IF YOU HAVE JESUS IN YOUR HEART, NOTIFY YOUR FACE

My heart is filled with gratitude this morning..gratitude to God...gratitude to all of you for coming. Every one of you have touched my life and impacted my soul in unique ways and varying degrees, going to back 25 years. Each of you have a special place of joy and affection in my heart. And I thank you all for coming today, to bless me and this church as we transition to a new phase.

After selecting me, the search committee gave a report to the church board. They wrote:

Finding the right man for the job has been a laborious process. We interviewed the following candidates, and checked their references. Here is our confidential report.
 
ABRAHAM: Good man but he was accused of child abuse. He also lied to authorities that his wife was his sister.

MOSES: A modest and meek man, but poor communicator; even stamers a little. Sometimes blows his stack and acts rashly in business meetings. Some say he left an earlier church over a murder charge.

DAVID: The most promising leader of all until we discovered the affair he had with his neighbor's wife.

SOLOMON: Great preacher, a wise man, but serious woman problem.

JONAH: Told us he was swallowed up by a fish. He said the fish spit him out on the shore near here. We hung up.

JOHN: Says he is a Baptist, but doesn't dress like one.  May be too Pentecostal. Tends to lift both hands in the air to worship when he gets excited. Sleeps outdoors, has a weird diet, and provokes denominational leaders.

PETER: Too blue collar. Has a bad temper, even said to have cursed. He's a
loose cannon.

PAUL VELIYATHIL: He is from India. He is a hospice chaplain; Totally bald. His wife is nice.

We recommend him. Besides, from the above list, he is the only one alive.

So here I am one flawed human being, standing in the shadow of the giants of salvation history. Despite their perceived weakness and shadow side, God sleeted them and used them to accomplish God's purposes for humanity.

So it is with deep humility and a little trepidation that I assume my role today as interim minister of this church today. What gives me strength is that God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called.

I thank the search committee for choosing me, the church board for approving me and the congregation for accepting me...at least for now. Who knows what the level of acceptance will be down down the road? I have heard stories of congregations turning against the pastor few months after calling him. That happens because churches often insist on denominational rigidity, and resist trying new ways of being church. Such thinking brings churches to the level of worldly entities like a city hall, or a condo board. I am grateful that our church is nothing like that. We have a wonderful congregation that is open to change and growth.

I believe that church should be a place of joy and laughter and unity in Christ. We have enough worries and cares, divisions and disharmony out there in the world. I intend to build a congregation of joyful people, who can experience the peace and joy of Christ, a peace that can transcend the troubles of the world, a joy that can supersede the sorrows of life.

A joyful congregation does not mean a group of silly people goofing around. It does not mean that we don't take the gospel seriously or live our lives intentionally. Just the opposite. A joyful congregation is the replica of the kingdom of heaven on earth. I like to dispel the misguided notion that we have to die before we can experience heaven. In that scenario, life before death is felt as a chore and a struggle, joylessly carried out in the valley of tears. In such a life, the promise of Jesus that he came that we may have life and have it abundantly is not appropriated at all.

Jesus' first miracle was at a wedding feast where he changed water into wine so that people can have a good time. The kingdom of God is about joy and happiness and fun and celebration. And we should not wait to have all that after we die and go to a far away location beyond the clouds. Jesus came to earth so that we can and should have it now, during our earthly life. It was in his birth announcement. The angel said to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy.”

That is what apostle Paul reminds us in today's reading: He says, “rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice. Do not be anxious about anything.” Is it possible that we have not believed in the good news?

One of the signs that you are a joyful person is that there is a smile on your face. Your face is the window of your soul. If your soul is at peace, it will show up on your face. I have seen church members walking around with serious faces, worrying about the salvation of non-Christians or, judging those who don't attend church. They are concerned about doing church rather than being church. In church circles, they are called the frozen chosen.

We don't want to be such a church. That is why today's message is titled “If you have Jesus in your heart, notify your face.” SMILE, is acronym for Soul Manifesting Its Life Energy.

A lack of smile on your face is a pretty good indication that your soul is dormant or absent. That is why you never see a dead person smile because the soul has departed. I walk into funeral homes few times a week, and when I approach an open casket, I look, but has never seen the person lying in it smile. They look so serious. That is where the phrase “dead serious” comes from.

So don't take yourself too seriously. GK Chesterton said that angels can fly because they take themselves lightly. If you can smile, a lot of life situations will become less stressful. For example, you cannot smile and be angry at the same time. You cannot smile and shoot another human being. You cannot smile and yell at somebody at the same time. You cannot smile and be afraid at the same time. A wise man once said that “If you are not using your smile, you're like someone with a million dollars in the bank and no check book.”

One place you don't smile is when you go through airport security. The facial recognition technology doesn't want you to smile because, when you smile 43 muscles on your face will move, which will make it hard to match your face with the photo on your passport, which by law, has to be a non-smiling photo. So it is a security issue. And security is always about fear..fear of terrorism.

So don't smile when you go thru TSA checkpoints. You won't anyway, because you are tense and scared. But please don't live a TSA life. In this case, TSA stands for Tense&Scared Always.

I believe laughter is an important sign of spiritual health. “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” says proverbs 17.22. “Laughter is wine for the soul, a hilarious declaration made by man that life is worth living,”said Lord Byron. According to theologian, Karl Barth, “Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God.”According to cultural anthropologist Mahadeve Apte “laughter occurs when people are comfortable with one another, when they feel open and free. And the more laughter there is the more bonding occurs within the group.” So I envision joy and laughter as a hallmark of our congregation. For starters, let me tell you the story of a new pastor.

It was his first Sunday at an aging congregation. He told them that, instead of wine, he would be using prune juice for Holy Communion. When asked why he would do that, he said,"If the Holy Spirit won't move you--the prune juice will!"

I won't do anything like that. But I have plans to do a lot of other things during my term as interim minister. But before I get to that, let me share with you what brought me to this moment.

As most of you know, I was a catholic priest for 13 years. I got married in 1988 which I was not supposed to do. Our 30^th wedding anniversary is coming up and Judy has asked for expensive diamonds. So I need this job. Just kidding.

When I got married, I was kicked out of the church because priesthood and wife are not compatible. I blame Judy for tempting me and getting me out of priesthood. No, I am kidding again. She tells me that she did me a favor by getting me out of there. What I missed the most about leaving priesthood was that I lost the privilege to preach and teach. I was depressed. There is a saying that “you can take a man out of priesthood, but you cannot take the priesthood out of a man.” We attended some local churches but no pastor would give me a chance to preach. But this church was different.

16 years ago Judy and I walked into this church with our two boys, Johnny and Tommy. We were welcomed with a warm embrace and we felt instantly at home. I liked the name of the church—Disciples of Christ—a name that is scriptural, inclusive and devoid of denominational divisions. This church is the best kept secret in Corals Springs, and I hope to change that.

Another thing that attracted me to this church is the vision of its founders. Barton Stone and Thomas Campbell, who lived in the 19^th century were both Presbyterian ministers. They became frustrated with the tribal rigidity of their denomination, and started a reform movement and called it the 2^nd reformation. Barton Stone had a following in Kentucky and Thomas Campbell had one in Pennsylvania. The two groups joined forces and founded the Disciples Church.

What fascinates me is that how these two men agreed to join together. They did it with a gentleman's hand shake. There were no elaborate discussions about rules and regulations, rituals and rubrics or creed. As a matter of fact, this church has no official creed. “No Creed but Christ” is the phrase that rings across the history of this church. The bible is taken seriously but not literally. It is not faith in the book that we hold, but faith in God as revealed through the book.

Stone and Campbell decided that the one principle that should guide the life and deliberations of the Disciples Church should be this: “In essentials unity, in non essentials liberty, and in all things charity.” I like that.

So I liked the people of this church, the name of this church, the theology of this church and its guiding principle. It was a perfect fit. So during our second visit, we placed membership.

A month after that, Pastor Craig asked me, “Paul would you like to preach?” I could not believe my ears. So I asked him if he needed permission from the pope of his church to let me preach, and he said: “I am the pope here.” But I said, I am a married priest, I have a wife and kids. And he said, that is great. You can keep the wife and start preaching. Judy was relieved. I was delighted. I am eternally grateful to Pastor Craig for his graciousness and generosity.

During the past few weeks, some friends have asked me why do I want this job. One person told me it is more difficult than I think. People are needy. Church board members can be critical of every move you make and unforgiving of your shortcomings. When the honeymoon ends, approbation will become aggravation and adulation will turn into tribulation. You are retirement age. Why don't you get Medicare, collect Social Security and go to the beach on Sunday mornings. Besides, churches are getting empty or being closed everywhere.

I told him that members of RPCC are the nicest people I have met. The board here is the best. They will treat me nice. Right? But seriously, why do I need this job when I have an amazing job as a hospice chaplain? First of all, I don't see it as a job, and secondly, I don't need it. It is a passion.

My friend is right. Every year, about 4000 churches are being closed in the United States. Half of the churches in the US did not add any new members in the last two years. Each year, nearly 3 million previous church goers join the ranks of “religiously unaffiliated.” About 40% of the millennial describe themselves as “nones.” Religion is waning, churches are closing and the faithful are floundering.

It doesn't have to be that way.

While the number of people affiliated with religion has diminished, the number of people believing in God has not. Similarly, while the number of people attending church has declined, their love for Jesus has not. Why?

THEY LIKE JESUS BUT NOT THE CHURCH, a book by Dan Kimbal explains this phenomenon well.

I think the image of God/Jesus/heaven/hell/salvation/prayer, etc. and the identity and role of the christian, portrayed in churches are not appealing to the people of the 21^st century? I like to change that without compromising the message.

The traditional Christian narrative is about a God who is separate from us, who lives in heaven which is a location beyond the clouds. We are created to praise, worship and obey that God. We are born with original sin. As humans, we are unworthy, weak, and wretched. God sent his only son to die for our sins, and to grant us eternal life in heaven, after we die. He saves only those who confess his name. This Jesus is now sitting at the right hand of God, and would come again as a triumphant king to take into heaven those who are “born again” and the rest will be dispatched into hell where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This narrative fosters a self-loathing, breast-beating religious portrait, a spiritually-slouchy selfie, coupled with a heart-sinking feeling and a soul-searing experience of life. It postulates a needy god with a giant ego that has to be stroked with sublime songs, an angry god that needs to be appeased with the blood of his son, a stingy god from whom blessings have to be slavishly beseeched. That narrative sounds like “good news” to me.

However, the good news about God, and Jesus and us is nothing like that! Is it possible that most Christians don't even know what the good news is about? Our country is 80 percent christian. That is nearly 250 million Christians. Had that many people lived the good news of Jesus, this country would be heaven on earth. But we know, it is anything but heaven these days.

I have explored this issue in detail in my book titled, WHY GOOD NEWS PEOPLE LIVE BAD NEWS LIVES.

The new narrative is focused on the life of Jesus rather than the death of Jesus. It is about following Jesus rather than admiring him, and about witnessing to Jesus than worshiping him. It is more about transformation into Christ during this life, rather than salvation through him in after-life.

The new narrative is about empowering our minds, enriching our souls and enhancing our lives based on the awareness of the divine within. It is about experiencing the intimate impact of the Image of God on a cellular level. It is about the exciting and life-changing discovery of the “hidden treasure” and “fine pearls” that Jesus talks about regarding the Kingdom God.

The good news about the new narrative is that it is not “new” at all. It is as old as the bible. It is contained in the bible. Once again, the key is to discover it and shape our lives based on that narrative.

It can be an exciting faith journey that will liberate us from merely meandering through the meaningless monotony of a largely lethargic life. It will awaken us from the slumbering state of a wonder-less wanderer to the magical mind of a marveling mystic. It will empower us to experience the abundant life that Jesus promised.

In the coming weeks and months, I invite you join me in a spiritual adventure, to be transformed by Christ-consciousness, and to become the best version of ourselves.

To be open to the surprises of an amazing God who can work wonders through his people.

I invite you to build a spiritual community tethered together in God's love, to create a “slice of heaven” in Coral Springs.