Lenten Sermon: God Moves Down the Road (4/6)

Lent: God Moves Down the Road (4/6)
Psalm 32: 1-8; Luke 15: 1-3, 11b-32
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
March 31, 2019
Fourth Sunday in Lent


Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

While I kept silence, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’,
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Therefore let all who are faithful
offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters
shall not reach them.
You are a hiding-place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you. - Psalm 32: 1-8


Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus]. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’

So he told them this parable:

Then Jesus said, ‘There was a man who had two sons.

The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.”

So he divided his property between them.

A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’ ” So he set off and went to his father.

But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate.

‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in.

His father came out and began to plead with him.

But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!”

Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” ’ - Luke 15: 1-3, 11b-32

I had the pleasure of volunteering at one of the elementary schools last Monday. The event was Career Day for the fifth-grade class. There were fifteen parent volunteers from a variety of professions. For a span of two hours, small groups of children rotated every seven minutes to hear about a new career: the education required, unique leadership skills, and the details about our typical day.

I shared that as a minister one of the most important leadership traits for me to have is compassion; that means whoever you are, wherever you come from, and whatever you are going through I care about you. Then I asked, “Why do you think it is important for a minister to have compassion?” And one child in every group said, “Because God cares about us.” My heart smiled.

No other story in the Bible illustrates God’s compassion more than Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son. Whenever this parable is read so many of us easily put ourselves in the shoes of one of the sons. Either we have become keenly aware of our failings and need of God’s forgiveness, or we stand in our uprightness, jealous of God’s grace when we have not felt God’s pat on the back for doing the right thing.

Today I want us to focus on the Compassionate Father, for he does what goes against the expectations of the first century reader.

The Father loves his sons equally. He divides the family inheritance equally between the sons at the youngest’s request; something no father figure would have done while he was living. The Father gives both sons the freedom to use the gift of inheritance as they wish.

The Father does not look upon his sons with disappointment, anger, or shame. The Father sees his sons through the lens of unconditional love that will never let either of them go.

From a long ways off, the Father sees the youngest coming home downcast with the disappointment of guilt and regret. And so the Father moves down the road to embrace his beloved. The Father embraces his youngest in compassion, reassures him of his belonging, clothes him in forgiveness, and celebrates newness of life.

The Father also sees his eldest son downcast in the disappointment of jealousy. And so the Father moves from the party and out into the field to embrace his beloved. The Father embraces his eldest with words of compassion, reassures him of his belonging, pleads with his son to be reconciled to him and his younger brother, and invites the eldest to celebrate newness of life as a family.

And yet it is striking to me that neither son is aware that the Father has been actively waiting for both of them. The Father actively waited for the youngest son’s return home. The Father also actively waited for the eldest son to notice he had been loved beyond measure all along.

The parable leads you and I to get wrapped up in the cultural tendency to compare the two sons and even to pit them against one another. But in all of this the Father does not compare or judge the two sons. He loves them with a radical love that is hard to conceive because the Father is God. God’s merciful compassion and unconditional love transcend all we know in the complexity of the human experience.

Nearing the end of his life, the Dutch artist, Rembrandt brought this biblical story to life in the oil painting that stretches 8 feet high by six feet wide. I cannot help but wonder what Rembrandt personally experienced in painting this parable.

Priest, professor, and pastor Henri Nouwen was completely overtaken by Rembrandt’s painting. He went to great lengths to travel to the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia where the painting is displayed. Over the course of two days, Nouwen sat for nearly eight hours to study this artwork. The piece truly came to life as the hours past and the sunlight moved across the canvas, literally illuminating fresh insights.

Nouwen said, “The embrace of the father and son became stronger and deeper, and the bystanders (from right to left - the eldest son, the servant, and two women) participated more directly in the mysterious event of reconciliation, forgiveness and inner healing” [1].

“Every detail of the father’s figure – his facial expression, his posture, the colors of his dress, and most of all, the still gesture of his hands – speaks of the divine love for humanity that existed from the very beginning and ever will be… [The father’s hands] imply his eternal seeing, a seeing that reaches out to all humanity. It is seeing that understands the lostness of women and men of all times and places, that knows with immense compassion the suffering of those who have chosen to leave home, that cried oceans of tears as they got caught in anguish and agony. The heart of the father burns with an immense desire to bring his children home.”

“This includes the eldest son. Rembrandt places him at a distance, out from under the billowing cloak, at the edge of the circle of light. The elder son’s dilemma is to accept or reject that his father’s love is beyond comparisons; to dare to be loved as his father longs to love him or to insist on being loved as he feels he ought to be loved. The father simply wants to let [both sons] know that the love they have searched for in such distorted ways has been, is, and always will be there for them” [2].

The core of our humanity desires to know we are loved beyond measure and yet we search for a sense of love and belonging in such distorted ways. We quickly waste God’s gifts in search to fill the emptiness inside our souls. When we strive to do right by God and neighbor, the unfairness of life quickly leaves us lamenting when no one takes notice.

As we step ever closer to Easter Sunday, you and I are searching to know a love that will never let us go in the cross. And so I want you to consider this: whoever you are, wherever you have been, and whatever you are struggling with today our God is on the move to meet you where you are.

God in Jesus Christ has compassion for us when we are hurting physically, mentally, and spiritually; when we regret poor decisions; when we are lost to ourselves; when we are in need; when we are estranged from family either by consequences or by making the choice of cutting ourselves off from relationships; when we are blind to our own self-righteousness; and when we are offended by God’s generous mercy and grace [3].

May you and I encounter God’s unparalleled love this week as God moves down the road to meet us where we are.

The question is how will you and I allow ourselves to be embraced by God’s compassion?

And more than that, how will you actively participate in the light of God’s love and be changed by it?

In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.

Sources Referenced:

Biblical painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son," by Rembrandt, 1669.
[1] Henri J. M. Nouwen, “The Return of the Prodigal Son: Anniversary Edition” (New York: Convergent Books, 2016), p. 11.
[2] Nouwen, p. 107-108, 111, 117.
[3] Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 18:27; 20:34; Mark 1:41; 6:34; 8:2; 9:22; Luke 7:13; 10:33; 15:20

Lenten Sermon: God Moves in Failed Expectations (3/6)

Lent: God Moves in Failed Expectations (sermon series 3/6)
Psalm 63: 1-8; Luke 13: 1-9
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
March 23, 2019
Third Sunday in Lent

O God, you are my God, I seek you,
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands and call on your name.

My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
when I think of you on my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me. - Psalm 63: 1-8

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’

Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” ’ - Luke 13: 1-9

Kelsey took the youth group activity to heart about caring for our homeless neighbors. She packed five hot meals and asked her mom to take her downtown to deliver them. The two noticed a homeless man standing on the corner with a makeshift sign that said, “Need food. God bless.” Kelsey and her mom walked up to the man. With a smile, Kelsey said, “I made this dinner for you,” and she gave the meal to the man. But the man threw the bag on the sidewalk and said gruffly, “I don’t want that.” With tears swelling in her eyes, Kelsey walked back to the car with her mom. Kelsey said, “I don’t want to do this anymore. I just want to go home.” Putting her faith into action became a failed expectation.

Rodney seemed to have it all. He had a great job, a good car, and a beautiful home. He had put in a lot of sweat equity to get where he was. But climbing the ladder of success was not what he thought it would be. He had an emptiness that kept nagging at him. Nothing he had tried could fill it. As Rodney was driving down the road, that conversation with his coworker came to mind. Weeks ago, Andy had asked him to come to the Men’s Bible study one night. Rodney had said he would think about it. But in reality, the more Rodney thought about it, the more intimidated he got. He knew nothing about the Bible or God or church. His presence would just embarrass Andy. The openness to accept the invitation became a failed expectation.

Raynor and Moth had been married for thirty-two years. They had purchased a farmhouse fixer upper and over the years had renovated the home and property, Raynor gave birth to three children, and as a family she and her husband made a quiet life with their livestock and renting out the guesthouse to vacationing visitors. During their time there, a friend had talked them into investing in a company, but when the company failed Raynor and Moth were told their signatures on the investment contract made them liable for the company’s debts. After a lengthy court battle Raynor and Moth lost their savings and their house was repossessed. And then a few days later the other shoe dropped; Moth was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Raynor felt like God had grabbed the roots of her life and ripped them out of the ground, turning her and her husband’s very existence upside down. Within a week the couple’s humble life fell completely apart to the failed expectations of rural homelessness and no future [1].

Jesus knew a lot about failed expectations. He spoke to the crowds and the disciples about the fig tree. The owner had great expectations for that vineyard to bear fruit. After three years of pouring his love and resources into nurturing his pride and joy, he found only one thing – failed expectations. If we take Jesus’ parable literally, the owner of the vineyard was disappointed because fig trees do not grow in vineyards. A fig tree’s roots would interfere with the root systems of grapevines.

But Jesus taught in parables to meet others where they are in life and to authentically intersect the Good News at the crossroads of human experience. Parables always reveal truth. Jesus’ truth is this: in times of failed expectations, Jesus encourages us to make room for God’s grace and see how God might move in that space.

Jesus was describing how the timing of God’s grace marks our seasons of failed expectations. By that word “time” I do not mean time that is measured by seconds, minutes, and hours, but rather time that is marked by divine opportunity.

God’s grace gives us opportunity to rise up, to live differently, and to mature by God’s faithfulness. Grace creates opportunities to put one foot in front of the other and trust where God is leading in the midst of failure, uncertainty and doubts. “The human mind plans the way, but the Lord determines the steps (Proverbs 16:9).

But sometimes we miss God’s divine opportunities; we miss God directing our steps. Sometimes we completely resist God’s grace being quick to complain about our disappointment or cutting off that failed expectation to move on. Sometimes we tell ourselves that we are doing life just fine and we don’t need God’s help. Sometimes we are not spiritually aware of the rhythm of God’s grace in our everyday lives.

When humanity missed the mark of God’s expectations to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul and to love neighbor as ourselves, God loved us still. God sent his Son. And Jesus revealed a divine opportunity to reveal God’s grace. After his three-year ministry with the disciples, Jesus suffered on the cross taking on humanity’s failed expectations, forgiving our debts, and giving us the grace of second chances and new life. We are God’s pride and joy. And God’s Spirit continues to nurture us to bear good fruit. In our seasons of failed expectations when we don’t feel so fruitful shouldn’t we be open to see what God’s grace can do there too?

Kelsey and her mom sat in the car in the downtown parking lot. Kelsey wiped her tears. Her mom just sat beside her silently for a few minutes. And then she looked at Kelsey and said, “I know how much this means to you. You have such a kind heart. I personally have never served the homeless before, but you were so excited by the pastor’s talk after youth group that I felt you should have the opportunity to do this. You are so brave. If you really want to go home, we can. It’s your decision.” As Kelsey sat in the front passenger seat, she claimed that time to breathe slow and deeply.

And in that moment, she felt the Spirit nudge her to give it another try. Kelsey and her mom got out of the car and walked down the sidewalk, handing out the rest of the bagged dinners to neighbors who were in need. Later in the week Kelsey talked with her youth pastor about her experience. Together they learned faith in action is more about the willingness to love, even if the love you extend is not received the way you expected.

Rodney reached his destination and parked the car. He could not stop thinking about Andy’s invitation. Rodney was curious. He was searching for more in life – more of a sense of coming into himself and finding meaning and purpose. Rodney began to feel a sense of peace settle in with the thought of saying yes to the Bible study invitation. He texted Andy saying he would meet him there next week. After Rodney left that very first Men’s Bible Study, the Spirit opened Rodney to consider that searching is more about being willing to show up than to have all the answers.

When Raynor and Moth closed the door of their home for the very last time after it was repossessed, they had nowhere to go. So, they each put their bare basics in backpacks with the decision to walk the South West Coast Path. Walking the 630 mile salt path gave the couple hope; a reason to go forward, a reason to put one foot in front of the other, a reason to have a next day. It changed their lives forever. Not only walking so far with so little to survive, but also it gave Raynor and Moth the ability to live in the moment. Instead of this 50-something couple worrying what each moment would hold, they learned the deep gratitude of waking in the morning as the fog lifted from the heavens and watching the sun breaking over the horizon of a new day. The two finished the trek discovering a new sense of freedom and resiliency than their former life may never had provided.

Friends, failed expectations are not the end of our stories. They are divine opportunities to experience God’s grace and mercy in ways that we may not have otherwise.

Do not be afraid of failure. Do not yield to the temptation of cutting off your disappointment.

Be open to where the Spirit just may be leading you to put one foot in front of the other. Go in the direction of God’s grace and mercy because our God does indeed move through failed expectations. With faithfulness comes the promise of hope. And many times hope is enough.

In the name of our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.

Sources Referenced:

[1] Raynor Winn, “The Salt Path: A Memoir” (New York: Penguin Books, 2018).

Lenten Sermon: God Moves Past All Obstacles (2/6)

Lent: God Moves Past All Obstacles
Psalm 27: 1-14; Luke 13: 31-35
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
March 17, 2019
Second Sunday in Lent


The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life;of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh— my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.

One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.

Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! ‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, do I seek. Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!
If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.

Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! - Psalm 27

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to [Jesus], ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’

[Jesus] said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.”

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” ’ - Luke 13: 31-35

This season of Lent we are looking into our assigned biblical texts and paying attention to where God is on the move. Today we see God moving past all obstacles.

The whole of Scripture is filed with accounts of God moving past obstacles – threats that seem to have a real possibility to thwart the fulfillment of God’s promises.

In the beginning our spiritual parents lived in perfect relationship with God. But when they reached beyond the bounds of God’s will, sin became humanity’s condition. Sin brought the obstacle of living in right relationship with God and one another (Genesis 3).

But God would move past this obstacle in revealing what true humanity and faithfulness to God looks like in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Romans 5: 8, 18-19).

It feels like yesterday we were celebrating Jesus’ birthday; the day the promise of God’s self-giving love was born in that babe lying in a manger. Just think about how vulnerable an infant is and the endless number of obstacles that Mary and Joseph made sure to protect Jesus from.

Herod the Great was the first major threat to baby Jesus in the birth narrative (Matthew 2). Herod was Rome’s client king over the Juddean people. His loyalty to the pagan Romans and admiration of Hellenistic style smacked of treachery. Herod’s family had converted to Judaism, but Herod disregarded the customs and laws of the Jewish tradition. He executed his own family members who were in line as heir because of suspicion and distrust. Herod was threatened by Jesus and the news of a new king in town therefore, he planned to destroy Jesus too. God moved past that obstacle as an angel of the Lord told Mary and Joseph to seek refuge in Egypt until Herod the Great died (Matthew 2: 13-15).

Luke remembers Herod the Great’s son, Herod Antipas, was another threat to Jesus (Luke 13:31). Antipas ruled over Galilee (Jesus’ stomping grounds) and Perea; both territories were one quarter of the Jewish kingdom which remained under Roman authority. Antipas was more passive than his ruthless father. He tried to appease both the Romans and the Jewish people.

But Antipas came into conflict with John the Baptist and Jesus. It sounds like a Bible soap opera: John the Baptist called out Antipas regarding the ruler’s unlawful divorce and second marriage to Herodias. Not only was she Antipas’ niece, she was also Antipas’ brother’s ex-wife. As a result, John the Baptist was thrown into prison and beheaded (Matthew 14: 1-12). When Antipas laid eyes on Jesus he was afraid John was somehow raised from the dead.

When the Pharisees told Jesus that Herod Antipas wanted to kill him, did Jesus know that he would later be standing before Antipas after his betrayal and arrest in Galilean territory? Did Jesus know that Antipas would treat him with contempt and mock him? (Luke 23:6-12).

Jesus answered the Pharisees with a steadfast conviction. Nothing and no one would stop Jesus from casting out demons, from healing, from revealing God’s compassionate presence….there is nothing and no one who can halt the fulfillment God’s plans of salvation. God’s faithfulness overcomes every obstacle.

Oh, how our weary world needs to hear this affirmation today.

When we are young we are so very vulnerable to obstacles that threaten self-worth, perseverance, and a future with hope. One communal group has been breaking down obstacles with faithfulness and self-giving love. Last week the Girl Scouts celebrated their 107th birthday. But the Girl Scouts do way more than sell those delicious cookies.

A number of troops are involved in the Beyond Bars program. Beyond Bars began in 1992 as a partnership between the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland and the Maryland Correctional Institute for Women. After sentencing dozens of women to prison in her time on the bench, Judge Carol Smith was heartbroken for the children who would not see their mothers on a regular basis. When a parent is incarcerated, the odds become stacked against a child.

With the help of a grant Judge Carol set up a mother-child visitation program at the correctional facility, where two-thirds of the women incarcerated were parents. From that program which began 27 years ago, over 400 girls from Girl Scout Troop 7856 have been active at the correctional center; a traditional troop meeting in a nontraditional setting.

Each two-hour meeting begins with 15 minutes of free bonding time for the moms and daughters, a precious commodity when prison visits usually take place on opposite sides of a table. Then, the moms and daughters recite the Girl Scout Promise, and divide up by age to work on projects. For the girls, it's a rare chance to reconnect with their moms — and they don't let any of it go to waste.

One 32 year old mother said, "When I got incarcerated, my daughter was 8 years old. I regretted missing my daughter’s milestones, and my daughter struggled too; her grades took a tumble as she dealt with me being away.” But after joining Troop 7856, run by the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, the pair drew closer again. Being a Girl Scout helped this daughter start to overcome obstacles that were beyond her control. That young girl is now twelve years old, and she looks forward to just giving her mom a hug.

For the moms involved, each meeting provides hope for a future — beyond the prison walls. "It’s wonderful just being able to be in [my daughter’s] life, despite the circumstances," said one 26 year old mother of a 9 year old daughter. "It’s the reason why I keep pushing in here, why I stay out of trouble. It’s all to get home to her."

“Nationally, more than 1.7 million children — half of them under the age of 10 — have a parent in prison, yet few programs provide the kind of bonding opportunities offered by the Girl Scouts' program. ”

Every time I read this story, I see Jesus’ determined and self-giving love at work through this Girls Scout Troop - breaking down obstacles, bringing about healing, and revealing God’s promise of being delivered into a future with hope.

You and I need to hear this affirmation that God is still moving past all obstacles today.

Each of us encounters obstacles in life that seem to be real threats to experiencing the hope and deliverance that only God can provide.

The changing dynamics of life or our jobs can threaten our livelihood at a moment’s notice.
The diagnosis comes and the treatment is not bringing the anticipated results.
The funding in the budget changes bringing obstacles to the most vulnerable.
Our loved one -or we ourselves - feel stuck in the shadows of depression and we feel helpless to shine the light into their darkness.
The label of “different” still threatens to silence children, adults, and whole groups of people with a tarp of invisibility.
Ongoing conflict and disunity breeds cynicism that things will never change.

Whatever obstacle may be staring you in the face like Herod Antipas, the good news is that “The Lord is the stronghold of our lives therefore what or who shall we fear? Even though this obstacle feels like an army encamped against us, our hearts shall not fear; we will be confident [in the Lord]” (Psalm 27:1, 3).

The Psalmist claims our confidence that God moves past all obstacles is this: “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13).

We see the goodness of the Lord in our Savior Jesus Christ. The One who has already accomplished God’s will to heal our brokenness, to forgive our sin, and to right the wrongs of injustice.

And yet we see the goodness of the Lord also when the body of Christ knows that we must be on our way to do God’s work in the world.

This week I pray the Spirit will increase our courage to look into our obstacles squarely in the face and to wait for the Lord; be strong and lean into trusting the Lord God with everything. Let us do our part to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. For the Lord is not done with us or this weary world.

There is nothing in all the world that will ever separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ (Romans 8: 37-39).

As Tony Campolo once said, “It may feel like Friday, but Sunday is coming!”

In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.

Lenten Sermon: God Moves into the Desert (1/6)

Lent: God Moves into the Desert
Psalm 91: 1-2, 9-16; Luke 4: 1-13
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
March 10, 2019
First Sunday in Lent

You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.’
Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
the Most High your dwelling-place,
no evil shall befall you,
no scourge come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder,
the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble,
I will rescue them and honour them.
With long life I will satisfy them,
and show them my salvation. - Psalm 91: 1-2, 9-16

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.” ’

Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.” ’

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you”,
and
“On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time. - Luke 4: 1-13

The past five weeks we have been spending time in Luke’s Gospel to glean from Jesus’ teachings. According to Luke, Jesus’ public ministry began when he chose his disciples and then went up on the mountain top to pray. It was quite a moment for the disciples to be anointed by God’s presence in that thin space of the mountain top (Luke 6: 12-16). As they came down the mountain the disciples would be learning the ropes of Jesus’ ministry in order to carry on Jesus’ work as the early church.

Jesus was anointed for God’s purposes of salvation when he was baptized by John the Baptizer (Luke 3: 21-22). After Jesus was filled with the Spirit, it matters where Jesus took his next step. The gospels say that Jesus was led by the Spirit in the wilderness where for forty days he was tempted by the devil (Luke 4: 1-2; Matthew 4:1; Mark 1: 12-13).

The wilderness was the Judean Desert. For the first century hearers of the gospels, this desert was not just an empty and barren place, but it was also pregnant with meaning.

It is where Moses led the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage for forty years. That desert is an expanse of 580 square miles near the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Dead Sea. God’s people walked through a rugged terrain that was constantly changing with plateaus, chalk hills, mountains, and cliffs. Imagine forty years of living in scarcity; the desert has no water, no food, and no protection.

And yet the Judean wilderness is where God moved through the desert with the people. God’s people were not left to die of hardship like they complained (Exodus 17:3). God’s presence was revealed tangibly in the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21).

God created a space for the people to abide in the shadow of the Almighty as a refuge. God provided flowing water from a rock and manna (flaky bread) to fall daily from heaven (Exodus 17:6; 16:4). And God delivered God’s people; the Lord brought them through the desert to behold the Promised Land. With God nothing is impossible!

And so Jesus was led to walk the ancient desert paths too. On the one hand, Jesus’ 40 day fast in the desert wilderness was a spiritual test of wholly trusting God. Jesus was fully human and experienced temptation, pain, and suffering. Being filled with the Spirit, Jesus leaned into fully trusting God through every moment. God not only delivered Jesus through every test and temptation, but Jesus manifested God’s power and glory in the desert.

On the other hand, Jesus was fully divine. Therefore, God moved into the desert once again to reveal God’s faithfulness to live in full relationship with humanity through Jesus Christ. God’s presence was not hovering in some distant cloud or in a pillar of fire. God’s presence was in the flesh of Jesus Christ to fully experience the how vulnerable and exposed the desert makes us feel.

Ray Vander Laan brings the Bible to life by taking Christian study groups on walking tours of the Mediterranean towns and cities in which the Bible’s context is written. He took one group to the Judean Desert. Standing within that rocky landscape Ray VanderLaan says this:

The desert holds a bigger picture in the Bible. It holds beauty, glory, and danger, but it is also a metaphor for chaos, pain, and suffering. The desert symbolizes that things are not as they’re supposed to be. In the desert – in times of difficulty and hardship - God’s people learn to know God, to trust God, and to love God.

About four years ago in a yearly physical I was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. I went through surgery – maybe not as painful as some of the deserts that you have been in – but painful, nevertheless. As I wondered I cried out why do I need to be in this desert?

I realized that I could not provide what I needed. God was going to have to take over. And little by little, God taught me that in pain, in the unknown, and in the times of difficulty and struggle that God is always there and just enough.

I can’t honestly tell you that it made my desert any easier or less painful, but I can tell you it was an amazing discovery. As I came out of that desert, I am closer to God today. I am more aware of the Lord’s provision, and presence, and power than I ever have been.

You see, in the desert, God joins his people. For whatever reason we are there, God is there too. And as God is there the Lord always provides just enough as we need it. It makes going through the desert possible. And one can emerge on the other side of the desert closer and more intimately related to God than ever before.

As you and I walk through the life of faith the path is constantly changing. There is beauty all around us and yet pain, suffering, and hardship can meet us on any given twist or turn. The rugged parts of life are scary with uncertainty with elements that make us feel exposed and vulnerable.

The good news of Jesus Christ is that we do not walk through the desert times of life alone. The faithfulness of God, the grace of Jesus Christ, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit make it possible to navigate through the desert.

Are you walking through a desert time of life today? If your answer is “yes,” then you may never know why you are in the desert. But Scripture tells us that because our spiritual ancestors have been there, and because Jesus Christ has been there, and because God chooses to move into the desert with us, then we can learn something from our desert experiences.

We learn about who we belong to, who we are, and in who we are to place our absolute trust. We learn that nothing is impossible with God because it is the Lord Almighty who goes before us. God will be with us because we are precious to the Lord. God’s faithfulness will not fail us or forsake us. So, do not fear or be dismayed (Luke 1:37; Deuteronomy 31:8; Zephaniah 3:17).

If you have not walked through a desert time of life, that’s ok because you will in time. God’s saving grace does not protect us from hardship, rather God’s grace empowers us to face hardship with hope through the power of Jesus Christ. The love of Christ will always lead us to the other side of hardship to behold God’s promises.

Today we begin the season of Lent. Many have described these 40 days as a journey through a spiritual wilderness. We are taking steps one day at a time towards the cross of Good Friday and the empty tomb of Easter Sunday.

Be intentional these 40 days to explore where your faith is dry and parched like a desert. What burden are you carrying that you need let go and let God take over? With what situation are you hungry for God’s reconciliation and renewal? What habit might you give up or cultivate that may draw you closer to God?

Know that God’s greatest desire is to lead you through the wilderness of Lent so that you may be moved by God’s assured presence and see God’s salvation in the present.

May the bread of life and the cup of salvation strengthen our faith today for the journey of these next 40 days. May these 40 days open our spiritual eyes to be more aware of the Lord’s provision, and presence, and power than we ever have been. And, may you know that God chooses to move into the desert to deliver you and me by the great faithfulness of God’s love.

In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.

Sources Referenced:

Sermon Theme and Title "God on the Move: God Moves into the Desert" adapted from "A Preacher's Guide to Lectionary Sermon Series: Thematic Plans for Years A, B, and C (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2016), p. 192.

Sermon: "Seeing the Glory"

Seeing the Glory
Luke 9: 18-20, 28-36; 2 Corinthians 3: 17-18
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
March 3, 2019

Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’ They answered, ‘John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered, ‘The Messiah of God.’

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said.

While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. - Luke 9: 18-20, 28-36

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. - 2 Corinthians 3: 17-18

Last fall I took a week of study leave to go to Montreat, North Carolina for a conference. Montreat is located near Black Mountain and it’s not that far from Asheville. And no trip to Montreat is complete without a hike in those beautiful Appalachia mountains.

The day of the conference, I drove up early so I could get a hike in to center myself and kick off my study leave. I hiked Look Out Mountain, which is about a 1 ½ mile hike overall. It is a gradual uphill climb to the top, but it is so worth it. With every step I found myself in the ongoing rhythm of a breath prayer: Nothing’s – Impossible – With God.

Every time I hike that mountain, the clearing takes my breath away. The peak overlooks Montreat Conference Center, Black Mountain, and the gorgeous Appalachian mountain range.

On that particular day, I sat on a boulder for a good thirty minutes taking in the beauty of creation. The trees were just beginning to don their fall foliage. It looked like a crushed velvet shawl was covering the shoulders of the mountains. And a low dense cloud was hovering over the landscape. That day Look Out Mountain was more of a misty mountain.

A light rain was settling in and yet rain or shine, I had come to behold the glory of God. My heart’s desire was to encounter God on that mountain top.

I desperately wanted to hear some word from God or see some sure certain sign of God’s mysterious presence just for me. I had a particular verse of Scripture on my phone that I was waiting to hear God’s Spirit speak into. But in that span of time I heard nothing, just silence.

I would be lying if I didn’t say that I was a bit disappointed. But as I began my descent, I was left trusting that as my heart was pumping and my soul was still, God was there whether I had that “hair standing up on the back of my neck” moment or not. Be still and know I am God (Psalm 46:10).

Peter, James, and John took a hike up the mountain too. Jesus led them up a mountain to pray. Like Montreat, mountains in Scripture are thin places where humanity encountered God. A thin place is where it seems like the distance between heaven and earth collapses and God is right there.

It was on the top of Mount Sinai that Moses was in the cloud of God’s presence and received God’s Law – the Ten Commandments – to teach God’s people how to love God and love neighbor (Exodus 19:9, 20; 20: 1-18).

It was on the same mountain that the prophet Elijah hiked for 40 days and 40 nights to get away from the challenges of ministry; and then he experienced God pass by. The Lord was not in the great wind, or the earthquake, or the fire, but in sheer silence (1 Kings 19: 8, 11-12).

For Peter, James, and John they too experienced a thin space on the mountain with Jesus. As Jesus was praying, God’s presence was manifested as Jesus’ very appearance changed. Moses and Elijah were suddenly standing next to Jesus. I have a feeling it was way more than a moment where the hair stands up on the back of your neck. The disciples’ minds were blown!

In that moment of prayer, the glory of God came alive to proclaim a word of truth of Jesus’ identity. My commentary says, “Jesus had demonstrated his mastery over the sea and fed the multitudes in the wilderness like Moses; he had multiplied loaves, cleansed lepers, and raised the dead like the Elijah” [1]

The Lord’s Spirit manifested the glory of God in Jesus Christ as a sure and certain sign that yes, Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s Law and the Prophets.

While God gave Moses the covenant of the Ten Commandments, Jesus Christ is the new covenant of God’s grace that brings true freedom.

While God worked through Elijah to heal the sick and raise the dead, God would work through Jesus Christ so that we might share in Jesus’ saving death and resurrection to die to sin and be raised to new life.

And then God gave the disciples a word of wisdom, “Listen…This is my Son, my Chosen, listen to him” (Luke 9:35). Listen and look for the unexpected and surprising ways that the glory of God shows up in the ordinary rhythm of life, for seeing the glory is a gift.

Seeing the glory of God is not something you and I can orchestrate or make happen or control or contain. It is a gift from the Lord, the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18). Each time we receive such a gift we are changed by the vision of God’s faithful presence.

This past Tuesday the Sisters of the Heart Bible study met for the sole reason of prayer. There was no agenda, but an open space to share prayer concerns as God was placing people and situations on our hearts.

After updates and concerns were collected, one of the women said something that struck me. She said, “We pray every week around this table in our seats. Some days we have lots of things going through our minds. But today we are here for the sole purpose of praying together. So, I think we need to get out of our seats and get out of our routines. Let’s stand up together in a different place, holding each other’s hands, and pray aloud or silently as you are led.”

All the women stood together holding hands in a circle. One woman opened the prayer and I agreed to close it. And we lifted random prayers like popcorn, some of us speaking long words from the heart to bend God’s ear and some with prayers that were short and sweet. And some of us just prayed silently.

I find myself, more often than not, praying with my eyes open because I want to see God’s glory pass by. And with every prayer uttered whether it was spoken or silent I saw something amazing happen. I saw God’s mysterious presence in every woman in that circle.

The Spirit of the Lord was there in every word, in every squeeze of the hand, in every smile, and in every tear that rolled. We were suddenly standing together in a thin space and I was not the only one to experience God’s glory.

Seeing the glory is to catch a glimpse of the gift of God’s grace and divine reality. God’s glory changes us as we are shaped by God’s goodness and grace from one degree to another (2 Corinthians 3:18). The gift of faith then empowers you and me to reflect God’s glory like a mirror for others to see and be changed by it.

Today we remember that God’s glory shone brilliantly to mark Jesus Christ’s exodus; he would begin his journey to the cross and fulfill God’s redemptive plan of salvation. You and I will begin to focus our faith upon Jesus’ journey to cross this Wednesday night on Ash Wednesday; the day the season of Lent begins. Lent will be a time to examine our lives and consider how we might more fully live into Jesus’ costly grace and reflect God’s glory for others to see with authenticity.

This week I pray you and I would rekindle our desire to see the glory of God. Open your heart and mind to be surprised by the way God’s glory is revealed. If you are here today, I know you have a longing to experience God’s presence, to know that God is indeed with us and to be assured that God sees us.

If you are new to spending time with God, then practice keeping a gratitude journal for the six weeks of Lent. Ask God’s Spirit to surprise you each day by God’s faithfulness and to open your eyes to see it. Write down one thing you are grateful for every day of the week. And then give thanks to God. You will be surprised where you might see the glory of God between Monday and Saturday!

If you and God have been long time conversation partners, then listen for the Spirit whisper a new direction in which to follow God. Break up the routine.

Go play in the rain with your kids or grandkids.
Hike that mountain; hike that trail.
Sit in the sun with closed eyes and an open spirit.
Read a verse of Scripture in a place you never have before and wait for the Spirit to speak into it.
As you pray in the week, write a note to someone you are praying for and let them know you are lifting them into the light of God’s glory.

The truth is this: prayer always conveys the presence of God. It blesses us, comforts us, challenges us, and changes us.

God’s presence is always a promise kept and a gift given. We cannot control how God’s glorious presence is revealed to us. We can only be open to it by the power of Holy Spirit.

I leave you with words from one of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver:


The Gift

Be still, my soul and steadfast.
Earth and heaven both are still watching
Though time is draining from the clock
And your walk, that was confident and quick,
Has become slow.
So, be slow if you must, but let
The heart still play its true part.
Love still as once you loved, deeply
And without patience. Let God and the world
Know you are grateful.
That the gift has been given. [2]


In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.

Sources Referenced:

Photograph taken by Carson Overstreet on the top of Look Out Mountain
[1] The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, Volume VIII: Luke, John (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 170.
[2] Mary Oliver, “House of Light” (Boston: Beacon Press, 1990), p. 36.