Sermons

First Christian Church

“Down to Earth”

Colossians 1:11-20

We can think of this text as a magnificent pronouncement of a celestial Christ who is both transcendent meaning he's not subject to the limitations of a material world but is also quite practical.

Colossains is one of the four letters of Paul that were written while he was in prison. Imagine a lonely cell where he's working hard to keep the early church on track. But he really wasn't alone in that his spirit was often uplifted by the prayers and affections of the many relationships he'd made during his ministry.

Some theologians believe that the “prison letters” which are those written to the believers in Colossae, Philippi, Ephesus and to a wealthy Christian named Philemon (Fill-lee-mon) are the most valuable of all Paul's writings. They argue that the isolation and hardship resulting from confinement helped to clarify and deepen his convictions of what was worth suffering and even dying for.

Early on in the text Paul informs the faithful that they've been delivered from the dominion of darkness by their entrance into the kingdom of God. The next verse explains what that dominion of darkness is by telling them that in Christ they have redemption in the forgiveness of their sins. So, it's all about sin which comes in various shapes and sizes but can be aptly described with one word...selfishness.

Following this the text moves into what can be described as a cosmic Christ hymn. To quickly summarize the “hymn” we can say Christ was with the Father during the creation of the universe. Christ is the head of the Church and “in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” Everything in existence is bound together in Christ. Therefore, he wants to “...reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of the cross.”

The ending to the “hymn” is important because it brings a balance to it in describing the attributes of the cosmic Christ in comparison with the down-to-earth Jesus who showed us The Way to salvation by dying upon a cross. Salvation is reached by going beyond the material world, but the route taken is the road less traveled which often involves dying to our own sinful, selfish tendencies.

Some time ago I told you about making the switch from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and needing to call my tech support guy, Dan, back in Lancaster, California because my screen went black. He walked me through the solution and I haven't had any problems since. While we were catching up he told me about watching a program on You Tube about a woman that rides a motorcycle by herself all over the world.

Being a former motorcycle rider, I was intrigued by what he told me and since have discovered the program and watch it on occasion before Karen gets up in the morning. She simply amazes me as she rides through countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kenya and Guatemala. Some of the countries are basically police states and in Afghanistan she is frequently stopped by the Taliban.

She rides her motorcycle through the deserts and over the mountains on roads that are at times barely passable. In Africa she's been stuck in mud and she's been stranded in the desert in Morocco due to engine problems and sometimes the police in places like Iraq are less than cordial. I've seen her anxious and afraid and confused but most of the time she's just happy as a lark.

Her lifestyle is made up of one adventure after the other and where most of us would be reluctant to ride into the unknown she seems to thrive on it. She clearly doesn't look at the world the way most of us do and in every difficult situation she encounters someone is there to help her. Whether that's being stuck in the mud or her engine malfunctions or the police become unreasonable a resolution is always found, and she continues on her way.

She has no support staff with her. The help always comes from the people she encounters on the road. To do what she's doing would require her to constantly put her worrisome, selfish concerns aside to trust in the people she encounters and in her own inherent abilities. To put it succinctly, she has replaced self-focus with selflessness. And she's not just talking about but is living it out on camera in a down-to-earth way for the whole world to see.

She reminds me of Jesus. Jesus was an itinerant preacher who went from village to town to city caring for those he encountered, but he was also cared for. People fed him and though I can only think of one instance where someone helped Jesus surely people gave him assistance from time to time. That one instance recorded where someone helped him is when Simon of Cyrene (Sigh-reen-ee) carries his cross to Golgotha.

For the woman on the motorcycle (just to emphasize her selflessness she never says her name nor are there any credits, but her name is Noraly “Nor-rah-lee” Schoenmaker “Shoemaker” and she's Dutch) to be as selfless as she is requires having a particular worldview. The phrase that comes to mind is “careless in the care of God” (Matthew 6:26; The Message Bible). That phrase is used in context with Jesus describing how we're surrounded, at all times, by the grace of God. That amounts to a religious/spiritual worldview that ultimately determines how you feel about life on this planet.

Her worldview results in a lifestyle that perfectly fits the phrase “careless in the care of God,” though I don't know if she'd use a term like grace. It doesn't really matter. What's important is how she is living her life not what she may or may not say. It's apparent she feels like she's being taken care of which results in people actually caring for her. The way she's looking at things helps create a reality of goodness and grace.

Father Rohr can add to this with the following excerpt where he describes what he calls an “operative worldview:”

We would do well to get in touch with our own operative worldview. It is there anyway, so we might as well know what this highly influential window on reality is. It's what really motivates us. Our de facto worldview determines what catches our attention and what we don't notice at all. It's largely unconscious and yet it drives us to do this and not that. It is surely important to become conscious of such a primary lens, or we will never know what we don't see and why we see other things out of all perspective.

Until we can allow the gospel to move into that deepest level of the unconscious and touch our operative worldview, nothing substantial is going to change. It will only be rearranging the furniture, not constructing a new room. True conversion is about constructing a new room – maybe even a whole new house!

As already mentioned, the ending of our text has to do with not the celestial cosmic Christ but more so the practical, down-to-earth Jesus who the Father wants to achieve reconciliation of all things through. It sounds like this: “....and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of the cross.”

This is where the rubber hits the road because reconciliation (which means to make things compatible with one another) happens by confronting our own sins and by the power of God through Christ being forgiven for them. Forgiveness can occur after the sins are fully brought into our conscious awareness which is the purpose of confession.

To be fully aware of our sinful behaviors is difficult for a number of reasons including the fear of looking bad and therefore suffering rejection, doing damage to our own self-image, and creating disruption in our relationships. There is also often the threat of punishment which may depend largely on our childhood experiences of it. That's just a few of the reasons we hide from our sins. I might also add that any recognition of sin often reveals how much work needs to be done to reach a point of forgiveness.

Jesus showed us how to reach forgiveness by the blood of the cross. We have to become as vulnerable as he was willing to do, and though this doesn't mean literally being crucified it does mean dying to ways we attempt to protect ourselves. How many times have you heard or said it yourself that “I'm a good person.” What's good in us is God and that's who we've got to get to. Real forgiveness happens when you allow the sin to come to the surface – recognize it – and accept Christ's forgiveness.

The pattern that the spiritually mature person learns to follow sounds like this:

Name it – Claim it – Tame it – Aim it.

To Name it and Claim it means to see the sinful behavior in yourself (not is someone else) and identify it as yours. They do this in AA when they introduce themselves by name followed by the words: “...and I'm an alcoholic.” In this case, the sinful behavior is alcoholism. To Tame it means to take away its potency by bringing it out of hiding and Aiming it means to finally let it go by giving it to God.

This whole process sounds simple when put into words, but a lot of sinful behavior has its origin in childhood. Therefore, it's both buried deep and consequently surrounded by layers of defense mechanisms like denial and blaming others for the bad things we do. It often takes years of therapy, journal work and prayer to let go of these defense mechanisms.

Frankly, I don't think it's possible to be healed and made whole without the forgiveness of God. It's the power of the Holy Spirit that can keep us moving into the darkness until the light of Christ illuminates our deepest, darkest recesses. But all things become possible with God!

Rev. Mitch Becker

November 23, 2025

Port Angeles

First Christian Church

“Shocking News”

Luke 21:5-19

The setting is the Temple which has recently been refurbished by Herod and it's magnificent! It has taken eighty years to complete and with the new foundational walls it has been greatly expanded. He had enlisted the best artisans in town using the finest materials including white marble and purple Babylonian tapestries to veil the entrance. The icing on the cake was the gold- and silver-plated gates with gold-plated doors on the inside. Herod spared no expense!

The people are admiring all of this pomp and circumstance when Jesus delivers the shocking news – the Temple will soon be completely destroyed! Can you imagine how this made God's people feel? Why would something that was so costly and had taken so long to complete be destroyed?

One thing of note is the initial response of the people which is not a question about how this terrible thing is going to happen but rather when its going to happen. This attests to the faith they had in Jesus not questioning the ways and means the destruction would occur only when it was going to take place. If Jesus says it it's a done deal!

Though they had unwavering faith in him it's apparent he didn't want them to share this faith with whomever came in his name. Jesus warns of false prophets. Not everyone is going to be who they claim to be. Though the warning focuses on false prophets it can apply to any of our relationships. The Holy Spirit is designed to help us with such discernment.

The Temple was destroyed as Jesus predicted in 70AD but on the whole both Judaism and Christianity have continued to flourish throughout the centuries in different regions and localities. Though we are witnessing a decline in denominations by the power of the Spirit Christianity continues to live and grow in new forms and new places. Our task is to discern what the Spirit would have us do in this time and place.

Christianity is one of the major religions in the world and though we don't experience much in the way of persecution it does still occur. Jesus tells his followers they'll be persecuted for their faith. A predominate time of persecution in our country was during the civil rights era. As both black and white people attempted to speak truth to power and hold our country to its written commitments concerning freedom for all.

The result was costly for many and what made their effort especially significant was they not only held the powers that be responsible for written values but also attempted to hold a “Christian nation” accountable for its professed loyalty to the faith.

As a child I used to ride my bike to Freeway Lakes which are three lakes that were formally gravel pits that are filled with water from a stream. One Saturday I rode to the lakes with a friend of mine and upon arrival we found a raft made of two large logs tied together. We paddled the raft to the middle of the second lake and basked in the sun jumping off it from time to time.

After a while we were joined by three other kids though these kids were of high school age. They climbed unto the raft and began to jump off it and rock it back and forth so violently it was hard to stay on it. My friend, Wayne, was overweight and was struggling to climb back onto the raft. He was getting very tired which I pointed out to the older kids who simply ignored me.

I was getting worried about Wayne because he was too big for me to pull up onto the raft. I decided to swim for shore and confiscate an air mattress and paddle back to save Wayne. I made it to shore and explained to another child that I needed the air mattress to save my friend. They let me have it and I paddled back as quickly as I could.

When I arrived at the raft Wayne was still holding on while the older kids continued to rock it with joyful abandonment. Wayne grabbed the air mattress and we paddled back to shore. Until that day I didn't know I could swim that far! Bullying is a form of persecution though it generally happens between peers, but it does involve repeated mistreatment and, in this case, rendered Wayne, and to an extent me, as victims.

After the revelation of earthquakes and famines Jesus tells the disciples about the persecution that is coming: “But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake.”

This form of persecution has to do with systematic mistreatment and its source is people's religious convictions. Our religion is widely accepted, or perhaps tolerated is a more apt term, in our culture. But in other cultures such as in North Korea, China, Nigeria, Pakistan and Syria, just to name a few, persecution of Christians manifests itself in various ways. Sometimes its expressed as some form of economic marginalization or job discrimination. More violently there are forced conversions that take place and abductions and church vandalism.

The worst persecution I ever experienced took place in my first senior pastorate in Red Bluff. There I was the victim of a satanic cult that would threaten me over the phone. The most troubling calls would come just prior to worship on Sunday's, and this went on for well over a year. I worked with the phone company and the police, but my efforts had little effect until one day the calls just stopped.

This form of persecution was troubling in a couple of ways. The threats were of a personal nature concerning my well-being and credibility as a Christian minister. It was also immensely frustrating because I couldn't find an effective way to put it to an end. I simply had to learn to live with it which I accomplished through a combination of prayer and journal work.

The persecution finally contributed to my own spiritual growth. It became a catalyst for inner development. As scripture tells us: “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.” (James 1:2-3; The Message Bible)

To further expound on this, I offer the words of Eilas (Ee-lie-us) Chacour (Shah-core) a Palestinian Arab Israeli former archbishop who interprets the Beatitudes with Jesus' language in the Aramaic. It renders them differently than we're used to and at the same time he reminds us that the Bible is a translation of a translation.

The situation he creates is how would he explain the Beatitudes to a persecuted Palestinian refugee. He says he would share the Aramaic translation with the refugee and it would sound like this:

Get up, go ahead, do something, move, you who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for you shall be satisfied.

Get up, go ahead, do something, move, you peacemakers, for you shall be called children of God.

To me this reflects Jesus' words and teachings much more accurately. I can hear him saying, “Get your hands dirty to build a human society for human beings, otherwise, others will torture and murder the poor, the voiceless, and the powerless.”

Christianity is not passive but active, energetic, alive, going beyond despair. “Get up, go ahead, do something, move.” Jesus said to his disciples.

When we first began in ministry here at FCC Port Angeles the church was in the middle of COVID and was in a protracted state of dormancy. Relative to that, today the church is remarkably active with hardly a week that passes without some type of progressive activity. Last week Roger N., Jeremiah and Jacob were here doing work on the roof and landscaping.

This type of work contributes to the maintenance of the building but also speaks to anyone who drives by that these people care about their facility. It sends a message of self-care and in that sense is evangelical. If you drive by in the evening you'll most likely see an NA meeting going on, and something I'm excited about is Jo brought food for the Blessing Box last Sunday. This church has surpassed the dormancy stage and is always moving into further mission and maintenance of the facility.

I know how quickly things can change in a church. The church in Red Bluff quickly grew by 17 new members. When I first arrived there wasn't much going on but within a year and a half there were new members joining established committees and one of them preaching from the pulpit in my absence. The very organizational framework of the church began to change so rapidly that the powers-that-be had to eliminate the pastor to put the kibosh on the change!

The women in the church at Shadyside, Ohio one day decided to serve a lunch meal to high school kids. Sometimes there were only a few kids who came for lunch and other times the basement was full of kids. With mission activity like that you never know how you're impacting those who respond. What we did know is we had high school kids under the roof of the church once a week where we could minister to them by feeding them and spending precious time in conversation.

The lunch to the high school children wasn't my idea. It just appeared by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because of experiences like this I know how quickly things can change for a church. Don't ever underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit to bring about change in the name of Jesus Christ and for the sake of the kingdom of God.

Rev. Mitch Becker

November 16, 2025

Port Angeles

First Christian Church

“Temple Mending”

Haggai 2:1-9

The prophet Haggai (Hag-guy) has a different presentation from the other prophets but like Jeremiah and Ezekiel he is concerned with the remnant left in Jerusalem following the Babylonian exile. His focus is upon the restoration of the Temple which is sometimes referred to as the “house.”

Though all the prophets have a concern for the common good typically in terms of highlighting injustices like the mistreatment of widows and orphans, Haggai promotes the common good via the Temple. This only makes sense when we consider the Temple as the institution at the center of Israelite life. We can think of the two people he is encouraging, Zerubbabel (Za-rube-bah-bell) and Joshua as social and civic leaders in the community. This encouragement takes the form of a pep talk, and he also reminds them of God's constant presence.

As God's people remained true to the covenant the Lord led them through the wilderness to the Promised Land where they were blessed with prosperity. What has happened is they've wandered away from the covenant due to widespread individualism which has left the Temple in ruins. Here we can consider the Temple as a symbol for the nation as a whole. The plan the prophet submits involves the remnant working together to restore the Temple.

Also important to recognize is the presence of the “Spirit” which we can take to be the same “Spirit” that led them through the wilderness. God says that his Spirit “abides with them” and it is this Spirit that will lead them in restoring the Temple and by extension the nation.

Toward the end of the text a notion of prosperity becomes prominent with images of silver and gold and some kind of dramatic act of God that finally results in prosperity for the common good. That's important to note – that the prosperity is not for individuals, but more so connotes the restoration of the nation of Israel.

The Book of Haggai applies to our present cultural struggle where the common good has been in decline for some time. Inequality in society between the poor and the rich has been increasing for the last four decades. To expound on this I quote the author of the commentary I most relied upon, Garrett Galvin:

This (social inequality) has led to a (breakdown) of compromise in the public square, a fraying social fabric, and a descent into cultural narcissism....(But) this passage offers hope for the future. Haggai offers encouraging words by looking to the past as a sign of things to come. When Israel ordered its life in accordance with God's wishes, God altered the balance of power and riches among the nations to the advantage of Israel.

The prophet has a lot of work to do trying to bring these rugged individualist together on the same page to rebuild the Temple. It reminds me of a former General Minister and President of our denomination, Dick Hamm, who characterized leading Disciples akin to trying to herd cats. If you have a cat, you know how independent they can be.

It also brings to mind my experience of trying to lead South Tacoma Christian Church back in the 90's. I tried to create community every chance I got as a pastor and a preacher, but no matter what I did I couldn't get the ruling family on board. There was one family that the church revolved around. It took a good ten years out of seminary before I learned the politics of pastoring.

They don't teach that in seminary – you learn it in the field by trial and error. This is why they say if you can endure the first seven years as a parish pastor you may have a future in ministry. We don't know how many mistakes and the number of trials and tribulations Haggai had to endure. Haggai comes with a message of encouragement attempting to bring the people together to accomplish a task.

What could be interesting to explore is how both Haggai and Jesus encouraged people to move forward to accomplish tasks. Haggai's task is to rebuild the Temple. Another way to say it is he wants to revamp the religious/spiritual lives of the people of Judah, and the Temple serves as a symbol of what needs to be improved upon.

Jesus also wants to revamp the religious/spiritual lives of his people and he does this most notably with a restructuring of the Ten Commandments. That restructuring we refer to as the Beatitudes found at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. Essentially, Jesus is the new Moses who goes up onto the mountain to teach his disciples: Following is how Matthew begins the Sermon on the Mount: “Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him.” (Matthew 5:1)

Jesus has taken the Ten Commandments and revamped them, so they apply to what he calls the kingdom of God. They're not something entirely new – they're revamped, and in this way new and improved. In a few minutes when we receive communion it will be called the New Covenant.

This is similar to what Haggai is doing. He has to make the connection to the old Temple before he encourages them to revamp it to create a new and improved Temple. Here's how it's said: “Is there anyone here who saw the Temple the way it used to be, all glorious. And what do you see now? Not much, right? So, get to work Zerubbabel! God is speaking. Get to work, Joshua son of Jehozadak – high priest! Get to work, all you people! – God is speaking.”

So, you see them making the connections: Jesus with Moses and the Ten Commandments and Haggai with the old Temple. You have to connect to the past before you can move forward into the future. There is however an important difference between what Haggai is trying to accomplish and what Jesus is attempting. Jesus is trying to move people onto a path that provides entrance into the kingdom of God.

What Haggai is doing is trying to get the people of Judah to be more deeply devoted to Yahweh. He wants their spirituality to be more sincere and therefore more productive and motivating. Jesus is aiming at a total conversion experience because that's what the kingdom of God requires. Here's how Father Rohr puts it:

In his teaching, and in the Sermon on the Mount in particular, Jesus critiques and reorders the values of his culture from the bottom up. He “betrays” the prevailing institutions of family, religion, power, and resource control by his loyalty to another world vision, which he calls the reign of God. Such loyalty costs him general popularity, the support of the authorities, immense inner agony, and finally his own life.

By putting the picture in the largest possible frame, he calls into question all similar frames and invites his hearers into a radical transformation of consciousness. Many were not ready for it – nor are many of us today. To understand the Sermon on the Mount, we need to clarify where Jesus is leading us:

It's not to the old self on the old path, which would be non-conversion and non-enlightenment.

It's not the old self on a new path, which is where most religion begins and ends. It involves new behavior, new language, and practices that are sincere, but the underling myth/worldview/motivation and goals are never really changed. My anger, fear, and ego are merely transferred to now defend my idea of God or religion.

Jesus is leading us to the new self on a new path, which is the total transformation of consciousness, worldview, motivation, goals, and rewards that characterize one who loves and is loved by God.

Father Rohr describes “most religion” as beginning and ending with your old self on a new path and that perfectly illustrates my conversion to Christianity. I spent much of my time as a “born again” Pentecostal Christian defending my idea of who I thought God was and how that took shape in my newfound Christian worldview.

My self-righteous defensiveness led to arguments and division with both friends and family and sometimes complete strangers. I literally made my sister miserable relentlessly sharing my new convictions amply seasoned with “Christian love.” It's no surprise that many people hate Christians or refuse to acknowledge their existence. The old self upon a new path simply doesn't work, and often times is a detriment to everything we're trying to do that's good and right.

What does work is the “new self on a new path” and we travel the new path by faking it until we make it! This means often swimming against the current of cultural norms and common expectations. It means facing our fears walking through them with Christ as our guide and companion.

At the most recent No King's demonstration I wore the red stole that I typically wear on Pentecost. I wasn't sure what was going to happen. Would people notice it? Would people object to it? Would it make me a target for someone to express their hostility toward? All I knew going into the demonstration is that something in me wholeheartedly resisted wearing it.

What I experienced were several people acknowledging me and the stole with words of appreciation and thanksgiving. As if wearing the stole somehow added credibility to them being there and perhaps to the event itself. My personal experience was it made me feel alone and set apart now representing something much greater than myself. I felt like I was in over my head, but at the same time as if I was doing something necessary and important.

No one hit me and for the most part I felt affirmed and supported, yet at the same time quite lonely. I imagine Jesus felt the same way. His family thought he'd lost his mind, and, in the end, his own people cried out for his execution. Picking up your own cross is a lonely business, but it is The Way that leads to the “life abundant.” (John 10:10)

Rev. Mitch Becker

November 9, 2025

Port Angeles

First Christian Church

“Wee Little Man”

Luke 19:1-10

This morning, we find Jesus entering the ancient city of Jericho and the crowds have turned out to see him. The crowds are to the extent that wee little Zacchaeus can't see over them and has to climb a tree. From this vantage point he can catch a glimpse of the famous prophet.

It brings to mind the time I asked Muhammad Ali for his autograph. He came to Albany, Oregon drumming up interest in feeding the poor in Africa and there were so many people around him I couldn't get to him. Finally, when he finished signing autographs he got back into his limo. So, I stuck my head through the open window extending my notebook with the back of my physics homework stretched out on it. He signed his autograph though I think he was a bit perturbed about it. It's probably not a good idea to get on the wrong side of Muhammad Ali but I knew I'd never have another chance.

Zacchaeus is not going to miss this opportunity to see the prophet, and, in his desperation, he climbs a tree. In this familiar story we know that he gets a lot more than he bargained for as Jesus tells him of his intention to stay as a guest.

Zacchaeus is not your run of the mill tax collector. He is the chief tax collector which means a couple things. First, he oversees the other tax collectors in the region and he's wealthy. The combination of him being rich as well as despised because of his profession amounts to him being a lost sheep. Actually, he's one of the most marginalized and despised of the rich!

But by the end of the story well see Jesus identifying Zacchaeus as of Jewish descent, and as Zacchaeus promises to reimburse those he's hurt he is welcomed into the fold of the kingdom of God. He was lost but now is found.

Also in the story we have people complaining about Jesus' association with sinners like this tax collector. This is a typical theme in the gospels but what's not typical about this story is it's the crowd that's complaining when usually it's the Pharisees and scribes that take exception.

Everyone who saw the incident (referring to Jesus revealing he'll be Zacchaeus' guest) was indignant and grumped, “What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?” This is only one verse in the entire text but its an important one because it illustrates a frequent spiritual error, and in this case, made by common folk.

We can almost see these people pointing their fingers at Jesus as they accuse him of associating with a sinner using a clearly judgmental term, “crook.” Their error is not explicit but is more so implied because as they point their finger they have three other fingers pointing right back at them. Judgmental accusations are always incriminating for the person doing the judging. That's why the scriptures say:

Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. (Romans 2:1; The Message Bible)

To further illustrate the pitfalls of being judgmental here's a story:

This takes place in Memphis last summer on Monday (Moral Monday as they called it) of the the four day General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Karen and I decided to walk down Main Street from the convention center to see if we could find somewhere to eat. It wasn't long before we came across a sandwich shop that was similar to Subway Sandwiches.

On our way we passed people gathering in front of a performing arts center and it was apparent something important was going to happen. On our return trip we found a full-scale demonstration taking place with our General Minister and President Teri Hord Owens and none other than Bishop William Barber speaking to the crowd. We moved in closer to hear what was being said, and they were both taking turns talking about what they called the Big Bad Ugly Budget and about attacks upon immigrant communities.

I don't know if you've ever seen Bishop Barber. He is a huge man, and he walks with a lumbering gait because he has something called ankylosing (ang-kuh-low-sing) spondylitis (spawn-duh-light-us) which is an arthritis that causes inflammation and a fusion of the spine. It leads to pain, stiffness and a loss of flexibility in the neck, hips and spine. He walks with a cane and often requires help to do even simple things like to stand or sit down.

At this event when they finished speaking we began to march carrying a coffin to the adjacent government building. The point of the coffin was to show elected officials what the Big Bad Ugly Budget is doing to the poor in the country. And the government building is as far as Bishop Barber got! As we passed the entrance he was awkwardly sitting in a chair and supported by an assistant obviously in pain and overcome by the heat.

It was painful to see him in that condition and probably everyone was moved with a sense of empathy, but then again he is a perfect example of one of those people who on the outside are lacking in physical attractiveness, but on the inside possess an inner quality that becomes apparent when they speak or take action in the world.

I can imagine people, and especially those in opposition to him, looking at him through judgmental eyes saying, “How is this pitiful creature going to make any difference in the world?” But if you look at him, and listen to him, with the eyes and ears of faith he is profoundly inspirational, and you sense the hand of God is upon him.

Judgmentalism reveals an inner ugliness because as the scripture say we use it to avoid our own uncomfortable truths. We don't want to contend with our own inner ugliness because its scary and the deeper we go the more work that needs to be done. On top of that we've worked so hard at putting together an illusion that we're good people. Jesus is clear about this:

Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. (Mark 10:18)

What is good in us is God in us. God is below the illusion that we're good people and so it is below we must go! But it's a difficult journey which is why the scriptures say:

Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life – to God! – is vigorous and requires total attention. (Matthew 7:13-14; The Message Bible)

Last week during the Zoom meeting with the pastors we explored several topics including how to minister to elderly congregations. It turns out most of us have congregations made up of people in the winter or late winter of their life's. We talked about how such folks as this aren't climbing ladders of success any more. People are in retirement and have long ago raised their families.

I had to agree that our congregations are largely no longer climbing ladders of success or involved directly in family development, but my hope is that we're all climbing what we might call Jacob's ladder. If you'll recall Jacob's ladder proceeded from earth to heaven and the angels went to and fro on it. This is an apt metaphor for a spiritual ladder within each of us that we can travel to and fro between earth and heaven within.

What I'm getting at is there are a lot of ways to approach the story of Zacchaeus. Some preachers focus on his humility in where he is able to transcend his elevated social status to embrace The Christ, or another approach might be how one can be transformed through a personal encounter with Jesus, or how somebody demonstrates true repentance by changing their priorities in life. All of these approaches have merit and potential to edify.

My approach is to highlight the judgmental attitude of the crowd to show how we're all capable of making similar judgments about others. If we're so blessed that we're enabled to become aware of the judgments we make there are two choices which result. Either we can see such judgments and condemn ourselves for them or we can use them to go beyond and below to pass through the narrow gate as Jesus describes it. The narrow gate and hard road that leads to life as theologian Beverly Lanzetta tells us:

In religious traditions, the word mysticism refers to a direct experience of Divine Presence....it also includes the human longing for the ultimate, and the path the soul follows toward intimacy with God. It implies that the mystical quest is intrinsic to human nature – that our souls are constituted to turn toward the divine light as a plant turns toward the sun...the impetus of one's entire being never rests until it rests in God.

This internal movement toward divine communion – rather than our daily distractions – is the essence of spirituality. When our hearts are diverted from the quest for meaning and love, we suffer. When we experience the true longing of the soul, seeking union with the divine – we know the meaning of life and are illuminated by the light of peace.

….No doubt some will view spiritual longing as impractical. But mystically, the passion for the Divine is extremely practical; in fact, it is the only practicality. For the souls longing to rest in God is a road map and a key to unlocking the True self.

Rev. Mitch Becker

November 2, 2025

Port Angeles

First Christian Church

“Prophetic Dreams”

Joel 2:23-32

Last Sunday I talked about the world in crisis and with our text we need to return to that theme with a focus on climate change. If you'll recall I spoke of the lack of rainfall rendering the Kenyan desert nearly uninhabitable. This results in a humanitarian crisis of considerable scale. The invasive species, in this case, is humanity and the enormous amounts of carbon we're pumping into the atmosphere. Worldwide carbon content in the atmosphere is at record highs and continues to climb mostly due to methane and carbon dioxide emissions.

But the invasive species in the Book of Joel is not human beings, rather its locust. An invasion of locust may be hard for us modern day “city-dwellers” to grasp. A locust invasion was devastating to the local population. Think of the dust bowl in the 1930's in the Midwest, or what agricultural fields look like after a category 5 tornado rips through them.

With these images in mind we can more so appreciate the words of the prophet in the previous chapter: “Be dismayed, you farmers, wail, you vine dressers, over the wheat and the barley; for the crops of the field are ruined...surely, joy withers away among the people.” (Joel 1:11; 12b) Now transport that into the twenty-first century and you begin to grasp the reality for farmers and vine dressers in places like Kenya and elsewhere due to climate change.

Following is an excerpt from the commentary written by Casey Thornburgh Sigmon:

As we live in these uncertain times with signs of warming calling from the earth, perhaps we should place (things) into context place. For with Joel, joy results from creation's harmony. Joy is a field that is green, a tree bearing fruit. Joy is animals of the field fed and full. And yes, people fed and people prophesying. But all things in relation, and all embedded in God's creation.

The text ends with the day of the Lord which is the prophets way of describing Yahweh's judgment against Israel and Judah. This is to happen in the near future for them because they have failed to keep the covenant. This is of great importance because it places the responsibility of the people's hardship upon their own doing. The scripture announces their vindication because they've assumed responsibility for their misbehavior. This is not a subtle spiritual perspective change. If they are to emerge from a childlike dependence into mature spiritual beings, they've got to own their mistakes and failings.

And so, it comes full circle to us in modern times in that we too have failed to honor, soil, sky and land. We have not lived up to our Call to be responsible stewards of the earth. Out of their trauma the prophet imagines a better world in relationship to God. In the prophets dream the rains come, and the harvests are plentiful, and best of all God's Spirit pours out on all people. The following story applies:

One Saturday afternoon a family was out for a drive. It was Fall and the leaves were vibrant and plentiful in yellows, oranges and reds and everyone was enjoying themselves. Suddenly, one of the children, the youngest, began to repeatedly hit their dad on the back all the while exclaiming,” Daddy, please stop the car and turn around because there's a kitten on the side of the road!”

Dad replies, O come on, we're having such a nice time. You don't want to spoil it do you?” The youngest responds,”Dad, I saw that kitten and it needs our help.” Dad says, “Someone else can stop and help it.” “How do you know that will happen?” says the youngest. Dad says, “We already have too many pets. What are we going to do with another kitten?” We'll take care of it. Out here it's going to die!” “Please, lets just have a good time.” replies dad. Then the youngest turns to the other child in the backseat and says, “Who would have thought our daddy could be such a mean man.”

Finally, mom had heard enough and said, “Dear, I think we're going to have to help that kitten.” So, with great reluctance dad turns the car around and goes back to the place they last saw the kitten. Sure enough, it's still there and dad gets out of the car and approaches it. The kitten looks as if it's been through the wash cycle and is as skinny as a toothpick.

When dad reaches down to pick it up it recoils and with all it's remaining energy hisses and bares its teeth. Dad is surprised by the level of hostility it displays and carefully picks it up by the loose skin on the back of its neck. The kitten just doesn't have enough energy to fight back.

When they return home the children take responsibility for it giving it tender loving care with mom's supervision, of course. Though it belongs in the garage the kids want to leave it in the house for at least a night. Dad sarcastically tells them, “Why don't you let it sleep in my bed, and I can go out in the garage!” They make a nice bed for it in the utility room.

After several weeks dad comes home from work one day and the cat is feeding in the utility room. For some reason, maybe someone did something nice for him at work, he reached down and stroked the kittens back just once and he heard the kitten purr ever so faintly.

He takes a quick look around to make sure he's not being observed and gives it another stroke, and the kitten immediately moves closer to rub up against his leg. And dad thinks to himself, “Wow, this kitten has come a long way from that frightened, hurting animal on the side of the road.” And for the first time he was glad they stopped to help it.

The dad in the story initially thought of the kitten as another burden to carry. He saw vet bills and sleepless nights and yet one more mouth to feed every single day. Whereas, mom saw a creature in need of help and envisioned an eventually healthy kitten who in time would return the love, a thousand fold, that they would give it. Dad saw the kitten as a burden. Mom saw it as a joy and that's the difference love makes.

The creation is a far, far greater responsibility then a hurting kitten on the side of the road, but the response required is the same. What is happening in the culture around us is even worse than seeing wounded creation as a burden. Tragically, it goes beyond burden to the point it's not being seen at all. We are surrounded by mass denial even though the scientific data continues to come in and the suffering around us due to climate change spreads unabated.

What is needed is a loving response and the prophet Joel sets the tone for that to happen with a vision of plenty and the promise of the day of the Lord. God is ready to pour out his Spirit on everyone, but that can't happen until more people are ready to take responsibility. Like the dad in the car who sees only a burden he's being coerced into assuming, so a suffering world is having trouble grasping a vision of love.

That can't happen without God's Spirit. Without God's Spirit the people are blind not only to the desperate needs of the creation, but also to their own sense of responsibility toward it. A spiritual immaturity consumes the will and disallows any loving response that needs to occur.

We must wake up and grow up, or we will perish because the resources that surround us are limited. We live on a spaceship that's hurtling through an empty vacuum many thousands of miles per hour. There are no viable options other than to care for and preserve what we have. Spaceship earth is our home and we're filling the atmosphere with carbon consequently heating up the planet and only love can save us.

The tendency is to point fingers and say the problem lies here or it lies there, and indeed, there is ignorance and hostility and fearfulness that is exasperating the problem of climate change. But the ultimate problem is an internal one.

As the people of God assumed responsibility for the hardship, they'd caused themselves, so we too must take responsibility for what is happening to us. Love makes that possible. That kind of love God gifts us with in the pouring out of his Spirit, but if we're incapable of receiving it what good does it do.

It's like trying to fill a weed whacker with the gas/oil mixture it needs to run without opening the port to the fuel tank. If you don't unscrew the cap to let the mixture in it will just run all over the weed whacker and down the sides unto the ground. The port on the weed whacker has to be opened as does the ports to our hearts to receive the life-giving Spirit of God.

Many ports to people's hearts remain closed and there are a variety of reasons for that including fearfulness, ignorance, pride and just plain laziness. It takes a combination of grace and hard work to be opened to God's Spirit. Whenever you read the scriptures the port is opened to your heart. All forms of prayer create the desired effect and often therapy is needed because the past greatly determines our behaviors in the present.

Journal work, AA, NA and other types of support groups can play an important role in allowing God's healing love to enter in. Being open and speaking the truth as we know it matters and sharing our pain with others in safe environments can lead to healing. These practices and others all help us to stop pointing fingers and assume responsibility for our own dysfunctions.

Taking responsibility for our own crimes and misdemeanors is not a subtle spiritual perspective change. It is crucial for a right orientation to God's Spirit that is always present. God being present is not the problem. Jesus tells us in the Lilies of the Field Parable that we're surrounded by grace all the time! The problem is that human beings have a hard time staying on the road to Somewhere as the psalm puts it.

You're blessed when you stay on course,

walking steadily on the road revealed by God.

You're blessed when you follow his directions,

doing your best to find him.

That's right – you don't go off on your own;

you walk straight along the road he set.

(Psalm 119:1-3; The Message Bible)

Rev. Mitch Becker

October 26, 2025

Port Angeles

First Christian Church

“Never Give Up!”

Luke 18:1-8

Jesus speaks to us today about the importance of persevering in prayer, and to put the parable into context it is presented toward the end of Jesus' journey to Jerusalem and follows immediately after a teaching about the coming of God's kingdom. In spite of this shift to prayer the end of the parable will continue the theme of God's kingdom coming forth with the emphasis on persevering in prayer even though life in this world is filled with injustice.

The parable itself requires some unpacking: The focus is upon a widow whose dealing with a corrupt judge within a corrupt justice system. The judge has no respect for God nor people. Regardless the widow keeps coming back to contend with the judge. She pleads with him to give her justice because of someone who has treated her unjustly, and initially the judge refuses to act, but eventually gives in.

Now, a widow would be included as those in society who are most vulnerable along with orphans, resident aliens and the poor in general. Because of their vulnerability Jewish scripture usually makes provisions for them so they'll receive fair treatment. This makes the judges initial inaction especially repugnant.

Though the widow is more or less defenseless in society she is however depicted as tough as nails. Unfortunately, this toughness doesn't come through with our translation of the Bible (the NRSV) and to really understand it we have to go to the original Greek. In the original Greek the verb used in verse five “hypopiazo” (hoop-o-pee-ad-zo) means: “to give a black eye.” Luke is characterizing her as a boxer who persistently pummels the judge!

This scene Luke is creating of a lowly widow pummeling a judge is probably meant to be humorous. Though it's not meant as comic relief as much as its designed to poke fun at the powers-that-be. Like our political cartoons today the scene is meant to encourage us to laugh as a way of challenging the unjust system to the point of bringing about change.

The text begins to close with Jesus contrasting God's behavior with that of the judge. Jesus says God doesn't need to be badgered like this because God will willingly respond to the needs of the vulnerable. If anything, God is more like the persevering widow than the stubborn, unjust judge!

The ending of the text returns to the subject of God's coming kingdom and it raises the question: How do we cope with injustice while we're waiting for God's return and the ultimate justice that will bring? In taking the parable at face value we can say we deal with injustice by continuing in persistent prayer.

One of the pastor's that attends the Zoom meetings on Tuesday mornings recently completed a mission trip to Kenya. She was part of a larger group of women who first visited the capitol Nairobi and then traveled into the back country to visit a village. In the village they were greeted like royalty and Jenny said she was overwhelmed by the hospitable reception they all received.

It turned out that since the group was from America the women from the village saw them as potential saviors to assist in meeting their desperate needs for food, water and other basic necessities for survival. Climate change has rendered their desert nearly uninhabitable because of the prolonged lack of rainfall. One woman told them a story about how she used to save money so her children could receive an education, but she now tries to save money simply to feed her children.

The United States had been the largest contributor in foreign aid but that has been completely cutoff, however some help does continue to come from other countries. Jenny said that she was deeply conflicted when listening to the concerns and needs of the women because she knew there was little to nothing she could do about our governments policies regarding aid to these desperate people.

What her group did do was gift them with several large sacks of cornmeal and made a commitment to see that a well would be sunk for them to create a reliable water source. At the Zoom meeting Jenny also said she would continue in prayer for these new friends she and the others have made.

Jenny also told the story of one woman who had a friend that recently committed suicide and the woman who told Jenny the story shared her doubts about whether faith in God would be enough to sustain her. So, I asked Jenny how this experience affected her faith after seeing, first hand, God allowing his people to suffer in this way? Her response was an impromptu ten minute “sermon” about hope and compassion and her personal commitment to these newfound friends. It was apparent she'd been empowered by what she heard and saw.

Jenny's account of what is happening in one village in Kenya is but a single example of something that's happening worldwide. It is not too much to say that the world itself is in crisis. Climate change is one significant source threatening both food and energy security which can then lead to poverty, social conflict and ultimately displacement. These displaced people, numbering more than a hundred million worldwide, are forced to leave their homes and seek refuge somewhere else.

Closing our borders and denying aid to these suffering people is far from the teachings and example our Lord gave us when he was here on earth. What we see happening is the result of a culture that has lost touch with God and no longer seeks guidance from divine sources. The culture now determines its own way without any consideration of the gospel message.

This is not an option for us faithful because without an ever-present and nurtured relationship with God we too could lose our way and fall into a life of self-centered pursuits as the ego dictates. The path to enlightenment must remain open and illuminated by the light of Christ regardless of what is happening in the world around us. As The Apostle tells us:

Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity. God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (Romans 12:2; The Message Bible)

The most powerful way I know to keep focused on God is through quiet, centering prayer because it can open and maintain a direct link to the Almighty. For some a sustained direct link to God can be intimidating because a lot of people don't want to be influenced to that extent. Being so closely connected to God can result in being changed at a fundamental level – the level of the soul, but how else are we to be transformed into “his likeness?” (2 Corinthians 3:18b).

This form of prayer can be entered into with a chosen sacred word like “God” or “love” and repeated in the mind at a moderate pace and as thoughts enter you can simply allow them to pass by like clouds do in the sky. Do this for about twenty minutes twice a day and eventually you'll be able to center in God without even using a sacred word.

The thoughts that enter during your prayer time may include recognition of bodily sensations, or feelings, images and reflections...let these all go and return to the sacred word. When your prayer session is completed sit still with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.

There are at least three forms of prayer including prayers of petition, intercessory prayer or praying for others, and quiet, centering prayer. The subject for our text today is clearly petitioning prayer as the widow pummels the judge to act in her behalf. So, we're instructed to pummel God when we want God to respond to a need!

All three forms of prayer mentioned put us in touch with our soul. The minute you address God your conscious awareness shifts usually to God somewhere out there. But what is happening internally is our conscious awareness focuses on that sacred space within us and the door to transformation is opened. Our primary task as followers of the Christ is to learn how to keep that door open.

Nothing does that more effectively than quiet, centering prayer, and when we take God seriously we find that all three types of prayer have a place and are employed at different times. Though our text is highlighting petitioning prayer my hunch would be God wants us to be persistent in all types of prayer.

Jesus certainly demonstrates a persistence with quiet, centering prayer as the Gospel of Luke describes: “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12) It's hard to imagine anyone, even the Christ, either petitioning or in intercessory prayer all night long. Personally, I usually only petition or intercede for others for a few minutes. But one can remain in a state of quiet, centering prayer for extended periods of time, though I must confess that it would be difficult to remain doing so all night long.

I'm going to close the sermon with some comments from Cynthia Bourgeault and a brief story about the “father' of modern centering prayer Father Thomas Keating:

So are we really saying that in Centering Prayer you meditate by simply letting go of one thought after another? That can certainly be our subjective experience of the practice, and this is exactly the frustration expressed by an early practitioner. In one of the very earliest workshops led by Keating himself, a nun tried out her first twenty-minute taste of Centering Prayer and then lamented, “Oh, Father Thomas, I'm such a failure at this prayer. In twenty minutes, I've had ten thousand thoughts!”

“How lovely,” responded Keating, without missing a beat. Ten thousand opportunities to return to God.”

Rev. Mitch Becker

October 19, 2025

Port Angeles

First Christian Church

“Exile in Ohio”

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

Our text for today is a message from God via the prophet Jeremiah encouraging the exiles in Babylon to make the most of their captivity by mixing it up with the population. By attempting to fit in they're caring for both themselves and the Babylonians.

In 586 BCE the Babylonian army destroyed Jerusalem and began to deport the royal court, court officials, artisans and certain craftspeople to Babylon the capitol of Persia. This didn't happen all at once but more so occurred in waves or phases.

Historians not only know about these deportations but actually know how the exiles were treated by their captors. This knowledge comes from archives in Babylon that have been discovered and interpreted. The exiles were given opportunities to perform meaningful work such as carpentry, and in the boatyards, and as sailors (this was mostly for river sailing and not the open sea), royal messengers and hired swords or mercenaries.

This does not all translate to a life on easy street. To the contrary, life can be challenging when one loses control and you're subject to the will and whims of a people who have forcibly detained you. The Babylonians were strangers and Persia itself was a foreign culture with pronounced differences from Judean culture.

Yet this letter from Jeremiah which is in effect a prophetic word from YHWH offers both encouragement and hope calling on the exiles to make life choices and take actions that align with Babylonian culture. In this way, they can both care for themselves and their families and even contribute in positive ways to the foreign culture they now inhabit.

If we look a few verses beyond our text YHWH assures them that he will eventually bring redemption and return them to their home: I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from the nations, and all the places I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. (Jeremiah 29:14)

But there is a seventy-year waiting period in which God calls them to build, plant, eat, marry (not with Babylonians), have children, and make productive contributions to the city they now inhabit. God calls on them to do this as opposed to despairing and longing to return home. Another way of saying it is God is telling them to acquiesce to their newfound situation.

In regard to empires allowing the Jewish people to practice their religion the Babylonians were different than the Romans. The Romans initially allowed them a lot of leeway with both religious beliefs and practices, though this changed over time due to frequent revolts. Roman repression of Jewish religious practice culminated in the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.

On the other hand, the Babylonians were always repressive and destroyed the temple early on in their conquest of Judea. But what is of most note is that the Jewish faith actually became stronger because of this repression with the development of synagogues and a renewed interest in Sabbath and dietary laws, and a deeper focus upon scripture and community prayer.

So, at this point there are two distinct things happening. The first is God's instruction that his people are to try to get along with their captors. Conversely, there was this clear progression and development of the faith which occurred during their exile. The creation of synagogues is one obvious aspect of this development.

Scholars are in consensus that the synagogue was a result of the destruction of the temple and came forth during the Babylonian exile. Even though the Lord has told them to try to get along and that he'll return for them in seventy years the people are not going to allow their faith to be diminished by their captors. They're going to move ahead and history shows that's exactly what they did.

It's a well know fact that we progress in a variety of ways not when were comfortable and complacent, but when we're struggling to meet challenges. That's when we have to be creative and courageous in order to adapt to changing environments. Things change and we have to follow suit.

I personally experienced this when I made the bold move from Tacoma to Shadyside, Ohio (You've heard this story before but the good one's bear repeating). From the very beginning I felt as though I was in exile and longed to return home and that feeling stayed with me for the next nine years. And like God's people I too experienced repression though not religious repression.

The story that most encapsulates this happened during my first year as senior pastor of First Christian Church. There was an annual festival that took place replete with carnival rides, vendors and a large scale bingo game that took place on the street right in front of the church. The tradition that was established is the pastor of the church would volunteer to help out with the bingo game.

I stepped up to the plate and was given an apron to wear in which I placed the quarters folks would pay to purchase a bingo card. While I was performing my duty I received another call and had to exit for a few minutes to use the church bathroom. Before leaving I asked the person in charge if I should leave my apron with them and he replied, “No, we trust you.” Because I didn't want to leave an apron full of money lying around, I took it with me.

Upon my return there was a lot of commotion, so I asked what was going on and was told that they had been frantically looking for me and the apron full of quarters. I told them the guy in charge said it would be okay to keep the apron on but that didn't seem carry much weight.

After that incident I was never again allowed to help out with the bingo game though I attempted to volunteer and then finally just gave up. I imagine a rumor circulated the village of less than three thousand people that the new pastor was a thief, though I don't know that for sure. Obviously, this unfortunate event contributed greatly to my feelings of exile due to a pervasive coldness that was apparent from many people I encountered throughout the village.

The people who were most hospitable were those of my own parish and the Fellowship of Churches which was a collection of congregants from the seven churches in the village. Beyond that the reception I most commonly received was often cool to ice cold and almost always awkward. If it wasn't for my faith in God and my conviction I'd been Called to the church, I probably wouldn't have lasted more than a year or two.

Because of this experience I can understand the religious/spiritual development of God's people during the Babylonian exile. My experience of exile in Ohio was also a time of considerable religious/spiritual development where I blossomed as a pastor. I had to move forward in order to remain in my position in the church and to exist from day to day within a community of suspicion and what felt like rejection.

I'm certain that this experience of exile and rejection was a key component to my marriage to Karen. I was around fifty years old when I proposed to Karen and was quite settled into bachelor life. Marriage was a huge transition and I was not entirely sure I could adapt to being a full time husband. I was so used to doing things on my own and thankfully Karen has consistently displayed remarkable patience and wisdom.

Karen took the edge off of exile, but I could never completely adjust to that level of rejection. The overall result of the repression I experienced was not unlike the way God's people responded to Babylonian repression. They too moved forward religiously and spiritually in order to cope with their new cultural environment and to continue to develop Judaism.

We all must and have done the same thing in our lives or we wouldn't be here being fed by Gods' word! This makes the psalms an important resource for us and a way of mirroring our own life's journey:

Bless our God, O peoples! Give him a thunderous welcome!

Didn't he set us on the road to life? Didn't he keep us out of the ditch?

He trained us first, passed us like silver through refining fires.

Brought us to this hardscrabble country, pushed us to our very limit.

Road-tested us inside and out, took us to hell and back;

Finally, he brought us to this well-watered place.

Psalm 66:8-12; The Message Bible)

Rev. Mitch Becker

October 12, 2025

Port Angeles