were upset with the pastor and the session for going along with the presbytery’s direction to ordain women as ministers, among other things. They sprayed obscene graffiti down the hallway leading to his children’s bedrooms. They broke windows, smashed pictures, and emptied the contents of the refrigerator into their piano. Drawers were emptied onto the floor and the beds had their mattresses sliced from top to bottom. They wanted to send a message that there was trouble in the church.

This is a church that went through a schism, a rending into two distinct parts and factions. One side used hate and vitriol to get their message of how things at the church should be, “All in the glorious name of Christ.” The other side was caught flat-footed and found itself on the defensive. The case went all the way up to the Georgia State Supreme Court which sided with the members who wanted to stay with the presbytery and continue their over 100-year-old ministry there. I arrived two years later as a fresh new pastor out of seminary to a faithful remnant of 60 people. I wish I could say I made this story up but I’m not.

Needless to say, the church I inherited was the same church that was established back in the 1800s but it was definitely different as a result of the schism that took place. Literal families were ripped apart taking opposite sides on what Christian orthodoxy really was. The remnant there were tired from the fighting. The budget had been whittled away through the lengthy court battles. Now they were fighting to survive and rediscover their sense of purpose in the community. Yes, it was the same church but it was really different.

This is what is going on in our scripture Story this morning. John, the Beloved disciple and one of the first four who responded to Jesus’ call to follow, is writing to a church somewhere in today’s western Turkey. It too was a church that underwent schism over orthodoxy and right beliefs. There were some who said Jesus was a good person but was not really Emmanuel, i.e., God with us. They also taught that in order to find salvation, you had to learn special knowledge about how God worked. They were called Gnostic Christians. The letter of John was written to the remnant who held to Christ as the living Son of God. John is reminding them to maintain pure beliefs about Jesus, to live obedient lives, and to be intentional with their devotion and worship. He was writing to a church that was the same but because of the rift among the people. The church was different now. He was reminding them even though it may feel different, they were to maintain the basics of the faith.

Our brief text this morning is in the midst of a section where John is giving the church some encouragement. Listen to 1 John 3:1-3, the Word of God.

1 John 3:1-3

3.1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.[1]

The same but different. John reminds the Church that because of Jesus, the Father’s love has been shared with us thereby making Jesus followers adopted children of God. What a powerful promise and fact! No longer are we outsiders looking in through the living room window, but we are now members of the family sitting inside and having our seat at the table! We are the same, but we are so totally different from who we were before. As children, we now have a stake in the family. As children, we now have inheritance rights. As children, we now bask in the love of the gracious Father. And how do we know we are adopted children of the Father? Because we know Jesus.

In 1 John 2 immediately preceding our text this morning, John reminds the Church that those who deny the Son deny the Father but those who confess the Son has the Father as well (1 John 2:23). He assures members of the Church their current family status will reap future rewards later. You see, Jesus’ Easter has given you and me a glimpse of what we will be like when we die and rest with the Father. We will be the same but different. “What we will be has not been revealed but when Jesus reveals himself to us, we will be like him.”

Our Christian faith believes that we will be raised with a spiritual body – same but different. We will be united with God and reunited with those we have lost in this life. Our relationships with them will be the same but different as well. All dysfunctions between us will be erased from the relationships. All ill will, suspicion, and doubt of other people’s motives will be gone. Any sense of impatience with those we knew in this life will melt away as we bask in each other’s presence as we are mutually seated at Christ’s table. There will no longer be any need for fear and the very concept of hatred is an impossibility in the presence of the Loving Father. The Church, life as we know it, our very being will be the same but oh so different when Jesus is revealed to us in eternal life.

Today we pause and remember those saints who have experienced their transition from this life to their life in the glorious presence of God the Father, Son, and Spirit. Our memories with tears remind us of who they were to us but All Saint’s Day is our reminder that they are now so much more of who they were meant to be. They are healed and made whole from any disease or moral deficiencies they had as they have put on God’s heavenly cloak of pure love. They are the same as we knew them, but they are so different now as well. They, along with the angels, cheer us on, encourage us, and tell us we can do it. That’s why communion is so important. It’s our reminder we are not alone and that for this brief moment, we can sit with Jesus and the saints at the Table of Heaven.

In the Name of the One who is, who was, and is yet to come. Amen.

© 2023 Patrick H. Wrisley, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls.  Sermon manuscripts are available for the edification of members and friends of the First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls and may not be altered, re-purposed, published, or preached without permission. All rights reserved.

[1] New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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You Should Try Doing This Sometimes!, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

Posted on October 30, 2023 by patrick h wrisley

A sermon delivered by the Rev. Patrick H. Wrisley, D.Min. on October 29, 2023.

The late Frank Harrington, the former pastor of the nation’s largest Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia, tells the story of how he received an angry phone call from one of his parishioners late on a Sunday afternoon. The man was the father of a graduating college senior and just learned that his daughter, who was finishing up at a prestigious university was, “Throwing it all away!” Frank was confused and asked the father to tell him the background of why he was so upset.

“Well, we were sitting around the table having a nice Sunday dinner when my daughter from out of nowhere begins to say she’s been thinking about the direction of her life. Today she concluded what she wants to do with it: She is going to become a missionary! I about died! I immediately told her that was a crazy idea and asked her why she would want to do something like that!”

His daughter said, “It was the sermon Dr. Harrington preached this morning about challenging us to use our gifts and go out into God’s mission field.” At this point, the father gives his priceless response; he looks across the table and says to her, “But come on honey, Frank was only preaching!”

Frank was only preaching. In other words, the father was suggesting Frank was just waxing eloquently in the pulpit and really didn’t mean what he was saying; he was only doing his job and doing what he was supposed to do.”

We preachers are the butt of many a joke or comment. We are told our sermons go too long, are too short, are too boring, are too complicated, are too controversial, or my favorite, “You’re just not feeding me.” There are those times when we preachers just want to tell the congregation, “You should try doing this sometimes and see what it’s like week after week!”

Our Story this morning is about a preacher and his congregation. The congregation has had a tough go because people have begun persecuting members of the church because they believe in Jesus. On top of that, the preacher’s reputation precedes him to the pulpit. People have heard about him and his companions before they even arrived. This is the Story of the Apostle Paul and the church he established in Thessalonica. Turn in the pew Bible or the Bible you brought with you to what is believed to be the earliest of all of Paul’s letters, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8. Listen to the Word of the Lord!

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

1You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 3For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 6nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 7though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.[1]

Paul lived during a time when there were professional speakers who would travel around and make public speeches and have debates in order to build a following of students and disciples who would pay the speaker a fee for teaching. These were the Joel Olsteen’s of the first century. These folks were trained in Greek rhetoric and philosophy and could really grab your attention. Paul is comparing himself to these speakers in verse 5 and following as he reminds them that he is not speaking to impress them, to flatter them, to get money from them, or to achieve fame and glory from them. No, Paul reminds them he is preaching because he believes God, “Has entrusted us with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts.”

Yes, there are times when we preachers simply want to say, “You should try doing this sometimes!” We preach because we cannot help it. We are compelled to do it because this is what God is telling us to do. Like Jeremiah, there are times we would rather remain silent but as he exclaimed, “If I say I will not mention (the Lord) or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and “I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.”[2]

Preaching is a risky business. It nearly killed Jeremiah because he was so unpopular. It got Jesus crucified. Stephen and Paul were stoned because of it. German abbess Hildegarde von Bingen was declared a heretic by the Pope because of it. Martin Luther King was killed because of it. Yes, I say, you should try doing this sometimes!

Preaching the gospel is messy, friends. I would venture to say that those preachers who make their people feel good all the time are not preaching the gospel. Gospel is good news, absolutely, but gospel is revolutionary in its goodness. How is the gospel revolutionary?

It’s revolutionary because it’s a message of reconciliation and reconciling with someone who has hurt you, dishonored you, or mistreated you is not an easy behavior to do.   

It’s revolutionary because it’s a message to live your life in a totally new way. When we live our lives differently, it means we have to put away old values and live into new ones. It means those people we openly disliked now have to be treated with grace. It means we learn to see the world and people in it through the eyes of Jesus instead of 21st-century media outlets and politicians. It means we learn to communicate with others in a life-giving way versus sniping behind their backs at every turn.

It’s revolutionary because it’s a message of humility and service on behalf of the other and in a selfie-obsessed Tic-Tok culture that is difficult. Our American ethos is one that says if people want to get ahead, they simply must try harder. The Christian ethos is I must try harder to help others get ahead. The gospel message is revolutionary and messy. A good preacher will make you squirm more than assuage what you already hold important.

Years ago, I had an elder at one of my churches leave one Sunday morning and tell me, “Preacher, I give that sermon a B-minus.” Now, I have to believe he meant it as a compliment, but I was nonetheless stunned and speechless. The first thing that went through my mind was, “Paul, you should try doing this sometimes!” What came out of my mouth was more intentional. I replied, “Thanks. You do realize the grade you give me says more about where you are in your faith development than in my ability to preach?” He never graded me again.

We preacher-types are expected to follow some unspoken rules while preaching. One of them is that preachers are told not to be political in the pulpit and that is frankly quite silly. Jesus preached politically because he lifted up the power structures of the day and held them to accountability. I would rather say that preachers should not be partisan. There are value judgments to be leveled against Republicans and Democrats alike as we have witnessed the circus in the House of Representatives the last three weeks. I think the moment of my biggest regret in my years of preaching was when I failed to preach the gospel during the 2020 election cycle. I failed to call out the moral and ethical behaviors of a Christian candidate who had and was not acting like a Christian man. I regret that to this day, and I am ashamed of myself because I did not want to alienate wealthy givers and offend people. I stand before you today and repent of that. Today I realize that quite frankly, sometimes the gospel of Jesus Christ is just plain offensive to others, and I have to get over that fact; indeed, I already have.

Yes, I really wish you could do this sometime and see what it’s like. Like Paul, preachers aren’t doing it for the money but are preaching because we are compelled to preach the gospel. It means we will not always say what you want to hear or what you will agree with. It means my words may make you unsettled or uncomfortable sometimes. It means I will risk not being liked by some of you because preaching the gospel is messy. But you need to know, beloved, I do it because, one, God compels me. Second, I do it because like Paul says in our scripture today, I love you as a mother loves her children; I am ready to not only share the good news of Christ with you, but I am willing to share my very soul with you because you are very dear to me. Please remember this as we grow together.

In the Name of the One who is, was, and is yet to be. Amen.

© 2023 Patrick H. Wrisley. Sermon manuscripts are available for the edification of members and friends of First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, 8 West Notre Dame Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801, and may not be reproduced or repurposed without permission from the author. All rights reserved.

[1] New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

[2] See Jeremiah 20:7-9.

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What’s in Your Wallet?, Matthew 22:15-22

Posted on October 23, 2023 by patrick h wrisley

A sermon deliverd by Rev. Patrick H Wrisley, D.Min. on October 22, 2023

This morning, we are going to look at the notion of precedence and what matters most. As we approach our text this morning, it’s helpful to realize where we are in Matthew’s story time. Whenever we’re reading a story and the author suddenly expands the scene we are reading, it’s her invitation for us to slow down and pay attention to the details. This is what Matthew is doing in our text today. Matthew takes two and a half chapters of his gospel to describe for us a singular scene that takes place in the Jerusalem Temple. What as readers are we supposed to be seeing? Well, beginning at Matthew 21:23 and running through the end of chapter 23, we find Jesus confronting hostile civic and religious authorities while an awed crowd sits back and watches all the drama unfold. The people came to the Temple and feast as they always did; who would have expected or imagined something exciting would happen “at church”?

The religious and civic leaders at the time, having been ensconced in power for a long, long time are now feeling threatened by the words, deeds, and wisdom of this upstart country boy from Nazareth. Jesus in his humble but direct way is outlining what is about to unfold in Jerusalem. He is laying the groundwork for reclaiming the Temple for God’s work that will be completed with his upcoming resurrection.

Our Story has four main characters. There is Jesus. There are the Pharisees, or as Dale Bruner from Whitworth University calls them, “the religiously serious.”[1] Then there is this group of folks known as the Herodians who comprised a group of Jewish political leaders who put up with and supported their Roman overlords. And the final characters are the myriads of people in the crowds – people like you and me watching and soaking all this up. We are like a Greek chorus sitting in the balcony wanting to shout directions to the players on the stage. We want to yell, “Watch out, Jesus! This is a trap!” You see, the Pharisees want to charge Jesus for religious sedition and blasphemy.  The Herodians want Jesus arrested for political treason because he posed a threat to Caesar and Rome. Listen to the Word of the Lord!

Matthew 22:15-22

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” 21 They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away. [2]

In a perfect example of damning someone with faint praise, the Pharisees begin their conversation with Jesus by appealing to his ego. In their mind, they are softening him up so he will get caught off-guard with a seemingly simple but ever-so-loaded question. “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?” Well, it kind of depends on who you were.

The Pharisees only saw one answer: No. This is because the Jews are a sovereign people, and their god is not Caesar but is the God Almighty. 

The Herodians only saw one answer: Yes, it was lawful to pay taxes to the Roman government because they were the occupying force at the time that was bringing “justice and safety” to Palestine.

Both of these groups knew full well that whatever Jesus said would upset one of the two groups. It would be like having Jesus stand before us today and ask him, “So, Jesus, do you agree with Donald Trump that Joe Biden stole the election?” Whatever Jesus says from the pulpit will deeply upset one side or the other. The reality is in our story, both sides wanted to lock him up.

The highly educated religious scholars and the smooth and slick political operatives underestimate this woodworker from a backwater peasant town. Jesus’ answer is brilliant and slams both sides knocking them back on their heels.  With a wink in his eye, he baits them, “Show me the coin you will use for the tax.”  They quickly produce a coin that has a picture of the emperor on one side and on the other side it is inscribed with something to the effect, “The Supreme Holy Divine Caesar.”

Zoom out and look down at this incredible scene! We can imagine Jesus looking over the top of his glasses at the ultra-pious, self-righteous religious leaders who keep reminding Jesus that there is no God but the true God of the Jews; Jesus, meanwhile, is smiling pointing at the picture of Caesar, a Roman god, on the coin the Pharisees are carrying in their pocket!  The implication Jesus is making is, “Why would righteous Jewish religious leaders like yourselves be carrying around these miniature idols that declare Caesar is god?”  Jesus reveals their hypocrisy at this point. In essence, he tells them, “Listen, don’t be all high and mighty about worshipping God when you are acknowledging the cultural Roman god Caesar by using a currency that declares Caesar’s divinity.” I imagine their faces looked like a child whose hands had been caught in the cookie jar!

Jesus’ genius does not end there! He goes on to say, “Give back to the emperor what is the emperor’s, and give to God the things that are God’s.” The Herodians like his answer because Jesus is acknowledging the role of the Roman state. Protestant Reformers like John Calvin and Martin Luther would look at this text as an example of how we cannot confuse the state, the system, and the culture’s way with the way of God and the Kingdom of heaven. Yes, we are to live under the laws we have been given but when those laws and systems conflict with God’s ways, God’s decrees, and God’s just system, we have but one choice and that’s we must side with God. Jesus is declaring the State and surrounding culture have definite boundaries that can, and at times will definitely, encroach upon the boundaries of the Kingdom of Grace. What do we do about it?  Jesus’ encounter with the Pharisees and the Herodians is a reminder to all of us to make sure the realm of God takes precedence over all our political, financial, and social matters.

So, Church, does it? 

Years ago, Methodist actress Jennifer Garner made popular the credit card commercial jingle, “What’s in your wallet?”  In essence, this is exactly what Jesus is asking the Pharisees, the Herodians, and by the way, you and me.  “What’s in your wallet?” In other words, Jesus is demanding of us, “Show me where your ultimate loyalty lies.”  

Beloved, the object of our loyalty shapes and determines how we live and in what we invest ourselves. This is the essence of what Jesus is trying to teach us. The Pharisees and the Herodians all said the right things, they publicly did the right things, but their loyalty and money were devoted to and invested in their own sense of power, rank, prestige, and privilege. So, Jesus is calling them out on it.

So, Church, what’s in your wallet?  What is the object of your loyalty my friends? As a church, as fellow pilgrims, and disciples of the Way, it is vital for God to know where we place our ultimate loyalty and where we invest the best of our time, energy, and money.

I recently mentioned to the Session that each one of us is the first impression of Jesus Christ people see and engage with each and every day. What type of Jesus do they see? Another way to think about it is like this: Church, we each are all puzzle pieces that come together to form the identity of Jesus in our community. But do you know what? There’s nothing sadder than to see a beautiful puzzle all completed except for one little piece that’s missing. Jesus is saying he wants your life, your heart, to complete the picture of Christ in Warren County and beyond. The puzzle, the picture is incomplete without your piece. Your piece, no matter how large or small it is, is needed to make the portrait complete. Beloved, your personal loyalty to God speaks to the larger loyalty of your church, this church!

I want to close today by leaving you with a question that may seem to be a non sequitur but it’s not. The question is this:  Why is it so easy without giving it any thought to drop down twenty dollars for a mediocre hamburger for lunch on Glen Street but find it so difficult, so painful to drop a dollar in the offering plate for the work of God in the church?  

What’s in your wallet? What do the receipts we have tucked in there say about where our ultimate loyalty lies? Do they indicate God take precedence over everything in your life? Is your piece missing from the puzzle?

Let’s pray.

© 2023 Patrick H. Wrisley. Sermon manuscripts are available for the edification of members and friends of First Presbyterian Church, Glens Falls, New York and may not be altered, re-purposed, published or preached without permission.   All rights reserved.

[1] Dale Bruner from Whitworth University calls the Pharisees the “religiously Serious.”

[2] New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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You Cannot Fill a Full Bucket, Philippians 2:1-13

Posted on October 2, 2023 by patrick h wrisley

A sermon delivered on October 1, 2023, by the Rev. Dr. Patrick H. Wrisley

This morning we celebrate World Communion Sunday whereby churches of all ilks and denominations celebrate the power of the unifying work of Jesus Christ. It began in 1933 by Presbyterian Pastor Dr. Hugh Thomson Kerr of the Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. It serves to remind us that all Christian churches are interrelated and connected to one another. In essence, we are stronger when we work together.[1] There is no better way for us to remember this that than we remember that on the night Jesus was betrayed, he took bread, broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you, take and eat! Similarly, he took the cup and told his followers, “This is the cup of the new covenant sealed in my blood. Drink this, in remembrance of me.”

World Communion reminds us that all of us are bound with Jesus in his life and all of us are bound with him in his death. The Gospel news of World Communion Sunday reminds us that all of us are united with him in his resurrection as well   Our scripture lesson this morning from Paul’s letter to the Philippian church is a perfect text for our commemorating World Communion Sunday.  Open your Bible or the Pew Bible to Philippians 2 as we will read verses 1 through 13.

Our reading this morning hits all the high notes for what Paul was trying to tell them in this letter. He reminds them that as Church, they are to make Paul’s sense of joy and accomplishment complete by becoming like-minded in all they do in ministry. They were to cease from grumbling and having parking lot, cigarette-stomping conversations after church and instead look out for each other by eagerly exhibiting expressions of out-gracing other church members by following the example that Jesus gave.  

Listen to that again: It’s a love letter from a pastor to his beloved congregation that they are to eagerly exhibit expressions of out-gracing their fellow church members.

Eagerly exhibit expressions of out-gracing each other. In other words, they are to imitate Jesus. Listen to the Word of God.

Philippians 2:1-13

2.1If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.9Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.[2]

Paul enjoins the Church to work out their salvation with fear and trembling and then describes to them how to do that. First, the members of the community are to agree with one another for the purpose of unified ministry. Second, the only ambition any member of the church should have is to insist that others take their preferred place in line. Third, each member of the church is to place the needs and interests of other church members above their own needs, interests, desires, and ambitions. We do this, Church, by becoming like Jesus.

Paul encourages the Church to do this by quoting what is thought to be one of the oldest Christian hymns ever written in verses 6-11. Known as the Christ-hymn, Paul quotes a hymn the early church had already been singing for some time and whose words hold the secret of what it means to be like Jesus.

We may rush to say that to be like Jesus means we must love others and though that is very true, there is a prerequisite for being able to love like Jesus loved. Like Jesus, we must empty ourselves.

The King James Version translates verse 7 as, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and made in the likeness of men.” The NRSV translates that as “emptied himself.” The KJV sounds like a line from a country song, “Jesus made himself of no reputation!” I kind of like that! A person has to go out of his or her own way to publicly demonstrate they are ruining their own reputation! Just look at what is going on in Washington, D.C. this past week, for example. What that means for Jesus is that he was not riding the coattails of his being the Son of God. Nope. Jesus emptied himself. He became an ordinary ragamuffin, as Brennan Manning would say; he became a nobody like you and me.

Beloved, to be able to love others as Jesus loves means we have to empty ourselves. We have to get out of the way. We have to identify all that is within us that makes us proud and feel better than others. We must shine light upon all our prejudices and biases. We must fight and clamor to get to the back of the line. It means, like the late Trappist monk, contemplative, and writer Thomas Merton says, to address our false self and put it to death. He believed that each of us constructs and is shadowed by an illusory person that does not really reflect who we really are on the inside, and which prevents us from fully knowing God in the deep places in our hearts.

Our false self is constructed initially to keep us protected from the harms of the big wide world as we grew up but as our knowledge of how to relate with the world matured, we still cling to the false self we relied on as children. In other words, we may have learned as a child that to get ahead in life requires us to be aggressive and fight for everything. It may have meant suffering from abuse or some other trauma that created a false self that is shrouded in fear, suspicion, or anger.  Each of us created this false self as children for protection but as we grew up as adults, we still clung to those childish ways of looking, relating, and behaving[3].

Beloved, what is your false self composed of? What do you and I need to empty ourselves of in order to love God as God loved us in Jesus’ life and death? What are those things in our life and soul prohibiting us from humbling ourselves, from making other people’s ambitions greater than our own, and from looking out for other people’s interests instead of our own?

If we are honest, we cannot kill our false self without help. We cannot humble ourselves without help. We cannot empty ourselves without help. It’s because we need this help that our Lord emptied himself, was broken, shed, and given. This Lord’s Supper is the penultimate expression of our Lord’s self-emptying for us and all Creation. And it’s through this bread and through this cup, we are strengthened to address our own false self and empty ourselves. Church let’s be like Jesus. Church, empty the buckets of your souls of all that keeps you separated from God and one another. Empty the buckets of your souls in order to be filled with the Living Water of Christ.

In the name of the One who is, was, and is yet to come. Amen.

© 2023 Patrick H. Wrisley, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, 8 West Notre Dame Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801.  Sermon manuscripts are available for the edification of members and friends of First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, New York and may not be altered, re-purposed, published, or preached without permission. All rights reserved.

[1] Please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Communion_Sunday.

[2] New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[3] Merton says it this way: All sin starts from the assumption that my false self, the self that exists only in my egocentric desires, is the fundamental reality of life to which everything else in the universe is ordered. Thus, I use up my life in the desire for pleasures and the thirst for experiences, for power, honor, knowledge, and love, to clothe this false self and construct its nothingness into something objectively real. And I wind experiences around myself and cover myself with pleasures and glory like bandages in order to make myself perceptible to myself and to the world, as if I were an invisible body that could only become visible when something visible covered its surface. Thomas Merton, The New Man (New York: Farrar, Straus, and Cudahy, 1961), 117-118,

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The Difference Between Tradition and Nostalgia, Exodus 16:2-15

Posted on September 25, 2023 by patrick h wrisley

            This morning, we are going to hear a Story whose gist is something all of us can relate to at some level. It’s a Story about longing for that which we don’t have but have this mindset that if we did have it, our lives would be so much better.

            Today we are going back to Egypt and resuming the Story we looked at last week. At this point, Jacob has died as well as Joseph and all of his brothers. It’s an entirely new generation of Hebrews and it’s also a time when the Pharaoh who was so amenable to Joseph and his descendants is also dead. A new Pharaoh is in charge and is making life miserable for the people of God. God has appointed Moses to lead the people out of Egypt and today we are picking up on their journey in Exodus 16.2-15. Open your Bibles to the text and let’s join the Story.

Exodus 16:2-15

2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by the pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Let’s pause a moment right here. Hear that whining line one more time: If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in Egypt when we sat by the pots of meat and ate our fill of bread. Memory and time combined with a little stress have a way of tempering things, don’t they? The Story of Exodus in chapter one immediately begins by outlining the plight the Hebrews were facing. This new Pharaoh set taskmasters over them and put them into forced labor. We read in Exodus 1 how the Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites and made their lives bitter with hard service. It seems the Israelites have forgotten some things. They were longing for a time that never really existed.  “Oh, we had it so much better back in the good old days when we were getting beaten by Pharaoh’s taskmasters! Back to the scripture:

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way, I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.”

9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites: ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’” 10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 The Lord spoke to Moses, 12 “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.[1]

            God provided the people with what they needed; they may have pined for the fleshpots, but they got manna and quail instead. The Hebrews were instructed to take as much as they needed for each day but no more. Our Story this morning is such a wonderful Story of God’s provision and Providential care in spite of the grumbling congregation. But that’s not what we are going to primarily focus on today. I want us to linger with the human tendency to nostalgically long for “the good old days” when times get difficult or stressed.

            People have this tendency to make things better off than they used to be based on a cognitive need we have to find and feel safe when life around us is swirly and chaotic. It’s called rosy retrospection when we view the past more favorably than the future. For Americans today locked in our national congressional, executive, and judicial dysfunction, we fondly remember a Rockwellian time when his pictures showed scenes of dad sitting in a chair, smoking a pipe while reading the newspaper while the kids are quietly playing with toys on the floor next to the sleeping dog as snow is gently falling outside and mom peeks out of the kitchen saying, “Dinners ready!” Those were the days, right? Sadly, those days are rosy retrospective fantasies locked in our national sense of nostalgia because those were the days of two World Wars, the Korean and Vietnam wars, The Cold War, segregation, lynchings, and women fighting for their rights to vote.

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            Over the years in ministry, I have heard the pining for the fleshpots of Egypt in the Church, too! I call it Fleshpotting. Fleshpotting in a church sounds like this:

            I remember when our youth choir had 75 kids in it!

            In my old church, we would do this differently.

            I remember when we had a huge staff and budget.

            We have never done this that way before.

            It’s always been like this so there’s no reason to change it now.

            What nostalgic, Fleshpotting comments would you add to the list?

            One that I often heard that sparked worship wars in the church was this whole argument about traditional worship versus contemporary worship.  One was perceived as good, pure, divine, and true and the other was perceived as loud, not holy, or worshipful, and just flat-out bad. My personal opinion is that the church has had the argument all wrong. It’s not about traditional versus contemporary worship; rather it’s about traditional versus nostalgic worship. The church, like the Hebrews, is too often locked in nostalgia pining for the wrong things. The word contemporary describing worship is a misnomer. For example, First Presbyterian Glens Falls has a contemporary service; we are all in it right this moment! As an adjective, contemporary describes that which is of the present and so for us, our classical worship format is our contemporary, present-moment mode of worshipping. This is why I refer to the dynamic tension as traditional worship versus nostalgic worship.

            Singing is a tradition in worship that began with our Jewish ancestry.

            Dancing has been a tradition in worship since the time of David when he brought the ark back to Jerusalem.

            Instruments in worship are a tradition. For the Jews and early Christians, they used stringed instruments, drums, horns, rattles, singing, chanting, and organs! Well, maybe not the organs.

            Speaking, prophesying, or preaching is a tradition.

            Reading sacred literature is a tradition as is the offering of prayers.

            Religious leaders wearing certain garments is a tradition.

            Sacred rituals like sacraments are traditions. But…

            The color of the preacher’s robe or choir member’s robe is nostalgic.

            Which hymn book is used is nostalgic.

            How we take communion whether getting served in the seats, having to come forward, or receiving it by intinction is nostalgic.

            Sitting in pews or chairs is a nostalgic issue.

            Stained glass or screens in a sanctuary are nostalgic because stained glass was the screen that told the Story of the gospel before there was technology.

            Wine or grape juice – nostalgic.

            King James, NIV, RSV versions of the Bible – nostalgic.

            J.S. Bach or Allison Kraus – nostalgic.

            Beloved, nostalgia deals with our perceptions of what makes us feel comfortable and warm. Tradition is that which focuses on glorifying God in the most precious way possible. Lest we forget, let’s remind ourselves who worship is for to begin with.

            Is worship for you or me? Nope. Worship is for God alone. Worship is for an audience of One. The primary point of worship is not for you to come and get fed at God’s glorious smorgasbord where you leave all fat and happy feeling good about yourself; the primary point of worship is to make Jesus feel all fat and happy and loved and adored at the end of the hour. If you and I are “fed” it is only because we have worshipped well. It’s because we got out of the way and cultivated the environment for the Holy Spirit to thrive and teach us.

            Friends, my official title is pastor for congregational renewal. It’s what I do and have fun doing it. I am an unabashed evangelist who loves to talk about Jesus in ways people can hear and relate to in their life. I am a teaching elder who is passionate about our rich Reformed tradition but really care less about nostalgia. Jesus cannot tolerate American churches whose members grouse amongst each other about the way things used to be because right now there is a world outside those doors that desperately needs him and his life-giving Spirit. 

For the record, God gets pretty annoyed with the Hebrews constantly grumbling during the Exodus because when a person grumbles, it is because they are focused on what they didn’t get. When we grumble about what we didn’t get or what we don’t like, our attention is focused on ourselves, and God is ignored.  And this my friends, is why we focus on tradition and not nostalgia. Tradition becomes the guardrails that keep our attention on the blessed Triune God.

            In the name of the one who is, was, and will ever be. Amen.

© 2023 Patrick H. Wrisley, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, 400 Glen Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801.  Sermon manuscripts are available for the edification of members and friends of First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, New York, and may not be altered, re-purposed, published or preached without permission. All rights reserved.

[1] New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE). New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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