October 1, 2006

Mindekirken October 1, 2006
Pastor Per Inge Vik

It is fascinating to follow Mark’s gospel consecutively from Sunday to Sunday, as we do this year. If I have got it correctly, we will read Luke next year in our services. This is a new, and a very positive experience to me as a preacher— that we systematically are following the Bible text consecutively. In Norway we have lectionaries that do not follow the Biblical chronology, and rarely does one Sunday have any connection to the next one.

Last Sunday, we heard Jesus taking a child, lifting it up as a model for us adults. A model for our relationship to God. Specifically that we are totally dependent upon God, just as a little child is dependent upon those who take care of it. Further, the child is a model to us when it comes to how we meet God. A child meets its surroundings with confidence.

As we this Sunday continue our reading, I imagine that this child still is present, in the midst of the disciples, as Jesus continues: whosoever put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me. These words are to the point today as we have welcomed Riordan Andreas for baptism in our service. Please notice Jesus words one of these little ones who believe in me.

Some Christians have the opinion that a little child is not able to believe, so baptism has to wait until the child can understand and express its faith by its own words. Those who have this attitude, will have a problem, meeting the text today.

As we touched upon last Sunday, also an adult is unable by his or her own efforts to believe. In fact, it takes a miracle to create faith in Jesus! God performs this miracle. We can not direct Him. But when God's word is heard, and His Spirit works, then faith is created, when he wants, and as he wants.

This miracle of faith can come to a child as well as to an adult. In fact, faith has easier access into a child’s heart than to an adult’s! Because we have habituated a sense of scepticism and criticism, which certainly has its value in many situations in our lives. But scepticism has nothing to do with our relationship to God! When Jesus here says one of these little ones who believe in me, then he qualifies and includes the child in the fellowship of faith.

But, we human beings often do the opposite. We tend to disqualify and exclude, as does John here. He doesn't like a person not belonging to their group, doing a miracle in Jesus' name. And he wants to hinder him. Imagine, he dislikes someone doing good deeds! So narrow minded... He wanted to introduce copyright on benefactions in Jesus' name. But the Master friendly teaches his disciple: whoever is not against us, is for us.

Next, a pressing question today is: What in the Bible is to be taken literally, and what is figuratively meant? As Jesus tells us to cut off hands and feet, and tear out our eyes if they cause us to stumble, should that be taken literally? Of course not. What Jesus wants to say, is that in the moment of stumbling, we should be on the alert. As the devil is tempting, we should "cut off" already at the stage of the thought. We ought to be radical. The word radical comes from the latin "radix" which means "root". Let us grab evil by its root.

As God offers us his gift, wanting to give us eternal life, then let nothing, whatsoever, hinder it! We should be on the alert when our evil enemy leads us into temptation. Before the impulse becomes action, before the thought comes out as word, then "cut it off" already at the stage of the thought. Paul reminds us in the letter to the Ephesians chapter 6 about the weapons of the Spirit that we can use, fighting against temptation, and that we do so in prayer.

Let me tell about something that happened on Thursday, as this sermon was being prepared. That day my mother turned 91 years of age. I called Norway to congratulate her. She has a lot of pain, so the conversations with her always have to be short. But I read for her the portion from the Bible that I found in my Norwegian Plan for daily reading, that we use at breakfast in our home in St Anthony Village.

It was these words from Isaiah chapter 55 that went to my old mother from the "Nynorsk Bible" through the telephone line across the Atlantic ocean (v 8-11): For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As I was reading, I felt as if she ate the words, and was nourished by them. In her body she is fragile, but spiritually she day by day is being renewed by God's word. Strengthened to the service of intercession that she is performing, and as she has done for so many, many years. Now she thinks that the only task she has is to intercede. And that God lets her live because of that, in spite of her pain.

She is an intercessor for the whole family, and for the whole town. And people know that. She tells with confidence to those she meets, that she prays for them. In that way, she gets close to them. Many people get tears in their eyes when they are told that she intercedes for them.

It was not easy for my mother that we left her behind and went to America, because had we lived so close to each other. We could visit her almost every day. But fortunately, prayer knows no borders. It is one of the "Blest ties that bind our hearts in Christian love" (LBW 370).

The original English text and American tune that we will sing as a closing hymn today was first translated to a Nordic language by the Icelander Fridrik Fridrikson. Subsequently it came in Norwegian the year I was born, in 1951.

This hymn was sung at the "Farewell service" at the end of August, as my family and I left for Minneapolis. It is also meaningful to sing it here today. Let us tie the ties between brothers and sisters belonging to Christ. Be it in Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finnland or the USA. It was so nice to have this procession of flags today. In spite of different languages and wide geographic distances, God’s people all over the world are one in Christ.

Today he asks us to be at peace with one another. Let us not condemn, but accept and include. In his "High-priestly intercession" Christ prays that we may be one (John 17,11), as they are one, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church ·  924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 ·  (612)874-0716