Fairhaven UMC – Page 2 – United Methodist Church

Fairhaven Sermon 5-24-2026

May 26, 2026

Summary

In this week’s service, Rev. Peg Bowman explores the profound significance of Pentecost and the arrival of the Holy Spirit. By reflecting on the biblical accounts in Acts, she draws a powerful parallel between the giving of the Law to Moses and the outpouring of the Spirit following Jesus’ resurrection. Rev. Bowman highlights how this divine moment transformed a group of believers into witnesses capable of sharing the Good News across diverse cultures and languages, marking the “birthday of the church.”

Rev. Peg Bowman also addresses common misconceptions regarding spiritual gifts, cautioning against the extremes of believing that gifts have ceased or that every believer must manifest the same specific signs, such as speaking in tongues. Instead, she emphasizes the metaphor of the Body of Christ, where each member possesses unique, Spirit-given gifts necessary for the whole community. Ultimately, the message serves as a call for the Church to remain a diverse, joyful, and empowered community, dedicated to bringing God’s healing and joy to the entire world.

Oh, good morning again and good Pentecost, and it’s wonderful to see everybody wearing red. This is good. Also, tomorrow is Memorial Day. So before I get into the sermon, I did want to say a quick prayer for anyone who has given their all in service to our country. So please pray with me. Lord, we want to remember before you all those who have given all they had to serivce to others, for the sake of our country. Lord, may these servicemen and women find peace, and comfort, and wholeness, in your loving presence. Amen.

Today, then we remember Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit. And this story may be a familiar one, but its meaning and its place in history can get a little complicated sometimes. Acts chapter 2 tells us that Jesus, after his resurrection, did not go home to his father in heaven right away. Jesus spent, at least—actually, this is actually Acts chapter one—Jesus spent at least another 40 days with the disciples in a number of different places, and not always just with the 12, as they were known. And then on the day of Jesus’ ascension, as we heard last week, Jesus and the disciples were in Bethany, near where Mary and Martha and Lazarus lived. And again, this was not just the 12 who were gathered there. We don’t know exactly how many of the followers were with Jesus on that day, but I think it’s safe to say, there were at least a few dozen and possibly a 100 or so.

At this gathering, Jesus reviewed with his friends and disciples all of the Old Testament passages that talk about the Messiah. And according to Google, there are at least 200 passages in the Old Testament that talk about the Messiah, possibly as many as 300 passages, depending on how you interpret them. So it would have taken Jesus a long time to mention all these prophecies and answer everybody’s questions. And when Jesus teaching was done, he commissioned everyone present, and he said, “You are my witnesses.” But, he said, “don’t say or do anything until the Holy Spirit comes. Wait in Jerusalem until the spirit arrives.” So the first thing I want to point and point out is that Christian witness takes place under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit’s presence, our words and our witness have no power in them. Like the disciples so long ago, we need to wait for the direction and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to empower our ministry and our outreach.

After Jesus ascended, the disciples returned to Jerusalem, and they stayed in close proximity to each other, and every day, they went to the temple to worship, and every day, they ate meals together, and again, this is more than just the 12. Scholars believe there were probably a couple of 100 believers in Jerusalem at this point. And I mention this because I sometimes imagine, as I read these passages, and I think other people sometimes imagine the same thing, that the disciples were meeting in the upper room, where they had the last supper. But the number of believers were too big for that by now. They had to have been meeting in a larger place. And scripture says that they were meeting in the house, and the Greek word for house is oikos, and oikos is, besides being a yogurt, is also what they used to call the temple. And it makes sense if this group would meet in or near the temple, possibly in one of the outer courtyards.

So in the Jewish Festival of Pentecost came along, that is, the Jewish Festival, the disciples would already have found a spot to meet somewhere in or near the temple. And when all the Jewish worshipers from all over the known world, started showing up at the temple to celebrate Pentecost, they would have come across these followers of Jesus. These international Jewish worshipers were there for the Jewish Pentecost, which has nothing to do with the arrival of the Holy Spirit. The word Pentecost means 50. In the Jewish believers were there to celebrate 50 days after Passover. Because 50 days after Passover was when Moses received the Ten Commandments. So they were there to celebrate the giving of the law, the very heart of the Jewish faith.

Jesus had been arrested just before Passover, and he died, just as Passover was starting, and this connects Jesus with the Passover lamb, whose blood over the doorways of the homes of the Israelite slaves in Egypt back in Moses’ day, caused the angel of death to pass over that house. And Jesus is our Passover lamb, whose blood is placed over the doorway of our hearts, whenever we become believers. 50 days after the 1st Passover, Moses received the Ten Commandments; 50 days after Jesus died, the disciples received the Holy Spirit. You begin to see the parallel there. Yes? The law of God, now written on our hearts. So when we become followers of and Jesus, we become part of a story that started many 1000s of years ago and continues into all of our tomorrows.

So with all of this as background, here’s what happened on the 1st Christian Pentecost. As usual, Jesus’ followers were gathered in or near the temple, and suddenly there was a sound like a rushing wind that echoed through the temple, and filled the building, and tongues that looked like fire rested on all the believers, and they began to speak in the languages of all the foreigners who were visiting Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish Pentecost. And at this point, all these people, both the Jesus followers and the Jewish visitors from many nations—these are all Jewish believers at this point. They were all people who worshiped in the temple, even if they were from foreign countries. The Gentiles, the non Jewish people, which includes us, had not yet been invited to follow Jesus. We will be invited soon. But the faith started in Jerusalem with the Jewish people.

Our reading in Acts mentions there were even Jewish people from Rome, who were in Jerusalem at that time, which means that Peter actually did help to start the church in Rome, like tradition says, but Peter didn’t travel to Rome. The Jewish believers from Rome came to him in Jerusalem. In addition, other countries represented that day included, but were not limited to Persia, Egypt, Arabia, Greece, Libya, and people from Mesopotamia, and beyond. And the Holy Spirit inspired these new Christians to praise God, in other languages, as the visitors to Jerusalem needed to and to hear it so that they could understand the good news of Jesus.

Now, at this point, I feel like I need to do a little sidebar. A little side note about speaking in tongues, okay? Because today, there are two equal and opposite mistakes that people make about speaking in tongues. The 1st is that this gift no longer exists. The second, and I should say the Apostle Paul lists speaking in tongues is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the second mistake is the teaching that if you’re really a Christian, you have to speak in tongues, and this mistake has been taught in some Pentecostal churches and some other churches usually outside denominational structures, and this teaching is a reaction against people who teach that the spiritual gifts don’t exist anymore, that they only existed in the time of Jesus and the early church.

So they’re 2 equal and opposite mistakes where it comes to the spiritual gifts, the gifts of the Spirit. One is that the gifts of the Spirit no longer exists, and the 2nd is that all believers have to have the same gifts. Both of these beliefs go against what the apostle Paul teaches in the book of 1st Corinthians, which, by the way, we are covering soon in Bible study, and that all believers receive the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit gives gifts, and Paul lists some of the gifts as examples in 1st Corinthians. So I mention this because in the past, I have met people with horrible guilt trips, people who sometimes actually lose their faith, because of wrong teachings on the spiritual gifts. Not all Christians speak in tongues. In fact, most don’t. So in case you happen to run up against this teaching, be assured, God loves you no matter what spiritual gifts you have, and you do have some spiritual gifts, as God chooses to give. There are many gifts of the spirit. And if anyone within the sound of my voice does not yet know what their spiritual gifts are, the United Methodist Church offers a number of tools to help us figure that out, and if you have questions about this, I would be honored to explore that question with you. End of sidebar.

And back to Pentecost. Here we go. So this crowd’s response in Jerusalem, to hearing God’s word, in their own language, was mixed. Everyone heard and saw the same things, but the reactions were varied. And this is very common in ministry. Jesus talked about how the seed of God’s word lands in different kinds of soil, and that’s pretty much what’s happening here. Some of the people present were amazed, some were worried. Some were confused, and some just wanted to poke fun. Some started asking, “What does this mean?” And that’s the whole point of having spiritual gifts. In order to point to God and to inspire people to ask the question, “what does this do?”

Peter is ready with an answer to that question. He says, “no. God’s people have not been drinking. It’s only 9 in the morning.” And Peter says, what you’re hearing is the prophet Joel’s words coming true. Joel said, in the last days, it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. So Peter is saying, these are the last days. 2,000 years later, we still, we don’t often think about for the 1st Pentecost that way. But Peter confirms that the coming of the Spirit marks the beginning of the last days. And Peter adds, quoting the prophet Joel, He says, I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below. Blood and fire and smoking mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

This part of the prophecy was not fulfilled in the temple that day, and it still hasn’t happened yet. But from God’s point of view, these are the last days. Our world might still go on for a few more thousand years. God’s timeline is not our own. But it does look like, at this point, that there’s more time behind us than in front of us. And I mention this because so many people today are talking about the end times, and the things that they read in the Book of Revelation, and I must warn that the Book of Revelation, as true as it is, is not a timeline. Revelation was written to be an encouragement to people living under persecution. And when life gets tough, or when the world gets tough, it’s hard not to think about the promises in Revelation.

For what it’s worth, the Bible says the end times will look like this. There will be signs in the skies, signs on the earth, specifically, blood and fire, smoke you mist. The sun and the moon will turn blood red, and anyone who calls on Jesus’ name will be paved. But before all this happens, the spiritual gifts that Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians will be poured out on all believers, including but not limited to these gifts of wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, and interpretations of tongues, all of these gifts given by the same Holy Spirit, and given as God’s people have needs. We’re not all supposed to have the same gifts. Paul says that the giftedness of believers is like parts of the human body. We are not all eyes, we are not all ears, we are not all feet; a variety of parts is needed, and each part is needed just as it is. And it’s the same way in the church. All people are needed, no matter where we come from, or where we’ve been, or what gifts we’ve been given.

Pentecost is sometimes called the birthday of the church, not the church building, not the denomination, but the community of people who follow Jesus, the body of believers, is empowered, and inspired, and united by the Holy Spirit. We are called by God into one body. And our calling is to share the good news of Jesus, along with his healing and his joy, to all people, and all means all. Excuse me. So the church is a community that is diverse, worldwide, joyful, a people who trust and love Jesus, a people whose number one commitment is to love and follow Jesus Christ. This is as radical and countercultural a thing to do today as it was 2,000 years ago. But don’t be afraid. The Holy Spirit opens the doors and empowers God’s people to reach out and bring God’s healing to God’s world, as God leads.

Let’s pray. Lord, as we learn to understand the Holy Spirit and the gifts that the Spirit brings, please enlighten our minds. Clear away the cobwebs, get rid of the fables, and help us to know you as you really are. Fill us fresh with your Holy Spirit and guide us in serving and loving the world around us in your name, to your honor and glory. Amen.
Fairhaven Sermon 5-17-2026

May 18, 2026

Summary

In this week’s service, Rev. Dylan Parson opened with a candid reflection on the challenges of Christian faith, noting that spiritual growth is not always linear and that the gap between one’s belief and observable reality can be difficult. He reminded the congregation of Jesus’ profound command—the Great Commission—to go and make disciples of all nations, a calling that continues today. However, he challenged the church to look beyond its current struggles, questioning whether the traditional means of evangelism are effectively leading people to a heart change and true commitment to Christ.

Pastor Rev. Dylan Parson concluded by redefining the role of the disciple. He taught that once Jesus ascended, the believer is no longer merely a student of ideas, but rather a living member of the Body of Christ. The source of power for the mission is not found in external resources, human brilliance, or spectacular miracles, but in the continuous, mysterious work of the Holy Spirit. The ultimate goal is realizing that the fullness of Christ’s power is present—right in the pews and within the hearts of the people—requiring only our availability and willingness to let God work through us.

Something surprising that I have found over almost 20 years or so as a Christian in the church is how in some ways faith gets harder over time. You know of course that I wasn’t raised in the church, that’s something that I came to myself in my teenage years, but now that it’s my life vocation, the church, I’m I feel like I experience it more up close and constantly than the vast majority of people. So my relationship with the church in particular is where my difficulties with faith bubble up the most. I don’t often doubt God, but sometimes the church can be a little rougher. And you would think that every facet of our faith would get easier the longer that we’re in it, the longer that we know Jesus. And maybe for some people it does. Good for you if so. But in my experience, it’s a real mixed bag. Yes and no. Some things get easier and some things get harder. And one of the most difficult aspects of the Christian faith for me is the way in which I find myself challenged by the gap between what I believe about things versus what I actually see in front of my own eyes.

I knew a Russian Orthodox priest who once had the experience of while he was serving communion, standing behind the table, breaking the communion bread. He said he saw the back wall of the church fall away, and in its place he saw the faces of all the saints and the angels that were partaking in communion with the people of his church. I don’t get that experience, and yet that’s what I believe very strongly is happening in that moment. That’s what we say in the liturgy. We rejoice with all the angels, the archangels, all the company of heaven, and then we sing. I’m envious of Father Edward seeing his belief confirmed—which is something that God has not yet decided to give me. I haven’t gotten to see what my heart knows. But here’s the instance I’m talking about today where faith and reality really collide. And not in a way that invalidates the faith I have in Jesus, but in a way that doesn’t make it easy. That is that God’s plan for the salvation of all creation runs through these pews. The saving work that began in Jesus’ time on earth continues largely through us. As the Holy Spirit empowers us to make disciples for the transformation of the world, which begins, of course, with making disciples of ourselves, we’re transformed by Jesus so that we might transform others with the love of Jesus. We’re going to be talking about this. We carry the torch that is passed to the disciples on the day of the ascension. That’s the moment Jesus says, you guys, take the lead. And they’re expected to keep up that work that began in the Holy Land and then rippled out to all the earth. This is a standing order for disciples of Jesus. This is straight from Luke 24, given in the moments before Jesus ascends into heaven. It’s a standing order to go out to all the world. And you’ve probably heard this referred to as the Great Commission. And you heard this in our gospel reading this morning, that a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in Christ’s name to all the nations beginning in Jerusalem. And the Father, Jesus continues, will soon furnish or equip those who believe in him with the power to make that happen.

Acts picks up at the same moment in Acts chapter 1. Luke reports here that Jesus says, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. So in being baptized, in joining Christ’s church, you become part of that you that Jesus is referring to. It’s not just you, the original 12 disciples, but all people who seek to follow Jesus. You are the you. And so when Jesus says to go to all the world proclaiming the gospel, the changing of heart and lives, the forgiveness of sins, empowered by the Holy Spirit, he’s talking to you. The responsibility to make disciples, to share the love, the good news of Jesus, to continue to do the same sorts of miracles he did, belongs to you. And the Holy Spirit’s going to make that possible, but the work is ours. You still got to do it. It’s going to happen through us. Jesus’ game plan is us. Jesus’ ongoing strategy for the salvation of the world is the church.

Has he met us? Frankly, we are not overflowing with resources, with people, with dedication, with expertise, though we are blessed among churches. And most congregations aren’t. And the reality is, too, if we’re really honest, that the way Jesus has chosen to do this doesn’t seem to work very well. Do most people who walk through the doors of this church or any church find themselves fundamentally changing their hearts and lives out of love for Christ? Do most of them, most of us, find ourselves going out to make more disciples and the ends of the earth or even our little tiny part of the earth? No. And the evidence that I’ve seen in my life suggests no. We see these occasional revivals that have caught fire over the last 2,000 years, but these seem like an exception rather than a rule. Again, maybe this is probably my biggest struggle with the Christian faith. This one doesn’t become easier over time. All of this to say, with all due respect to our Lord Jesus Christ, I do not think his is a very good plan. It’s not one I put all my chips on, and yet this is what he’s clearly chosen to do.

And so the ascension marks the moment where Jesus departs from the disciples’ sight. His wounded and resurrected body rises into the skies, and he takes his place enthroned beside the Father. And he leaves this brief, silent gap before sending the Holy Spirit on Pentecost to accompany all of us who remain here, which still is here. Jesus doesn’t have to do it that way, obviously. He could have done whatever he wanted. He doesn’t have to leave us to carry on, guided by the power of this intangible Holy Spirit that we can’t see. It had been so much easier, it would be so much easier, if Jesus was just here. telling us what to do, healing people, picking up the slack when the disciples fail… God is going for something different than that. And that’s because at the ascension, the role of a disciple changes. It’s not a student anymore. With Jesus having left their sight, the position in which we still find ourselves today, disciples are no longer students. They’re no longer just followers seeking to live a specific lifestyle Jesus commands. We’re not following Jesus’s ideas, right? Those who follow the Buddha or the Stoic philosophers of Rome, those are students of ideas. But we’re not trying to understand a system of thinking and living and then applying it. The ascension opens us up to something different and reminds us that the church was never meant to be this social club with a list of rules powered by our volunteer hours. The church is a means of grace, this channel through which a power that doesn’t belong to us flows into the world.

[Long section on Meister Eckhart omitted for brevity, focusing on the core theological development]

The apostles are much more faithful to Jesus after the ascension than beforehand. Somehow their faith is stronger, their work is better, their commitment is deeper after he’s gone. Isn’t that kind of fascinating? You’d think that they would struggle in his absence more. But no, they hit their stride only once he’s gone. And they’re sent the Holy Spirit. Whenever they’re entrusted with the work of the kingdom, that’s when things take off. With Jesus ascending into heaven, we’ve become more than followers now. Our relationship has changed. It’s not that it’s become more distant. It’s deepened. We are somehow now literally the body of Christ ourselves here on earth. And this changes things. We’re not just following along behind him now. We’re not like these 12 apostles who are apprentices seeking to learn. We’re not just students of this great moral teacher. We’re not striving just to conform to his teaching. We’re trying to learn from him. We’re trying to be perfected in his image, but it’s more. What we have now to offer to the world does not lie in how convincing our ideas are. The gift of being part of the body of Christ is access to this mysterious, miraculous power to transform inside us and around us. It’s the Holy Spirit moving through us as God continues to work.

Luke tells us this morning in chapter 24 that one of Jesus’ last commands to his disciples is that you are witnesses charged with telling the world about him, about who he is. And our witness has power. As we can speak to the change that he’s made in us, if we’ve let him, we can speak to the change that he’s made in us, and show the incredible way that Jesus continues to transform our lives, continues to make the impossible happen. Witnessing to that has power of its own. And luckily for us, that doesn’t require a multitude of resources. It doesn’t require thousands and thousands of people in the pews. It requires one person. It doesn’t require expertise, doesn’t require genius, it just requires us to let the love of God move through us, to demonstrate it in our words and in our lives. Jesus hasn’t decided to work through the church in the expectation that it’s just going to be filled to the brim with a bunch of superstars, able to accomplish all sorts of things on our own strength and brilliance because he picked the best of the best. Exactly the opposite of that, actually. He expects instead that we’ll make ourselves available to the power of the Holy Spirit and just go where it moves. It’s not about our ability. It’s about our availability to the Spirit. And even more than that, living out the great commission Jesus gives us is this means of grace itself. It’s not just work that we’re called to do, it’s something that is for us. We’re made perfect in Jesus’ love as we live in his love. And so where the church fails to accomplish its mission, it’s not because we don’t have the resources to do it. It’s not because we don’t have the skills to do it. God has not left us without enough stuff to accomplish what God has asked us to do. We can. Whenever we fail, whenever we falter at doing what we are supposed to do, it’s because we’re unwilling or disinterested in letting go, allowing Jesus to work in us first and then empower us by the Spirit to reach the world. It’ll work if we let it.

In the first chapter of Acts, where Luke opens by retelling the story of the Ascension, he tells us that the disciples are standing on the road there. They’re just looking at the clouds, wondering where Jesus went. And then they are told by these two mysterious men, these angels dressed in white, what are you looking at? Just get moving. But in his letter to the Ephesians, we meet Paul today praying for something more internal for Jesus’ disciples. So we’re, again, we’re unlikely to get these heavenly messengers who brought us to get down to the business of being disciples in the world. And Paul asks for this instead. He says that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened. And that’s really a needed corrective, the eyes of our hearts. Someone like me, I like to imagine my spiritual life would be a whole lot better if I could just see the angels like Father Edward did. If I could just see it, things would be different. But Paul tells the Ephesians here that seeing angels isn’t the goal. Getting this holy vision isn’t the goal. Seeing the power that’s already at work in you, in the person next to you, that is the goal. He wants us to perceive that the fullness of Christ isn’t some miraculous supernatural vision. It’s in the pews. He wants us disciples to see that the ascension isn’t about Jesus’ absence, but about the way his presence is still with us and moves through us. And being able to see that is even more miraculous. Paul writes that the same overwhelming greatness of God’s power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him at God’s right hand is at work in us. And so he confirms the promise that Jesus gives that the ascension isn’t about Jesus going up, it’s about his power coming down. we possess now the fullness of him who fills everything, in Paul’s words. And that means that when we leave the building today, you aren’t doing so as people who are following the teachings of a man who lived a long time ago. No, you’re carrying his presence with you. You aren’t waiting for Jesus to come back and fix the world. He’s waiting for you to realize he’s already here, working through your hands, your voice, and your heart. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Mother’s Day Service 2026

May 11, 2026

Summary

In this week’s service, led by James Campana, the congregation celebrated Mother’s Day by reflecting on the profound impact and sacrificial love of mothers and mother figures. The sermon highlighted that while motherhood is often demanding and unnoticed, every mother deserves undying affection, whether they identify as a “Martha”—the “busy bee” who is task-oriented and driven—or a “Mary”—who is more laid back and reflective. By examining the story of Martha and Mary from Luke 10, the message validated both personality types, reminding mothers that they are perfectly and unconditionally loved by God regardless of their perceived imperfections, messy homes, or parenting choices.

The message further encouraged believers to prioritize intimate time with Jesus over the “anxious doing” and hustle of a super-busy lifestyle. While Mary chose the “better part” by sitting at the Lord’s feet, the sermon also honored Martha’s deep, vocal faith and her hospitality in welcoming Jesus into her home. Ultimately, the service called on everyone to move beyond agitation and anxiety, emphasizing that the most important task of the day is to make a conscious effort to sit at Jesus’ feet and find comfort in His presence.

So, as a public expression of our love and admiration for mothers of our country, President Woodrow Wilson, by an act of Congress, proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. Today, 112 years later, we want to take a moment to celebrate the mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures who make such a meaningful difference in our lives. So, whether you’re honoring someone special, spending time with family, or reflecting on cherished memories, I pray that this day brings you warmth and appreciation.

We have many reasons that we should honor our moms: for their sacrificial, unselfish love that they have given us, all the loving deeds that they have done for us throughout the years, for all the prayers that they have prayed for us, for all the sleepless nights they have spent with tears running down their cheeks. Mothers may not sit behind a big office desk with a view overlooking the city, but I believe that there is no job that is more important than that of a mother.

One Mother’s Day, a four-year-old and a six-year-old presented their mom with a house plant. They used their own money to buy it, and mom was thrilled. But the older one said with a sad face, “There was a bouquet that we really wanted to get you at the flower shop. It was really big and very pretty, but it was too expensive.” It had a big ribbon on it. It said, “Rest in Peace.” We thought it would be the perfect gift for you, for you’re always asking for a little peace so you can rest.

Then there was a day when the teacher asked the student this question in math class. Suppose your mother baked a pie and there were seven of you, your parents and five children. What part of the pie would you get? “I would get a sixth,” replied the boy. “I’m afraid you don’t know your fractions, young man,” said the teacher. “Remember, there are seven of you.” “Yes, teacher,” said the boy, “but you don’t know my mother.” Mom would say, “She didn’t want any pot.”

So, let’s face it, mom’s job is demanding, tiresome, and probably just unrewarding and unnoticed. Today, as well as every day, moms deserve our undying love and affection whether they still are alive or have passed to greater glory. This morning, we heard and read from Luke chapter 10, verses 38 through 42, a story about sisters Martha and Mary. The Bible does not record Martha and Mary as mothers. Rather, they are described as sisters to Lazarus and good friends of Jesus. They are often depicted as independent women, with no mention of husband or children.

Now, on this one particular day, Jesus comes to Bethany. Lazarus is not mentioned in this specific passage, but in these very few short verses, we find a lot out about his sisters. These two sisters’ personalities were about as polar opposite as you could get. I recall back in Psychology 101, psychologists would label their personalities as either a Type A or Type B personality. A Type A personality is often driven, time conscious, and prone to irritability and impatience. These types are high achievers who work fast and usually experience higher stress levels. On the other hand, Type B personalities are generally laid back, adaptable. They tend to manage stress better, are more reflective, and may take a more relaxed approach to tasks.

Martha is definitely a type A personality. She’s a doer. She can’t sit still. She’s the Bible’s busy bee. She’s got company. Jesus is visiting her today. This is special. She’s got to be doing something. She runs to the kitchen to get supper going. Everything needs to be perfect. It’s Jesus. Mary, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. She’s just kind of coasting along. She’s just happy to see Jesus. She’s not concerned about what to fix for supper. She’s not worried about the dust on the coffee table. She’s just laid back and is content to just sit at Jesus’ feet and listen.

Jesus addresses Martha, and he basically says, don’t work yourself up. Don’t be so worried. Don’t get upset. Just spend some time with me. Now, Jesus never said don’t do anything, but rather just find some time to spend with him and all the hustle and bustle. He wasn’t fussing at Martha for what she was doing, but rather pointing out what was driving her to do it. What is truer than true is that these two completely different personalities love Jesus, but express themselves in different ways. Just as our moms may have expressed and acted differently as we grew up.

Which is right? Keeping score and choosing either of them over the other sounds absolutely silly, doesn’t it? Why in the world would we choose sides with these women? Choosing one personality type over the other is almost like condemning the other. But we do that all the time in real life. We make up our minds about people pretty quickly, don’t we? And the way we make up our minds has to do with how we think about something. If we’re a Martha-type mom, we make up our minds about Mary-type moms pretty spontaneously. They’re lazy. They waste their time doing nothing. They don’t have any pride about themselves. They make everybody else’s life twice as hard. Not only do I have to do my stuff, I have to do theirs.

And if we’re a Mary-type mom, we make up our minds about Martha-type moms pretty quickly, too. They are so obsessive-compulsive, they drive everyone else crazy. They can’t enjoy the life that they live. And like a vampire, they suck the life out of everybody else’s lives around them. So, what’s the right answer? Mary is typically seen as a model of quiet contemplation and humility. She is presented as the notable sister, the one who chooses what is better because she sat at the Lord’s feet, while Martha rushed around trying to get things perfectly prepared.

We can get the wrong impression that Martha is without merit. We judge her. Somehow, she has almost become an example of what not to do. It’s easy to look at everything Martha did in a negative light. We allow our perception of her from that one story in Luke’s gospel to color our overall impression of her. It can seem as if she is completely task-oriented and has better things to do than spend time with the Lord. But make no mistake, Martha loved Jesus. Martha wanted everything to be perfect for Jesus. She thought he deserved nothing less than perfect, and that’s what she was singularly focused on giving him.

But in Romans 8:1, we find the Bible telling us that if you are in Christ Jesus, you are not wrong. We all have different personalities and tendencies and fall somewhere on the spectrum between type A and type B. But when we are in Christ Jesus, neither personality type is wrong. Motherhood can be overwhelming and discouraging in many ways. We can be so consumed by our mistakes that we often lose sight of the things that we have done right or are doing right with our children. As parents, we are bombarded with choices from everything to our parenting philosophy, to our schooling decisions, to how we feed our baby.

None of us are perfect, but you don’t need to be perfect. Jesus loves you in spite of your messy home, your personal sins, your miscarriages, by your lack of desire to have more kids, by your inability to cook, by being divorced, by your desire to be alone and away from your kids for some time, by your body, which may not be what it once was, by the frustration of having to scrape mac and cheese off the kitchen floor time and time again, by all the fears and tears which flirt with insanity and take you to the precipice of despair, by not being able to throw the party of the century for your kids, for not feeding your kids meals that could only be made after a trip to Whole Foods, by your need for a vacation, for not living up to the standards of your mother or your mother-in-law, and by the stares of those who have no kids, when your kids erupt into a volcanic scream in public places.

Moms, it doesn’t matter. If you are in Christ, you are made in His image, and you are perfect in His eyes. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Martha or a Mary. You are loved. Yes, you are loved whether your house is clean or not. Jesus accepts you whether you can boil water or not. Jesus has great affection for you as you navigate the chaos of everyday living, just as he accepted Martha. Therefore, stop for a moment. Enjoy the love, affection, and acceptance of being a daughter perfectly and unconditionally loved by your Father in heaven.

In today’s reality, let’s face it, Martha is most of us as we engage with our super-busy lifestyles. She’s as much as the everyday woman as each one of us who experience life’s frustration and wrestle with finding time to sit and listen to Jesus. Yes, in Luke 10, verses 38 through 42, Mary did ultimately choose what was better in that situation. But we find out later in John’s account that Martha displayed a more explicit, theological, and vocal faith than Mary did during the raising of Lazarus. While both sisters expressed deep belief, Martha engaged directly with Jesus, declaring him the Messiah and continuing to express faith, even when facing the practical hard reality of death.

So, let’s not dismiss Martha as someone who can’t teach us anything by her example. Jesus journeyed to many villages in the book of Luke, but this is the first instance he was received into a family. There was nothing more joyous and precious to Martha than receiving and welcoming Jesus into her home under her roof to have him as a house guest to grace and bless her home. My message this morning focuses and encourages you to prioritize intimate time with Jesus over anxious doing, emphasizing that true service stems from a centered heart, not busy work. It’s advice for everyone, not just mothers.

A music teacher once asked her class, “What is the difference between listening and hearing?” At first, there was no response. Finally, a hand went up in the back of a class, and one of the young people offered this wise definition: “Listening is wanting to hear.” Martha’s way of receiving Jesus was far different from Mary’s in our scriptural meeting this morning. Martha opened her house to Jesus, but in this instant Mary opens her heart to him. In her busyness, however, Martha momentarily forgot why she invited Jesus into her home in the first place.

This story is not about two sisters having an argument, but about Jesus empowering women and calling them to follow him, pointing out that agitation and anxiety will only get in the way. It’s a message that still applies to all of us some 2,000 years later. So it really doesn’t matter if your personality is type A, type B, or somewhere in between. Never forget why you invited Jesus into your life. Jesus is saying to you, don’t work yourself up, don’t be so worried. Don’t get upset. Just spend some time with me. So the best thing that you can do, besides the dishes, is to make a conscious effort every day to sit at Jesus’ feet and spend some quality time with him. Let being in Christ Jesus be your comfort today and still your heart momentarily from all of life’s busyness. Amen.
Fairhaven Sermon 5-3-2026

May 4, 2026

Summary

In this week’s service, Rev. Dylan Parson explores the profound tension within John 14, a passage set during the Last Supper where Jesus prepares his disciples for his impending betrayal and death. While this scripture is a staple of funeral liturgies—offering deep comfort to those mourning recent losses in the Fairhaven community—Rev. Parson notes that the text is much more than a promise of a heavenly destination. Rather than presenting a static end-point, the sermon highlights that Jesus’ words describe a dynamic way of being and a continuous, unfolding journey of faith.

Moving beyond the traditional imagery of “many mansions” as grand, permanent estates, Rev. Parson delves into the Greek concept of monē, suggesting that these dwelling places are more akin to “base camps” for an ongoing adventure. He introduces the theological concept of epictasis, or the “stretching forward” toward God, illustrating that eternity is not a state of idle rest, but an endless exploration of God’s greatness. Using the metaphor of climbing a mountain, Rev. Parson concludes that as we follow Jesus—the Way, the Truth, and the Life—we discover that the view only grows more breathtaking the further we ascend, inviting us to find rest in Him even as we continue our upward climb.

Transcript

This morning’s gospel text, we’re in John now, puts us in this disorienting position. We’re reading John 14 here in the Easter season, so we’re celebrating Jesus’ triumphant resurrection. We’re celebrating these 50 days where he’s among the disciples again, but this passage is comes from what is known by biblical scholars as Jesus’ farewell discourse. And he’s not saying farewell because he’s about to ascend victoriously into heaven. He’s saying farewell because what is being spoken here in John 14, he’s sharing with them at the Last Supper. This, again, is not a “Hey, don’t worry guys, I’m going to heaven” message. This is an “I am about to be betrayed and killed” message. This is kind of a rewind here. We’re in the season of white cloth and daffodils, but this is taking us back to purple. We’re flinching, we’re confused as he’s hours away from being led away in chains. This is actually right exactly where our reading left off on Maundy Thursday. This is a Holy Week text. So whenever you hear what John is $\text{is}$ saying to us today, this is the context.

As Jesus speaks, he is preparing the disciples for the very worst days of their lives, which are barreling down the tracks at them. It’s Good Friday the next day after this is spoken. And so it’s no surprise that this John 14, excerpts from it at least, has become the standard reading for funerals. The same way that you always hear, almost always, 1 Corinthians 13, love is patient, love is kind at weddings. This is the funeral text. Whenever I open up the book of worship and start to pray at the beginning of a funeral service, two pages later comes John 14, the passage we’ve just heard. Flo read from the NRSV, and I find myself, I can pretty much recite that now. And it’s only one of a few possible gospel readings, but it’s also the $\text{only}$ one that’s printed in its entirety in the book. So it’s kind of expected that you’re going to use it. And if I’m the pastor presiding and the person has not requested a different passage, this is almost certainly what you’re going to get as a funeral passage.

message. And it’s been a very hard month for Fairhaven and for Spencer. We’ve had a number of deaths. And so this month, I have probably already preached on John 14 four or five times. And maybe some of you have been there, as I have. We had Robin’s memorial service last Sunday. And it’s perfect for the occasion. It really is the perfect funeral text. Jesus is speaking of the promise of hope in the midst of gathering darkness. Death is looming. It’s weighing heavily on everyone in the room. The betrayal is on the way. And he is about to be the lost loved one for whom a funeral is mourning while he’s also seemingly speaking to those who die. Bye.

And Jesus promises, in the way the CEB puts it, “…my father’s house has room to spare.” Or as we just heard, in my father’s house there are many dwelling places. Or even older, the King James that you might be familiar with, in my father’s house there are many mansions. And he has gone to prepare a place for those who will be joining him. And we find a lot of comfort in this promise, don’t we? This is a great thing to hear in the midst of death. It means so much to know that our beloved friends, our family members, our spouses, others who have died are going to the place where Jesus has gone, living in the Father’s own house in a home prepared especially for them. And the way Jesus tells it, this is not some big generic place. But he prepares a special place for us, something that is ours in a special way. And we need to and hear that those who are gone from our sight are not truly gone. They’re just away from us for the time being.

And Jesus says that we know the way to the place that they are going. And so we’re reassured. But, we don’t get a lot of opportunity, I know I don’t, to think about what Jesus’ farewell discourse here in John 14 means for us, the living. Those of us who are not imminently expecting to arrive at the place Jesus has prepared for us. And I went back, I went and looked over my sermons from the past ten years, and I’m fairly sure that I’ve never gotten to preach this half of John 14 without a casket or an urn in the room. So, what does it mean to us here, on a Sunday morning, when we still have air in our lungs, when we’ve got years of life ahead of us? What does John 14 mean in this context? There’s just so much here. What does John 14 mean in this context?

Jesus’ words of promise in John 14 are hope not just for the destination of where we’re going to dwell in the end, but I think that Jesus is talking equally, if not more so, about a journey. Jesus is describing a way of being, a way of living for his disciples, which includes us as well as Philip and Thomas and all of them. He’s describing this way of being that’s dynamic, that’s filled with power, that’s endlessly unfolding into something new. And Thomas, in his doubt, reflects the way that we are so prone to limit what Jesus is promising. Thomas asks, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going.” How can we know the way? He is doubting himself. He’s doubting the message that Jesus has given him. Thomas is able, but he doesn’t know. And he’s asking for the exact coordinates. Jesus, where are you going? Where exactly are you headed on the other side of the cross? And Thomas wants to step-by-step map quest instructions. He wants turn-by-turn directions. Go here, then go left, then do this, and then continue on, and you’ll finally be there. The journey is over. That’s what Thomas wants. And without this kind of map quest, triptych thing, how could we possibly get to where we’re supposed to $\text{go?}$ Thomas doesn’t believe that he can get there without Jesus telling him how. But that’s not the kind of destination that Jesus is describing here. Right?

And that is where his gentle response from Thomas comes from. Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. So sit with that for a minute here. Jesus makes clear that he’s not the one who gives us directions. He himself is the direction. He is the way. He’s not the one who tells us, explains to us what’s true and what’s false. He is himself the truth. And he’s not the one who tells us how to live our lives. He is the life that we’re supposed to live. Do you see the difference there? There’s no possible step-by-step directions to be a disciple of Jesus, to journey with him toward the Father. The only option that he’s giving here is to trust in him. Follow Him to be the way that He was and is. That’s the direction. There’s not some street address at the end that we can point our compasses toward. There’s only the way there. And it unfolds in front of us as we get closer and closer and closer.

There is no clear map. There’s no timeline. And this can feel so frustrating, but is so typical of how Jesus is constantly teaching and leading and pastoring in the Gospels. We are never given rules for living in black and white. Do this. Don’t do this. Go this way. Don’t go this way. And instead, we’re constantly invited by Jesus to follow, to figure it out on the way. And what’s crucial here is that indeed what Jesus is describing is a path. And it’s a unique kind of path. Again, not this simple line from point A to point B, start here, end up here. There was a great Christian civil rights leader named Miles Horton, and he famously said, “…we make the road by walking.” And that thought he himself translated from a Spanish poet named Antonio Machado. And Machado wrote, this is the poem, Wanderer, your footsteps are the road and nothing more. Wanderer, there is no road. The road is made by walking. By walking, one makes the road, and upon glancing behind, one sees the path that never will be trod again. Wanderer, there is no road, only wakes upon the sea. And I imagine… that this is not very satisfying to Thomas.

Thomas wants an answer. And this is frustrating to us as well, because a route that we make by walking, I don’t know how often you’ve walked in the woods. I was a big woods hiker as a kid, spent my days plowing through the thorns and the trees. That takes a lot more trust in where you’re going than following some asphalt pavement. But it’s a promise of something deeper. It’s a deep life with and in God who is beyond our understanding, this invitation to keep coming closer and closer. Right?

And to push this a little bit further even still… I think that Jesus is offering us the promise that this is eternal, that God’s greatness will continue unfolding in front of us, will continue exploring all that God has for us forever. And again, as we consider this passage from John in the context of a funeral, we hear it a little bit different. You know, we tend to think of the spare room, of the dwelling places Jesus describes preparing for us as something like a hotel room. It sounds like something that we arrive at after this long, grueling road trip. We’re exhausted. We drop our bags at the door and we flop onto the bed. That’s what that dwelling place must be like when we hear this at a funeral. We’re finally there. That’s that. End of the road. We’ve got there.

But our imagination is a little bit limited, I think, thinking about it that $\text{way.}$ And part of that problem, I think, is that we’ve heard it forever as, in my father’s house there are many mansions. We each picture this big, beautiful house that’s been prepared for us with towers and a big lawn and gardens. But mansions in King James English just meant kind of lodging. It meant a room. A mansion back then was not a mansion now. And the Greek word that’s used here, monē, definitely did not mean anything like we think about a mansion. The room that Jesus is describing, the dwelling place that he’s preparing for us, carries this connotation, in Greek, of a place where a traveler rests or abides along a road in a journey. It’s not this sedentary life of living in some castle-like mansion by ourselves. Right? It’s not the temporary rest of a motel. It’s almost like a base camp is what’s being described. This place from which we continue our journey with Jesus.

We have this place to dwell, but we’re still continuing our $\text{journey with Jesus.}$ Something that always scared me when I was younger, when I would think about heaven, when I’d think about dying, was the prospect of just sort of being there forever. You kind of get an existential crisis when you think about that. It’s like looking out at the ocean and realizing that it just goes on. And the concept of eternity is really scary, especially if we start imagining cabin fever just on an eternal scale, millions of years of cabin fever in heaven. But Jesus is not describing something like that. He’s describing this just ongoing life and the places he prepares for us as dwelling places along a journey that keeps going from which we continue on the way, the truth, the life. We get closer and closer to Jesus and God forever. There’s always more to do. These are words here, way, truth, life, that describe motion and movement and evolution and adventure. And again, we’re not following Jesus to our room in some big old retirement condo in the sky. That’s not what’s happening here, but to a place where we continue to live and grow alongside him with each other.

And we use, again, Psalm 84, another funeral text here. Psalm 84 describes us as going from strength to strength until we see the supreme God in Zion. We’re not headed to a heaven that’s boring, where every day is exactly the same for the rest of eternity, but a resurrection into a new heaven, into a new earth where every day is new. The end of one discovery that we make in God is the beginning of the next one. We just have this endless frontier before us. The word for this idea, this concept of what eternity is like, was first described by some of the earliest Christian writers, the first couple hundred years of the church. One of those was St. Gregory of Nyssa. And he called this epictasis, epictasis. And that means straining forward or stretching out. Think of heaven as stretching out, as spreading your wings. This constant reaching closer and closer to everything that God is. And it’s a process that we live into on either side of death. We start on the way as we follow Jesus now. We stretch out, we strain forward as we get to know Jesus now, as we continue to follow him now and into eternity. It’s this never-ending climb into the heart of God, like loving somebody you get to know better and better and better every day.

And Jesus says no one gets to the Father except through him, right? And this then is what going through him looks like, the way, the truth, the life. When this earthly life ends, we arrive at home in what Jesus calls the place where I am going. Not because we’ve reached an end point, this place where we stop moving, but because we finally fully end up next to Jesus, abiding in Jesus on the way that continues. We leave behind sin, we leave behind weakness, disease, doubt, and we move in pure love with Him. All the stuff that’s held us back is left behind and we’re free to walk with Him. John Wesley called this “moving onward to perfection.” And so, Methodists have always insisted that this journey begins for us. Amen. The moment that we decide to follow Jesus, we are entering into the path to the place where He has gone. And the specific coordinates of the destination, they’re not important, we can’t even figure them out. The important part is that we’re following Jesus on the way there.

I don’t know how many of you have ever climbed a mountain, not in a car, but on foot, like actually walked up a mountain. But every single time I’ve done that, whether it’s been in the North Carolina Blue Ridge, the Green Mountains of Vermont, the Alleghenies in West Virginia, every time I’ve climbed a mountain, there’s always been some breathtaking view long before you hit the top, sometimes only halfway up, even less. And every time I stop for a few minutes, I sit on a rock, look out, you can see the hawks circling below you, you can see the mountain ridges going off onto the horizon. And so every time you get to this first vista, breathing hard with my knees already aching, there’s always this temptation there to say, ah, this is good enough, and turn around.

But something else happens almost every single time. And, you know, I’m going to go to the next step. It’s amazing because I think it does happen every time. While I’m sitting there, someone who’s already been to the summit, passing by as they make their way back to the parking lot, will stop and say that the view at the peak is so much better still. That is what Jesus is talking about here. Still. When he assures them that they know the way to the place where he is going, “Follow my footsteps. Keep walking up this great mountain. We’re making this road by walking it together.” And those who have gone ahead of us, those who have died, not to mention Jesus himself, have seen a view beyond what we can imagine. One that awaits us as we move closer to the top. So do not let your hearts be $\text{troubled, he says.}$ Jesus is the way. And we can find complete rest in him even as we keep climbing into eternity. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Fairhaven Sermon 4-26-2026

April 29, 2026

Summary

In this week’s service, Rev. Peg Bowman reflects on the fourth week of Easter, moving from the recent celebrations of the risen Jesus to a deeper contemplation of the continuity of God’s presence in our lives. By examining the interconnectedness of Psalms 22, 23, and 24, Rev. Bowman illustrates a divine narrative: the prophecy of the crucifixion in Psalm 22, the present care of the Good Shepherd in Psalm 23, and the future glory of Christ’s return in Psalm 24. Through the lens of David’s prophecies, the sermon highlights how Jesus entered into human suffering on the cross and promises a day when we will witness His eternal, unclouded glory.

Focusing on the “in-between” nature of Psalm 23, Rev. Bowman reminds the congregation that we live in the space between the cross and the crown. Using the evocative imagery of sheep that “nibble themselves lost,” the message warns against the subtle ways we wander from God’s path, emphasizing our profound need for an intimate friendship with the Good Shepherd. Ultimately, Rev. Bowman offers profound comfort, noting that even in our darkest valleys, the Shepherd’s rod and staff provide necessary guidance and protection. The sermon concludes with the powerful promise that God’s goodness and mercy do not merely follow us, but actively pursue us, preparing us for a future of beauty in His eternal house.

Transcript

So, today is the fourth week of Easter, and we are still celebrating Jesus’ resurrection, but this Sunday is a little bit different. From Easter up until now, we’ve been reading and talking about the encounters that the disciples had with the risen Jesus, some of the things that they said, some of the things that they shared with each other. This week, for the first time since Easter, we have the opportunity to kind of step back for a moment and reflect on what has happened over these past few weeks and what it means to us and our friends and our families and our world.

And our readings today start with a short passage from Acts that talks about how the followers of Jesus lived together, sharing everything in common, and how they were truly joyful in God, and their joy was infectious. And so people noticed, and more and more people became Jesus followers every day. And then in the passage from John, we step back into the past momentarily to hear Jesus say that he alone is the good shepherd, that he knows each sheep by name, and that his people follow him and will not follow another. In calling Himself our Good Shepherd, Jesus’ words remind us of the words of one of our favorite psalms, Psalm 23, which we just read a few moments ago. Amen.

And that’s where I’d like to focus our attention this morning. This psalm that we all know so well is, we almost take it for granted. And for those of us who are raised in the church, I mean, Psalm 23 has been part of our lives since we were knee-high to grasshoppers, and rightly so. I mean, this psalm is essential to understanding who Jesus is and who we are in relationship to Him. But I should also mention, I learned early on in ministry that when I started doing visitations in hospitals and nursing homes, I was a pastor to be careful about where and when I read Psalm 23 because it’s so often associated with funerals. People in nursing homes get nervous when they hear somebody reading this, but they’ll relax. First, if I say, do you mind if I read this Psalm? Can you say it with me? And then they’re okay with that. Psalm 23 is one of those touchstones of faith, like the Lord’s Prayer, that even people with memory issues will remember this Psalm and will be able to say it. And I think maybe God planned it that way. It’s a shame that Psalm 23, though, is so associated with the end of life, because it’s meant for all of life, every day from beginning to end.

Now, one other thing before we dig into Psalm 23, and I wanted to point out that Psalm 23 is found in our Bibles between Psalm 22 and Psalm 24. I know you all figured that out. But the numbering of the Psalms is basically random. It’s like the hymn numbers in our hymnals. But I have a feeling that somebody put these three Psalms together for a reason. And here’s the thing. In this particular case, the order of Psalms 22, 23, and 24 actually tell the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection, of Jesus’ presence in our lives, and of Jesus’ coming again. All three of these Psalms were written by David, who was a/a prophet as well as a king, and when we think of David, we often think of him as a warrior, the one who defeated Goliath, the one who united Israel into one kingdom. But David, like I said, was also a prophet, and to prophesy means to speak God’s truth into a given situation. And sometimes it might mean receiving a vision from God, and sometimes prophecy just means speaking God’s truth in a way that’s relevant. So, Psalms 22, 23, 24 were all written by David, and their meanings are connected, so and, again, we’re going to read this. I’d like to look at all three.

Psalm 22 is a prophecy of the crucifixion, and it describes in detail a form of execution that would not be invented for another 500 years. Crucifixion was a Roman form of execution. Though other nations had experimented with it, the Romans perfected it to a hideous degree. It’s a prophecy of the crucifixion. Listen to the way David describes it. Verse 1, “‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Jesus spoke these words from the cross. And for centuries, theologians have debated about whether Jesus was actually God-forsaken in that moment or just felt like He was, and I’m not going to enter into that discussion. One thing I know, in that moment, Jesus felt what people often feel when tragedy strikes, when a loved and when a loved one has died, when we receive the news that there’s no cure for an illness, when an earthquake happens, when life puts us so far down that we can’t see daylight. In that moment on the cross, Jesus entered into our pain and our loss, and he sanctified it to God.

David then continues a few verses later, speaking in the voice of Jesus, “‘All who see me mock me. They sneer at me. They shake their heads. Commit your cause to the Lord. Let him deliver. Let him rescue the one in whom he delights.’” These words are exactly what the people watching Jesus said as he was on the cross. The Pharisees said it, the Sadducees said it, the religious and Roman authorities said it. Amen. David continues in verses 14 through 18, giving words to what Jesus was experiencing. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is melted within my breast. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to my jaws. You lay me in the dust of death. “‘For dogs are all around me, a company of evildoers encircles me. ‘They bound my hands and feet. ‘I can count all my bones. ‘They stare and gloat over me. ‘They divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.’” So King David is describing that terrible day a thousand years before it happened.

Next, I want to turn over to Psalm 24 for a moment. He says, that’s the good news. David describes the future glory of our King Jesus as he returns. This is a window into eternity in God’s kingdom. Verses 9 through 10, Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts. He is the King of glory. Amen. David is describing a day that we can only begin to imagine, a promised day when Jesus will be crowned King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and we will see his glory and find ourselves lost in his beauty. It’s a day we can hardly imagine.

And in between the cross in Psalm 22 and the glory in Psalm 24 is this little psalm, sung by Jesus’ followers, the sheep of his pasture. And David, having been a shepherd for a good bit of his life, knows exactly what this would look like and how it would feel. Psalm 23 tells our story, how God cares for us, how God is always with us. In fact, Jesus’ name, Emmanuel, means God with us. And just like Psalm 23 lives in between the prophecy of the cross and the prophecy of the crown, we also live in between the cross and the crown. As we listen to our Good Shepherd being described in Psalm 23, we hear good news. Verse 1, we will lack for nothing. I shall not want means that everything we need is ours.

Many years ago, I read a quote that said, the reason that sheep need a shepherd is because sheep like to nibble themselves lost. Leave a sheep without a shepherd, and the sheep will nibble a little bit of grass over here, I don’t, and then wander over here and nibble some grass over here, and then go over here and nibble some grass over here, and they see a patch just beyond those rocks. And before you know it, the sheep is lost or has fallen into a ravine or has been devoured by a wolf. Nibbling ourselves lost. It’s a great word picture. And isn’t that just how it works? We go off course just a tiny bit at a time. It’s a great word picture. Very few people walk away from God in a hurry. Most of the time it’s just a little bit here and a little bit here, and all of a sudden we’re not sure where we are.

So what really matters to us today? More than anything, what we need is an intimate friendship with the Good Shepherd. We need to know that Jesus is with us. We need to know that our home is with Jesus in this world and the next world. And in Psalm 23, the Good Shepherd provides green pasture, good food, still waters, peaceful places to drink. Jesus restores our souls. He removes from us the grime and corruption of the world so that we can shine in intimate relationship with God throughout our lives. Jesus leads us in right paths. And this is important to know because when we look back over our lives, we can start to second-guess ourselves. Would my life have been different if I had chosen a different school or a different career or a different neighborhood? And the answer to these questions, of course, is yes, it would have been different. There are so many questions, though, so many possible roads a person can follow. The what-ifs can become overwhelming, but we can be confident that our Good Shepherd leads us in right paths for His name’s sake. Yes. The paths we walk may not be the easiest we could have chosen, but we can be confident that Jesus leads us on each path, in each decision, to get to where we need to be and who we need to be in God’s kingdom.

And even when we go through dark times, as we walk through the darkest valley, when we pass through places where we can’t see the future and where danger may lie ahead, we don’t need to be afraid, because the shepherd’s rod and staff are there, the rod to defend us against attackers and the staff to gently guide us, and both of these things give us comfort. Our Good Shepherd has prepared a feast for us, right where our enemies can see it. Our Good and Shepherd anoints our heads with oil. And there are two meanings to this. First, putting literal oil on literal sheep actually protects the sheep against parasites. I did not know that until recently. And second, for us human sheep, oil anoints us as children of the king. Back in the ancient days, putting oil on someone’s head was a way of saying, this is our next king, or this is our next queen. Oil makes us members of God’s family.

So with Jesus as our shepherd, we are safe. We will find goodness and mercy even in the darkest places. And we will be with Jesus in the house of God forever. The second to last phrase in that psalm, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,” is actually better translated, “Surely goodness and mercy shall pursue me.” Goodness and mercy will chase us down. The word is the same word used to describe how the Egyptians chased the Israelites when they were leaving Egypt. God will chase after us with goodness and mercy. And it may take us a little bit of time to get to the kingdom. We may wander our way in, but God will be there like a shepherd, feeding us, guiding us, protecting us, and preparing us for a future of beauty beyond our imagining. King David says all of this is for all the people of God. This is our destiny. Amen.