Sunday, June 21, 2026: "Into the Volcano"

Watch the Sermon here

 First United Presbyterian Church

“Into the Volcano”

Rev. Amy Morgan

June 21, 2026

Matthew 10:24-39

[Jesus said] “A disciple is not above the teacher nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

“Everyone, therefore, who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven, but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword.

For I have come to set a man against his father,

and a daughter against her mother,

and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,

and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

Several weeks ago, I convinced Jason we had to watch one of my favorite movies from my adolescence because it was critical for my sermon illustration this morning. It was released in 1990, starred two of the most important actors of that era, and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Art Direction. It explores themes of life and death, love and hope, fear and courage, endurance and commitment. I’m sure you all know by now that I’m talking about the film “Joe vs. the Volcano.”

Because, of course, this is the story that comes to mind immediately when we hear Jesus say, Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 

For those unfortunate ones among us who have not yet had the opportunity to experience this excellent specimen of early 90’s cinema, “Joe vs. the Volcano” is about a man, named Joe, of course, who has a horrible job in a horrible factory with a horrible boss. He tries making the best of it – decorating his dingy corner of a basement office with a festive lamp. But Joe thinks he’s sick all the time. His throat hurts, his stomach aches, he’s exhausted. He’s sure there’s something terribly wrong with him. 

But this wasn’t always Joe’s life. He used to be a firefighter who ran into burning buildings to save children. He was strong and healthy and brave and capable. But after a while, that life became too much – too difficult, too frightening. And so he went to work in a factory and became a hypochondriac.

He finally goes to see a doctor who tells him he is dying. This realization changes everything. He quits his job and the next day is offered the opportunity to live like a king for the last few weeks of his life and then jump into a volcano to save a tiny island nation and also make a lot of money for a shady businessman. 

Through Joe’s ensuing adventures, he comes fully alive, connecting deeply with other people, taking risks, and even falling in love. And, in the ultimate metaphor depicting losing your life to save it, at the end of the movie – and this is a spoiler, but the movie has been out for 36 years so if you haven’t seen it, that’s on you – at the end of the movie, Joe and his wife of three and a half minutes jump into the volcano and are spewed back out to begin a new life together. 

In the tenth chapter of Matthew, Jesus is preparing his disciples for the worst job ever. He tells them that they will need to go out and do impossible things – cure the sick, cast out demons, and even raise the dead. He tells them to work for free and not take enough supplies with them. He tells them that most people are going to hate them, call them names, beat them up, and arrest them. He tells them that even their family will turn against them and hate them. 

This job Jesus describes for the disciples is dangerous. It’s all risk and no reward. It asks everything of them and offers them…what? It’s not really clear. It sounds too difficult, too frightening. It feels like the disciples would be better off going back to tax collecting and fishing and feeling sick and tired and hopeless all the time. 

But that’s not what the disciples do. They actually do the job Jesus calls them to do. They leave their other jobs - jobs that pay the bills, contribute something to the economy, give them something useful to do every day. And they go jump in the volcano. 

Because Jesus essentially tells them they are dying. He says, Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell. He tells them that the life they’ve been living is destroying their souls, sucking the life out of them, it’s a living hell. He tells them to quit worrying about risk and reward, danger and difficulty. Preserving their bodies is not worth killing their souls. 

And then he offers this comforting image: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Good to know. Worth more than not just two sparrows, but many sparrows. Thanks, Jesus. 

What Jesus is offering the disciples is the opportunity to live like they are dying, to cherish every moment, feel gratitude for every small kindness and meaningful connection. Because the truth is, sparrows are a dime a dozen, or, in this case, a dime for twenty. And so are we. We can live our lives as though we are cogs in a machine. We can live that way because it feels safe, familiar, normal. We can make ourselves sick trying to avoid dying. But Jesus offers us wholeness and abundant life, if we will just give up our fear – fear of dying, yes, but maybe fear of really living, too. We don’t need to be afraid all the time because God’s eye is on the sparrow, and we know God watches over us. 

Friends, we are afraid all the time. Every media empire is constructed to evoke as much fear in us as possible. Most advertising is designed to make us afraid enough to spend money on things we don’t want or need. Our political system drives the wedge of fear deeper and deeper between us and our neighbors so that candidates and parties can divide us to conquer us. 

We are afraid all the time, and it is making us sick. According to a United Healthcare report released in February, younger Americans, Millennials and Gen Z, are developing chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity earlier in life, visiting emergency rooms more frequently and engaging with primary care providers less often than any other generation. They are sicker than Baby Boomers were at their age. Major health events like heart attacks, strokes, complex surgeries, cancer, and genetic diseases have jumped nearly 40% in the last 6 years. Depression among teens has been declared an epidemic, with nearly 50,000 people a year dying by suicide. 

Our souls are sick, and it is killing us. It’s time for us to listen to Jesus, accept his invitation to live as though we are dying and as though our life is the most precious thing in the eyes of God. Jesus is inviting us to jump into the volcano, to lose our lives to save them. 

This means accepting a very difficult job. One that is dangerous and scary. One that people will not thank us for and might, in fact, hate us for. It is a job that is all risk and no reward, that asks everything of us and offers us…we’re not sure what. Maybe the chance to really live. 

So how does all this bring us to today? Exactly nine years ago, on the third Sunday of June, 2017, we jumped into the volcano, this congregation and I. You all voted to call me as your sixth pastor in nine years. You all agreed to pay me more than you thought you could afford at the time. I agreed to uproot my family and move 1,200 miles away from everything that felt safe and comfortable. I agreed to serve with a church that had survived a lot of turmoil and wasn’t clear about their future. 

And over the last nine years, the volcano has spewed us back out, again and again. We have continued to take risks together, to do crazy things no other church is doing, to commit to doing this thing called life and ministry together. And we have lived and had amazing experiences. We have lived as though each one of us, and every one of our neighbors, is cherished by God. We have lived with a sense of abundance and gratitude. Our lives, and the lives of people in the community around us, have been saved because we keep jumping into the volcano. 

Today, we’re being asked to jump into that volcano once again. Exactly nine years after you voted to call me as your pastor, you are being asked to dissolve this pastoral relationship. This may feel like a separation, but it is actually something we are doing together. We are both jumping into the volcano, even if we know it’s going to spew us out on different sides of the island this time. 

This is scary and difficult. The months ahead will be filled with new challenges, and it may feel like all risk and no reward and asks everything of us. 

But I trust that we will both find new life through this adventure. Perhaps we will live in ways we never have before. Perhaps we will discover how healthy and well we actually are. Perhaps we will be able to heal people around us who are sick in their souls. Perhaps our own lives will be saved because we are following the call of Jesus to do work that is hard and unpopular and strange. 

Jesus is sending us out, ill-equipped, to do things that feel impossible. Care for the neighbor on our doorstep and help younger generations thrive. Be the Heart of Christ in the Heart of Loveland and equip small congregations for faithful ministry. Carry on the ministry of this church and develop new programs in the region. We won’t be doing this work in relationship as pastor and church, but we will be doing this work together. We are taking this risk together. And we will, I trust, find it to be life-giving together. 

So after this service, I invite you to give me your hand, take a deep breath, and jump into this volcano. Because we are worth more than many sparrows. Do not be afraid. 

To God be all glory forever and ever. Amen.