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How many friends do you have? How many friends do you have? I have 111. I know where they live, what they do in their spare time, what books they like. I’ve seen photos of their family and their last vacation spot. I know what’s on their mind – for some of them, I know it 3 or 4 times a day! Today, the number of friends I have is 111; Tomorrow it could be 112 or even 115. 111 is a relatively small number; I know some people who have 400 or even 700 or maybe even 1000 friends! Okay, some of you are looking at me a little askance. You’re wondering how I can possibly know precisely how many friends I have and how can I talk to them everyday? Others of you know what I’m speaking of – Well, it’s all because of Facebook, an online social networking tool that for many of us - Facebook says it has 200 million active users - changes the way we connect and relate to each other. Originally designed for college students to stay computer connected, it now connects people of every age all around the world. You can think of Facebook like a giant rolodex, an index of people whom you know or met or that someone has told you might be good to know. It’s also like a web, in which you are connected and linked to people from your present, your past, and even in your future. It’s a way to exchange information and organize people, or just generally schmooze about what’s happening in your life and in the world around you. At the core of facebook are your “friends.” And here’s how it works. You receive a request from someone to be your friend and you have two options. You can ignore them or “confirm them.” Mike, you have a friend request today. And so do you Skyler and Dan and Becky. And Rose and Jason and Brianna and Joe. And today is the day for you to confirm that request. The friend request is from Jesus, and he says to you the same thing he said to his first followers. I want to be your friend. I want you to live in me, to love like me, to bring new life and new hope into the world. Jesus chooses you to be his friend - not just because you are good at music or sports or making others laugh or feel comfortable. Jesus chooses you to be his friend not just because you are smart or cheerful or creative or energetic. Jesus chooses you to be his friend just because you are you! You are, As it says in the Psalms – (Confirmands, what testament is that in?) You are fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image. It doesn’t make any difference how much you have or don’t have: There’s no ipod, or iphone or cool computer or special clothing or the number of friends you have on facebook that can make you any more precious to Jesus than you already are. Jesus chooses you – Jesus chooses all of us – to be his friends because that is how God’s love works – abundantly, extravagantly, and joyfully. Jesus chooses you to be his friend, and just like you do with your facebook friends, he wants to know what’s on your mind. Jesus wants to know what makes you happy or sad, what makes you laugh and weep, and when and why you get angry or lonely or afraid. Jesus wants you to know what makes you pause and wonder, Or question the world – or your parents – and doubt your faith. Letting Jesus know what’s on your mind is what we call prayer, and you can do it any time – day or night, while you’re at church or school, or listening to your ipod or skateboarding or swimming or marching in the band or out on the golf course. Prayer also involves listening, because if you’re going to be Jesus’ friend, He wants to tell you what’s on his mind as well. Do you remember what Jesus told the disciples in the lesson we heard from John’s gospel this morning? “I call you friends, Jesus says, “because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from God.” So, how do you find out what Jesus wants us to know? Read and study Scripture to learn the words and deeds of God and the life, death, resurrection of Jesus. Learn what made Jesus happy and sad, Angry and lonely and afraid. But don’t do it by yourself: Talk to others who study the bible and hear their viewpoints and ideas and the way Jesus is making himself known to them. Come to church, and listen during our time of worship. And then there are the times that we have to spend some time alone with Jesus in silence. Turn off the cell phone and ipods, Facebook, texting, and television. Just sit and listen to how Jesus might be speaking to you. You can spend hours on Facebook - I have spent hours on Facebook - sitting in your living room or bedroom or dorm room or library or wherever there is a computer connection. You can spend hours catching up with folks, looking through photo albums they’ve posted on line, sending messages or mandalas or virtual starbucks or cupcakes. That’s the virtual world. Jesus calls us to be in the real world! Despite its name, You never actually see someone face to face when you’re on Facebook. Jesus is the kind of friend that says – actually he commands us – that you leave your home, your place of comfort and familiarity and meet his other friends face to face. Some of his friends are sitting right here today. Confirmands, I invite you to look at each other. These are the friends you’ve traveled with during this year – Beginning nine months ago when you in the front of the congregation, declaring your inention to learn and grow more fully in the ways of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We made a covenant with you and your family, sharing our hopes for the year, and beginning the journey of fun and fellowship, learning and questioning, snacking and serving, writing and praying and snacking some more! Look at each other – you are Jesus’ friends, the ones whom Jesus’ invites you to love and care for. And now, I invite you to turn around – look at the people gathered here this morning. They are also Jesus’ friends: your family of origin and members of your church family. and also members of your church family. Today they rejoice with you, and pray for you and with you. And to this congregation, I invite you to look at these young people, soon to be the newest members of our congregation. In the days and years ahead, they will work with you, worship with you, witness with you, as together we seek to understand what it means to be the church in this place and time. Together we are Jesus’ friends bearing fruit in the world. And finally, confirmands, some of Jesus’ friends who are not here today, but they are the ones Jesus invites us to remember. In the book of Matthew – (What testament, confirmands?) in the 25th chapter, Jesus reminds us: his friends are hungry and thirsty, lonely, and in prison – those whom society calls the least and the lost and the left behind. We met some of Jesus’ friends when we went to Peter’s Retreat, The home for persons HIV/AIDS. We felt their joy, experienced their hospitality, and listened to their words of wisdom and caution. These, too, are the friends we are called to lay down our time and our talent and treasure for. For in meeting and in serving them and in loving them, we will meet and serve and love Jesus. Since the beginning of the year, The confirmation class has been “friends” with the teaching team on facebook. There was a rumor going around yesterday that some of us might be “unfriended” now that confirmation is over. Well, on Facebook, There are two ways you can do that: “Delete” or “cancel relationship.” That very well might happen, For we know that in our lives, Friends do come and go. Sometimes – not in this case, but sometimes – friendships are severed because there has been hurt or harsh words exchanged, or someone betrays a trust or confidence. But here is a piece of good news for us today: Once Jesus chooses you, he doesn’t let you go, He doesn’t delete you or cancel your relationship. We might choose to separate ourselves from Jesus, But he promises – Even when we turn away from him – to be with us forever. Think for a moment of the friends of Jesusu Sitting at the table of the Last Supper: Andrew and James, who fought to see who was the most important; Peter, who confounded Jesus at every turn, and who would deny him; and Judas, who would betray him. And through it all, Jesus loved them, went to the cross for them, And brought them a word of peace and new possibility after the resurrection. The same is true for you and for me and for all of us. So, Mike, you have a friend request from Jesus today. And so do you Skyler and Dan and Becky. And Rose and Jason and Brianna and Joe. And now is the moment for you to confirm that request and begin your journey as full members of the church. May you all be blessed this moment and in each moment to come. Amen. |