The Naamans Amongst Us; Sermon on 2 Kings 5:1-19

 

Rev. George Miller

November 08, 2026

2 Kings 5:1-19

 

When studying scripture, we begin to notice certain things.  While Mark, Matthew and Luke are the same story told 3 different ways, John is a whole other narrative with Jesus saying and doing things found nowhere else.

 

Mark, Matthew, and Luke rearrange the order of how things happen.  Why?

 

Perhaps a simple mistake.  Perhaps the event happened more than once in different locations.  Perhaps the writer wanted to make a point.

 

Mark and Matthew tell us Jesus’s ministry began in Galilee with calling the disciples and healing acts.  Matthew says Jesus goes up a mountain to teach the Beatitudes; Mark says nothing of the sorts.

 

But Luke?  He tells us Jesus starts his ministry by teaching in the synagogue and upsetting every single person around him.

 

As the author of Luke likes to tell it, one day in Nazareth, Jesus went to the synagogue, as he often did, and read from the Prophet Isaiah- “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me anointing me to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, empower people to see, and set the oppressed free.”

 

Jesus sits down; all eyes on him.  “Today,” he says, “The scripture has come to be.”

 

People speak well of him, praising him, amazed, delighted.  “Wow oh wow- isn’t he Joseph’s little boy all grown up? His words are so gracious and full of wisdom!”

 

…Well, Jesus being Jesus, did not come to keep the status quo in power or placate people’s feelings.  Jesus says-  “Well, now I have to share the hard facts- historically, no truth tellers are welcome in their hometown.”

 

“Back when hunger hit our nation, God sent Elijah to care for a widow of a different and land.  And when many people in our country had skin diseases, God had Elisha tend to Naaman, the head of a foreign army.”

 

Jesus is saying to them, “Yes, the year of the Lord’s favor is proclaimed; yes, I am the one to share it, but this favor extends to those who are different, despised, of different religious beliefs, even live in other countries.”

 

Jesus is saying, “God’s grace is so generous it is being poured out in unlimited quantities to all.”

 

This just upsets everyone within those 4 walls.  They get angry, immediately get on their feet, chase him to the edge of a cliff, ready to toss him over, but Jesus makes it through to see another day, until finally faith leads him to that Old Rugged Cross.

 

This is how Luke tells us about the start of Jesus’ ministry; only then does Jesus offer healing, calls the disciples, and teaches the Beatitudes.

 

Mark and Matthew have Jesus ease into his ministry before chaos and controversy erupts; Luke puts him right there with folk who’ve decided they want him gone.

 

When Jesus spoke about the widow and Naaman, he wasn’t making things up or telling them something they didn’t all know.  They are well known stories in 1 and 2^nd Kings.  The people just didn’t like being reminded of stories that spoke of God’s inclusive care.

 

The story of Namaan is a rich tale full of drama and humor, miracles and adventure.  In public, Naaman is the most powerful military leader in the world; but in private he’s battling the reality of bodies that become diseased. 

 

It must have eaten away at his spirit, because it takes a little slave girl from Israel to say what needs to be said “I know someone who can make him happy, they live in the hometown you took me from.”

 

In a series of political moves, Naaman goes to his king to see if he can go to Israel.  The King gives him a permission slip and 9 million dollars’ worth of coins.

 

But when Namaan gets to Israel, the King there freaks out- “What is this?  A test? A trick?  A way to start another unfounded war? I have no time for such pettiness.”

 

Naaman is sent away unhealed, but the prophet Elisha hears about this; sends Naaman clear instructions- go to the Jordan River, dunk yourself 7 times and you’ll be good as new.

 

What does Naaman, the mightiest warrior in all the world do?  He throws a tantrum, acting like a child. “No!  I expected there to be a big show and lots of fireworks.  I could have stayed home and swam in the local river.  This is stupid!”

 

His people talk him down; he gets into the Jordan and emerges brand new, restored, refreshed.  His bratty behavior turns into deep faith in the Lord.

 

He makes a request- can I have some soil so when I go back to my country, I can stand upon it to pray to God…and the times I go into other temples with my superiors, please forgive me and know I am forever faithful to the Lord.”

 

This is a story of transformation, of teamwork, of wisdom changing lives.

 

It’s a tale of how God’s gift of healing, love and grace goes beyond one’s nation, one’s faith, one’s language, one’s military status, one’s place in acceptable political and religious community.

 

This was a revolutionary story when it was first told in the Old Testament.  It was a revolutionary story when Jesus retold it in the synagogue at the start of his ministry. 

 

It is a revolutionary story today in a climate of voices of those who try to use their faith to decide who is in, who is out, what constitutes an American and who gets to play a role in leadership.

 

Imagine if the story of Naaman had been told on the debate stage, in the advertisements, in the numerous mailings and texts we all received last week.

 

Perhaps folk would be just as angry as they were with Jesus as that day in the synagogue.

 

So where do we go, what can be done with this scripture that’s nearly 2,500 years old?

 

We wrestle with it.  We revisit it.  We discuss it.  We seek to discover what wisdom it has for us.  It must be important for Luke to say Jesus spoke about it.

 

We can also ask, “Who are the Naamans amongst us?”

 

Who are the ones who desire wholeness and healing but will fight it every step of the way?

 

Who are the ones who are often ignored or dismissed as young or different or subservient or invisible who might have the greatest wisdom and knowledge to share?

 

Who are the ones that are willing to cross lines and differences and come together for  new life and fresh beginnings?

 

Who are the ones out there, in the highways and bylaws, the inner chambers and outside crossroads who are waiting to hear the Good News, who are yearning to be cleansed?

 

Who out there are the Naaman’s waiting to not only hear, but to see by our hands and feet, heart and words that

 

“This is the year of the Lord’s favor. Good News is to be brought to those who hunger and mourn, are blind and waiting to be free.”

 

Amen and amen.

Nov 1 2026 Sermon- Wisdom and a Heavenly Hearing Heart; 1 Kings 3:4-9

 

Rev. George Miller

Nov 1, 2026

1 Kings 3:4-9

 

Next week is our Annual Meeting, a time to gather in God’s sacred sanctuary to learn, discern, discuss, even disagree.  May it be a time in which we welcome Heaven’s Wisdom and hearing heart.

 

In addition to salvation, inclusivity and peace, wisdom is a word we can use to describe the Jesus experience.

 

Christ’s first followers saw him as wisdom embodied.  When Jesus speaks in the synagogue or engages in lively banter, it is a form of holy engagement for the scribes and religious leaders.

 

They believed God is experienced through conversations, coming together to study and talk about scripture, even if no answer, or agreement emerges. 

 

Wisdom is a way in which God is made known, long been seen as essential and important in the Jewish community.

 

The Book of Proverbs says the Lord’s wisdom founded the earth (3:19); the first of God’s acts, present at Creation (8:22).  Wisdom speaks as a woman calling out in the streets, providing welcome to all (1:20), her words treasured (2:2), stored up like wealth (2:7), feeding people with bread and wine (9:5), making them happy, giving them favored life (8:35).

 

It’s no surprise that Solomon asks for an understanding mind to care for those he is to serve.

 

He doesn’t ask for diamonds and gold or the newest chariot, but for wisdom, to discern bad and good, how to navigate tough times.

 

For the seeds of Miriam and Sarah, there has always been an emphasis on wisdom and it’s essentialness.  To think and understand with your brain and a “hearing heart.”

 

What this can mean for us is that when reading Mark, Mathew, Luke, and John, it is good to know that wisdom (made known through words, study, reflection, disagreements, and questions) was seen as a holy way to faithfully live and breathe. 

 

To engage in theological discourse was a huge expression of lived faith and a way to experience God.

 

Wisdom was so valued as part of God’s essence, that it was a way people saw Jesus as more than an ordinary man.  When Jesus walked past folk, they’d say- “He speaks the wisdom of God.”  Over time “Behold the Wisdom of God!”

 

Jesus, rooted in the Old Testament understanding of Mama Wisdom,

embodied Wisdom for all to see- standing before them in the synagogue, preaching Isaiah.

 

Meeting the woman at the well and engaging in a rich dialogue that touched upon gifts of God, eternal life, and Living Water.

 

On that Emmaus Road where Christ Resurrected went step by step with two townsfolk, talking about this and that, recounting stories of Moses, the words of the prophets, illuminating scripture.

 

Wisdom- an understanding heart and clear mind present at Creation, that feeds people with bread and wine.  Wisdom that strolled past the people in the body of Jesus.

 

Oh, how he embodied wisdom and ways to make wisdom known!  How Jesus taught- through stories and parables, telling tales with everyday folk.  A woman who lost a coin; a son who discovers living on your own ain’t so easy; a  hungry man outside of the gates.

 

Jesus, so wise that with just a few words he shaped our understanding of God’s kingdom with tales we still tell today.

 

Another aspect of Jesus’ wisdom was how he navigated outside the walls of the synagogue, going where the people were, sharing God’s wisdom with those working on boats, gleaning in the fields, enjoying wine at a wedding, even one who thought he had to climb a tree to be seen.

 

The wisdom Jesus embodied was amazing, beautiful, inclusive; to think and ponder, even if uncomfortable.

 

Along with Covenant, wisdom is a part of the UCC’s  history. German Evangelicals who established Eden Seminary.  New England Congregationalists who made Harvard happen.  The Reformed branch who believed it important for preachers to be educated.

 

Today we honor the saints who have gone on before, giving thanks for all they have done.  Next week we hold our Annual Meeting.

 

May it be a time in which we welcome in the Spirt of Wisdom that was there at Creation and the Wisdom that flowed through the hands and feet of Jesus.

 

Step by step, wildly improbable goal by wildly improbable goal, grace by grace, we are in a Covenant with God in which we get to engage in acts of wisdom, with thinking hearts and compassionate minds.

 

We are servants of the Lord most high, following the ways of Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, continuing the legacy of our ancestors who came before and the generations who will come after.                    

Amen and amen.

October 18, 2026 Sermon; Joshua 24:1-18

 

Rev. George Miller

Oct 18, 2026

Joshua 24:1-18

 

Step by step, God has shown the families of Israel the way.

 

Wildly improbable goal by wildly improbable goal, God has shown  them what is possible when they work together and focus on the Lord.

 

The heart of God, full of Creation’s love and parental protection, has been with them step by step, obstacle by obstacle.

 

God has said to the people “You’ve seen what I’ve done for you, what it’s like for me to carry you upon my wings.  I want nothing more than to show you the way and to love-on you, forever.”

 

God says all this with no threats, no coercion.

 

We witnessed this last week when the people were at Sinai.  Now it is about 40-60 years later; most of the people who left Egypt and received the 10 Commandments are long gone.  The group Joshua is talking to now is the next generation.

 

They may not have been there to see the Red Sea Part.  They may have only heard about God feeding them with Bread From Heaven. 

 

But they’ve heard the stories.  They’ve seen their parents live the legacy; they’ve heard the conversations of their aunts and uncles, and they sat around the same campfire as their cousins.

 

The people who make up today’s reading are the legacy of the many steps and wildly improbable goals that their parents participated in, from slavery to freedom, wilderness to green pastures.

 

This is why Joshua, the successor of Moses, stands before the congregation: to remind them of who they are and all God has done.

 

Joshua reminds the families of Isreal how God was with them before their immigration from the Euphrates.

 

God was there with their families at the Red Sea.  God was with them when other nations threatened their welfare. 

 

Joshua reminds the group that God is right here, right now; with them in their land of opportunities, their vineyards, their farms, and their commerce.

 

Now, just like Moses decades before, Joshua gives the people yet another chance to walk with God, to choose if they will follow the ways of life or the ways of chaos.

 

Joshua makes it clear what he and his family will decide.  He says “No matter what others choose, my household will always strive to serve God.”

 

The people gathered, no longer in a dessert, but in a lush land filled with plenty, take it upon themselves, and collectively say: “We know who God is; we know what God has done.  We will serve the Lord.”

 

Together, the families and Joshua make a covenant with God.

 

But what is a covenant?  We know what a promise is.  We know what a deal is.  We know what it means to sign a contract.  But covenant?

 

What is that?  Carolyn Pressler in her commentary on “Joshua, Judges, and Ruth” (2002; pages 116-117) shares her understanding.

 

She grew up in a small Midwestern church that marked each new year with a Covenant service grounded in “deep and ancient roots.”

 

She said, “In language both grand and familiar, we recited the sweeping story of God’s mighty acts of deliverance and pledged unconditional loyalty in grateful response.”

 

Carolyn remembers the seriousness and seeming impossibility of the covenantal oath that “ promised complete, unreserved obedience.”

 

Complete, unreserved obedience.  Sounds intense; totally improbable.

 

As Carolyn explains, “Covenant” was at the center of the way Isreal understood their relationship with God.  Their identity was rooted in this Covenant. 

 

Ther understanding of who they are, what they believe, how they are to live each day, from first waking breath to the first sound of snoring, is connected to and built upon this simple sounding idea-

 

that they will worship God and God only, exclusively.

 

So what makes this a Covenant and not a contract or a promise?

 

It’s that the families of Israel make this decision “free and deliberate” (p. 120).  Joshua gives the people a choice with no threats, no demands, no shotguns. 

 

The choice is simple- you can worship the gods of the world that others give their energy to, or you can worship the Lord.

 

The choice is simple- with no forcing of hand, you can choose to worship the popular gods that the cool kids are following, or you can choose to worship the God of your grandparents and their grandparents.

 

It could have been an easy choice- “Let’s be like all the others.”  But instead the people think of God’s grace, God’s presence in their lives, and they choose God.

 

They establish a commitment with God not because they must, but because they may, not because it’s what everyone else is doing, but because for them it makes them the most real, the most complete.

 

Covenant is entering into an agreement not because you must, but because it is what you feel called to do.  In many ways it makes it so much more special than a promise or a contract.

 

A Covenant is more a binding of the hearts and a reimagining of the future.

 

During Communion, as we break the Bread and drink the wine, I find myself lost in Jesus’ words in First Corinthians 11:25- “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.”

 

I think of what “new covenant” means.  Does it mean the old ways no longer matter; does it mean that God got it wrong the first time?

 

No…this idea of a new covenant in Christ’s blood can be a way of expressing embodiment, that the new covenant we receive through Christ is one in which we don’t just believe, but we “be.”

 

Just as St. Lucas has been the “hands and feet of Christ” since 1880, this idea of new covenant is made know by who we are both in public and private, who we are in the pews and the grocery aisles, who we are in the Fellowship Hall and in the restaurants.

 

Jesus came to us to remind us of the Covenant and to show us how to embody the Covenant.

 

Not just in how we worship or how we pray, but how we respond to someone in pain, and to someone in need.  How do we respond when there is no peace?  What do we do when we see no justice?

 

Jesus showed us how to put God first and exist in such a way that God is always present and acting.

 

Thousands of years ago, the people of Isreal found themselves free of Egypt’s bondage and wilderness sands.  They found themselves in a place of milk and honey, green pastures and calm waters.

 

When given the chance to choose the ways of the world or a true relationship with God, they chose God.

 

Every day we also get to make that choice, becoming part of the Covenant not because we must but because we may; not because we were coerced but because we are free.

 

Step by step, wildly improbable goal by wildly improbable goal, God is ready every day to love upon us, Jesus is ready to show us the way, and the Holly Spirit is there to lift us up on eagles’ wings.

 

With no threats, no coercion.

 

Simply accepting the heart of God, full of Creation’s love and parental protection.

 

God, through Christ, is ready to be in relationship and love upon us forever.                 Amen and amen.

Red Door Reflection; Reformation Sunday; Psalm 51:1-19

 

Rev. George Miller

Oct 25, 2026

Psalm 51:1-19

 

One red door, two red door, three doors, four…when the weather is nice and the morning is walkable, the kids from St. Lucas Preschool walk around the church building, counting the red doors.

 

Five, six, seven doors…it’s a great activity for the kids to keep their minds sharp, their bodies active.

 

Eight door, nine.  Nine red doors, from the front of the church to the back of the kitchen. 

 

But these are not just doors; the red is not just a color.  These doors are physical forms of generosity.  The red ties into Reformation.

 

The Reformation is an important part of our faith’s history- a movement begun on Oct 31, 1517, when a monk named Martin Luther publicly challenged the church, protesting misuse of people’s money and faith.

 

Luther brought to the forefront of people’s minds the New Testament teaching of grace when Paul wrote “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing-it is the gift of God-not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 

 

In Romans 3:23-24-“Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.”

 

Martin Luther, in his many dark nights of reflection and study, read these words and had a revelation-

 

Though he sinned, though he was imperfect, though he made many mistakes by intention and by sheer foolishness, there was nothing he had to do, or say, or an amount he had to pay to receive God’s favor.

 

By revisiting the words of Paul, Luther realized that God’s grace is not something he had to sweat for or make a to-list of tasks.

 

God’s grace is right there, has been right there, grounded in Christ.  Grace is God’s favor freely, generously given to all. 

 

All we do is receive it and believe. 

 

When we do, we create space to be transformed, sustained, made real.  When sharing that grace with others? Heart-based revolution take place and generosity overflows.

 

Why use Red for Reformation?

 

Red signifies zeal and passion.  It reminds us of those who lost their lives for their faith.  Red is the color of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell upon the people.

 

Red reminds us of Reformation.  Reformation reminds us of grace.  Grace reminds us of God’s favor.

 

So when it is a sunny and nice day, and our children are walking around the church, counting the doors, it is not just about one red door, two red door, three and four.

 

It’s about our kids seeing multiple representations of God’s grace, God’s delight to give us favor, God’s desire for us to live life to the fullest- in Christ, in wisdom, in the Holy Spirit.

 

9 red doors all along the walls and foundation of God’s church, quietly telling everyone around-

 

“Hey- God loves you; Christ redeems you, and your sins do not prevent you from entering in.”

 

Psalm 51 says to the Lord “I am a sinner; weak; tired, worn.  I am empty; broken, and I seek you out.  Reach out, restore me, and show me the way.”

 

The Reformation is a reminder to us that God says- “I choose to reach out to you, I choose to be your fountain and forever be your shelter.”

 

Like the people in Siani, and the people with Joshua, we get each  day to say yes to God and enjoy a life lived in the Lord.          

 

When we believe, when we welcome, we find Christ coming through the doors of our heart and we find the walls being rebuilt and calm in our soul. 

 

Amen. 

Show Me The Way; Exodus 19:1-8

 

Rev. George Miller

Oct 11, 2026

Exodus:19:1-8

 

Step by step, God is showing the Israelites the way.

 

Wildly impossible goal by wildly impossible goal, God is showing them the way.

 

From their bondage in Egypt to their freedom in the wilderness, from parting the Red Sea to giving them water from the Rock, God is showing them the way.

 

From giving them victory against the Amalek’s to supplying them with manna from heaven, God is showing them the way.

 

The heart of God is so full of Creation’s love and parental protection, that step by step, obstacle by obstacle, wildly improbable goal by wildly improbable goal, God is showing them the way.

 

And after 3 months, the way leads to Mount Sinai.  After three full moons, the way leads the people to a place they can rest and reboot.

 

The people may be free, but they are tired.  They may no longer fear Pharaoh’s whip but they’re not yet sure what a life freed from slavery means.

 

So besides Mount Sania, God gives them rest.  God prepares them for instruction-

 

how to be holy as God is holy, how to fulfill their potential in the Promised Land.

 

“Show me the way, O Lord, show me the way.  Show us the way, O Lord, show us the way.”

 

Here is a substantial moment. 

 

God says to the people “You’ve seen what I’ve done for you; you know what it’s like for me to carry you upon my wings.  I want nothing more than to show you the way and to love on you.”

 

With no threats, no coercion, God says- “If you simply keep my life-sustaining commandments, if you listen to my wisdom, you will see the impossible manifest before your eyes and you will be a holy nation of precious jewels.”

 

Step by step, God loves, God shows them the way, and they get to decide if they will trust and obey or if they will miss the mark and make unfortunate mistakes.

 

This is a big deal, because before this moment, the people were shown and told over and over again that they were nothing, they were animals, they were a threat.

 

God saying “My diamonds, let me show you the way” is far different than the last 400 years of their existence.

 

4 moons ago the Israelites were the most despised people on the earth. 

 

The Pharaoh feared them, setting  taskmasters over them, oppressing them with forced construction and work in the fields.

 

Under this ruthless regime, the people saw their babies ripped away, their boys tossed into the river.  When Moses dared to advocate on behalf of the people, they were made to gather their own supplies to make the bricks.  If daily quotas were not met, they were ruthlessly whipped.

 

This is the life they lived for 400 years; about 16 generations.  4 centuries of a people being treated as garbage and having every choice made for them, almost always against their best interest.

 

So now, we come to this Mountain in the desert in which the people have been freed, they’ve been fed, they’ve been fought for, they’ve had their thirst quenched.

 

Now, they are given the chance to be shown the way to freedom, shown the way to God’s glorious love, shown the way of living holy in which all things matter and God says “You are my most precious.”

 

Pharoah feared them.

     God adored them.

 

The Taskmasters burdened them with forced labor.

     The Lord says “Rest.  Sabbath.  Breathe.”

 

The Egyptian army chased them with war machines.

     God calls them to Godself.

 

In Egypt the people had no choice. 

In the God’s Kingdom, they’re given the choice to follow the way or not.

 

And thankfully, beautifully, the people say to God-

 

“Yes, you will be our God, we will be your people.  Show us the way and we will seek your wisdom and keep your commandments.”

 

It’s a beautiful scene, reminding us of the exquisite relational nature of our faith, how being part of God’s Kingdom is about dialogue and choices and opportunities.

 

It’s a beautiful scene because it is also a reminder- that we too can always make that choice to choose God, to keep the covenant, to seek out heaven’s wisdom.

 

To know that God will always want to show us the way, and we can always choose to say “Yes.”

 

Even if we get sidetracked now and then.  Even if we stray from the path.  Even if wolves distract us from grandmother’s house.

 

No matter how much that happens, we always have another chance, another day to say “Show me the way.”

 

This Mount Sinai moment is something we experience throughout the ministry of Jesus.

 

Think of how Jesus showed us a world in which sons who squander everything  can be welcomed back.  How a lost coin will be searched for and found no matter how much midnight oil it takes.

 

Remember that lost sheep from Lent and Easter? Jesus tells us of the Shepherd who searches from valley to hilltop until that lost sheep is found and all of heaven rejoices.

 

The beauty of grace.  The power of forgiveness.  The glory of a redo.

 

Today’s narrative is a reminder to us that no matter what we have been through, no matter what obstacles we have faced, God is there; the Lord is ready to say “Let me care for you.  Let me fight for you.  Let me show you the way.”

 

And the wisdom of God is so simple; the covenant is so easy-

 

believe, don’t place your faith in the false ways of the world, rest, honor your elders, speak truth,

 

respect boundaries, do right by your neighbors, be content with what you have.

 

Again and again, you may be someone who finds yourself in the wilderness.  Again and again you may find yourself facing a tough time. 

 

Know that in the Holy Spirit there is a place to rest.  In God there is a gracious heart. 

 

In a life lived with Christ there can  be miracles and wildly improbable goals, do-overs and tri-overs, and chances for us to be further recreated in the image of the Lord.

 

Love upon love, step upon step, in which the Lord will always allow us another day to say- “Show me the way.”                Amen and amen.