LEAD US BY FAITH - Design for Christian Living - Part III

LEAD US BY FAITH

March 22, 2020 – Fourth Sunday in Lent

Sermon by The Rev. Dr. John A. Dalles

Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14

Preface:

Friends, this is our second Sunday coming to you via the church website and my blog.  The way we are reaching out to you on the church website has changed, because we have had a Session-appointed special task force at work to provide additional ways of communicating, which will be a video format worship service, available on Sunday morning March 22, on the church website and on Facebook.  We hope you can join with us in one of these formats.

We have heard from a number of you that you appreciated being able to access the bulletin and sermon on the website last Sunday, and we are glad that we could reach out to you in this way, so quickly, in these unusual times.

Our scripture today is our Lectionary Reading for the morning, so it comes to us as a passage we are sharing in with our Christian sisters and brothers round the globe.  We are praying for them, and they are praying for us.  It is a reminder to us that we are one in Christ.

         Now, the sermon:

Just an hour and a half from where we are – this morning – is the largest natural cave in the state of Pennsylvania.  Laurel Caverns.  Maybe you have been there.  Maybe you hve gone inside the cave.  And taken the tour.  Maybe you have descended into the earth, where it is wet and chilly.  On a three-hour-long guided tour, descending over forty stories. At the bottom, perhaps, you found yourself in a vast underground room.

There, the guide gave you a taste of what it is like – without any light.  First, the guide said, “Stay absolutely still.” And then, the guide then turned off all the lights. And there you were in the darkness that was so intense, it was as if some strange force was right there, as close as your face.  

Then, the guide lit one match.  

The light from that match – it was enough.  It illuminated the entire space. And dispelled the darkness.  That is kind of light the letter to the Ephesians is driving at…

Now, the contrast means what it says, which is powerful in and of itself.  Think of being at the bottom of Laurel Caverns, and suddenly experiencing it with all of the lights turned out.  Or then, being there thereafter, with one small match lit.  Only then will you be in the proper frame of mind to hear what the letter is saying.  

So what was going on, then, that prompted such a passage?  

Biblical scholars tell us that what was going on in that early Christian era was this:   There was a cult worship practice that pre-dated the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus.  It had to do with secret festivals that were “sacred mysteries”.  We could ask, where are they now?  The answer would be, they are pretty much nowhere.  They have come to naught.  Those hidden practices of ancient times are gone.  

We might ask what happened to them. The answer would be – they were brought out of the darkness and into the light.  And just as the passage says, “Everything exposed by the light becomes visible.” Once visible, it no longer held any interest, influence, or appeal.  It faded away.

What does that have to do with us?  We don’t live in an era of mysterious ancient religious practices hidden away in the dark.  So it may be hard for us to get what the passage is driving at.

Then again, maybe not. 

Maybe we can agree that there are still practices that happen in the cover of darkness that need to be brought into the light.  It may be that danger lurks there, and it cannot be seen until the light shines there.

Ask about the world at this very moment.  It may be that people are stumbling around in the darkness, unaware.  Unable to find their way.  Not knowing how dangerous it is, and how that dark pathway leads to ruin and death. Won’t someone help? We wonder.

It happened in another setting.  One of our national parks.  The travelers got there late in the evening, long after dark. They had made arrangements to stay in a particular lodging place in the park.  At the desk, their reservation was confirmed, and a key was issued.  Brief directions were given as well.  So they checked into their room, and since it was late, they went to bed and were soon fast asleep.

The next morning they awakened, and opened the curtains.  And there, a very very short distance from their door, was a huge drop off.  And beyond it, nothing at all, down and down and down, for hundreds of feet.  In fact, all the way down to the Colorado River.  They were on the very edge of the Grand Canyon.  

The night before, they could not see, and did not know the danger.  Fortunately, they stuck to the path to their doo, and did not wander from it.  But not everyone in life is so lucky. 

This very moment, there are people in the dark, and on edge. It is as if they are calling out for someone to guide them.  To teach them.  To show them the way.  To go with them.  To lead them, by faith.

Has the realization dawned upon you? That someone is you.  You have the power of the light. You can shine the light of Christ into our day and time.

Hear what John Calvin says about it…

"The faithful are called light, 

both because they have the true light in them 

which enlightens them, 

and also because they give light to others, 

insomuch that their honest conversation 

reproves the life of wickedness."

There you go.  You have the true light in you, which enlightens you.  You gain insight from God that – try as you might – you cannot generate yourself.  It is the light bulb going off.  The “ah ha!” moment.  The realization of God’s plan, God’s work, God’s will.  Oh this is what God wants, what God expects, God anticipates I should do.  Now then, may I do it.  In so doing, you give light to others,

You have seen it happen yourself.  Here, probably.  When you have light, and you share it.  We do that on Christmas Eve.  From one candle to the next, down one pew, and then another, until he whole room is filled with light. What we see happening then, is what Ephesians calls us to do, every day, as followers of Jesus, the Light of the world.

Receive the light.  Be the light.  Share the light.

There is a dangerous tangent we want to avoid at all costs. This is not a call to self-righteousness. A self-righteousness that boasts:

“Look here, you poor stumblers in the dark, we are the light.  Aren’t we special?  We can shed the light.  Aren’t you lucky we can do that?”

Such an attitude is not only wrongheaded, it will produce no positive results.  All it will do is create resentment. By contrast, this is a call to being about the business of our Lord.  In an attitude of humble service.  Of sharing his precepts, so that others can hear and accept them.  Of showing his love, so that others can sense it.  Of proclaiming his lifesaving power, so that others can be saved and rejoice. It happens, not because of us, but through the power of his might. John Wesley notes: "In the power of his might - A very uncommon expression, plainly denoting what great assistance we need.  As if his might would not do.  It must be the powerful exertion of his might."

There is probably some aspect of your life that needs the power of his might.  The powerful exertion of his might.  In order to do what needs doing. Know that Christ can do that.  For you. Christ will never lead us into darkness; Christ will not lead us into trouble and sorrow; Christ will lead us into the light.

Have you noticed? When things are going well, we don't think about the light. We move along, doing our own thing. We live unintentionally. Then, darkness approaches. And we wonder if we can make it to our destination before the light fails.

Ephesians focuses on discipleship. On how we go into light. To trust and share the grace that has been given to us in Christ Jesus.

When we walk in the light, we are wise. Not naive.  When we walk in the light we are committed. To justice and compassion. When we dwell in the light, we become light to others.  A the hymn says:

“Sleeper, awake!

Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

Amen.

Afterword: Friends, if you have accessed the sermon here on my blog, please take just a moment to let me know that through the comment section.  Many thanks.

This is an original sermon by The Rev. D. John A. Dalles, Interim Senior Minister and Head of Staff of Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, PA .  It was delivered on the date indicated in the text. You are encouraged to read it and reflect upon it.  Please keep in mind that the sermon is Copyright © 2020 John A. Dalles.  Permission from the author is required to reproduce it in any fashion.

With Us Abide - Design for Christian Living - Part II

With Us Abide

A Sermon by The Rev. Dr. John A. Dalles

March 15, 2020

Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-11

In a perfect world, we would all be assembled here together this morning.  But as one of our elders has said, it would be unreasonable and irresponsible for us to be doing that having received word that there is now a confirmed coronavirus case here in Western Pennsylvania, and being mindful of the state of emergency which the mayor declared on Friday afternoon, and which goes into effect tomorrow morning.  So we are together here in spirit as we worship today.  My prayer for you is that you are well, and will remain well.  My larger prayer for you is that you are calm and will remain calm.  In these uneasy days – being calm is more than a virtue.  It is a necessity.

We have for our scripture today a passage from Paul’s letter in which he makes it clear that we are going through something that he understands, and that God understands.  Suffering that produces endurance, and endurance that produces character, and character that brings about hope, and hope that does not disappoint us.

Recently, I read that Pope Francis told a young boy whose dog had died that heaven is open to all of God's creatures. I am glad he said that.  It was a compassionate response to that boy.  It is also a word of assurance to anyone who has had a pet – who wonders what happens when that pet dies. You may wonder, too.  If so, these thoughts are for you.  Even if you have not had a pet, you have experienced loss.  You do know sadness.  You do cope with suffering.  

My story is personal.

Our dog, Brantley, died this past Easter, at age 11 ½ and when he did, he left a big empty hole in our hearts.  We found ourselves grieving for him the way we would grieve for a dear friend and family member.  Anyone who has had a companionable dog who has died, knows exactly how that feels.  

Brantley picked us out, not the other way around.

We had lost our beloved Yorkie, Tuppence, after 17 ½ years.  As she grew into old age, we had agreed together that when the time came, and she died, we would not get another dog.  The reasons were very practical. 

-       We both worked, 

-       She spent a fair amount of time at home alone. 

-       We liked to travel.  

-       She didn’t travel with us which meant kennels and boarding and the costs that went with it.  

-       Life would be simpler without another dog – when the time came.

And then, the time came.  Sweet Tuppence died.  We reminded ourselves of what we had so logically agreed.  But the house seemed very empty indeed.  We missed that smiling little presence. 

I was the weak link.  I lasted a week. And then insisted that we get another dog.  We agreed that it would be either another Yorkie or a Miniature Schnauzer - since both do not shed. We looked at several pet stores and shelters.  We ended up at one particular pet store, with lots of puppies, and at least 6 Yorkie puppies.  They were in kennel cages along a long wall, with some at the right end, and some at the left end. Lots of other dogs in the cages in-between.

As I walked from one end of the pet shop to the other, a small face with bright eyes and a sweet smile watched me walk by and walk back.  His gaze was locked on my face.  I asked one of the attendants in the shop what kind of a dog it was.  “A Yoshon,” was the reply.  (Half Yorkshire Terrier and half Bichon Frise).  “We need to see that dog.” Indeed, we did.  The attendant brought him to the get-to-know-you enclosure, he nuzzled his head under Judy’s chin, and that was all it took.  She looked at me and said, “Do they have two of them?”

Our dog Brantley received love and care, affection and attention, treats and trips, from us.  And yet: If we were to try to balance that with what he gave, the scales would tip heavily in his direction.  Because in addition to the love and care and affection and attention he gave us, he served as an example of unconditional love and pure empathy.  I often referred to him as “love bundled up in fur”.

If you have had a pet, you understand what I am saying.

There is something amazing that happens between one of God’s creatures and the people in their lives.  I tend to think it is something that God intended from the beginning, so that from our animals, we receive love and affection and as we give it in return, we are the better for it.

I wish I could tell you that the Bible speaks in this way, about dogs.  But I have to tell you…

The Bible is not encouraging when you look in a concordance and are asking what it says – specifically – about “dogs”.  It seems the Biblical writers did not have a fondness for them.  And even Jesus speaks disparagingly of dogs.  When dog lovers who are also faithful Christians read these passages, they tend to wince.  

And wonder.  Maybe there were more stray, rabid, and dangerous dogs in Bible times?  Maybe people then were averse to dogs, in the same way that they were averse to recreational swimming?  No matter.

So we have to broaden our net. And look at other passages in the Bible that speak of animals and God’s provision for them.  Certainly one of the places we look are those verses about the Peaceable Kingdom. 

In Isaiah 65, we hear about the New Heaven and New Earth where, “the wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food (v. 25)” – all of which tells us that animals will be part of life with God and humanity.

 We know it from the wonderful paintings that Edward Hicks did, of the lion and the lamb, and all of the other animals of creation, together, in a sylvan landscape, looking as contented and gentle as can be.

Edward Hicks’ many paintings of The Peaceable Kingdom – an eschatological state inferred from texts such as the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Hosea, and the Sermon on the Mount – will one day become the everlasting reality.  It warms my heart to trust it to be true.  

It is a picture of all things being made right, for all time.  If that is not a picture of heaven, I do not know what is.

///// 

God watches over all of God’s creation.  The animals are indicators of God’s long term plan for them and for us.  We see animals who experience all that we do. We suffer at times, and so do they.  They grieve and are sad.  So are we.  We express joy; as they do.  They love.  Even as we love. 

I like the way the hymn says it:

“All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all.”

All creatures great and small.  God took such infinite pains to make them, and to give them a place in this wonderful world; one must feel certain, therefore, that they will somehow inhabit God’s eternal kingdom.  Even as the animals were drawn to St. Francis, so too, we will be surrounded by these good and gentle creatures.  

Will our pets go to heaven? 

The good news is, that God intends for animals to be together and at peace in his eternal realm.  To share the same type of companionable love they have shared here on earth.  And more so.

Animals are God’s creation, they give God joy, and they are beloved by God.

Are you hoping to see your pet again, in that eternal realm?  Hold that hope deep within you.  Remember that the Apostle Paul says, “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. “(Rom. 5:5). 

Heaven will be God’s perfect place, where all that is, is forever wise, ultimately good, and entirely free from error. 

Throughout the Bible, we see that God loves animals, and has them help us understand the story of salvation.

-       We remember that God loves the animals so much, that at the time of the Great Flood, he ensured their survival - that was the reason that he commanded Noah to build that gigantic ark.  And called the animals to it, two by two.

-       We recall that when Elijah went into hiding, he was fed twice a day by faithful ravens, and he had that vision of heavenly chariots of fire with horses.

-       We remember that Balaam’s donkey talked, and showed God’s power, by speaking. 

-       We recall that David was a shepherd—and that same nurturing work also describes Jesus – the Good Shepherd – who cares for us, His sheep.  

-       As Psalm 95 says:

For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture,

and the sheep of his hand.

It is clear that God loves animals.  God knows that we love animals, too. Animals are part of God’s story.  And so, animals are part of our story. Animals help show us God at work, saving the world.

-       God made the animals.  And pronounced them good.

-       God finds joy in animals, and has shared that joy with us.

-       God cares for the animals, and has made us their caretakers.

-       If God has done all of that, here; certainly, God will do more and the same, in the hereafter.

         Are you sad today?  Are you missing your pet?  Is there an empty and silent place in your home that was filled – not long ago?  Are you wondering where …and whether you will see your pet again?  God knows.  God understands.  God is good.  God knows your love.

         If all that the Bible says is true, then I can say that I trust that I will see my beloved pet again, in God’s good time. We have clues from scripture.  We have hope based on who we know God to be.  And we know that God’s intention for me and for you is the very best.

We have been made to live for Christ, in Christ, and representing Christ to others. There is a plan for our lives, which we are living in to.  It is as if the blueprint exists, but now we are building according to that design.  In this Lenten Season, we are thinking of it as our “Design for Christian living.”

You have questions about this plan.  Wondering what God has in mind. It is a plan that God is unrolling day by day.  Sometimes we see one aspect of it.  At other times, a different detail comes into focus.  If we think and pray about it, we are shown what part of the plan God is helping us fulfill, at present.

There are parts of this design that are accomplished already.  We might say that your commitment to a living faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is part of that – it is like the foundation of a building.  Now you are building on that foundation.

You may find that some of that work is hard, and unexciting.  Or that it is easy, and a joy.  It truly depends upon where you are in the building up of the design. Trust that the Holy Spirit is at work within you.  As your advocate and as your comforter.  Assisting you in becoming what God intends you to be.

Endurance bring about character.  I know it to be so, because so many people who have endured against insurmountable odds are the stuff that defines character.  They have an integrity that shows, that inspires, that draws us to them.  That makes us want to have what they have and live the way that they live.

Jesus does that.  Why did people flock to him? Because he demonstrated the kind of character that is trustworthy and true no matter what. 

I dare say that if we were to ask Jesus about loss, about suffering, about sorrow, about pain, and yes about this coronavirus, his first message to us would be to trust in him.  And then his next message would be to do all we can.  And then his next message would be to rely upon him.  And his next message would be to rely upon using what he has given to us, for good.  

There is a balance, an integrity of being, that comes when we receive and give, when we wait and when we act, when we think and when we feel, that makes for a wholeness, a goodness, a peace that passes understanding.  May you have that peace, now and always. Amen.

This is an original sermon by The Rev. D. John A. Dalles, Interim Senior Minister and Head of Staff of Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, PA .  It was delivered on the date indicated in the text. You are encouraged to read it and reflect upon it.  Please keep in mind that the sermon is Copyright © 2020 John A. Dalles.  Permission from the author is required to reproduce it in any fashion.

OUR TIMES ARE IN THY HAND

OUR TIMES ARE IN THY HAND

Design for Christian Living - Part I

Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

Sermon by The Rev. Dr. John A. Dalles

March 8, 2020

I enjoy reading about how people divide their time.  “Mr. and Mrs. Such-and-such divide their time between Pittsburgh and Naples, Florida…”  or some similar places.  No, that is not what I mean.  I mean specifically how they choose to use every God-given day.  How they fill the hours.  What they have to do and what they want to do, as a day unfolds.  Or put it another way.  If you were to divide up your time into categories, I wonder how much time you spend on work, on recreation, on acts of kindness, of sleeping, of eating, and the like?

I did a bit of research and this comes from the Wall Street Journal with a bit of clarification from the Pew Research Foundation, so these are what we would call fairly reliable sources.  What do they tell us about how people divide their time?  In a typical week, the average American spends …

-        -  15 1/2 hours awake

-         - And 8 ½ hours sleeping

Of those 15 ½ hours when they are awake…  How would you suppose they spend their time?  Here is what the research indicates:

-       -  52 minutes [nearly an hour] commuting

-         - 9.3 hours working

-         - 7.2 hours at play; that is, discretionary time…  Leisure and sports, and recreation and exercise; including almost 4 hours per day… you guessed it…watching TV, and 1 hour and 8 minutes eating.

Which, if you are good at adding these things up in your head, already makes an average day filled with more than 24 hours. So far we are up to more like 26 hours in a day.  How that is even possible, I do not know.  And did you notice?  We did not figure in these things:

-         Time spent in some kind of activity on behalf of others – we might call it volunteer work, or acts of compassion.

-         Time spent in worship and prayer and private devotions.

I know that all of you are like the children of Lake Woebegone – that is, all of you are above average.  So your results will vary.  At some point this week, it might be an interesting and worthwhile venture, to figure out what those results might be.  How you are using your time.  Especially those 7.2 hours of discretionary time.  And then – in keeping with our New Testament scripture of the morning, ask yourself.  Faith.  Where does that fit in?  According to the Letter to the Romans, faith fits into that part of our day for which we do not receive wages, or a salary, or financial remuneration.  As the apostle Paul says:

4 Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due.

And faith is something different, altogether.  Faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something.  Faith is a strong belief in God, in the doctrines of religion, based on spiritual apprehension, rather than proof.  Faith is a conscious choice to depend upon God, day in and day out.  Faith means looking at life with the attitude: “Our times are in Thy hand”, as Dr. Kerr says it in our beloved Shadyside Presbyterian Church Anniversary Hymn.  When we take that thought and run with it, the average hours of the day take on a new meaning altogether. 

Faith fits, whether we are waking or sleeping.

The University of Virginia’s collection of Jefferson papers comprises some 3,650 items.  Most are original documents or contemporary transcripts made by secretaries and family members.  Of the total, 1610 are by Jefferson’s own hand.  Including the drawings for the Library Rotunda which is the centerpiece of the University Campus (which Jefferson also designed).  You can go to the University and see it.  In all of its un-matched neo Classical splendor.  But before it was a reality, before it was there in brick and stone, it was an idea.  A plan.  A drawing.  A design.  The builders had to live into that plan to make it a reality.  We have to live into God’s plan for our lives, in order for us to be the people God designed us to be. 

We have been made to live for Christ, in Christ, and representing Christ to others.  There is a plan for our lives, which we are living in to.  It is as if the blueprint exists, but now we are building according to that design.  We could call it our “Design for Christian living.”

During this season of Lent, we who follow Christ seek to re-design our lives along the pattern that Jesus has prepared.  In order to do that, we share in action of learning, of wellness, and of self-denial

We die to the old self.  We put on the new identity – designed in God’s image.  A tremendous amount of love, care, thought, and energy has been spent on that design, already.  God initiated it.  God supports it.   By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are becoming what God has planned us to be.  When I say this, I mean “we” as in each one of us; and I also mean “we” as in all of us, together. 

Faith fits, whether we are working or playing.  Out times are in Thy hand.  In the time that someone or something else has authority over us.  In other words, when we are working.  When we have to answer to someone else, in order to be paid for what we are doing.  Can faith find a place in the workplace?  Of course it can.

You may work somewhere where you are prohibited from speaking about your faith, directly.  I understand that.  I have talked with teachers in the public school who have that kind of a restriction on their speech.  But I know that those particular public school teachers demonstrate every day, faith filled living. If they can speak a word of encouragement along the lines of Jesus Christ, they do.  If they can show kindness as he showed it. They show it.  If they can by acts of nurturing and care, sooth what is troubling their students, they do so.  If they can provide food for thought, they do that.  I would guess that most of their students have figured it out, that something makes them tick that is different from people who do not have a living faith.  One of the popular hymns says they’ll know we are Christians by our love.  Yes, it is true.  Another popular saying is that you may be the only bible that someone ever reads.  Again, yes.  Correct.  Faith in action can speak volumes without saying a word.  Faith can find a place in the workplace.

My friend Al was a top executive for a Fortune 500 company.  He was also a deeply devoted Presbyterian.  He and I had the joy of teaching Sunday school together for some years.  At one point we were teaching on the 8^th century prophets, which can be a challenging – although compelling – task.  He mentioned to me that from his earliest work day onward, he did something that I admire and that you might wish to emulate.  He kept, in his upper desk drawer, a reminder of what he would and would not do, as he conducted his work life along the lines of Jesus Christ.  It was way before that popular saying, “What would Jesus do?”, but it was exactly that.  When confronted with a decision, when working with colleagues or supervising others, when making important decisions that would result in the company’s success.  He had that reminder list. 

I have often thought that he didn’t really need it, since he lived his faith in a way that makes me glad to have known him.  But there was his reminder of faith, his simple but profoundly practical list of what he would and should do, as a follower of Jesus Christ in a workplace that was as secular as any giant corporation can be.  Can faith find a place in the workplace?  Of course it can, and it should.  Faith fits, when we are working.

What about when we are playing?  Can faith find a place in our discretionary time?  You know beforehand how I am going to answer that. You expect a minster to say, “Yes, it can”. So having said that, I will then say: The question is whether it does.  How much does your Christian faith enter your conversation?  Inform what you read, and watch?  Prompt what you choose to do when you have a choice in the matter?  This is a question of the stewardship of your time. 

You can use your discretionary time however you may wish.  If you want to take up safe-cracking and go on a crime spree; that is up to you.  I know that is an extreme example, of bad stewardship, but there is something of a sliding scale between that, and sainthood, and one of the goals of the Christian life is to be moving away from a misspent life, toward what is lasing, and true, and good and meaningful, and Christ-like.  A fancy theological word for that is sanctification, which comes as you can tell, from the same word as saint.  We are all saints of God in that we have given our lives to Jesus Christ.  We have said with our lips in front of the congregation:

-         Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.

-         I trust him.

-         I intend to be his disciple, obey his word and show his love.

-         I promise to give of myself in every way, and to seek the fellowship of the church whoever I may be…

Every Presbyterian says that, when we join a Presbyterian Church.  In other words, we place our time in God’s hands.

One of the reasons we come to worship is to ask ourselves how are we doing with that?  Trust me, this is not a guilt trip.  This is a cheerful reminder from someone who cares about you, a suggestion to check and see if you are feeling right about the ways in which you spend your – what was it ? 7.2 hours per day when you can do exactly as you please, and precisely what you want.  Ask yourself: Am I spending it as God would please?  Faith fits, whether we are working or playing.  Out discretionary times are in Thy hand.

Faith fits – even when a day seems to have more than 26 hours, and here is not enough time to accomplish what we wanted to.  No matter how busy you may be – there is time for God.  No matter how full the day is – there is a time to pause and pray.  Or if you cannot pause, to pray as you go.  Today, you may be feeling over-stressed.  You do not have enough time.  Trust me, you have enough time.  Just enough to put it all in God’s hand.  Keep Jesus before you.  You nothing lack, for you are his, and he is yours, forever.  Amen.

This is an original sermon by The Rev. D. John A. Dalles, Interim Senior Minister and Head of Staff of Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, PA .  It was delivered on the date indicated in the text. You are encouraged to read it and reflect upon it.  Please keep in mind that the sermon is Copyright © 2020 John A. Dalles.  Permission from the author is required to reproduce it in any fashion.