Return to the Homepage Home
 Worship Schedules, Education, Fellowship, Outreach Worship & Service
 Sermon Archive Sermons
 A copy of the Sunday Prayers of Intercession Prayers
 Pastor Lynne's monthly newsletter Pastor's Page
 Articles and tidbits from the monthly newsletter Newsletter
 This month's events as well as the monthly calendar Current Events
 Read the Sunday School News Letter! Sunday School News
 Events for grades 7 to 12 Youth
 Other websites of interest Links
  
 Login to Administer this site Admin Login

St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church
2903 McPhillips Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CANADA R2P 0H3
http://www.stlukeszion.ca

Phone: (204) 339-0412
Fax: (204) 339-0412
E-mail: stlukeszionchurch@gmail.com
site design by clayton rumley

 

Second Sunday after Pentecost
Sunday, June 22nd, 2014

click here for past entries

Loving God, you hear the cries of all those who are lowly or outcast, and you continue to care for us even during times of crisis.  Grant us the faith to be able to see your power at work and the trust that continues to see your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    A few weeks ago when I was visiting my dad, I happened to see an episode of Murdoch Mysteries (not a show that I usually watch).  In this particular episode, a murder had taken place in a household where a number of maids and servants were employed.  As the investigation proceeded, it soon became apparent that the man of the house had regularly coerced various serving girls into coming to his bedroom at night.  Over the years, a number of these women had become pregnant.  In each case, as soon as their pregnancy became obvious, they were dismissed from their duties.  Essentially, they were put out onto the street with a child on the way and were left to fend for themselves.  All in all, this is not so different from what happens to Hagar in our first reading that we heard today.

    Before we get into the story, I’m curious how many of you have actually heard of Hagar and Ishmael before....  I’m asking because this is quite possibly the only time you would have heard about them in one of the Sunday readings.  Hagar, then, is an Egyptian woman who has served as a slave to Sarah.  Sarah and Abraham were both getting on in years and still had no children.  And at one point, rather than waiting for God to act, they decide that Abraham should try and have children with Hagar.  Hagar does, indeed, conceive, and she gives birth to a son who is named Ishmael.

    All kinds of jealousy ensues on Sarah’s part, and she treats Hagar harshly.  Twice in Genesis, Hagar flees into the wilderness, and each time she meets an angel.  However, this time she cannot go back.  She is sent away with just a little bit of bread and water – sent out into the wilderness in order to fend for herself and her son.  While Abraham certainly has his redeeming qualities as a man of faith, this is certainly not one of his finest moments!

    However, God has not forgotten about Hagar and Ishmael.  Once the bread and water are gone, Hagar places Ishmael under a bush and in despair sits down to weep.  She can’t even bear to look at her son and fears that he will die.  However, once again God hears the cries of her heart for help.  In fact, the name Ishmael means “God hears.”  “Do not be afraid,” says the voice of the angel.  “God has heard the voice of the boy where he is” (Gen. 21:17).  Then Hagar’s eyes are opened in order to see a well, and she gives her son a drink from it.

    Hagar is an outcast, and a slave, and a Gentile, and yet God looks after her.  Ishmael, too, is outside of the chosen people, in spite of being a son of Abraham, and yet Genesis tells us that “God was with the boy” (Gen. 21:20).  While Isaac becomes the ancestor of the people of Israel, Ishmael becomes the ancestor of the nation of Islam.  God’s reach, it seems, is always so much wider than we might think!

    Actually, this is an important story for us to hear, not just as a historical piece but as a reminder that God hears those who are outcast and abandoned.  God hears those who are in distress.  It is no accident that Jesus spends most of his time with those who are deemed to be worthless by the rest of society.  And God’s message to us is the same as God’s message to Hagar: “So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Mt. 10:31).

    Our readings today remind us of God’s care for us – certainly at all times but particularly during times of crisis.  In Hagar’s case, the crisis was being cast out and abandoned in the wilderness with no apparent hope for the future.  Today’s Psalm was also written during a time of crisis, pleading for God’s help.  And today’s gospel addresses those who would face persecution for their faith, including ridicule, torture, and even death.

    The question that seems to be lurking there behind all these readings is how we respond to times of crisis as people of faith.  Do we continue to believe that God is faithful in spite of our difficulties?  Do we quit going to church and get mad at God?  Do we turn to things outside of our faith for help?  (Like alcohol, or facebook, or gambling, or simply withdrawing from everything) Do we conclude that everything is hopeless and that there is no help for us?

    Today’s Psalm actually gives us a pretty good model for a relationship with God in which it’s okay to complain, but we still know that God is good.  The Psalmist, too, is obviously in the midst of a crisis.  “Bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and in misery.  Keep watch over my life... Be merciful to me, O Lord,... I call upon you all the day long.... Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer.... In the time of my trouble I will call upon you, and you will answer me.” (Ps. 86, EvLW)  

    It is a prayer for help, but also a prayer that has faith in God’s goodness.  “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, and abundant in mercy to all who call upon you.... You are great; you do wondrous things; and you alone are God.”  In spite of the fact that the psalmist is miserable, he expresses his faith that God will act to save him.  In fact, in the verses that we didn’t read today, he also gives thanks to God and glorifies God’s name.

    Can you imagine yourself doing that in the midst of a crisis?  Can you imagine yourself coming before God in prayer and pleading for God’s help, and at the same time expressing thanks and praise?  It takes a pretty strong faith to do this.  It takes remembering how God has helped you in the past, and the trust that God’s help will continue in the future.  It means continuing to love and to trust God in spite of the things that are difficult or miserable in your life.

    Yet, God’s word to us today is that having such faith and trust in God  is not misplaced.  When we are the ones who are outcast or abandoned, God hears and God helps.  When we are the ones who are miserable and in trouble, God hears and God helps.  When we are the ones who are afraid, we are reminded that God knows us so well that every hair on our head has been counted.  And when we are the ones who are able to give help, God works through us, too, in order to bring healing and relief.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Lectionary 12(A)                            Genesis 21:8-21
June 22, 2014                            Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church                    Matthew 10:24-39
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2014 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved


Previous Sermons
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
January 2003
March 0201