11 THE INNER LIFE OF JESUS"

A Sermon By

Rev. Philip A. C. Clarke

Park Avenue United Methodist Church 106 East 86th Street New York, New York 10028 February 7, 1988

"THE INNER LIFE OF JESUS"

INTRODUCTION It was Henry Drummond who once made this observation of the life of Christ. Said he,

"His life outwardly was one of the most troubled lives ever lived, but His inner life was a sea of glass ••• "

Henry Drummond was a 19th century Scotsman who was converted to the Christian faith by Dwight L. Moody, the evangelist. Along around 1890, Drummond wrote a little book called "The Greatest Thing In the World'' - a book which has been read by many English speaking Christians. And yet, one wonders ••• whether Drummond, with all of his insight and understanding of the life of Jesus, had sufficient accessibility to His inner life to make the claim that it was always as smooth as a "sea of glass".

I'm not prepared to answer that question. However, we do know this beyond any shadow of doubt - that Jesus did move through the storms that raged around Him with remarkable calm, poise and steadiness.

ILLUSTRATION Remember that occasion ear~v on in His public ministry when He was invited to read the Lesson in the synagogue in His

hometown of Nazareth. He was the Lay Reader that day. He read from the Book of Isaiah and then He was invited to comment on the meaning of what He had read. The people were pleased with the way He read from the Scriptures. They could all hear Him; His eye contact was good. But when He began to interpret to them the meaning of what He had read, when He began to try to open their eyes to the meaning of that moment, to enlarge their horizons, they didn't like it. They didn't want to have any part of that. And filled with great anger, they threw Him out of the Synagogue. They led Him to the brow of the hill outside of Nazareth that they might cast Him down headlong. Luke, in His Gospel, completes the event with this line, "But passing through the midst of them, He went away" •

Now, what was going on inside of the mind of Jesus we shall never know! But this we do know. We know that when the people of His hometown turned against Him, when His own life was in danger, He was not paralyzed by fear, nor poisoned by doubt. He was not intimidated, nor did He capitulate. He did not fight back. He went His own way - calmly and quietly. This we know, that on this occasion and on others like it, He was able to ride the storm without being ridden by it. He was able to live in the midst of confusion and violent disturbance without being confused or disturbed.

HOW DID HE DO IT The question is: how did He do it? And with that question goes another even though unspoken. Can we

possibly do the same - even to a lesser degree.

How did He do it? How did He manage to ride the storms of life and not be ridden by them. Did He haven an invisible bodyguard? Was He surrounded pya corps of "guardian angels" that refused to let anything touch Him. Did He have some invisible stabilizer that kept Him steady no matter how turbulent the waters around Him? Some believe He enjoyed this kind of Divine protection. Perhaps Luke himself through this and when he penned that line, "But passing through the midst of them, He went away" was intending to suggest that Jesus was protected by the "aura" of His divine nature.

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To me, however, this is not the secretoof Hts inner steadiness.

Then, too, some may wonder if Jesus had one of those temperaments that is not easily touched by a~thing or anyone around Him. This, they might point out, might account for this amazing ability to ride the storms of life. How­ever, this I can say with solid assurance. There's nothing in the story of Jesus that suggests this quality of steel. There's nothing about Him that sug­gests a cold temperament protected by a hard shell of indifference or insensi­tivity.

Remember the time He was in a crowd, surrounded by hundreds of people. One woman was there, behind Him, in great distress. She touched His garment. He knew it. Another time a young man bursting with enthusiasm, ran up to Him and asked Him l<tha t He must do to inherit eternal life, real life, abundant life, life in the "here and nmr". Jesus, it is said, looked on Him .. and loved Him!

A city was lost in its own folly - blindness, selfishness. He wept over it. In a garden at night, facing the supreme trial of His life. His three closest friends fell asleep while He sweated out His agony. He was hurt by their failure to stay awake. A criminal on a cross, dying beside Him. His heart went out to him. This was no man of steel. This was a man who was sensitive to every desire, every movement, every need, every thought of those who surrounded Him. He did not remain aloof or uninvolved from the pain and suffering and all of those many things that make life difficult for people even today.

To bring all of this together up to this point then: if Jesus did not have either divine protection, or those human traits of temperament that enabled Him to move untroubled through troubled waters, how then did He manage to do it. Undoubtedly, the answer rests in the resources of His inner life.

He lived from "within". He had rich resources to fall back on that nourished that amazing vitality of life.

OUTER LIFE AND INNER LIFE And here we begin to approach the heart of this meditation. Like all of us, Jesus had an

11 outer" life and also an "inner life 11 •

The outer life is made up of those things that are happening around us and to us. So was His1 You know and I know that such things are not always favorable to us. Sometimes, in fact, they seem to be aimed directly against us. They were for Him, too. The circumstances of His life were not always favorable to Him. Many of those with whom He associated were selfish and shallow and cruel. Occasionally, even with the best of intentions, they put obstacles in His way, stones in His shoes, which caused Him pain and discomfort.

He may have stopped a storm on the Sea of Galilee on one occasion, but there were some storms He could not quiet. He could not stop the storm that was brewing among His people to rebel against Rome. He could not stop the storms of selfishness that were seething inside people around Him. Finally, when those destructive winds of envy and rage rose against Him because of the changes He was asking them to make, He could not stop that. This was His 11 outer" life - your 11 outer" life ••• composed of those things that happen to us, not always favorable, over which we have little control.

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His "inner" life - like yours and mine - was quite different. This was the life of His thoughts, His ideas and ideals, His beliefs and dreams, His hopes and prayers. This life was not entirely independent of His outer life. It never is.

I'm sure there must have been those times when the physical strains over" taxed His inner life and drew heavily on His resources. The body can and often does overdraw its account, and so often .it seems that the inner life is com .. pletely at the mercy of the outer life. And yet, on the other hand, it's en­tirely possible that the conditions of the outer life helped to develop and to draw out of Him those amazing qualities of His inner life. What happened inside Him was stimulated by what was happening to Him - as by a challengeo

1~ SO AS HE GREW... And so as He grew in terms of physical strength, He also grew in grace and in power imrard ly, so that

in the end He could transcend anything that happened to Him outwardly.

That inner life was fed by some "invisible streams" of energy that kept it strong, so that in the last hours - picture this if y0u can • picture Jesus near the end, having given all of His young life " His energy, wisdom, enthusiasm to initiate a new order of things that He called, "The Kingdom of God" - picture Him standing there before Pilate, the Roman Governor, unjustly accused and now deserted by his friend. When Pilate gave Him a chance to answer those false charges made against Him, He stood there and as it's recorded in the Gospel:

"Answered to him never a word; insomuch that the Governor marvelled gratel.y".

Not a word in self~efense! Not a word in protect or accusation. The time for words was over and done with. Yes - He was THE WORD1 It l":tas the tri ... umph of that inner life over the outward circumstances of life that threatened to crush it. Before the man who represented power, who had no interest at all in what Jesus was trying to do, He could stand in perfect composure - shaken not at all by the storm that was breaking around Him - sure, steady, strong, serene • never more kingly than now - when least a King.

CONCLUSION Hi~ inner life was the key to it all. And our interest in that inner life is not purely impersonal and 0bjective. I

believe that our interest rests upon two facts that I shall put before you briefly here at the end of this meditation.

One is this. We know from experience that life is never going to accomodate itself to us. lrJe have lived long enough to know that there are going to be rough seas through which we shall travel. They may be in our personal life. They may be in the life of society and the life of the world.

And the second is this. We know that when a storm comes there are some who can rise above it and who are not wrecked by it. We have witnessed this quality in people - in friends, perhaps ••• in people we read about and we do admire it. And what we want to know is ~M.lii is it that they have in their lives that enables them to handle with grace so effectively the problems and pressures, the stresses and strains of life. What resources do they have

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that enable them to make it through without going to pieces or coming apart.

On several of the Sunday mornings in Lent this year - starting two weeks from today -we shall spend time looking once again at the life of Jesus, at His human side ••• with this thought in mind- the resources of His inner life. What were they and are they available to us? As we look once again at that unique life, lived in such splendor and glory among mankind two thousand years ago, we will remember what one of His followers said of Him shortly after He went to the cross:

PRAYER

"Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. And this is the rea­son why we never collapse."

Draw us to Yourself, 0 God, as we find You revelaed to us in the life and love of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

As we pause in these moments to think about Him and to enter into the spirit of Mis life, may something of His life enter into ours -

That we may be steadied in moments of despair and dis­couragement.

That we may never stagger no matter how uneven the motion of the world around us.

That we may go our way never complaining about the 1r1eather we meet or the things that befall us.

That we may be strong in moments of temptation, in times of tension and stress.

Visit our sick with the quite assurance of Your care .. Mabelle White, Betty Stagemyer. Encircle the bereaved with thy warming, healing presence -Nancy Ward, Ralph Nebelung and the family of Anthony Berns.

Point out markers on the trail for those who have lost their way.

And douse with the cold waters of common sense any wh• might this hour be on the verge of same unhealthy decision or harmful action or harboring some hard-hearted opinion.

Prepare us for a moving and meaningful Lent. May the coming days deepen ~ faith in You. For the race is short, 0 God, even at its longest and we would run it well and always to Your glory.

Amen

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Sunday, February 7 1 1988

I. HOLY COMMUNION

A. It is the custom ••• to celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion on the first ••• and we like to announce •••• table of our Lord is open to all ••• one does not have to be a member ••••

B. His table is open to all and we invite all of you •••• trusting that the time for you may be an occasion of ••••

c. A word regarding procedure. The elements will be served to you in the pews ••• upon receiving them, please hold them until all •••

II. GREETING I VISITORS

A. We take this moment to greet the visitors worshipping with us ••• delighted to have you with us and we invite you to be rree with the sharing of your name with us •••• fill out, sign a guest book, join us for coffee hour ••• work with us in our programs of service.

B. This church has deep roots in the soil ••• date back to 1837 and next month we shall be celebrating our 15lst birthday. We minister •••• in His name and loving spirit that we greet you. (DAVID L(J;l I

Nancy)

III. PARISH CONCERNS

A. Be sure to pick up the February issue of our monthly news sheet. Copies are by the door ••• again our thanks to Lucy Dinnes who does such a wonderful piece of work in bringing our notices and concerns together and writing them up in such a delightful way.

B. Please note that the Outreach Committee is meeting on Tuesday evening for a very important meeting ••• supper at 6:30 in the Russell Room. Be in touch with Jan Ernst if you cannot be present.

C. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday •••• a week from this Wednesday. Holy Communion between 7:30 and 9:30 in the morning, 4:30 to 6:30 in the evening. Copies of The Sanctuary will be available next Sunday.

D. Please remember our sick in your prayers: Mabelle White and Betty Stagemyer.

&i r-oooking ahead. Save the date of March 13th for our Annual Meeting. -~,,,, Try to hold that Sunday afternoon open for the Church and its

concerns. March 20. "Each One Bring One" celebration.

IT. OFFERING: "It is more blessed to give than it is to receive"

ANTHEM: "Word of God Incarnate"

"Jesu, Word of God incarnate, of the Virgin Mary born, on the cross Thy sacred body for us men with nails was torn. Cleanse us by the blood and water streaming from Thy pierced side. Feed us with Thy body broken now and in death's agony. 0 Jesu, hear us; 0 Jesu, spare us. Jesu, Son of Mary. 0 grant us, Lord, Thy mercy. Amen. Amen!"

ORGAN POSTLUDE

The organ postlude ~a final offering of our praise to God - is played after the Benediction. Time permitting, we invite you to share in the beauty of it.

FOR THOSE WHO SING

New members are always welcome to audi­tion to sing in the choir. Rehearsals are held on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 pm in the downstairs Choir Room which is in the rear of the Russell Room.

MARCH 1

The Oratorio Society, under the direc­tion of Lyndon Woodside, will present the Verdi Requiem on Tuesday, March 1st, at 8 pm at Carnegie Hall. For ticket information, contact the box office or Bobbie Heron, Karen Oldham or Joanne Alban at the coffee hour.

PICK UP YOUR COPY

Be sure to pick up your copy of the February issue of our monthly news sheet, "A Word In Edgeways". Copies are by the door in the narthex as well as on the table in the Russell Room.

ADULT BIBLE CLASS

The Adult Bible Class meets on Sunday mornings at 9:15 in Fellowship Hall. John Simms is currently leading the class in a three month study of Methodism. Coffee and doughnuts are available and all are welcome.

"HOUNDS OF HEAVEN"

The "Hounds of Heaven" will meet on Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm in Fellowship Hall under George Leopold's leadership. New members are always welcome.

OUTREACH COMMITTEE TO MEET

The Outreach Committee will meet for supper on Tuesday evening this week at 6:30pm in the Russell Room.

FINANCIALLY SPEAKING

Pledge cards are still being received in the church office. Be sure to pick up your box of the 1988 offering envelopes.

\ '

ANTHEM: "Word of God Incarnate"

"Jesu, Word of God incarnate, of the Virgin Mary born, on the cross Thy sacred body for us men with nails was torn. Cleanse us by the blood and water streaming from Thy pierced side. Feed us with Thy body broken now and in death's agony. 0 Jesu, hear us; 0 Jesu, spare us. Jesu, Son of Mary. 0 grant us, Lord, Thy mercy. Amen. Amen!"

ORGAN POSTLUDE

The organ postlude ~ a final offering of our praise to God - is played after the Benediction. Time permitting, we invite you to share in the beauty of it.

FOR THOSE WHO SING

New members are always welcome to audi­tion to sing in the choir. Rehearsals are held on Wednesday evenings at 6:15pm in the downstairs Choir Room which is in the rear of the Russell Room.

MARCH 1

The Oratorio Society, under the direc­tion of Lyndon Woodside, will present the Verdi Requiem on Tuesday, March 1st, at 8 pm at Carnegie Hall. For ticket information, contact the box office or Bobbie Heron, Karen Oldham or Joanne Alban at the coffee hour.

PICK UP YOUR COPY

Be sure to pick up your copy of the February issue of our monthly news sheet, "A Word In Edgeways". Copies are by the door in the narthex as well as on the table in the Russell Room.

ADULT BIBLE CLASS

The Adult Bible Class meets on Sunday mornings at 9:15 in Fellowship Hall. John Simms is currently leading the class in a three month study of Methodism. Coffee and doughnuts are available and all are welcome.

"HOUNDS OF HEAVEN"

The "Hounds of Heaven" will meet on Tuesday evening at 6:30pm in Fellowship Hall under George Leopold's leadership. New members are always welcome.

OUTREACH COMMITTEE TO MEET

The Outreach Committee will meet for supper on Tuesday evening this week at 6:30 pm in the Russell Room.

FINANCIALLY SPEAKING

Pledge cards are still being received in the church office. Be sure to pick up your box of the 1988 offering envelopes.

PARK AVENUE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

106 East 86th Street

New York, N.Y. 10028

AT 9-6997

CHURCH DIRECTORY

Rev. Philip A. C. Clarke . . .... . ...... .. . . . . . . .... Minister

Mr. Lyndon Woodside .. . .. .. . .. ... . Organist-Choir Director

Mr. Jack Schmidt ...... . ................ Business Manager

l\1 rs. Judy Ferland ...... . ...... .... . . .... ....... Secretary

l\1 rs. Judith Keisman .. ... ....... ....... Day School Director

Mr. Roberto Meriles .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . Custodian

GENERAL OFFICERS

Lar Members, Annual Conference ... . .. Mr. Edward J. Brown

Mrs. Joyce Gartrell

President, Board of Trustees . ... . . . ...... . . :Miss Lynn Bruhn

Chairman , Administrative Council ........ 1\lrs. Bobbie Heron

Chairman, Education Committee ...... .. .. . Mr. William Bell

Chairman, Fellowship Committee .. . .... Miss Helen Wilkinson

Chairman, Finance Committee ......... Mr. Edward]. Brown

Chairman, Church Property Committee . . Mr. Doug Heimbigner

Co-Chairmen, Membership Committee . ... Miss Lind a Burtch Dr. John Lombardo

Chairman , Outreach Committee . . .... . ... Miss Elizabeth Berg

Chairman, Worship Committee ........... Miss Pam Hubby

Co-Chairmen , Da~· School ...... Dr. and !\1 rs. John Lombardo

Chaim1an, Ushers ...... . .. . ...... . . .... Mr. Larry Morales

Superintendent, Sunday School .......... Miss Anne Davenport

PARK AVENUE

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY February 7, 1988

ORDER OF WORSHIP 11 A. M.

ORGAN "Pr elude and Fugue in E Minor" CALL TO WORSHIP

Bach

HYMN NO. 26 "Holy, Holy, Holy! APOSTLES' CREED

Lord God Almighty"

GLORIA PATRI ***

SCRIPTURE PARISH CONCERNS

Luke 4: 16 - 30

No. 738 No. 792

Page 892

ANTHEM "Jesu, Word of God Incarnate" Gounod PRESENTATION OF THE OFFERING WITH THE DOXOLOGY HYMN NO . 69 "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy" MED I TATION "The Inner Life of Jesus" Mr. Clarke PRAYER

*** THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION

The Kyrie (The Choir) The Invitation (No. 832) The General Confession The Prayer of Pardon The Prayer of Consecration The Prayer of Humble Access The Agnus Dei (The Choir) The Partaking of the Elements The Prayer of Resolution

HYMN NO. 283 "Love Divine, All Loves BENEDICTION ORGAN "Fugue in B Minor"

*** Interval for Ushering

Excelling"

Bach

LAY READER

We welcome Missy Darwin to the lectern this morning. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, and a recent graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Missy - an actress - is in the city to pursue a career in musical theater. She and her sister, Leslie, are both members of the choir.

ALTAR FLOWERS

The flowers on the altar today are given in honor of Paul R. Russell and his wife, Helen. Mr. Russell celebrated his 89th birthday on February 1st.

GREETERS AND USHERS

The greeters today are Cheryl Kolleger and John Lombardo. The ushers are Len Williams, William Chambers, Robert Lewis, John Lombardo, Ken Barclay, Rick Kilbride and Charles Wire.

AN INVITATION

Coffee and tea will be served in the Russell Room following the service. Members and friends are invited to share in these moments of warmth made possible for us today by Susan Goodwin, Leslie Darwin, Pat Henry, Jaya Melwani, Lja Neilson and Effie French.

CHURCH SCHOOL AND NURSERY CARE

Sessions of Church School for children are offered Sunday mornings from eleven to twelve. Nursery care for infants and toddlers is also available on the fourth floor Day School room.

PARK AVENUE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

106 East 86th Street

New York, N.Y. 10028

AT 9-6997

CHURCH DIRECTORY

Rev. Philip A. C. Clarke ... ... . . . ...... . ....... .. Minister

l\1 r. Lyndon Woodside ...... . ....... Organist-Choir Director

Mr. Jack Schmidt .................. . .. . . Business Manager

:\Irs. judy Ferland . .. ... . ....................... Secretary

:\1 rs. Judith Keisman . .............. .... Day School Director

Mr. Roberto Meriles . . . . . . . . . . . Custodian

GENERAL OFFICERS

Lay l\1embers. Annual Conference ..... . l\fr. Edward J. Brown

Mrs. Joyce Gartrell

Pres ident , Board of Trustees .... . .. . ....... Miss Lynn Bruhn

Chairman, Administrative Council ... . .. .. l\Irs. Bobbie Heron

Chairman, Education Committee . ..... . .... Mr. William Bell

Chairman, Fellowship Committee .. .... . Miss Helen Wilk:inson

Chairman, Finance Committee .. .. ..... l\1r. Edward J. Brown

Chairman, Church Property Committee .. Mr. Doug Heimbigner

Co-Chairmen, Membership Committee .... M iss Linda Burtch Dr. John Lombardo

Chairman, Outreach Committee ... ... . . .. Miss Elizabeth Berg

Chaim1an, Worship Committee . ....... . .. Miss Pam Hubby

Co-Chairmen , Dar School .. .. . . Dr. and Mrs. John Lombardo

Chairman, Ushers . .. ... ... ... .......... Mr. Larry Morales

Superintendent, Sunday School .......... Miss Anne Davenport

PARK AVENUE

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH