The King Still Has Moves to Make

Transcripts are computer-generated and may not be 100% accurate.

Matt [after a slideshow of memories from the last ten years]: Um, ooh. Okay. That's not fair. That's rude. ‘Specially when I’ve been gone three months, you welcome me back like that is…thank you. Move back. Sorry. There we go again. Picking up where we left off. My name is Matt Moberg. This is, uh, my last night is one of the leaders here at The Table. Okay, you got about 15 minutes to go, Matt, pull yourself together. Didn't need that slideshow, but let's work with it.

I'm going to start like this. The way that we've started, every space when we've gotten together, you know, we all come to church for different reasons. 10,000 different things that bring us into this space. Family obligations, aspirational, pushes all of it. But whenever you sit in this particular part of this here service and you try to catch some kind of wisdom or nutritional value from a sermon, I want you to walk away with this. If you walk away with nothing else, friends who you are is more important than what you do, even if what you do gets more attention than who you are. Your stories, your substance, your sufficiency, if far outweighs out, yells, the volume climbs so much higher than any scars or setbacks that you might have picked up along the way.

This is my responsibility in this time to bring you into some kind of sermonic content. I'm making it up as I go. I just told my, my best bud, Justin, right here. Uh, these are the here extent of these notes. Don't cry too much, but also cry a little so you show that it matters, but for real, don't cry too much. So let's not make too much of that.

There's a story I told years ago that I would like to dial up once more. It was a story that I actually told our Timberwolves players when they were in Denver. And, uh, game seven, you remember how that shook out. It went well. So this is going to go well for you as well. You're welcome. Don't say thank you.

In the center of Paris, in the heart of the Louvre, there is this painting. Painting is called Checkmate. It's a painting that sits next to the Mona Lisa, the Wedding at Cana. All these highly esteemed pieces that people come from far and wide to get a glimpse at. But this painting is right here on one lowly day where there wasn't much attendance, the traffic was relatively small, there was a group of world-class athletes that came through.

It was led by a well, um, like a veteran guide at the Louvre. Somebody who like really honored the craft of guiding folk through the museum. Somebody who wanted to, this isn't just a job for him, like it mattered to him. He was assigned the duty of leading these people through the Louvre. And at one point, after bringing them through with Mona Lisa where all the phones got out and everybody wanted a selfie and some kind of piece of that pie and the Wedding at Cana, Medusa and all the other pieces, they got to this one right here.

And he said, let me lay this out to you. Made in 1831 we think, uh, this is called Checkmate. Purpose being is this. It is trying to put into color what Goethe first put into poetry, a play on Faust. The idea is that on your left, their right is the devil. The devil's playing chess with the man who's on the other side game. In between, there's a wager at hand for the stakes, very high, of course, it's his soul. If the devil wins his chess game, the devil gets the man's soul. If the man wins the chess game, the man's going to have whatever he wants, rub that lamp three times.

As you can see depicted by the artist in this piece from 1831, the devil on the left is smirking. He's like, “I know I got you.” Hence why it is called Checkmate. The man on the right. The man that you might find some resonance with. The man that causes highly like, uh, uh, the Museum of All Museums. Traffic tends to stop at this part right here because everyone knows what it's like when they thought they had a plot to their story that was pushing and pulling them forward. Then all of a sudden somebody tapped on the brakes. Didn't ask for it, didn't invite it, but a hiccup came along the way, hijacked where they were going. And now it's over. Dead end material, creased brow, hand on brow, devil smirking on the other side of the game.

World class athletes are being led through the Louvre on this particular day. And the guide says that's what it is. It's an interpretation of Goethe’s poetry, Goethe’s play [Faust], man loses chess game, devil wins soul. Y'all want to go to the next piece? Group says, yeah, I think we've seen enough. I think there's not much further extrapolation that we could really derive from this right here. So they go two or three pieces down the hall from this one right here.

When all of a sudden somebody says, “Listen, we were a group about 14, 15, we're missing somebody right now. We had swap stories at lunch. We got to know one another on a first name basis. Somebody isn't here right now.” Guide goes, let me go back and double check. There must be somebody at the Mona Lisa. There must be somebody at the wedding at at Cana. There must be somebody at at Medusa's piece.

But to the shock of this guide, there's one man among all the world-class athletes that is standing before Checkmate. And he goes up to the guy whose face is practically imprinting upon the paint on the piece. And he says, “You know, we've moved on by now, right? We're not, we, we said everything that could be said, we've, we've moved on, we're not here anymore.” And guy says, “well you got track athletes, you got basketball superstars, you got a lot of people who can do a lot of different things. But you know that I'm a world-class champion in chess? Chess is what I do. And so I guess like,” without locking eyes on the guide, “I guess I have a problem with this piece.”

Guide goes, “Well, nobody else did. So you want to move along with us? 'cause now is the time to do so. Everyone's itching, it gets to the next thing.” Guy goes, “well, not yet. Here's my problem with the piece,” said the world class chess champion. He said, “I'm looking at this thing you're telling me it's devil on the left, man on the right, man on the right loses his soul. The devil on the left because he's all of a sudden a checkmate. And that just is not true. It doesn't sit right with me because it's not right on the board. You know, I'm a world class chess champion. You know that I live and breathe chess. I see the world through the lens of chess. And what I'm telling you right now is they're going to have to either have the artist from 1831 come and dabble once again with this particular piece because that is not checkmate or they're going to have to change the name altogether. Guy goes further, what do you mean? You know, I'm a world class chess champion. When I'm looking at this board while y'all just moseyed on to the next piece down the line, what I can tell you is that the king still has one move to make. That's not chessmate. Checkmate. Thank you, Becca. We're locking eyes, I got distracted. Checkmate. The king still has one move yet to make.

I called my mentor, my wise sage Doug Pagitt today who founded and led this beautiful community called Solomon's Porch that we are standing on the shoulders of. And I said, Doug, how do you close out a message? And among the many brilliant things, share heart? I've been running from the emotions that have caught up to me in this day. That slideshow, how dare you? I've been distracted by a lot of different things. Art shows, Wolves, relationships, rehab. ‘Wolves are done.’ Thanks for bringing that up, my second eldest. But when I had time to stand still today and I talked to Doug and I listened to spirit… [cries].

I had a, um, Star Tribune reporter come down to meet the art gallery last week. And amongst the many different things we were saying in two hours’ time, she asked, what is The Table like? What are you, what are you going after there?

Ever since we first got the ball rolling on this thing, Debbie, and this is a graduation, not a divorce. I apologize for coming across too heavy. That's not my intention right now. I'm just…but ever since we got this thing started, 10 plus years ago, in small living rooms huddled around, wondering if there's a space where everyone really could be seen safe and celebrated and know that they're sufficient. Know that their story doesn't stop at the criticism,  critiques and the setbacks that the life has to offer.

The number one thing, the reason why I got one hour of sleep last night, 'cause I woke up at 2:00 AM thinking about this story out in Paris. We've always been about trying to remind you all: the king still has moves to make. This has always been a space where we wanted to welcome every story of every stripe and every scar. Wins, losses, everything. The king still has moves left to make.

The story in John 11 that really kind of sink into my mind this morning is one where Jesus' homeboy, Lazarus dies. He gets sick, fever rises, nothing they can do about it. He's outta town. I'm giving you the worst. This is like pastoral malpractice, but this is, bear with me, it's my last night. What’re you going to do? Fire me? No, you ain't going to do that.

John 11 though. Lazarus dies and Jesus does eventually show up in town. And at the beginning of the story, when he does step into the space, it says that he came after four days when Lazarus has been dead. And for whatever reason, I had this memory of meeting with a rabbi many moons ago who said, do you know why they go outta their way to say, you know, why they go outta their way to say, why is four days that Lazarus has been buried behind the tomb? In Jewish custom and culture in ideology at this time, three days was about the window from which like a dead person could catch a U-turn on their spirit, it could return to them. But by the fourth day done, dead expired.

Jesus shows up on the fourth day when everything is done dead and expired. I've had those moments where I felt like everything is done dead and and expired. I've had relationships where everything has felt like it's done dead and expired. I've had, I was going here, blockage came in, done dead and expired. But the king still has moves yet to make.

The number one thing. If you hear nothing else from me… [sobs]. Why am I so emotional? Debbie, you trained me. Just toughen up. That's what you always say. Suppress your feelings. Don't feel your emotion. Right, Debbie? You say that right? I want you guys to know that we cultivated this community for the hope that you would find each other, that you would find spirit.

That you would find the Jesus who meets Martha. And Martha goes like, no, I know you're the resurrection. Someday I will fly away by and by and I'll be with my baby brother. And Jesus says, no, I am the resurrection. I didn't just do a resurrection. I do resurrections. Wherever there is a dead end slam dunk period, I have this Christ-like nature to me that bends it into a comma. And tomorrow is possible.

New beginnings are possible. We've seen a lot of different things in our story here. And we've buried best friends, we've buried parents, we've lost people. We've also celebrated new births. We've baptized babies, we've celebrated new marriages. We've seen people come clean from addictions. We've had new tomorrows reached, maximized, exposed. The king still has moves left to make.

I'm going to wrap it up, although I'll ramble, Debbie. So, but I just want this to be the emptiest behind the last thing I say. In my head—I told Doug this—I thought, um, you know, whenever my time would come where I would give like the grandiose, like this is my goodbye, I would have it all mapped out and not just cry a little bit, but don't cry. Just toughen up, Matt. I thought the notes would be a little more thorough than that. Um, but the point still stands.

I love this community. I love you all as a people. I've been so loved by you as a person. That's a rare privilege as a pastor, to know I can come clean before you guys and be held up all the same. That's a rare, good gift. And Gino, as Lynn used to say, life is a gift and love is the point. I've been loved by you all. Keep going. Keep doing this thing together. Keep linking arms, keep encountering the Jesus who meets you at the gate and says, “I didn't do a resurrection 2000 years ago. I do resurrections.” And every premature period you want to put on your story, every dead end that you're convinced it's over. Let me once again, [breaks off].

I love you guys. Will you pray with me? Jesus, you are good. Jesus we are grateful. We've been doing this for oh a decade. We are so old, Jesus. And you have been so faithful. God, you've been with us through and through In the midst of fumbles, mistakes, addictions, health, happiness, joy, fullness, absence. All along the way you have been a faithful presence that has pushed us forward saying there's still more. There are still more people who need to know that they're seen, safe, celebrated, and loved, they're beloved children of yours and that they belong. In Christ's name, we lift up all the good gifts in our minds. We say thank you. Amen.

Debbie: Amen. Thanks Matt. Had a lot of people walk in the doors and say, how are you doing? How's it going tonight? I think we've all responded with mixed, mixed emotions. I told my husband today, I'm not sure I have what it takes like to do tonight. We've lived a lot of life together as a team, as a community. We've walked through things we would've never have dreamed that we would walk through.

But one thing that's been clear is God's faithfulness. That the king still has another move. 'cause we've witnessed it over and over and over again through us, despite us sometimes. But God continues to show up and somehow some way this community has been good news. It has been that place where people can walk in these doors and know that they are loved as they are. That they are part of God's beloved community.

And for me, this is, um, an interesting moment because those who've been with us for the past 10 years know our rhythm is Matt kind of preaches three times a month. I maybe once a month. Matt talks a lot, I usually cut him off. Um, but this is kind of our rhythm: Matt talks, I do words.

I handed Matt his mic tonight, says Matt on it. Mine says Debbie on it. I started to cry. Goodbyes are hard. Closing the chapter is hard, but it's right. There's a rightness in this moment. And I know Matt feels this way, our team feels this way.

This community knows that we will continue on because the community's never been about me or Matt or Maggie or Christian or Patti or Katie or Jae. That it's about God and the God we follow. The ways we practice of Jesus. That's who we raise up every week, when we take part in communion together.

The night before the king was arrested, he sat in a room with his disciples and he took bread and he broke it. And he said, this is my body broken for you when you eat this, remember me. He took a cup and he poured wine into the cup and he said, this is my blood, shed for you. The new covenant when you drink from this cup. Remember me.

So that's what we do. We invite you to come forward during the music. You can take the bread and dip it into the cup. And remember that the king still has moves. That we are a community that will continue to practice the ways of Jesus. So if you'd stand and together we pray, the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray:

Our God who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come, thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

That's the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Debbie: You can be seated. We're just going to do a quick blessing and sending for Matt and his family. And Matt, from the very beginning, you've led this community with creativity and vision and you have kept us on our toes. And for that we are so grateful. We wouldn't be the community that we are without the way God has worked through and in you and in this community as well. We thank you and we thank God for you.

Matt, we want to release you from anything that feels unfinished in your time here. Do not take it with you, it's not yours to carry anymore. Today ends a chapter, marks the ending of a chapter in your life and in this community, but it also marks the beginning of something new in all of our lives.

I'd love to invite Lauren and the boys up. And Matt, if you would come up here too. [Are you sure about that?] Yes, I am Wyatt, Sawyer, Graham. You’re all part of this family. We're going to take a few minutes as a community to bless this sweet family. If you're able, we'd love for you to extend a hand as we bless the Moberg family.

Matt, we offer this blessing to you and your family and for the fullness of who you are. When you think of this community and your time here, may you feel joy and gratitude. For your creative spirit, for, um, the resurrection power inside of you. May that be nurtured as you prepare for whatever comes next. For your voice and the words that you've shared, for the ways you have comforted us and you've confronted us, may those words continue to echo for the sake of Jesus Christ.

And for Lauren and the boys, for Wyatt and Sawyer and Graham, we see you. We see the sacrifice that you have made that has allowed Matt to work, to do his pastoring here at The Table because we're talking late night calls and working weekends and holidays. So we thank you. We are filled with gratitude for the way you guys have been part of this community and how you've contributed to this community as well.

For all that you all are partner, parent, friend, and most importantly beloved children of God. May you continue to flourish and become believing that who you are is more important than what you do. Amen. You are loved just as you are and we bless you.

Would you all pray with me, please? Holy God bless Matt, Lauren, Wyatt, Sawyer, and Graham, surround them with our gratitude and love in this season of change. We thank you for giving us Matt to lead and pastor us for these eight plus years. Thank you for speaking through him. Lord, we release Matt from his role as pastor at The Table, trusting that your faithfulness will continue to Matt and to us. We pray this in the name of the God who makes all things new. Amen.

Matt, you'll wonder if you did enough, if it was enough, and it was. You'll hope that we all feel blessed and we do. You will pack up, second-guessing, guessing a few things, guessing a few things, but it is time. There's a rightness. So our wish for you is to go forth with gratitude and with peace.

And before I hand it over for Matt to give his final benediction, we'd love to invite you: out here, we've got cookies and lemonade and treats and we have cards. We'd love for you to write a note to Matt and he will, I am going to make sure he gets out there and he's going to get out there and he's going to visit with people. I'm going to make him do it one last time. Um, we'd love for you to do that.

And another reminder, 10:00 AM next Sunday, we are at the Bandshell. So please come. It's awesome, invite people. And with that, I'm going to leave it to my colleague and friend, um, someone I love very much.

Matt: Love you, too. Hey friends, will you stand on your feet with me as we close out this space together? I know we come into this space with all kinds of things, distractions, diversions, everything in between. But I hope you can hear this word from the heart of God to your heart tonight: Friends, no matter who you are or what you've done, who you love, or what you've lost, where you've gone or the places that you have stayed, know that there will always be a seat here for you at the table because you as is right now, you're beloved child of God. And beloved, you belong. Go in peace. We love you guys.