Sacrificial Love

Here’s a story about something that happened at a river town. Now you might not realize, but in such towns where barge or boat traffic is common, to make sure they can get through, you have to constantly dredge the channel. The sand comes up out of the bottom of the river and is then dumped on the side. Now, it makes wonderful places to play because it creates these huge sand hills and kids love to play on them.

There’s really nothing more fun than playing on those huge sand hills, and there’s nothing more dangerous. Because when the sand comes out of the river bottom, it’s wet and it creates a crust on the top of the hills. You can get on the top of them and then all of a sudden, they will collapse and the sand will sink you down inside the hill.

 
Some years ago two brothers didn’t come home for dinner and their bikes were found outside the fence where the dredging had been going on. The family began to search frantically as well as other rescuers for the two brothers. They finally found one. He was buried up to his chin in the sand. Because of the pressure of the wet sand and muck around him he had lost consciousness so they began to dig frantically. When they uncovered him down to his waist he regained consciousness and the family, in hysterics, began to say, “Where’s your brother? Where’s your Brother? Where’s your brother?”

And what he said was, “I’m standing on his shoulders.”

The one brother had sacrificed himself so that the other could live, a remarkable story of courage, tragedy, and unbelievable sacrifice. We are all here today because Jesus Christ made that sacrifice for us all. But you know, when you begin to fully understand that truth, you realize that we too must do our part. We must follow our Lord, wherever that takes us, denying ourselves and embracing the God who loves us.

You know, at times being Christian is not easy. Our faith calls us out of our comfort zones, it calls us out of our ordinary everyday lives to do wonderfully extraordinary things. Yet, to deny ourselves and to pick up that cross and to follow Jesus means that we have to make sacrifices. We, like Jesus, must live lives of sacrificial love. We can’t listen to our own petty concerns or desires or live the way the world seems to tell us. Rather, we must listen for the voice of our God and be receptive to the Spirit of our Savior. To shed this life, give it up to God, and thus find it, to find that life in the cross.

Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?” -Matthew 16:24-26 (The Message)

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.

The Hope of Forgiveness

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox. “I’m looking for a few days work” he said. “Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there. Could I help you?”

“Yes,” said the older brother. “I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor; in fact, it’s my younger brother. Last week there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I’ll show him up one better. See that pile of lumber curing by the barn? I want you to build me a fence, an 8 foot tall fence, so I won’t need to see his place anymore.”

The carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”

The older brother had to go to town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day.

The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge, a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all, and the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming across, his hand outstretched.

“You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done.” The two brothers met at the middle of the bridge, taking each other’s hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder.

“No, wait! Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other projects for you,” said the older brother.

“I’d love to stay on,” the carpenter said, “but I have so many more bridges to build.”

My friends, Jesus Christ is the one who can break down the walls we divide ourselves and build the kind of bridges that bring reconciliation and forgiveness and wholeness, where we can see ourselves as one body. And yet, we know we have a role to play at times. God works through each of us to build the kind of world our children will live in, to create a world of peace and liberty and freedom, a place where it is ok to be who you are, a place where all are welcome, all are loved.

Thinking back to the Civil Rights movement of the 60s and the sweeping reforms that aided people of color, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall once said. “The legal system can force open doors, and sometimes even knock down walls, but it cannot build bridges. That job belongs to you and me.”

My friends, we are to build together for God, seeing the world through Christ’s eyes. There should not be division among us, injustice, prejudice, conflict. We are to be one people, united in God’s love. For together we are the holy temple of the Lord, knit together, all contributing, all a part of the body of Christ. May we truly see with open eyes and love with open arms, so that the dream of the Kingdom of God may soon be realized. Let us build it together; let us build it for God.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. -Luke 6:36-38

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.

Coming home

I thought I would share one of my favorite stories. I first heard it from Ron Buford, former director of the God is Still Speaking campaign in the United Church of Christ, a story which has become one of the defining stories of Hope United, grounded in such Biblical stories as the parable of the lost sheep and prodigal son.

A retired minister was riding the train from the city one day when a young man boarded and sat next to him. The young man didn’t look very well—he was skinny and pale, looking like he had been through more trouble in his short life than most would ever know. And as he sat there, this man was a bit anxious and fidgety, every so often looking out the train with a nervous look.

Finally the minister broke the silence and asked in a friendly tone, “So, where ya headed?”

“Home,” he managed to get out.

“Ah, good; it’s good to go home. I bet you’re looking forward to seeing your folks.”

The young man cut him off, “You don’t understand. I haven’t been home for three years, and the last time I was there they told me not to come back. When I left, things were pretty bad.”

“In fact,” he continued, “when I talked to my brother, I told him to have mom and dad, if they wanted me to come home to tie a white rag in a tree by the tracks. You see, in a few miles, this train will go by their property, and there is a large oak tree that you can see from the train.”

“If there’s no white rag in the tree, then I have to just keep riding the train and get off at a later stop.”

It was becoming obvious that this man was growing uncomfortable as the train moved closer to this boy’s old home. Finally, he turned to the older gentleman and said, “Look, do you mind looking out the window for me? I just can’t do it. It’s coming up; it’s just around the bend on the left side. You can’t miss it. Just tell me if it’s ok to look.”

The minister agreed, concerned for the boy, wondering what kind of signal would be left. And as the train turned the bend, with the young man clutching his hands in desperation, toppled over, unable to look out the window, the minister saw something extraordinary.

“Hey son, you can open your eyes now. You got to take a look at this.”

For outside the window, there was not just one white rag tied in that old oak tree, but several hundred. Every branch, every limb, every bush had a white rag on it. There were white rags tied to the fence post, white rags hanging from the windows and the eves and the door knobs. All along the tracks, where his parent’s property came into view was littered with white rags.

My friends, there are many people out there in Georgetown who are waiting to come home, who for whatever reason have been alienated or hurt or turned away, who need to know the kind of home that Jesus Christ can provide, a home where they are accepted for who they are, met without judgment or accusation or condemnation, but embraced with love, the kind of love that can transform your life and make you realize that you are a child of God.

Hope United, a community of faith that is open to all, safe space so you can come home and be overwhelmed by the warmth, the love, the grace of a God who loves you and wants to be close to you, to be nurtured along the journey. Hope United, where the doors are always open, and I mean open, black or white, young or old, gay or straight, divorced, partnered or single, fully accepted, affirmed with the kind of love that transcends, transforms, and makes a difference. Come home, my friends, to Hope United; we’ll tie a white rag outside to let you know you’re welcome.

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 15:32

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.

Pride

Tomorrow night, Hope United will be participating in the Austin Pride Parade. We feel that it is important to stand in solidarity with our gay, lesbian, and transgender brothers and sisters, to celebrate our diversity, and to take pride in who we are—who God created us to be.
 

Often, as I look to God’s Word, I speak of the dangers of pride. We can certainly be an arrogant, selfish lot, almost always thinking of ourselves before others, and this stands in direct opposition to our Christ, Jesus the selfless one, who gave up everything, sacrificed all, all in total devotion to the One who gives us Life. And this Jesus asks us to do the same, to follow, to be disciples, to love and give and sacrifice, for God must be our everything.

Our Lord tells us to love God with all our being and our neighbor as ourselves, but we have learned that we can’t really do that unless we love ourselves. And for some, this is a much harder task than for others. Hence, pride.

I cannot even begin to comprehend the internal struggle of someone who is gay, for our culture is still deeply prejudiced against same-gender loving people. And what is the gravest sin, in my opinion, is that people of faith have often led this charge, doing great harm to a people who God created to be that way.

God does not make mistakes. Period.

It wasn’t that long ago that gays had to suffer through “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and indeed, it is still very tough to be gay and in the military. But even so, I’ve often thought of a slogan for our church if we were targeting military gay folk.

Tired of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” at your church? Come to Hope United where you can be who God created you to be!

Click here to visit the Austin Pride website.

Let me end with a poem by Marianne Williamson, which seems to be fitting for Pride. 

Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be
     brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you NOT to be?
You are a child of God.  Your playing small
     does not serve the World.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that
     other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God
     that is within us.
It is not just in some of us;
     it is in everyone.
As we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously
     give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
     our presence automatically liberates others.
 

For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. -Galatians 3:26-28

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United's website.