Sermon Preached on 4-10-11
Most people and I think you would agree with me, would waste no time in traveling to the bedside of a loved one who is ill. Recently in my own life, I did the very same. My grandfather, whom I love very much, is in the dying process. I was about to leave for some vacation, but before I left my mother suggested that if I wanted to see him, which I did, I better go before I left for vacation. “He may not be here when you return,” my mother stated. The one whom I loved very much, I most definitely wanted to see, to tell Him I loved him, give him a kiss on the check, and tell him goodbye. He lives in a skilled nursing home which was 4 hours from where I live, but I didn’t care how long the drive was and I did not care that I had to another day off from work. I went to see him the day before I left for vacation, an 8 hour round trip. There was no hesitation, no thoughts of delay.
Jesus received news from Martha and Mary that their brother Lazarus, the one whom Jesus loved, was ill. Now one would expect that Jesus who is the light world, the bread of life, the Good Shepherd, the one who was in beginning with God, would waste no time in being at the bedside of Lazarus’ to support him, to provide comfort, and to even perform a miracle to heal him from his illness so that he would not die. But Jesus did the exact opposite of what Martha and Mary expected and what we would expect. He delayed his trip. How could Jesus decide to wait? How could he consciously make the choice to delay his trip, by 2 days, knowing that Lazarus would mostly likely die? How could Jesus not rush to the bedside of the one whom he loved?
This part of the story I have never understood, particularly in light of my own grandfather and my calling as a Chaplain to be with people as they die and comfort their loved ones to best of my ability.
Actions sometimes speak louder than words and this delaying action by Christ makes me wonder, is Christ really with us in our time of need? Will He rush to our aid and comfort us or even perhaps heal us in a timely manner? Martha and Mary express a similar feeling when they use the “what if statements” regarding Jesus’ actions towards Lazarus. They say to Him, upon his slow arrival, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.”
Martha and Mary’s statement takes on its own form in our language, “Lord if only you had been here my loved one would have died a peaceful death instead of one of tragedy.” Or “Lord if only you had been here you could have stopped this accident from happening.” Or “Lord, if you love us, why don’t you respond immediately?”
In times of urgency and anxiety coupled with the potential death or illness of our loved ones makes us spring into action and respond in a timely manner. Our time is precious to us and we are bound by time.
But Jesus’ time is not our time. “The work of Jesus has its own hour.” We may never fully understand God’s time and we sometimes get frustrated with it. But the events that unfold in this miracle story of raising Lazarus from the dead shed some light for us as to why Jesus waited. When Jesus heard the message that Mary and Martha had sent he says to those who are listening, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Jesus had a purpose in his delay. His purpose was to show that He is the resurrection and the life. Jesus tells those whom he is surrounded by including Martha, “Your brother will rise again.” Now Martha understands this declaration from Jesus to mean that Lazarus will rise again on the last day. However, Jesus’ means something else and responds to her saying, “I AM the resurrection and the life.”
Many times we think just as Martha does, that the resurrection is a distant promise, our guarantee of salvation, our eternal life with God and Jesus in heaven.
But what Jesus means in the Gospel of John is something entirely different. Jesus does give us a distant promise resurrection from the dead, but through his declaration of I Am the resurrection and the Life, Christ also gives a promise in here and now, in the present.
A further reading of this Gospel story does not tells us of Lazarus’ future with Jesus, but his present life with Jesus, his sharing a meal with Jesus, his fellowship with Jesus, his closeness and intimacy with Jesus.
Christ was deeply moved and sadden over the death of Lazarus, the one whom he loved, but the delay in his trip was to show us that Christ has power over death, Christ’s defeats the power of death because in him the world meets the power of the love of God.
Christ’s delay teaches us about the reality of the resurrection promise in our present lives as well as our future lives with God and Jesus.
Jesus shows us the glory and love of God as he has calls for Lazarus come out of the tomb. However, Christ does not perform this miracle entirely on his own. He calls for a communal rising, one which the community gathered helps by removing the stone from the cave and unbinding the cloths from Lazarus hands, feet and face.
Jesus calls upon the community. He calls upon you and me, he calls upon the doctors and nurses, the police, paramedics, and Chaplains, he calls upon strangers and family to open up the way so that we may all hear Jesus’ voice calling to us from deep within our cave of death, depression, despair, anger or even denial and to help unbind us that we may live knowing of Christ’s love and power over sin and death.
Alleluia! Amen!
Friday, May 13, 2011
"Reconciliation Starts Here"
Sermon Preached on Feburary 13th, 2011
Our scripture passage this morning may seem a bit complex. This passage lists laws and rules that we are suppose to follow. The formula this passage follows goes like this: “You have heard that it was said…But I say to you…” It seems as though at first glance Jesus is contradicting the law of the Old Testament, the law of the Torah.
But in verses 17-18 Jesus says: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
So the formula in the scripture passage: “You have heard it said…But I say to you…” are not words of contradiction. But what are they? If they are not words of contradiction, the only other thing they could be is a reaffirmation of the law, a further elaboration of the law and an application of the law.
If we look at verse 21 it states the law explicitly: “You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” Christ upholds this law, but he also goes on further to elaborate on this law with verse 22 to say: “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” This elaboration of the law by Christ hits at the root of human conduct. Jesus wants us to follow the laws of the Torah, but he also wants us to follow the spiritual intentions of the law. Christ goes deeper and transcends the actual legalism of the law or the doing and following of rules and regulations such as paying taxes, not murdering, not committing adultery or divorce. Christ wants us to follow God’s will, which means not only not killing others, but also not having any hostility between human beings, countries, and God.
In the same manner Christ expounds on the spiritual intentions of the laws against adultery and the law of divorce. It is not just the act of adultery which is against the law, but one’s lustful intentions of looking upon a man or a woman with immoral purposes. There is no torah command against divorce, but the historical Jesus proclaimed the absolute prohibition of divorce as the will of God. Christ did this because of frequent occurrence of divorce. Men could divorce there wives for any reason, like if the wife displeased her husband. Jesus’ law and the will God was against the lax attitude toward marriage. People were not upholding the importance of love and commitment to one another.
All three of these subjects: murder, adultery, and divorce deal with relationships. Relationships between people and relationships with God and God’s will. All three of these subjects are expressions of the Great Commandment which reads: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Laws and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
It is God’s will that we will live out not only the legal side of the law, but the spiritual intentions of the law. A wholesome relationship with ourselves, with our neighbors and with God is what honors God.
An example of what this might look like in our modern day comes from the movie Invictus. In this movie Nelson Mandela, played by Morgan Freedom, becomes the president of South Africa and he has a dream of reconciliation between the black South African population and the White South African population. He does this through the use of sports, the rugby team in South Africa. There is a particular scene in the movie where Nelson Mandela’s head of security, Jason, is infuriated when, after requesting more men for security purposes, he discovers that the bodyguards sent to his office are white men from the apartheid regime of the former president. He storms into Mandela’s office confronting him about the issue claiming that those men were the ones who tried and sometimes succeeded in killing the black South African population and leaders. Jason does not want these men to be part of his security force. Mandela believes otherwise. Mandela responds to Jason using these words: “The rainbow nation starts here. Reconciliation starts here. Forgiveness starts here. Forgiveness liberates the soul; it removes fear; that is why it is such a powerful weapon.”
Reconciliation and forgiveness are powerful weapons. They are powerful and liberating and bring us to understand and know a wholesome relationship with ourselves, with others, and with God.
As a chaplain I have seen the difficult moments in people’s lives. I have also seen the times of reconciliation and forgiveness that come at the end of life, whether that is the person who is ill or the family that surrounds them that is doing the act of reconciliation and forgiveness. These are times of celebration, healing and wholeness between families and God, and with themselves. God gives us the opportunities in which to carry out God’s will of living into the Greatest Commandment of loving God and loving our neighbor.
But Jesus doesn’t call us to reconcile ourselves with others only at the end of life, but to reconcile ourselves with others and with God during life. Jesus says: “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” And again Jesus says: “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way.”
Reconciliation starts here and now. Forgiveness starts here and now. They liberate your soul. Bring peace and wholeness to your relationships with other people, with yourself and with God here and now, in this place of worship, in your hospital rooms, in your home, and in your heart. Don’t wait till it’s almost too late. Live your life in a manner that honors yourself and that honors God. Amen.
Our scripture passage this morning may seem a bit complex. This passage lists laws and rules that we are suppose to follow. The formula this passage follows goes like this: “You have heard that it was said…But I say to you…” It seems as though at first glance Jesus is contradicting the law of the Old Testament, the law of the Torah.
But in verses 17-18 Jesus says: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
So the formula in the scripture passage: “You have heard it said…But I say to you…” are not words of contradiction. But what are they? If they are not words of contradiction, the only other thing they could be is a reaffirmation of the law, a further elaboration of the law and an application of the law.
If we look at verse 21 it states the law explicitly: “You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” Christ upholds this law, but he also goes on further to elaborate on this law with verse 22 to say: “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” This elaboration of the law by Christ hits at the root of human conduct. Jesus wants us to follow the laws of the Torah, but he also wants us to follow the spiritual intentions of the law. Christ goes deeper and transcends the actual legalism of the law or the doing and following of rules and regulations such as paying taxes, not murdering, not committing adultery or divorce. Christ wants us to follow God’s will, which means not only not killing others, but also not having any hostility between human beings, countries, and God.
In the same manner Christ expounds on the spiritual intentions of the laws against adultery and the law of divorce. It is not just the act of adultery which is against the law, but one’s lustful intentions of looking upon a man or a woman with immoral purposes. There is no torah command against divorce, but the historical Jesus proclaimed the absolute prohibition of divorce as the will of God. Christ did this because of frequent occurrence of divorce. Men could divorce there wives for any reason, like if the wife displeased her husband. Jesus’ law and the will God was against the lax attitude toward marriage. People were not upholding the importance of love and commitment to one another.
All three of these subjects: murder, adultery, and divorce deal with relationships. Relationships between people and relationships with God and God’s will. All three of these subjects are expressions of the Great Commandment which reads: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Laws and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
It is God’s will that we will live out not only the legal side of the law, but the spiritual intentions of the law. A wholesome relationship with ourselves, with our neighbors and with God is what honors God.
An example of what this might look like in our modern day comes from the movie Invictus. In this movie Nelson Mandela, played by Morgan Freedom, becomes the president of South Africa and he has a dream of reconciliation between the black South African population and the White South African population. He does this through the use of sports, the rugby team in South Africa. There is a particular scene in the movie where Nelson Mandela’s head of security, Jason, is infuriated when, after requesting more men for security purposes, he discovers that the bodyguards sent to his office are white men from the apartheid regime of the former president. He storms into Mandela’s office confronting him about the issue claiming that those men were the ones who tried and sometimes succeeded in killing the black South African population and leaders. Jason does not want these men to be part of his security force. Mandela believes otherwise. Mandela responds to Jason using these words: “The rainbow nation starts here. Reconciliation starts here. Forgiveness starts here. Forgiveness liberates the soul; it removes fear; that is why it is such a powerful weapon.”
Reconciliation and forgiveness are powerful weapons. They are powerful and liberating and bring us to understand and know a wholesome relationship with ourselves, with others, and with God.
As a chaplain I have seen the difficult moments in people’s lives. I have also seen the times of reconciliation and forgiveness that come at the end of life, whether that is the person who is ill or the family that surrounds them that is doing the act of reconciliation and forgiveness. These are times of celebration, healing and wholeness between families and God, and with themselves. God gives us the opportunities in which to carry out God’s will of living into the Greatest Commandment of loving God and loving our neighbor.
But Jesus doesn’t call us to reconcile ourselves with others only at the end of life, but to reconcile ourselves with others and with God during life. Jesus says: “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” And again Jesus says: “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way.”
Reconciliation starts here and now. Forgiveness starts here and now. They liberate your soul. Bring peace and wholeness to your relationships with other people, with yourself and with God here and now, in this place of worship, in your hospital rooms, in your home, and in your heart. Don’t wait till it’s almost too late. Live your life in a manner that honors yourself and that honors God. Amen.
No Conjuction Word
Gospel Lesson: Luke 24:13-35
When I was in college I was a part of a religious organization called the Activators. The Activators were a group of students who would go around to different camps and conferences, different churches and different states to lead retreats for youth and children. The retreats were centered around different biblical themes and passages. Now every year the Activators had a different shirt design that was made based on biblical messages that we wanted to be our theme for the year. My last of year of college our shirt was based on the theme of hope. The back side of the shirt read: “Hope is not a noun, Hope is a movement.” Hope is a movement that changes the way we see the world. Hope is a movement that propels us into action to share the love and word of God with others.
Cleopas and another of Jesus followers were walking on a road toward Emmaus and they were talking. They were on a journey toward Emmaus on the same day that women reported seeing the empty tomb and hearing the angels speak that Christ is not here he is risen just as he told you he would. But their journey, as they express to the man who draws near them is not a journey of joy. Rather, in the words of Alyce McKenzie, they are on a journey that resembles a “grief therapy session.[i]” When this “mysterious” man draws near them he asks them: “what are you talking about and why are you sad?” Cleopas responds back in an irritated tone: “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” To this Jesus replies, “What things?” Now at this point I can image Cleopas attitude conveying annoyance at this man who did not know the head line news of Jerusalem. Cleopas goes into detail about what took place with their Messiah, their savior, their deliverer. At one point he says to the man, “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.”
The phrase “we had hoped” is often connected to the conjunction word “but.”[ii] “We had hoped that Jesus would be the one to redeem Israel, but he was killed on the cross.” In our own day we have many similar sayings, “I hoped that my test results would come back benign, but instead now I have to face cancer on my own.” Or “I had hoped that my loved one would die a peaceful death, but she suffered to the end.” Or “I had hoped that I would feel the presence of God during my darkest hours, but all I felt was pain and grief.”
Our lives parallel the lives of these two disciples. They are on the road back to their ordinary lives with disappointed dreams and disrupted hopes. They think Jesus has failed them in redeeming Israel. They are journeying toward Emmaus after Jesus has been dead for three days, saddened about his death and confused about the rumors of an empty tomb.
This is our world. A world in which we hope things will turn out like we expect them to. We are each on our journeys, different journeys, but nonetheless we are all journeying. When our hopes and expectations are not fulfilled, we feel like the disciples on the road-sadden, heavy laden, and in need of a grief therapy session. Where is God in our lives? Where are the promises of God’s presence and the hope that God will be with us on our life’s journey?
In my own struggle with depression, I hope that some hand will mysteriously come down into the pit of my darkness and yank me up. I hope that it will happen quickly so that I can be happy again, so that can enjoy life like others do, so that I can once again enjoy my hobbies. I have hopes and expectations that are not filled on a regular basis or in a timely fashion. The truth about depression is that the pit of darkness may last for a while, maybe a day, maybe three days, maybe even a week. This pit of darkness and sadness does not just simply go away and stay away, it comes and goes. Despite all my efforts, I still suffer from sadness and loss of interest at times. I’m disappointed that my hope for happiness or a life free of depression is not always fulfilled.
While on this path of disappointed hopes a mysterious man journeys with the disciples. Now as readers, we know that Jesus is the unrecognized man in the story, but the disciples do not. Their eyes are kept from recognizing Christ. Their eyes are kept from recognizing Jesus even when he retells all that the prophets had said about him beginning with Moses.
What the disciples also don’t know is that while Jesus accompanies them on their journey of sadness, he begins to reframe their sadness, turning their lost hope into a new hope. A hope that they didn’t even know they needed or expected. But it is not in the retelling of the scriptures that the disciples’ eyes are opened for them, but in the sharing of a meal, in an action preformed by Christ. It is in a movement of love, of a shared meal, and of fellowship with a group of individuals that the disciples’ eyes were opened for them and they recognized Christ.
Christ’s four fold signature of taking, blessing, breaking and giving the bread is hope in action. The bread itself is not the hope; the hope is Christ and Christ’s actions and spoken word in the Eucharist meal.
I wonder how many times in our lives we have been kept from knowing the presence of Christ because of our inability to recognize Christ as our companion on the journey. I know in my struggle with depression, it is hard for me to recognize Christ let alone realize the hope I did not know existed within Christ. I’m sure there are other times that we miss the presence of God because we don’t recognize God in the faces of those standing next to us helping us.
Christ accompanying us on our journey reframes our journey. Christ leads us to God, to a new, even greater hope, a hope that is fulfilled beyond what we knew to even hope for. It is a hope that the Risen Lord walks with us on our journeys. The risen Lord meets us on our journeys in our ordinary lives and in the places to which we retreat when life is too much for us. Our journey becomes Christ’s journey and in Christ’s journey our despair and disappointed hopes are reframed. As Alyce McKenzie says: “When we recognize the Risen Lord’s companionship on the way, we allow him to breathe life into our despair and frame our aimless anxious journeys in His way.”[iii] His way is a way of hope and light and a way that has already conquered sin and death.
The hope that we find in the taking, blessing, breaking and giving of the bread, the new hope that we see in these actions of love, fellowship, and companionship on our journeys is a movement. It is a movement because it warms us, as if our hearts were burning within us, just like the disciples felt. It is a movement because it propels us to share this new hope with others. Just as the two disciples quickly made their way back to Jerusalem to tell of the new hope that they had seen in Jesus, I hope we to will feel compelled to share this new hope with others.
There is hope in the world, a hope that comes from the One who gives us everything we need and the hope that come from God has NO conjunction word following it!
Alleluia Amen!
[i] McKenzie, Alyce. Joy for the Journey: Reflections on the walk to Emmaus, Luke 24:13-35. Assessed online on May 6, 2011 at Http://www.patheos.com or http://www.textweek.com.
[ii] Lucas, Sharron. Addressing ‘Past Tense Hope’ Syndrome. May 3, 2011. Assessed online on May 6, 2011 at Http://www.textweek.com.
[iii] McKenzie, Alyce.
When I was in college I was a part of a religious organization called the Activators. The Activators were a group of students who would go around to different camps and conferences, different churches and different states to lead retreats for youth and children. The retreats were centered around different biblical themes and passages. Now every year the Activators had a different shirt design that was made based on biblical messages that we wanted to be our theme for the year. My last of year of college our shirt was based on the theme of hope. The back side of the shirt read: “Hope is not a noun, Hope is a movement.” Hope is a movement that changes the way we see the world. Hope is a movement that propels us into action to share the love and word of God with others.
Cleopas and another of Jesus followers were walking on a road toward Emmaus and they were talking. They were on a journey toward Emmaus on the same day that women reported seeing the empty tomb and hearing the angels speak that Christ is not here he is risen just as he told you he would. But their journey, as they express to the man who draws near them is not a journey of joy. Rather, in the words of Alyce McKenzie, they are on a journey that resembles a “grief therapy session.[i]” When this “mysterious” man draws near them he asks them: “what are you talking about and why are you sad?” Cleopas responds back in an irritated tone: “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” To this Jesus replies, “What things?” Now at this point I can image Cleopas attitude conveying annoyance at this man who did not know the head line news of Jerusalem. Cleopas goes into detail about what took place with their Messiah, their savior, their deliverer. At one point he says to the man, “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.”
The phrase “we had hoped” is often connected to the conjunction word “but.”[ii] “We had hoped that Jesus would be the one to redeem Israel, but he was killed on the cross.” In our own day we have many similar sayings, “I hoped that my test results would come back benign, but instead now I have to face cancer on my own.” Or “I had hoped that my loved one would die a peaceful death, but she suffered to the end.” Or “I had hoped that I would feel the presence of God during my darkest hours, but all I felt was pain and grief.”
Our lives parallel the lives of these two disciples. They are on the road back to their ordinary lives with disappointed dreams and disrupted hopes. They think Jesus has failed them in redeeming Israel. They are journeying toward Emmaus after Jesus has been dead for three days, saddened about his death and confused about the rumors of an empty tomb.
This is our world. A world in which we hope things will turn out like we expect them to. We are each on our journeys, different journeys, but nonetheless we are all journeying. When our hopes and expectations are not fulfilled, we feel like the disciples on the road-sadden, heavy laden, and in need of a grief therapy session. Where is God in our lives? Where are the promises of God’s presence and the hope that God will be with us on our life’s journey?
In my own struggle with depression, I hope that some hand will mysteriously come down into the pit of my darkness and yank me up. I hope that it will happen quickly so that I can be happy again, so that can enjoy life like others do, so that I can once again enjoy my hobbies. I have hopes and expectations that are not filled on a regular basis or in a timely fashion. The truth about depression is that the pit of darkness may last for a while, maybe a day, maybe three days, maybe even a week. This pit of darkness and sadness does not just simply go away and stay away, it comes and goes. Despite all my efforts, I still suffer from sadness and loss of interest at times. I’m disappointed that my hope for happiness or a life free of depression is not always fulfilled.
While on this path of disappointed hopes a mysterious man journeys with the disciples. Now as readers, we know that Jesus is the unrecognized man in the story, but the disciples do not. Their eyes are kept from recognizing Christ. Their eyes are kept from recognizing Jesus even when he retells all that the prophets had said about him beginning with Moses.
What the disciples also don’t know is that while Jesus accompanies them on their journey of sadness, he begins to reframe their sadness, turning their lost hope into a new hope. A hope that they didn’t even know they needed or expected. But it is not in the retelling of the scriptures that the disciples’ eyes are opened for them, but in the sharing of a meal, in an action preformed by Christ. It is in a movement of love, of a shared meal, and of fellowship with a group of individuals that the disciples’ eyes were opened for them and they recognized Christ.
Christ’s four fold signature of taking, blessing, breaking and giving the bread is hope in action. The bread itself is not the hope; the hope is Christ and Christ’s actions and spoken word in the Eucharist meal.
I wonder how many times in our lives we have been kept from knowing the presence of Christ because of our inability to recognize Christ as our companion on the journey. I know in my struggle with depression, it is hard for me to recognize Christ let alone realize the hope I did not know existed within Christ. I’m sure there are other times that we miss the presence of God because we don’t recognize God in the faces of those standing next to us helping us.
Christ accompanying us on our journey reframes our journey. Christ leads us to God, to a new, even greater hope, a hope that is fulfilled beyond what we knew to even hope for. It is a hope that the Risen Lord walks with us on our journeys. The risen Lord meets us on our journeys in our ordinary lives and in the places to which we retreat when life is too much for us. Our journey becomes Christ’s journey and in Christ’s journey our despair and disappointed hopes are reframed. As Alyce McKenzie says: “When we recognize the Risen Lord’s companionship on the way, we allow him to breathe life into our despair and frame our aimless anxious journeys in His way.”[iii] His way is a way of hope and light and a way that has already conquered sin and death.
The hope that we find in the taking, blessing, breaking and giving of the bread, the new hope that we see in these actions of love, fellowship, and companionship on our journeys is a movement. It is a movement because it warms us, as if our hearts were burning within us, just like the disciples felt. It is a movement because it propels us to share this new hope with others. Just as the two disciples quickly made their way back to Jerusalem to tell of the new hope that they had seen in Jesus, I hope we to will feel compelled to share this new hope with others.
There is hope in the world, a hope that comes from the One who gives us everything we need and the hope that come from God has NO conjunction word following it!
Alleluia Amen!
[i] McKenzie, Alyce. Joy for the Journey: Reflections on the walk to Emmaus, Luke 24:13-35. Assessed online on May 6, 2011 at Http://www.patheos.com or http://www.textweek.com.
[ii] Lucas, Sharron. Addressing ‘Past Tense Hope’ Syndrome. May 3, 2011. Assessed online on May 6, 2011 at Http://www.textweek.com.
[iii] McKenzie, Alyce.
Monday, November 29, 2010
12-21-2012
12, 21, 2012. The end of the world is coming. It has been predicted by various people, cultures, and religious fanatics. Some people have based if off the Mayan Calendar which ends on December 21, 2012. I researched the Mayan Calendar a little bit and here is what I found. It was created back in 3114 B.C. After 13 b’ka’tuns or about 5,125 years the Mayan long count Calendar ends. Some think this will cause extreme environmental changes or a global apocalypse. There are websites I have found that even have an “official” countdown to the date 12, 21, 2012. Some think that the end will come by earthquakes or meteorites that will destroy the earth and the world.
In the 50’s and 60’s the idea was made popular by Scholar Michael Coe when he connected the Mayan Calendar with the well know event called Armageddon- the epic battle between good and evil. From that point on there have been songs and movies depicting the end of world. R.E.M., a popular band has a song entitled “It’s the End of The World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” In this song there are images of earthquakes, hurricanes, combat sites, renegades and the mention of a rapture. Even the music video pictures the world being destroyed.
There are also those religious fanatics who believe that Matthew’s gospel depicts a rapture at the end of the world. Their beliefs come from reading our text this morning where Matthew states: “Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”
Now I’m not one that buys into these beliefs. People are entitled to their own beliefs, but my research of the Mayan Calendar and my knowledge about the Gospel of Matthew paints a different picture.
I have found that the majority of Mayan Scholars argue against apocalyptic predictions based on the Mayan Calendar. They say these doom’s day scenarios are contemporary inventions and that it misrepresents Mayan history. Carlos Barrios is a historian, an anthropologist and investigator who studied with traditional Mayan elders for 25 years since the age of 19. He claims that the inscriptions found on the Mayan Calendar are misread. He states, and others agree that, the Mayan elders and Mayan inscriptions do not predict that the world will end on 12, 21, 2012, but that the world will be transformed. As Barrios lays out what he thinks lies ahead he makes a very poignant remark. He states that “humanity will continue, but in a different way. Material structures will change. From this we will have the opportunity to be more human.”
As we look to the gospel writer of Matthew we find that only God knows the exact day and hour of Christ’s return. If the Son does not know, what makes us think we can predict the time much less how it will occur? Matthew’s point in this verse was to discourage us from speculations. We are good a letting our imaginations run wild about things we have no control over and things we can’t know.
Moreover, the beliefs about the rapture that some people project into the Gospel writer’s message, was a foreign idea to Matthew. The use of the verb “taken” in the verses about the two people in the field and the two women grinding meal actually has a different meaning in Matthew’s Gospel. Here “taken” more closely refers to those who are “received”- those who are ready are received into the kingdom of God.
Matthew’s Gospel is not about the end of the world or about a rapture of certain people leaving others behind. No, it’s about remaining alert and ready for Christ’s return that will happen at an unexpected time in the future. Jesus tells his disciples earlier in chapter 24 to remain alert for those false Messiahs who will try to lead people away. Christ says to his disciples in verse 5: “Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, “I am the Messiah! And they will lead many astray.” Again in verse 11 Christ warns against false prophets who will arise and lead many astray. This continues into verse 23 where Christ again warns about those people who say “Look! Here is the Messiah! Or There he is!” Christ tells us not to believe them “for false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead people away.”
The predictions about the end of the world based on the Mayan calendar and the rapture are the false prophets and false predictions of our own day for which we must remain alert. We don’t know when or how Christ will come again, but we must remain alert. As in the days of Noah that Matthew eludes too, we must remain alert and ready for Christ’s return. Before the flood the people in Noah’s day were drinking, marrying and giving in marriage and they did not remain alert and were unprepared for the day Noah entered the ark. They were not prepared to be received into the kingdom of God. They were consumed with their own daily lives, living for themselves and not for God.
In our day Christ will return with as much unexpectedness and glory as the flood. When Christ returns we will know it, the Messiah will not be hidden, but will be as visible to all nations as lightening or the flood waters of Noah. When Christ does come again, Christ will bring a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation 21 speaks of a New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, and a loud voice from the throne saying “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his people and God himself will be with them, he will wipe very tear from their eyes. Death will be no more, mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” God will make all things new and reconcile everything to God.
To be God’s people who know that Christ’s return will occur at an unexpected day and hour, we should motivate each other into active engagement in our mission and prayer and worship of God, spreading the news to all, we should motivate each other to live our lives for God and not consume our lives with trivial activities such as Christmas shopping or parties. This in-between time is not a time to passively wait, but a time to do the job of being the church in world and to do so with urgency. We should seek to do the deeds of mercy, forgiveness, and peace that characterize those who are ready to be received into the kingdom of God.
Carlos Barrios quotes a Mayan elder who he believes “delivered a simple, direct message. He called for human beings to come together in support of life and light. Right now each person and group is going his or her own way. The elder of the mountains said there is hope if the people of the light can come together and unite in some way.”
As we start this Advent season today let us remain alert for the true Messiah’s coming as we celebrate the birth of Jesus and as we actively wait for Christ’s second coming by continuing the work of reconciliation, mercy, forgiveness and peace. Let us come together as the body of Christ, not as separate persons going about our own way. Let us be those people whom Isaiah 2:4 speaks of: “those who beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations who shall not lift up sword against nation, nor learn war anymore.”
As we have light the candle of Hope, we do so because we believe and hope in Christ’s continual return as we celebrate his birth every advent season and as we wait in hope for his second coming that will transform the world. Christ is the light of the world and Christ is whom we put all our trust and hope in as we continue to do his work, hoping to become more human and persons who are ready to receive the Kingdom of God when it comes.
Amen.
In the 50’s and 60’s the idea was made popular by Scholar Michael Coe when he connected the Mayan Calendar with the well know event called Armageddon- the epic battle between good and evil. From that point on there have been songs and movies depicting the end of world. R.E.M., a popular band has a song entitled “It’s the End of The World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” In this song there are images of earthquakes, hurricanes, combat sites, renegades and the mention of a rapture. Even the music video pictures the world being destroyed.
There are also those religious fanatics who believe that Matthew’s gospel depicts a rapture at the end of the world. Their beliefs come from reading our text this morning where Matthew states: “Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”
Now I’m not one that buys into these beliefs. People are entitled to their own beliefs, but my research of the Mayan Calendar and my knowledge about the Gospel of Matthew paints a different picture.
I have found that the majority of Mayan Scholars argue against apocalyptic predictions based on the Mayan Calendar. They say these doom’s day scenarios are contemporary inventions and that it misrepresents Mayan history. Carlos Barrios is a historian, an anthropologist and investigator who studied with traditional Mayan elders for 25 years since the age of 19. He claims that the inscriptions found on the Mayan Calendar are misread. He states, and others agree that, the Mayan elders and Mayan inscriptions do not predict that the world will end on 12, 21, 2012, but that the world will be transformed. As Barrios lays out what he thinks lies ahead he makes a very poignant remark. He states that “humanity will continue, but in a different way. Material structures will change. From this we will have the opportunity to be more human.”
As we look to the gospel writer of Matthew we find that only God knows the exact day and hour of Christ’s return. If the Son does not know, what makes us think we can predict the time much less how it will occur? Matthew’s point in this verse was to discourage us from speculations. We are good a letting our imaginations run wild about things we have no control over and things we can’t know.
Moreover, the beliefs about the rapture that some people project into the Gospel writer’s message, was a foreign idea to Matthew. The use of the verb “taken” in the verses about the two people in the field and the two women grinding meal actually has a different meaning in Matthew’s Gospel. Here “taken” more closely refers to those who are “received”- those who are ready are received into the kingdom of God.
Matthew’s Gospel is not about the end of the world or about a rapture of certain people leaving others behind. No, it’s about remaining alert and ready for Christ’s return that will happen at an unexpected time in the future. Jesus tells his disciples earlier in chapter 24 to remain alert for those false Messiahs who will try to lead people away. Christ says to his disciples in verse 5: “Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, “I am the Messiah! And they will lead many astray.” Again in verse 11 Christ warns against false prophets who will arise and lead many astray. This continues into verse 23 where Christ again warns about those people who say “Look! Here is the Messiah! Or There he is!” Christ tells us not to believe them “for false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead people away.”
The predictions about the end of the world based on the Mayan calendar and the rapture are the false prophets and false predictions of our own day for which we must remain alert. We don’t know when or how Christ will come again, but we must remain alert. As in the days of Noah that Matthew eludes too, we must remain alert and ready for Christ’s return. Before the flood the people in Noah’s day were drinking, marrying and giving in marriage and they did not remain alert and were unprepared for the day Noah entered the ark. They were not prepared to be received into the kingdom of God. They were consumed with their own daily lives, living for themselves and not for God.
In our day Christ will return with as much unexpectedness and glory as the flood. When Christ returns we will know it, the Messiah will not be hidden, but will be as visible to all nations as lightening or the flood waters of Noah. When Christ does come again, Christ will bring a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation 21 speaks of a New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, and a loud voice from the throne saying “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his people and God himself will be with them, he will wipe very tear from their eyes. Death will be no more, mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” God will make all things new and reconcile everything to God.
To be God’s people who know that Christ’s return will occur at an unexpected day and hour, we should motivate each other into active engagement in our mission and prayer and worship of God, spreading the news to all, we should motivate each other to live our lives for God and not consume our lives with trivial activities such as Christmas shopping or parties. This in-between time is not a time to passively wait, but a time to do the job of being the church in world and to do so with urgency. We should seek to do the deeds of mercy, forgiveness, and peace that characterize those who are ready to be received into the kingdom of God.
Carlos Barrios quotes a Mayan elder who he believes “delivered a simple, direct message. He called for human beings to come together in support of life and light. Right now each person and group is going his or her own way. The elder of the mountains said there is hope if the people of the light can come together and unite in some way.”
As we start this Advent season today let us remain alert for the true Messiah’s coming as we celebrate the birth of Jesus and as we actively wait for Christ’s second coming by continuing the work of reconciliation, mercy, forgiveness and peace. Let us come together as the body of Christ, not as separate persons going about our own way. Let us be those people whom Isaiah 2:4 speaks of: “those who beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations who shall not lift up sword against nation, nor learn war anymore.”
As we have light the candle of Hope, we do so because we believe and hope in Christ’s continual return as we celebrate his birth every advent season and as we wait in hope for his second coming that will transform the world. Christ is the light of the world and Christ is whom we put all our trust and hope in as we continue to do his work, hoping to become more human and persons who are ready to receive the Kingdom of God when it comes.
Amen.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Table Fellowship
Isaiah 55:1-9
Three Chopt Presbyterian Church is hosting caritas this week and I had the wonderful opportunity to serve the homeless men dinner just last night with the youth group. Although I didn’t get to interact with the men as much as I would have wanted, the insights I gained from this event and the thoughtfulness of the youth that I witnessed far surpassed my expectations. The amount of preparation that was involved was minimal, yet the joy was great. The expense was nothing compared to the amount of mouths that were fed with food and drink. The amount of clean up after dinner was nothing compared the smiles and handshakes that crossed socio-economic boundaries. I have never been at a loss for words to express to people how proud I am of the youth I work with and last night was no different. Not only did the youth interact with the men, prepare and serve them dinner, but one youth admittedly proclaimed, “If the men want seconds, I will not eat here. They need it more than me.”
This event brought to mind several different interactions with the prophet Isaiah’s words to the Israelite’s who were still in exile. The chapter begins with words of invitation to food and drink. The prophet proclaims: “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”
This is exactly what took place last night. All those who were thirsty came and drank. All those who were without money came and ate. Scholar Paul Hanson states that “this invitation from Isaiah is not to be limited to people of social standing, not even to people of sufficient means to come properly attired. The only requirement is hunger and thirst.” I believe this refers to physical thirst and hunger as much as it refers to spiritual thirst and hunger.
This invitation is open to all and is tied to the open invitation to the Davidic Covenant. The prophet Isaiah proclaims that God’s promises are now given to all humanity. The promises of satisfaction, joy, peace, and prosperity are to be had by all regardless of race, gender, culture, religion, or socio-economic status. This is God’s free gift to all nations.
Yet, there is a second invitation to which we are called as well. It is a call of repentance from our wayward paths that lead us away from God. A call of repentance in which we can focus on our relationship with God to strengthen our spirits, be nourished, and turn back to God. Isaiah tells the Israelite’s to “seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God for he will abundantly pardon.”
This season of lent is indeed the time in which we follow the Prophet Isaiah’s call to the Israelite community and God’s call to us, to repent and follow God. Many of us have made pledges to drink only water, to read our bibles, to avoid sweets, or to fast from certain meals. These are all good attempts by which we discipline ourselves in order to focus less on the things of the world and focus more of our attention on the things that come from God. And it is a hard task. Many people long for coffee, to read a good novel, to eat sweets and other foods. Do we truly discipline ourselves to follow our Lenten promises or are they just wishful thankful? Wishful thinking about other beverages, Easter sweets that plague the store front windows, or thoughts along the lines of “I don’t have time to read the Bible, I have to write this sermon instead?” How much of our attempt at making ourselves aware of God’s will, God’s promises for our life, and our need to reorient our lives around God, is being diminish by our intense focus on the exact things of this world that we were hoping, if we gave them up, would help us focus more on God?
Sometimes our attempts, as well intentioned as they are, become the stumbling blocks during lent that actually keep us from hearing God’s word and receiving God’s life giving nourishment. Sometimes the things we “give up” for lent become those things that prophet Isaiah warned the Israelites about. “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?”
As I witnessed last night, the youth who “gave up” her food for the men who wanted seconds was certainly a way of embracing the endeavors people of faith set out to accomplish for themselves during Lent, but it was coupled with an act of evangelism and mission in serving food to the homeless. This particular youth showed me that it is great to give up the material necessities of life and fast in order that others might eat, as long as we do not dwell on missing what we have given up and instead focus that energy on opening our hearts and the doors of our church so that all people will be able to freely come and eat and drink the nourishment that God has provided for us all. As one theologian put it, “loving and serving God is the source of nourishing food and thirst-quenching drink.”
Psalm 63, in many ways, highlights what the prophet Isaiah is saying. The psalmist reminds us that it truly God’s steadfast love that is better than life and it is truly God’s words that feed the soul as with a rich feast. When we incline our ears to God and listen to God we live in far greater abundance and come into closer relationship with God. When we join our individual actions of spiritual disciplines with service to others and for God, we come to a greater understanding of what it means to be in relationship with God. For when we are in relationship with one another we are also in relationship with God and we are able to abundantly live in all the promises of the Covenant.
Amen!
Three Chopt Presbyterian Church is hosting caritas this week and I had the wonderful opportunity to serve the homeless men dinner just last night with the youth group. Although I didn’t get to interact with the men as much as I would have wanted, the insights I gained from this event and the thoughtfulness of the youth that I witnessed far surpassed my expectations. The amount of preparation that was involved was minimal, yet the joy was great. The expense was nothing compared to the amount of mouths that were fed with food and drink. The amount of clean up after dinner was nothing compared the smiles and handshakes that crossed socio-economic boundaries. I have never been at a loss for words to express to people how proud I am of the youth I work with and last night was no different. Not only did the youth interact with the men, prepare and serve them dinner, but one youth admittedly proclaimed, “If the men want seconds, I will not eat here. They need it more than me.”
This event brought to mind several different interactions with the prophet Isaiah’s words to the Israelite’s who were still in exile. The chapter begins with words of invitation to food and drink. The prophet proclaims: “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”
This is exactly what took place last night. All those who were thirsty came and drank. All those who were without money came and ate. Scholar Paul Hanson states that “this invitation from Isaiah is not to be limited to people of social standing, not even to people of sufficient means to come properly attired. The only requirement is hunger and thirst.” I believe this refers to physical thirst and hunger as much as it refers to spiritual thirst and hunger.
This invitation is open to all and is tied to the open invitation to the Davidic Covenant. The prophet Isaiah proclaims that God’s promises are now given to all humanity. The promises of satisfaction, joy, peace, and prosperity are to be had by all regardless of race, gender, culture, religion, or socio-economic status. This is God’s free gift to all nations.
Yet, there is a second invitation to which we are called as well. It is a call of repentance from our wayward paths that lead us away from God. A call of repentance in which we can focus on our relationship with God to strengthen our spirits, be nourished, and turn back to God. Isaiah tells the Israelite’s to “seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God for he will abundantly pardon.”
This season of lent is indeed the time in which we follow the Prophet Isaiah’s call to the Israelite community and God’s call to us, to repent and follow God. Many of us have made pledges to drink only water, to read our bibles, to avoid sweets, or to fast from certain meals. These are all good attempts by which we discipline ourselves in order to focus less on the things of the world and focus more of our attention on the things that come from God. And it is a hard task. Many people long for coffee, to read a good novel, to eat sweets and other foods. Do we truly discipline ourselves to follow our Lenten promises or are they just wishful thankful? Wishful thinking about other beverages, Easter sweets that plague the store front windows, or thoughts along the lines of “I don’t have time to read the Bible, I have to write this sermon instead?” How much of our attempt at making ourselves aware of God’s will, God’s promises for our life, and our need to reorient our lives around God, is being diminish by our intense focus on the exact things of this world that we were hoping, if we gave them up, would help us focus more on God?
Sometimes our attempts, as well intentioned as they are, become the stumbling blocks during lent that actually keep us from hearing God’s word and receiving God’s life giving nourishment. Sometimes the things we “give up” for lent become those things that prophet Isaiah warned the Israelites about. “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?”
As I witnessed last night, the youth who “gave up” her food for the men who wanted seconds was certainly a way of embracing the endeavors people of faith set out to accomplish for themselves during Lent, but it was coupled with an act of evangelism and mission in serving food to the homeless. This particular youth showed me that it is great to give up the material necessities of life and fast in order that others might eat, as long as we do not dwell on missing what we have given up and instead focus that energy on opening our hearts and the doors of our church so that all people will be able to freely come and eat and drink the nourishment that God has provided for us all. As one theologian put it, “loving and serving God is the source of nourishing food and thirst-quenching drink.”
Psalm 63, in many ways, highlights what the prophet Isaiah is saying. The psalmist reminds us that it truly God’s steadfast love that is better than life and it is truly God’s words that feed the soul as with a rich feast. When we incline our ears to God and listen to God we live in far greater abundance and come into closer relationship with God. When we join our individual actions of spiritual disciplines with service to others and for God, we come to a greater understanding of what it means to be in relationship with God. For when we are in relationship with one another we are also in relationship with God and we are able to abundantly live in all the promises of the Covenant.
Amen!
Breaking the Barriers
There are many social faux-pas or blunders that bring attention upon those who commit them. Here are some examples found on the internet:
· Putting your elbows on the table
· Parking your car in a handicap parking when you’re not handicap
· Telling racial or ethnic jokes
· Asking too many personal questions
· Failing to replay to an invitation on time
· Arriving too early or too late to a meeting or party
· Not holding the door open for others
· Not wearing shoes and a shirt into a restaurant
· Talking with your mouth full
These social faux-pas or blunders are not necessarily done on purpose. Sometimes we commit them without ever realizing what we have done. Sometimes we get caught up in our own life and we forget to send a replay to an invitation on time, sometimes we are in such a hurry to get somewhere that we rush through a door and it never passes through our mind to hold the door for someone else. Sometimes we unconsciously put our elbows on the table because it’s a natural position for us to sit in while eating. Sometimes we hear a funny joke and retell that joke never realizing that the joke contains aspect that is racially or ethically offensive to our brothers or sisters. I think you get the point that not all social faux-pas are perpetrated because of a mean spirit.
In Zacchaeus’ day there were social faux-pas as well, and Zacchaeus’ committed two of them. Zacchaeus’ knew that Jesus was going to passing through Jericho and he wanted to see Jesus. But Zacchaeus was short man and he could not see Jesus over the crowd. The crowd also was not going to let Zacchaeus get through. You see, the crowd of Jericho dislikes Zacchaeus as a person. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and as a chief tax collector he was corrupt, he cheated the Jews out of money. Zacchaeus was rich and tax collectors were often seen as religiously unclean and therefore were regarded as outcasts.
So because Zacchaeus could neither fight his way through the crowd, nor see over the crowd, he starts to run toward a sycamore tree. Social faux-pas number one.
A grown man such as Zacchaeus should not being running- it was considered undignified.
Now sycamore tree is a tree that has very low branches which makes it easy to climb and Zacchaeus does just that. He climbs the sycamore tree so that he can see above the crowd and see Jesus. Social faux-pas number two.
A grown man with such great importance as chief tax collector should surely not be climbing trees.
Now in his efforts to want to see Jesus, Zacchaeus carries out these two social blunders without it ever crossing his mind what he has done. Zacchaeus’ aim was to see Jesus but not be notice by either Jesus or the crowd. However, in his attempt to see Jesus, Zacchaeus gets himself noticed because he runs and climbs.
As Jesus takes notice of Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree he goes over to him and says to him “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” Notice Jesus’ strong invitation to Zacchaeus. Jesus says I MUST stay at your house. Not I would like to, or can I, but MUST stay. And Jesus does not say I must stay at your house tomorrow, or some unidentified time in the future, but TODAY. Jesus also makes it a point to address Zacchaeus specifically in front of the entire crowd for Jesus says, “I MUST stay at YOUR house TODAY.”
Upon this demand Zacchaeus hurries down out of the tree and is happy to welcome Jesus’ presence.
The crowd has a different opinion on Jesus ministry. They grumble and say, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.”
If there is anyone in the bible that committed the most social blunders then that person would be Jesus. Jesus does not do so unconsciously, but on purpose to teach us about the kingdom of God. Jesus’ social blunder is 10 times worse than Zacchaeus’. Jesus invites himself over to the house of a sinner, a religiously unclean, outcast. Jesus commits all kinds of social faux-pas and crosses all kinds of barriers in his ministry.
By staying at Zacchaeus’ house Jesus is crossing the barrier of ritual purity. Jesus was entering the house of who was unclean in his heart and actions, and shunned as an outcast. When Jesus performs the act of crossing the threshold into Zacchaeus’ house, Jesus is affirming Zacchaeus’ dignity and standing in the community. Also by staying at his house Jesus is bringing honor into Zacchaeus’ home.
As we worship together in this place this morning, we have loved ones who suffer all types of illness and are rendered unclean by people outside the walls of the hospital. People are worried about contracting illness such as tuberculosis, or whopping cough, hepatitis C or aids. Some people will never cross the threshold of the hospital’s main door to do ministry for fear of becoming unclean. There are predetermined thoughts and feelings about people who are in a hospital. You or some of your loved ones may have heard statements such as this: “If they took better care of themselves they wouldn’t be in the hospital.” Or “If they only went to church every Sunday and did not sin, they would not be punished with illness.” You, your loved ones, and other patients may even believe these statements about themselves and internalize a negative self image.
Friends, there is one person that will always break the barrier and cross the threshold any time you call his name and that is Jesus. Jesus doesn’t care what illness you have, he will walk into your room sit down by your bed and take hold of your hand to pray with you. Jesus will bring honor into your hospital room. Jesus will dignify you and affirm you as a child of Abraham, just as he did for Zacchaeus.
Christ will respond to the grumbling crowds of our day saying, “Today salvation has come to this hospital room, because this patient is a son or daughter of Abraham.”
Being a child of Abraham does not just mean that you are a descendent of Abraham, but that you belong to the covenant promise that God will bless you and make a kingdom from you. As we find in Genesis 17:7 God tells Abram: “I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”
As children of Abraham we are a part of this everlasting covenant whereby God is going to continue to be God to us and our subsequent children. God will be God to us regardless of whether or not we are viewed as outcasts and in spite of our illness or disease. God, Christ and the Holy Spirit see past the illness and into your heart, honoring and affirming you as a child of the covenant promise.
Believe the good news! God’s kingdom is at work in our lives TODAY. With God you are no longer on the outer margins of society because of your illness, for Christ has pulled you into the very center of the Kingdom of God, surrounding you with the everlasting covenant, and publicly affirming your equal status among all people.
Praise the Lord, Amen!
· Putting your elbows on the table
· Parking your car in a handicap parking when you’re not handicap
· Telling racial or ethnic jokes
· Asking too many personal questions
· Failing to replay to an invitation on time
· Arriving too early or too late to a meeting or party
· Not holding the door open for others
· Not wearing shoes and a shirt into a restaurant
· Talking with your mouth full
These social faux-pas or blunders are not necessarily done on purpose. Sometimes we commit them without ever realizing what we have done. Sometimes we get caught up in our own life and we forget to send a replay to an invitation on time, sometimes we are in such a hurry to get somewhere that we rush through a door and it never passes through our mind to hold the door for someone else. Sometimes we unconsciously put our elbows on the table because it’s a natural position for us to sit in while eating. Sometimes we hear a funny joke and retell that joke never realizing that the joke contains aspect that is racially or ethically offensive to our brothers or sisters. I think you get the point that not all social faux-pas are perpetrated because of a mean spirit.
In Zacchaeus’ day there were social faux-pas as well, and Zacchaeus’ committed two of them. Zacchaeus’ knew that Jesus was going to passing through Jericho and he wanted to see Jesus. But Zacchaeus was short man and he could not see Jesus over the crowd. The crowd also was not going to let Zacchaeus get through. You see, the crowd of Jericho dislikes Zacchaeus as a person. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and as a chief tax collector he was corrupt, he cheated the Jews out of money. Zacchaeus was rich and tax collectors were often seen as religiously unclean and therefore were regarded as outcasts.
So because Zacchaeus could neither fight his way through the crowd, nor see over the crowd, he starts to run toward a sycamore tree. Social faux-pas number one.
A grown man such as Zacchaeus should not being running- it was considered undignified.
Now sycamore tree is a tree that has very low branches which makes it easy to climb and Zacchaeus does just that. He climbs the sycamore tree so that he can see above the crowd and see Jesus. Social faux-pas number two.
A grown man with such great importance as chief tax collector should surely not be climbing trees.
Now in his efforts to want to see Jesus, Zacchaeus carries out these two social blunders without it ever crossing his mind what he has done. Zacchaeus’ aim was to see Jesus but not be notice by either Jesus or the crowd. However, in his attempt to see Jesus, Zacchaeus gets himself noticed because he runs and climbs.
As Jesus takes notice of Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree he goes over to him and says to him “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” Notice Jesus’ strong invitation to Zacchaeus. Jesus says I MUST stay at your house. Not I would like to, or can I, but MUST stay. And Jesus does not say I must stay at your house tomorrow, or some unidentified time in the future, but TODAY. Jesus also makes it a point to address Zacchaeus specifically in front of the entire crowd for Jesus says, “I MUST stay at YOUR house TODAY.”
Upon this demand Zacchaeus hurries down out of the tree and is happy to welcome Jesus’ presence.
The crowd has a different opinion on Jesus ministry. They grumble and say, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.”
If there is anyone in the bible that committed the most social blunders then that person would be Jesus. Jesus does not do so unconsciously, but on purpose to teach us about the kingdom of God. Jesus’ social blunder is 10 times worse than Zacchaeus’. Jesus invites himself over to the house of a sinner, a religiously unclean, outcast. Jesus commits all kinds of social faux-pas and crosses all kinds of barriers in his ministry.
By staying at Zacchaeus’ house Jesus is crossing the barrier of ritual purity. Jesus was entering the house of who was unclean in his heart and actions, and shunned as an outcast. When Jesus performs the act of crossing the threshold into Zacchaeus’ house, Jesus is affirming Zacchaeus’ dignity and standing in the community. Also by staying at his house Jesus is bringing honor into Zacchaeus’ home.
As we worship together in this place this morning, we have loved ones who suffer all types of illness and are rendered unclean by people outside the walls of the hospital. People are worried about contracting illness such as tuberculosis, or whopping cough, hepatitis C or aids. Some people will never cross the threshold of the hospital’s main door to do ministry for fear of becoming unclean. There are predetermined thoughts and feelings about people who are in a hospital. You or some of your loved ones may have heard statements such as this: “If they took better care of themselves they wouldn’t be in the hospital.” Or “If they only went to church every Sunday and did not sin, they would not be punished with illness.” You, your loved ones, and other patients may even believe these statements about themselves and internalize a negative self image.
Friends, there is one person that will always break the barrier and cross the threshold any time you call his name and that is Jesus. Jesus doesn’t care what illness you have, he will walk into your room sit down by your bed and take hold of your hand to pray with you. Jesus will bring honor into your hospital room. Jesus will dignify you and affirm you as a child of Abraham, just as he did for Zacchaeus.
Christ will respond to the grumbling crowds of our day saying, “Today salvation has come to this hospital room, because this patient is a son or daughter of Abraham.”
Being a child of Abraham does not just mean that you are a descendent of Abraham, but that you belong to the covenant promise that God will bless you and make a kingdom from you. As we find in Genesis 17:7 God tells Abram: “I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”
As children of Abraham we are a part of this everlasting covenant whereby God is going to continue to be God to us and our subsequent children. God will be God to us regardless of whether or not we are viewed as outcasts and in spite of our illness or disease. God, Christ and the Holy Spirit see past the illness and into your heart, honoring and affirming you as a child of the covenant promise.
Believe the good news! God’s kingdom is at work in our lives TODAY. With God you are no longer on the outer margins of society because of your illness, for Christ has pulled you into the very center of the Kingdom of God, surrounding you with the everlasting covenant, and publicly affirming your equal status among all people.
Praise the Lord, Amen!
The Ballad of Rotten Grapes
Isaiah 5:1-7
Have you ever seen food that has gone to waste after you purchased it? It gets moldy, smells up the whole kitchen, sometimes it shrivels up to nothing. Have you ever tasted food that has gone sour like grapes or milk? Your lips make that unpleasant puckered look, your body shivers as if you were chilly, and your reaction is to immediately dispose of the sour taste in your mouth. Have you ever encountered a car that has the Christian symbol of a fish on the bumper, yet they make unpleasant gestures with their hands and mouth ugly words at you because you were driving to slow for their liking? Now have you ever seen or had an unpleasant feeling in your heart when you have walked into a one of God’s churches or encountered one of God’s children portraying a character opposite of God’s love, care, and obedience?
Isaiah sings a message to us this morning, from God, about a vineyard that yields only wild or rotten grapes despite the great care and love God has poured into the vineyard. The vineyard is a metaphor for the inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah. God takes great care to fulfill his promises to the people of Jerusalem. God has already plucked up the vine of Jerusalem that was being oppressed by Pharaoh and the Egyptians, just as the Palmist has told us: “You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it.” Again in Isaiah we hear of how God very carefully and meticulously chooses a very fertile hill, a hill with oil rooted in its soil that is more than able to produce a copious grape harvest. Isaiah further tells us that God prepared the vineyard as one should by clearing the stones and turning over the topsoil to ensure that the vine could be planted and that nothing would prevent its growth. Then God builds a watchtower from which he would protect his vineyard from thieves and wild animals. Lastly, Isaiah tells us that God planted only choice vines, those vines that were the cream of crop. This vineyard had all the potential possible to grow and produce a fertile harvest and God expected just that: obedient, caring, loving people of Judah. Instead the vine produced wild, rotten and sour inhabitants.
Out of the vineyard God hears cries of bloodshed and cries from the oppressed. The same cries of bloodshed and oppression that were heard in the land of Egypt are now coming from the mouths of the people of Judah, from the newly planted vineyard that was suppose to yield a bountiful harvest.
What went wrong? It is certainly not God’s fault, how could it be? Through the art of poetry Isaiah leads the people into judging themselves by saying: “Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.” Isaiah further asks some rhetorical questions: “What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not already done in it?” When I look for it to yield grapes why did it yield wild grapes?” The implied answer: Nothing! The inhabitants of Jerusalem bring God’s punishment upon themselves. Isaiah tells the people that the vineyard will be devoured, the watchtower will be torn down, the vineyard will be trampled upon by animals and thieves. It will become a wasteland receiving no rain from the clouds. It is a harsh punishment for the choice people of Jerusalem.
We must make clear however, that this punishment is not because the inhabitants of Jerusalem “merely failed to rise to [their] best in response to God’s call”, rather they are judged because they “corrupted the good that God implanted in them.”[i]
As children of God we fail when turn God’s goodness into evil, when we turn God’s love into bloodshed, and when we turn God’s care into the oppression of others.
The church is God’s vineyard and we, the members of the church, are the grapes that are supposed to produce a copious harvest. We are the ones who are called to help bring forth right judgment and justice, look toward others with care, and to give love.
These actions are not solely to be done under the shelter of the church building. As individual members of God’s vineyard we are called to live our lives not for ourselves, but for the furtherment of God’s kingdom. It means that we should act obediently in accordance with God’s love.
My cousin came to visit me a few weeks back. As she was driving us to the movies, she put on her blinker, checked all her mirrors and her blind spot and then proceeded to move over into the next lane. There was car in the line into which she moving, but she had plenty of room and was in no danger of hitting the other car. Well the person in the other car did not like the fact that she moved over into that lane. The person honked the horn relentlessly for at least 1 minute. Then after we turned, the person in the other car proceeded to wave ugly gestures to us. Now my cousin could have reacted in a number of different ways, but the only way she reacted was to put on a big smile and very politely wave to the driver of the other car. Instead of continuing the unloving manner which she received, my cousin, without a moment’s hesitation, returned grace and love to the driver.
As people of God we will continually come into contact with others who treat us badly and we at times will be the ones to treat others poorly, corrupting God’s love and care. We may not be out right rude to others, but our individualistic way of life ultimately affects others. We get so tied up in our lives, thinking only about ourselves that we come to the point at which we neglect those who need our help. We start using “our gifts for our own advantage rather than to serve God’s kingdom.”
This passage from Isaiah makes us critically exam ourselves and the church. Isaiah makes us face the areas within our lives and within the church that are producing rotten grapes. We may ask ourselves: “Where in the church are we producing more bloodshed than we are justice?” Is it during meetings in which we argue with each other to the point where God’s work is not being done and no one is thoughtfully listening anymore?
Where might God have expected righteousness but heard a cry instead? Is it when we go behind each other’s back and complain about something someone did to us instead of talking to the person directly and resolving the issues?
It takes courage, love, and grace to face these rotten grapes that exist in our life and in our church, but if we are able to, we will find the sweet, healthy grapes God planted with meticulous care. Lectionary Homiletics author Wally Fletcher states that: “the courage to face the[se] issues posed in Isaiah’s first vineyard parable is to be sought in the promise of his second one.”
In Isaiah’s second vineyard ballad he sings of a pleasant vineyard. Isaiah sings: “I, the Lord, am its keeper; every moment I water it. I guard it night and day so that no one can harm it; I have no warth. If it gives me thorns and briers, I will march to battle against it. I will burn it up.”
The punishment that comes upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem is not from a rage filled God who has abandoned and stopped loving the vineyard. “God’s love for his people is as steadfast as God’s determination to see them yield the fruits they were always meant to yield.”
People of God, God has not abandoned the church, God has not stopped loving you, but God does require that we tattle tough conversations so that we may be a church and a people who will bear a bountiful harvest. God wants us to be sweet grapes worthy enough to be made into precious wine.
Let’s turn our rotten grapes into sweet wine.
Amen.
[i] Scott, R.B.Y. The Interpreter’s Bible. V. 5 Abingdon Press. New York, NY: 1956.
Have you ever seen food that has gone to waste after you purchased it? It gets moldy, smells up the whole kitchen, sometimes it shrivels up to nothing. Have you ever tasted food that has gone sour like grapes or milk? Your lips make that unpleasant puckered look, your body shivers as if you were chilly, and your reaction is to immediately dispose of the sour taste in your mouth. Have you ever encountered a car that has the Christian symbol of a fish on the bumper, yet they make unpleasant gestures with their hands and mouth ugly words at you because you were driving to slow for their liking? Now have you ever seen or had an unpleasant feeling in your heart when you have walked into a one of God’s churches or encountered one of God’s children portraying a character opposite of God’s love, care, and obedience?
Isaiah sings a message to us this morning, from God, about a vineyard that yields only wild or rotten grapes despite the great care and love God has poured into the vineyard. The vineyard is a metaphor for the inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah. God takes great care to fulfill his promises to the people of Jerusalem. God has already plucked up the vine of Jerusalem that was being oppressed by Pharaoh and the Egyptians, just as the Palmist has told us: “You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it.” Again in Isaiah we hear of how God very carefully and meticulously chooses a very fertile hill, a hill with oil rooted in its soil that is more than able to produce a copious grape harvest. Isaiah further tells us that God prepared the vineyard as one should by clearing the stones and turning over the topsoil to ensure that the vine could be planted and that nothing would prevent its growth. Then God builds a watchtower from which he would protect his vineyard from thieves and wild animals. Lastly, Isaiah tells us that God planted only choice vines, those vines that were the cream of crop. This vineyard had all the potential possible to grow and produce a fertile harvest and God expected just that: obedient, caring, loving people of Judah. Instead the vine produced wild, rotten and sour inhabitants.
Out of the vineyard God hears cries of bloodshed and cries from the oppressed. The same cries of bloodshed and oppression that were heard in the land of Egypt are now coming from the mouths of the people of Judah, from the newly planted vineyard that was suppose to yield a bountiful harvest.
What went wrong? It is certainly not God’s fault, how could it be? Through the art of poetry Isaiah leads the people into judging themselves by saying: “Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.” Isaiah further asks some rhetorical questions: “What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not already done in it?” When I look for it to yield grapes why did it yield wild grapes?” The implied answer: Nothing! The inhabitants of Jerusalem bring God’s punishment upon themselves. Isaiah tells the people that the vineyard will be devoured, the watchtower will be torn down, the vineyard will be trampled upon by animals and thieves. It will become a wasteland receiving no rain from the clouds. It is a harsh punishment for the choice people of Jerusalem.
We must make clear however, that this punishment is not because the inhabitants of Jerusalem “merely failed to rise to [their] best in response to God’s call”, rather they are judged because they “corrupted the good that God implanted in them.”[i]
As children of God we fail when turn God’s goodness into evil, when we turn God’s love into bloodshed, and when we turn God’s care into the oppression of others.
The church is God’s vineyard and we, the members of the church, are the grapes that are supposed to produce a copious harvest. We are the ones who are called to help bring forth right judgment and justice, look toward others with care, and to give love.
These actions are not solely to be done under the shelter of the church building. As individual members of God’s vineyard we are called to live our lives not for ourselves, but for the furtherment of God’s kingdom. It means that we should act obediently in accordance with God’s love.
My cousin came to visit me a few weeks back. As she was driving us to the movies, she put on her blinker, checked all her mirrors and her blind spot and then proceeded to move over into the next lane. There was car in the line into which she moving, but she had plenty of room and was in no danger of hitting the other car. Well the person in the other car did not like the fact that she moved over into that lane. The person honked the horn relentlessly for at least 1 minute. Then after we turned, the person in the other car proceeded to wave ugly gestures to us. Now my cousin could have reacted in a number of different ways, but the only way she reacted was to put on a big smile and very politely wave to the driver of the other car. Instead of continuing the unloving manner which she received, my cousin, without a moment’s hesitation, returned grace and love to the driver.
As people of God we will continually come into contact with others who treat us badly and we at times will be the ones to treat others poorly, corrupting God’s love and care. We may not be out right rude to others, but our individualistic way of life ultimately affects others. We get so tied up in our lives, thinking only about ourselves that we come to the point at which we neglect those who need our help. We start using “our gifts for our own advantage rather than to serve God’s kingdom.”
This passage from Isaiah makes us critically exam ourselves and the church. Isaiah makes us face the areas within our lives and within the church that are producing rotten grapes. We may ask ourselves: “Where in the church are we producing more bloodshed than we are justice?” Is it during meetings in which we argue with each other to the point where God’s work is not being done and no one is thoughtfully listening anymore?
Where might God have expected righteousness but heard a cry instead? Is it when we go behind each other’s back and complain about something someone did to us instead of talking to the person directly and resolving the issues?
It takes courage, love, and grace to face these rotten grapes that exist in our life and in our church, but if we are able to, we will find the sweet, healthy grapes God planted with meticulous care. Lectionary Homiletics author Wally Fletcher states that: “the courage to face the[se] issues posed in Isaiah’s first vineyard parable is to be sought in the promise of his second one.”
In Isaiah’s second vineyard ballad he sings of a pleasant vineyard. Isaiah sings: “I, the Lord, am its keeper; every moment I water it. I guard it night and day so that no one can harm it; I have no warth. If it gives me thorns and briers, I will march to battle against it. I will burn it up.”
The punishment that comes upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem is not from a rage filled God who has abandoned and stopped loving the vineyard. “God’s love for his people is as steadfast as God’s determination to see them yield the fruits they were always meant to yield.”
People of God, God has not abandoned the church, God has not stopped loving you, but God does require that we tattle tough conversations so that we may be a church and a people who will bear a bountiful harvest. God wants us to be sweet grapes worthy enough to be made into precious wine.
Let’s turn our rotten grapes into sweet wine.
Amen.
[i] Scott, R.B.Y. The Interpreter’s Bible. V. 5 Abingdon Press. New York, NY: 1956.
And the Answer Is...
Jeremiah’s lament for his poor people is powerful and entitled. Jeremiah’s calling from God was to warn the people of their corrupt behavior and of God’s just judgment. Earlier in chapter 8 God questions why the people of the nation repeatedly turn away from God. God laments that the people hold fast to deceit and corruption. They do not speak honestly; no one repents of wickedness, all of them turn to their own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle, thus says the Lord. The people of Jerusalem continually turn away from God rather than returning to God, even after they have heard the words of warning from Jeremiah. The verbs turn and return are a central theme in the book of Jeremiah. The people of Jerusalem, despite God’s attentive listening, refused to return to God, they refused to repair their relationship with God. Instead they turned away from God, they turned to their own course following a path of wickedness, and they became blind to the presence of God. Given the context of our scripture this morning it is certainly evident that Jeremiah’s lament is appropriate and timely.
Jeremiah, as God’s prophet, captures the essence of God’s anger and sadness as well as painting a picture of the internal anguish that Jeremiah feels for his poor people. Jeremiah cries out for his people who are slain saying: “My joy is gone; grief is upon me, my heart is sick. For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt, I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me.” Jeremiah’s words convey a sense of deep pain that wants to be healed. In a hospital setting, such as this, these words are not foreign to us, rather they hit close to home. Jeremiah’s internal anguish is something that we can clearly empathize with in this hospital. When we receive a diagnoses of cancer, amputation, heart disease, stroke, or death, we lose our joy, our world becomes dark, grief and sadness make their home upon our hearts, our hearts are sick with tears. Jeremiah expresses relevant questions which we often think, but sometimes cannot verbalize. Why? Where is God? Is the Lord not in Zion? Why is God not healing me? Is there no balm in Gilead?
The questions vocalized for us by Jeremiah do have answers and the answers lie within the questions themselves. “Is the Lord not in Zion? Is her King not in her? Is there no balm in Gilead?” These are rhetorical questions meaning the answer was known before the question was even asked. And the answer is: YES. Psalms 48 is a testament to the answers for the first two questions: “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. Within its citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.” This Psalm is a song of Zion in praise of the Lord, whose protecting presence is found in the temple in Jerusalem. God is present is in very center of our anguish. God is present at all times.
In the book Life of Pi, a young boy from India tells Mr. Kumar the baker to meet him outside the main gate of the zoo. Pi’s family owns the zoo and Mr. Kumar has never been to it before, so Pi tells him that he will show him around. When Pi arrives at the main gate of the zoo he starts to talk to himself saying, “You fool! Why did you say the main gate? At any time there will be a crowd of people there. Have you forgotten how plain Mr. Kumar looks? You’ll never recognize him!” Pi tries to think of ways that would help him find Mr. Kumar when notices something about himself. Pi states: “I had noticed before that it was when I tried my hardest to recognize him that I was least able to pick him out. The very effort seemed to blind me.”
When we ask where is God, or is the Lord not in Zion, perhaps we are looking too hard to feel God’s presence. Perhaps we become blind to the presence of God because we so desperately want to seek him that we miss God’s presence which is right in front of us.
What about the balm. Is there no balm in Gilead? YES there is. Balm, which is an aromatic resin and is regarded as having qualities that ease pain and cover the smell of festering wounds, was in abundance at Gilead. Even later in Jer. 51: 8 we see a command for balm to be gathered and used for the wounds of Babylon. In Genesis there are scriptures that refer to balm being used and carried on journeys on at least two separate accounts.
Friends, there is a balm Gilead to make the wounded whole. However, healing does not always occur the way we want it to. We wish for healing to come through medicines, or other treatments that will cure us of an illness. But when this does not happen, it does not mean that healing is not taking place. Sometimes healing comes in from of being able to share our stories with others, being able to lament, or being able to find new meaning in life.
Sometimes healing comes through the shedding of tears like Jeremiah expresses: “O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that II might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people.” Sometimes healing comes even through death when one finds ultimate peace with God.
Just as Jeremiah is justified in lamenting over the slain of his poor people, we are justified in lamenting over the human condition of illness and death. We our entitled to lament, in fact we are invited by Jeremiah and God to grieve and ask the questions why and where. Our laments will not fall on deaf ears, God hears us, God is in the center of our anguished lives and God invites us to return to him for healing instead of continually turning away in anger or because of a misunderstanding about the ways God. Verse 6 reiterates God has given heed and listened. God is open to human need and to human appeals. Life is not on its own and without resort in the world. God is listening all the time, and God is in the midst of our lament.
Let us grieve, let us lament over the human condition, let us cry out to God returning to the presence of God and receiving God’s healing balm that awaits us. Is the Lord not in Zion? YES he is. Is there no balm in Gilead? YES there is.
Amen.
Jeremiah, as God’s prophet, captures the essence of God’s anger and sadness as well as painting a picture of the internal anguish that Jeremiah feels for his poor people. Jeremiah cries out for his people who are slain saying: “My joy is gone; grief is upon me, my heart is sick. For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt, I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me.” Jeremiah’s words convey a sense of deep pain that wants to be healed. In a hospital setting, such as this, these words are not foreign to us, rather they hit close to home. Jeremiah’s internal anguish is something that we can clearly empathize with in this hospital. When we receive a diagnoses of cancer, amputation, heart disease, stroke, or death, we lose our joy, our world becomes dark, grief and sadness make their home upon our hearts, our hearts are sick with tears. Jeremiah expresses relevant questions which we often think, but sometimes cannot verbalize. Why? Where is God? Is the Lord not in Zion? Why is God not healing me? Is there no balm in Gilead?
The questions vocalized for us by Jeremiah do have answers and the answers lie within the questions themselves. “Is the Lord not in Zion? Is her King not in her? Is there no balm in Gilead?” These are rhetorical questions meaning the answer was known before the question was even asked. And the answer is: YES. Psalms 48 is a testament to the answers for the first two questions: “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. Within its citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.” This Psalm is a song of Zion in praise of the Lord, whose protecting presence is found in the temple in Jerusalem. God is present is in very center of our anguish. God is present at all times.
In the book Life of Pi, a young boy from India tells Mr. Kumar the baker to meet him outside the main gate of the zoo. Pi’s family owns the zoo and Mr. Kumar has never been to it before, so Pi tells him that he will show him around. When Pi arrives at the main gate of the zoo he starts to talk to himself saying, “You fool! Why did you say the main gate? At any time there will be a crowd of people there. Have you forgotten how plain Mr. Kumar looks? You’ll never recognize him!” Pi tries to think of ways that would help him find Mr. Kumar when notices something about himself. Pi states: “I had noticed before that it was when I tried my hardest to recognize him that I was least able to pick him out. The very effort seemed to blind me.”
When we ask where is God, or is the Lord not in Zion, perhaps we are looking too hard to feel God’s presence. Perhaps we become blind to the presence of God because we so desperately want to seek him that we miss God’s presence which is right in front of us.
What about the balm. Is there no balm in Gilead? YES there is. Balm, which is an aromatic resin and is regarded as having qualities that ease pain and cover the smell of festering wounds, was in abundance at Gilead. Even later in Jer. 51: 8 we see a command for balm to be gathered and used for the wounds of Babylon. In Genesis there are scriptures that refer to balm being used and carried on journeys on at least two separate accounts.
Friends, there is a balm Gilead to make the wounded whole. However, healing does not always occur the way we want it to. We wish for healing to come through medicines, or other treatments that will cure us of an illness. But when this does not happen, it does not mean that healing is not taking place. Sometimes healing comes in from of being able to share our stories with others, being able to lament, or being able to find new meaning in life.
Sometimes healing comes through the shedding of tears like Jeremiah expresses: “O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that II might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people.” Sometimes healing comes even through death when one finds ultimate peace with God.
Just as Jeremiah is justified in lamenting over the slain of his poor people, we are justified in lamenting over the human condition of illness and death. We our entitled to lament, in fact we are invited by Jeremiah and God to grieve and ask the questions why and where. Our laments will not fall on deaf ears, God hears us, God is in the center of our anguished lives and God invites us to return to him for healing instead of continually turning away in anger or because of a misunderstanding about the ways God. Verse 6 reiterates God has given heed and listened. God is open to human need and to human appeals. Life is not on its own and without resort in the world. God is listening all the time, and God is in the midst of our lament.
Let us grieve, let us lament over the human condition, let us cry out to God returning to the presence of God and receiving God’s healing balm that awaits us. Is the Lord not in Zion? YES he is. Is there no balm in Gilead? YES there is.
Amen.
Monday, October 25, 2010
"I Have Something to Tell You" Sincerely, God
Luke 18:9-14
I am sure you have heard of the saying: “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” This phrase is about 95% accurate with a few exceptions. Those exceptions, and I’m sure some of the youth will agree with me, occur with school books. But there is one insist in which the phrase “You can’t judge a book by its cover” is 100% accurate. I think you know which bounded collections of books I’m talking about. Yes the Bible.
In Luke’s Gospel message to us this morning there are many twists and turns that take place. Jesus’ parable is anything boring. Jesus’ parable begins: “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt,” and ends: “for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” Between the beginning and the end, Jesus flips and twists the parable around.
Jesus uses two characters, a Pharisee and a tax collector. These two characters are supplied with stereotypical descriptions. A Pharisee was seen as a righteous, law abiding citizen who followed moral as well as ethical codes and commandments. Society respected a Pharisee just as Norman the pig in our children’s message. Norman was respected by others around him because he was clean cut, organized, never got into trouble, and gave money to the poor. A tax collector on the other hand was not respected. Rather a tax collector was one who was viewed as corrupt, one who cheated people of their money, and religiously unclean. Society shunned a tax collector just like Sidney the pig was shunned. Sidney was always disheveled in appearance, unorganized, and couldn’t do anything right.
Both the Pharisee and the tax collector begin to believe and internalize these descriptions of themselves to the extreme. The Pharisee knows that he is righteous and he verbally pronounces his goodness to God. He tells God, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rouges, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” Did you notice how many times you heard the word “I?” There are four “I” statements in this in these two verses alone. The Pharisee is not really praying as much as he is telling God about his goodness and at the same time looking down on other people. The Pharisee is exalting himself to a higher status.
Norman the pig does the same thing. Norman followed the rules, his teachers and bosses always liked him, he gave money to the poor, but he was looking down others. Norman is puffing himself up.
The tax collector on the other hand internalizes an unrighteous self-image. He stands far off, can’t even raise his eyes up to heaven, and he beats upon his breast, a sign of deep sorrow, and says to God, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” While the Pharisee asks nothing of God in his prayer and boasts about his goodness, the tax collector boasts nothing before God and self-designates himself as a sinner. The tax collector does not exalt himself, rather he admits to his short-comings, placing himself on an even lowlier status.
Sidney is like the tax collector. Sidney can’t do anything right, he is unorganized, believes God is frustrated with him, and seems to always get into trouble. Sidney believes that he is an unworthy person.
Now here comes the twist to the story. You would think that a righteous Pharisee would receive God’s blessing and the tax collector would receive God’s judgment. But that is not the case. Jesus tells us that the tax collector “went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” The Pharisee may be righteous in his actions, but he is not truly righteous for he is also a sinner. The tax collector may be a sinner, but he is also righteous in his prayer for forgiveness.
Jesus’ parable makes clear what true righteousness is and “distinguishes it from misplace pride in obedience to God’s commandments.” Zacharias and Elizabeth are an example of true righteousness. Luke 1:6 explains that they “were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” The Pharisee was not blameless in his obedience to God. Now the tax collector was not blameless before the Lord either, but the tax collector recognizes his sin, asks for forgiveness, and does not condemn others in the process. The Pharisee is given just judgment and humbled by God. The tax collector is given just judgment and exalted by God.
To put this a little more concretely let’s look again at Norman and Sidney. Both Norman and Sidney received an invitation from God that read: “I would like you to come visit me at 77 Elm Street next Tuesday at your convenience. I have something to tell you.” Norman felt a familiar feeling upon reading the invitation: Anticipation. Happiness. Pride. Sidney also felt a familiar feeling upon reading his invitation: Terror. Panic. Doom.
When Norman went to meet with God that Tuesday he was excepting a reward for his goodness, but instead of a reward God told Norman exactly what he needed to hear. God said: “First of all I love you. Secondly, your goodness is not the reason I love you. Thirdly, you’re not as good as you have led yourself to believe. You’re prideful. You’re selfish. You look down on others, simply because things don’t come as easily for them.” God continues to tell Norman that God loves others who are not as perfect just as much as God loves Norman.
When Sidney went to meet with God he was expecting to be punished, but instead of a punishment God told Sidney exactly what he needed to hear. God said: “First of all I love you. Secondly, I love you. And thirdly I love you.”
Norman was humbled by the experience and made to realize that his pride in his “goodness” was his sin. Sidney was exalted by the experience and made to realize that while he is not perfect God still loved him. At the end of the story the two pigs who once avoided each other, now became good friends.
Each one of us here is a Pharisee and each one of us here is also a tax collector. We are not perfect, and there is no such thing as a “good pig.” We are all broken. God doesn’t love us any greater because of the awards we receive or the good behavior we perform and God doesn’t love us any less because we mess up. God simply loves us for who we are as God’s children.
In Calvin’s section on prayer, he list 4 Rules of Right Prayer. The first rule is to have “a composed mind and heart.” The second rule is to have “a sincere sense of our own insufficiency.” The third rule is to “abandon all self-glory, self-assurance, and have a reliance on God’s mercy and pardon.” And the last rule is to have “a sure hope that all our prayers are answered.”
God has invited each of us here this something because God has something to tell us. Let us be open to what God has to say that we might repair a right relationship with God and with our neighbors.
Just as God tells us: “I love you not because of your good works and in spite of all your messes,” I invite you to your neighbor, those sitting around in the pews and tell them: I love you not because of your good works and in spite of all your messes.
To God be all glory and honor forever and ever. Amen.
I am sure you have heard of the saying: “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” This phrase is about 95% accurate with a few exceptions. Those exceptions, and I’m sure some of the youth will agree with me, occur with school books. But there is one insist in which the phrase “You can’t judge a book by its cover” is 100% accurate. I think you know which bounded collections of books I’m talking about. Yes the Bible.
In Luke’s Gospel message to us this morning there are many twists and turns that take place. Jesus’ parable is anything boring. Jesus’ parable begins: “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt,” and ends: “for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” Between the beginning and the end, Jesus flips and twists the parable around.
Jesus uses two characters, a Pharisee and a tax collector. These two characters are supplied with stereotypical descriptions. A Pharisee was seen as a righteous, law abiding citizen who followed moral as well as ethical codes and commandments. Society respected a Pharisee just as Norman the pig in our children’s message. Norman was respected by others around him because he was clean cut, organized, never got into trouble, and gave money to the poor. A tax collector on the other hand was not respected. Rather a tax collector was one who was viewed as corrupt, one who cheated people of their money, and religiously unclean. Society shunned a tax collector just like Sidney the pig was shunned. Sidney was always disheveled in appearance, unorganized, and couldn’t do anything right.
Both the Pharisee and the tax collector begin to believe and internalize these descriptions of themselves to the extreme. The Pharisee knows that he is righteous and he verbally pronounces his goodness to God. He tells God, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rouges, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” Did you notice how many times you heard the word “I?” There are four “I” statements in this in these two verses alone. The Pharisee is not really praying as much as he is telling God about his goodness and at the same time looking down on other people. The Pharisee is exalting himself to a higher status.
Norman the pig does the same thing. Norman followed the rules, his teachers and bosses always liked him, he gave money to the poor, but he was looking down others. Norman is puffing himself up.
The tax collector on the other hand internalizes an unrighteous self-image. He stands far off, can’t even raise his eyes up to heaven, and he beats upon his breast, a sign of deep sorrow, and says to God, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” While the Pharisee asks nothing of God in his prayer and boasts about his goodness, the tax collector boasts nothing before God and self-designates himself as a sinner. The tax collector does not exalt himself, rather he admits to his short-comings, placing himself on an even lowlier status.
Sidney is like the tax collector. Sidney can’t do anything right, he is unorganized, believes God is frustrated with him, and seems to always get into trouble. Sidney believes that he is an unworthy person.
Now here comes the twist to the story. You would think that a righteous Pharisee would receive God’s blessing and the tax collector would receive God’s judgment. But that is not the case. Jesus tells us that the tax collector “went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” The Pharisee may be righteous in his actions, but he is not truly righteous for he is also a sinner. The tax collector may be a sinner, but he is also righteous in his prayer for forgiveness.
Jesus’ parable makes clear what true righteousness is and “distinguishes it from misplace pride in obedience to God’s commandments.” Zacharias and Elizabeth are an example of true righteousness. Luke 1:6 explains that they “were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” The Pharisee was not blameless in his obedience to God. Now the tax collector was not blameless before the Lord either, but the tax collector recognizes his sin, asks for forgiveness, and does not condemn others in the process. The Pharisee is given just judgment and humbled by God. The tax collector is given just judgment and exalted by God.
To put this a little more concretely let’s look again at Norman and Sidney. Both Norman and Sidney received an invitation from God that read: “I would like you to come visit me at 77 Elm Street next Tuesday at your convenience. I have something to tell you.” Norman felt a familiar feeling upon reading the invitation: Anticipation. Happiness. Pride. Sidney also felt a familiar feeling upon reading his invitation: Terror. Panic. Doom.
When Norman went to meet with God that Tuesday he was excepting a reward for his goodness, but instead of a reward God told Norman exactly what he needed to hear. God said: “First of all I love you. Secondly, your goodness is not the reason I love you. Thirdly, you’re not as good as you have led yourself to believe. You’re prideful. You’re selfish. You look down on others, simply because things don’t come as easily for them.” God continues to tell Norman that God loves others who are not as perfect just as much as God loves Norman.
When Sidney went to meet with God he was expecting to be punished, but instead of a punishment God told Sidney exactly what he needed to hear. God said: “First of all I love you. Secondly, I love you. And thirdly I love you.”
Norman was humbled by the experience and made to realize that his pride in his “goodness” was his sin. Sidney was exalted by the experience and made to realize that while he is not perfect God still loved him. At the end of the story the two pigs who once avoided each other, now became good friends.
Each one of us here is a Pharisee and each one of us here is also a tax collector. We are not perfect, and there is no such thing as a “good pig.” We are all broken. God doesn’t love us any greater because of the awards we receive or the good behavior we perform and God doesn’t love us any less because we mess up. God simply loves us for who we are as God’s children.
In Calvin’s section on prayer, he list 4 Rules of Right Prayer. The first rule is to have “a composed mind and heart.” The second rule is to have “a sincere sense of our own insufficiency.” The third rule is to “abandon all self-glory, self-assurance, and have a reliance on God’s mercy and pardon.” And the last rule is to have “a sure hope that all our prayers are answered.”
God has invited each of us here this something because God has something to tell us. Let us be open to what God has to say that we might repair a right relationship with God and with our neighbors.
Just as God tells us: “I love you not because of your good works and in spite of all your messes,” I invite you to your neighbor, those sitting around in the pews and tell them: I love you not because of your good works and in spite of all your messes.
To God be all glory and honor forever and ever. Amen.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Christ is the Glue
Colossians 1:15-28
Christ is the Glue
As we look into the Paul’s letter to the Colossians this morning we find something that sounds very familiar to our ears -- a declaration about who Christ is and how Christ relates to the world. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul is trying to show that Christ is above all creation. The Christ Hymn in Philippians chapter 2 also conveys this same belief when Paul writes: God exalted Christ to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name…and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Why is Paul rehashing these basic beliefs again? Well, Paul’s reasons for reaffirming who Christ is and how Christ relates to the world are numerous. The church in Colosse was being influenced by the false teachings of the Gnostic. The word Gnostic means “knowledge” and the Gnostic’s prided themselves on being intelligent. Their way of religion was based on the false notion that only knowledge could provide them a way to God. Their principle belief was that “the world is evil and creation so badly flawed that the God could have no direct communication with it.” The only way humankind could find God was through some sort of spiritual ladder, or secret knowledge that would enable humankind to make contact with the unapproachable God.[i] The Gnostic basically disregarded the true person of Christ and the work of Christ.
To counter these false teachings Paul begins by explaining that Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. In this verse Paul is witnessing that Jesus is the incarnation of God. God become a living human being through Jesus. Philippians explains it this way: Jesus Christ being in the very nature God did not consider equality with God but took the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man. Paul is showing that God is the opposite of unapproachable; in fact God is very approachable in the human form of Christ. Moreover, Paul’s use of the language firstborn over all creation, tells us that Christ is above all creation, Christ is supreme.
Paul continues in the following verses to explain that Jesus created all things, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…all things were created by Him and for Him…and in Him all things hold together. Using this language Paul refutes the Gnostic ideas of a spiritual ladder to reach God. Rather Paul wants to assert that Christ is the only way to God and the only way that we need. William Barclay states that: “Paul lays down that the agent of God in creation is no inferior, ignorant and hostile secondary god, but the Son Himself.”[ii] God called creation good and Christ is the agent of that good creation and the end goal of that good creation. Between the beginning of creation and the end, Christ is the glue who holds the world together and the only glue that we need.
In verses 18-20 Paul affirms that Christ’s work in the world should be highly praised and worshiped not disregarded. After all, God’s greatest gift to us is Christ and Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. Paul affirms this belief by stating the relationship of Christ to the church. Paul states: Christ is the head of the body, the Church, He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead…and through [Christ, God] reconciled to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven. Paul is maintaining that Christ is not just the highest person above of the cosmos but also of the worldwide Church. Paul is insisting that the Church cannot operate without Christ’s guidance, cannot make important decision without Christ, and cannot act decently and in order without Christ’s help. Moreover, Paul asserts that Christ is the first human to be resurrected from the dead leading to a new creation and redemption for all people and for all things on earth and in heaven.
Christ is the glue. Christ is everything to everyone. Christ holds together the world in which we live. Christ makes God’s presence very near and real for us. Christ redeems and reconciles us and the cosmos to God, re-enforcing an already existing bond that Christ will never break. This is the Truth, with a capital T, of who Christ is and how Christ relates to world. It is to this Christ alone whom Paul states he is a servant.
This is the Christ that we are servants of as well. But do we live into our role as faithful servants?
We live in a society that strikingly mirrors the Gnostic’s attempts to limit who Christ is and what Christ has done for us. Our society has done this by denying that Christ is built into the essence of creation, that creation was made by Christ and for Christ and that all creation exists with Him. For example, society has demanded that the words Under God in the pledge of allegiance be removed. Some schools have removed the pledge of allegiance altogether from their morning routines. It is illegal at school related sporting events to say a prayer for good sportsmanship, no injuries, and a good time. There has been some debate about the wording on American money: In God We Trust. There are constant debates about the separation of Church and State and the misunderstanding of the concept. As each issue about God, prayer and religion comes up, it seems that society pushes Christ and God further and further out of our lives, out of our world. Society only calls on God for his presence when faced with overwhelming tragedy. Society seems to rather relay on intellect and believe in an unapproachable, unknowable God as the Gnostic did.
Christ is the incarnation of God and the perfect example of humankind. Barclay says that “Christ not only showed us who God is, but who humankind was meant to be as servants of God.” We are made in the image of God and so as servants of God and Christ we are to worship and praise God, and share the good news. However, we cannot share the good news if we remain silent about who Christ is and what Christ has done for us. I admit that I’m at fault for remaining silent too. I hear about the debates and get enraged and I think to myself: “I have rights too, a right to believe in God and a right to express that belief.” But then I leave it at that. I never publicly express my right to believe in Christ and to be Christ’s faithful servant. Indeed, through my silence I contribute to breaking the bond between Christ and myself, between Christ and creation, and between Christ and redemption. I have allowed the glue, which binds me to Christ, to grow old and feeble breaking easily. We as Christians have neglected the opportunities to re-apply fresh glue to strengthen our faith.
Fortunately for us, Christ will never break the bond he first formed, no matter how silent we become, no matter how much we contribute to denying the existence of God in Creation, because Christ truly loves us. This true love should compel us to renew our life with God, strengthen our faith and help us face our adversaries with the confidence that Christ is the end goal of creation!
As our call to worship this morning reminds us: Christ is the One who created us, Christ is the One who sustains us, and Christ is the One who gives us hope. Christ is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the glue that binds the entire world together forever. Amen.
[i] Hunter, Archibald. The Layman’s Bible Commentary. V. 22 John Knox Press. Richmond, VA: 1963.
[ii] Barclay, William. Pg. 120.
Christ is the Glue
As we look into the Paul’s letter to the Colossians this morning we find something that sounds very familiar to our ears -- a declaration about who Christ is and how Christ relates to the world. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul is trying to show that Christ is above all creation. The Christ Hymn in Philippians chapter 2 also conveys this same belief when Paul writes: God exalted Christ to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name…and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Why is Paul rehashing these basic beliefs again? Well, Paul’s reasons for reaffirming who Christ is and how Christ relates to the world are numerous. The church in Colosse was being influenced by the false teachings of the Gnostic. The word Gnostic means “knowledge” and the Gnostic’s prided themselves on being intelligent. Their way of religion was based on the false notion that only knowledge could provide them a way to God. Their principle belief was that “the world is evil and creation so badly flawed that the God could have no direct communication with it.” The only way humankind could find God was through some sort of spiritual ladder, or secret knowledge that would enable humankind to make contact with the unapproachable God.[i] The Gnostic basically disregarded the true person of Christ and the work of Christ.
To counter these false teachings Paul begins by explaining that Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. In this verse Paul is witnessing that Jesus is the incarnation of God. God become a living human being through Jesus. Philippians explains it this way: Jesus Christ being in the very nature God did not consider equality with God but took the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man. Paul is showing that God is the opposite of unapproachable; in fact God is very approachable in the human form of Christ. Moreover, Paul’s use of the language firstborn over all creation, tells us that Christ is above all creation, Christ is supreme.
Paul continues in the following verses to explain that Jesus created all things, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…all things were created by Him and for Him…and in Him all things hold together. Using this language Paul refutes the Gnostic ideas of a spiritual ladder to reach God. Rather Paul wants to assert that Christ is the only way to God and the only way that we need. William Barclay states that: “Paul lays down that the agent of God in creation is no inferior, ignorant and hostile secondary god, but the Son Himself.”[ii] God called creation good and Christ is the agent of that good creation and the end goal of that good creation. Between the beginning of creation and the end, Christ is the glue who holds the world together and the only glue that we need.
In verses 18-20 Paul affirms that Christ’s work in the world should be highly praised and worshiped not disregarded. After all, God’s greatest gift to us is Christ and Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. Paul affirms this belief by stating the relationship of Christ to the church. Paul states: Christ is the head of the body, the Church, He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead…and through [Christ, God] reconciled to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven. Paul is maintaining that Christ is not just the highest person above of the cosmos but also of the worldwide Church. Paul is insisting that the Church cannot operate without Christ’s guidance, cannot make important decision without Christ, and cannot act decently and in order without Christ’s help. Moreover, Paul asserts that Christ is the first human to be resurrected from the dead leading to a new creation and redemption for all people and for all things on earth and in heaven.
Christ is the glue. Christ is everything to everyone. Christ holds together the world in which we live. Christ makes God’s presence very near and real for us. Christ redeems and reconciles us and the cosmos to God, re-enforcing an already existing bond that Christ will never break. This is the Truth, with a capital T, of who Christ is and how Christ relates to world. It is to this Christ alone whom Paul states he is a servant.
This is the Christ that we are servants of as well. But do we live into our role as faithful servants?
We live in a society that strikingly mirrors the Gnostic’s attempts to limit who Christ is and what Christ has done for us. Our society has done this by denying that Christ is built into the essence of creation, that creation was made by Christ and for Christ and that all creation exists with Him. For example, society has demanded that the words Under God in the pledge of allegiance be removed. Some schools have removed the pledge of allegiance altogether from their morning routines. It is illegal at school related sporting events to say a prayer for good sportsmanship, no injuries, and a good time. There has been some debate about the wording on American money: In God We Trust. There are constant debates about the separation of Church and State and the misunderstanding of the concept. As each issue about God, prayer and religion comes up, it seems that society pushes Christ and God further and further out of our lives, out of our world. Society only calls on God for his presence when faced with overwhelming tragedy. Society seems to rather relay on intellect and believe in an unapproachable, unknowable God as the Gnostic did.
Christ is the incarnation of God and the perfect example of humankind. Barclay says that “Christ not only showed us who God is, but who humankind was meant to be as servants of God.” We are made in the image of God and so as servants of God and Christ we are to worship and praise God, and share the good news. However, we cannot share the good news if we remain silent about who Christ is and what Christ has done for us. I admit that I’m at fault for remaining silent too. I hear about the debates and get enraged and I think to myself: “I have rights too, a right to believe in God and a right to express that belief.” But then I leave it at that. I never publicly express my right to believe in Christ and to be Christ’s faithful servant. Indeed, through my silence I contribute to breaking the bond between Christ and myself, between Christ and creation, and between Christ and redemption. I have allowed the glue, which binds me to Christ, to grow old and feeble breaking easily. We as Christians have neglected the opportunities to re-apply fresh glue to strengthen our faith.
Fortunately for us, Christ will never break the bond he first formed, no matter how silent we become, no matter how much we contribute to denying the existence of God in Creation, because Christ truly loves us. This true love should compel us to renew our life with God, strengthen our faith and help us face our adversaries with the confidence that Christ is the end goal of creation!
As our call to worship this morning reminds us: Christ is the One who created us, Christ is the One who sustains us, and Christ is the One who gives us hope. Christ is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the glue that binds the entire world together forever. Amen.
[i] Hunter, Archibald. The Layman’s Bible Commentary. V. 22 John Knox Press. Richmond, VA: 1963.
[ii] Barclay, William. Pg. 120.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Hide and Seek
Sermon 12-27-09
Luke 2:41-52
Luke 2:41-52
“Hide and Go Seek”
As a child I use to play a particular game all the time; hide and go seek. I had a blast and so did my friends. I liked to be the one hiding in some small corner or under the bed. As the years went on the rules to hide and seek changed. As more players wanted to play we had to change the rules so that one person would hide and the rest of the people would seek to find her. When you find the one person hiding you stayed with them until the last person found the whole the group. I believe it was called Sardines-primarily because 5-10 people were crammed into whatever tiny space the hiding spot turned out to be. Other forms of hide and go seek included hiding actual objects that we had to find. Sometimes we had clues to help us, other times we were told we were getting “Cold” or “hot” depending on how far away or close you were to the object. Once you found the object there was great relief, excitement, and a sense of accomplishment on winning the game.
Mary and Joseph’s search for Jesus resembles a game of hide and go seek. Mary and Joseph have been following the Jewish law and teaching the importance the law to Jesus as they traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. They even showed their loyalty to raising their child in the faith when Jesus was born. As customary for Jewish rites they presented Jesus in the temple, dedicated him to the Lord, circumcised him and offered sacrifices. They were religiously obedient and taught that obedience to their child.
As Mary and Joseph headed home after the Feast of the Passover ended, they didn’t realize their son was missing for a whole day. Then panic starts to set in. They realize their son is not among friends and relatives. The level of panic starts to rise and the heart beats faster. Mary and Joseph go in search for their son from the direction they came, traveling back towards Jerusalem. Another day passes and they haven’t found him yet. They begin to search the town of Jerusalem; they search for yet another long agonizing day. By this time panic level has reached a new high, the heart has jumped up into the throat, the whole body is shaking, and the worst possible outcomes cross the mind.
This actually maybe the worst hide and go seek game ever, particularly for Mary and Joseph. Mary and Joseph are not reported as having help with their search. They are not told that they are getting “cold” or “hot” or even “luke-warm” in their search of their son’s “hiding” place. After three days they are finally relieved as they find Jesus in the temple courts among the teachers asking questions, listening, and answering his elders. What relief Mary must have felt. But that relief felt by Mary turns into a loving rebuke when Mary says: “Son why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
For the first time in Luke’s gospel we hear the voice of the 12 year boy named Jesus and his words are astounding. He turns to his parents and says to them: “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I must to be in my Father’s house?”
This 12 year old boy’s answer is prophetic. It is obvious that Jesus does not believe himself to be hiding from his parents. In fact, Jesus gives a non-chalant response to his parents. It’s what we might call a “DUH…you should know this” type of a response. Jesus says: “Didn’t you know I must be in my Father’s house?” For Jesus this is a simple answer to Mary and Joseph’s frantic, anxiety ridden search.
But if Jesus is not hiding in the temple from his parents, which I believe he was not, what is he doing there at the age 12 by himself? I want to suggest that Jesus was seeking as well. He was seeking for knowledge, wisdom and the will of God. In fact, as Fred Craddock states, Jesus turns Mary’s loving rebuke on its on head. Instead of referencing Joseph as his father like Mary does, Jesus’ references God as his Father.
So now we have two seekers and no one hiding. We have parents seeking their child, and their child seeking God. This makes for interesting new game for children to play “Seek and Go Seek.”
But Jesus’ statement is not just that simple. There is actually a teaching element in his response to his parents and to us. What Jesus teaches Mary and Joseph in this narrative is something more than a son who is eager to learn about God. What Jesus teaches US in this narrative is something more than just an example of how to learn and listen for God’s mission, will and vocation in our lives. What Jesus teaches his parents and what he teaches us is the importance of seeking God.
Just like Mary and Joseph, many of us are religious individuals who strive to raise their children according to the baptismal promises, to know God and teach their faith to their children. I would say that Covenant church does a good job in this effort from Vacation Bible School to WOW to Children’s Sabbath, to Sunday school. But, in our efforts to raise our children in the ways of faith we sometimes neglect the need to seek God. We go from one activity to the next sometimes simply fulfilling a religious obligation. Mary and Joseph certainly have been portrayed by some scholar as individuals who travel many miles to fulfill the religious obligation of observing the Feast of the Passover. Some religious events like going to church, or bible study, or committee meetings simply just become part of our routine. We lose sight of the eagerness, wonderment, joy and meaning which we once had. We lose sight of meeting God and feeling God’s presence in these activities.
It is even harder the 1st Sunday after Christmas to keep the eagerness, wonderment and joy of truly wanting to worship God and wanting to feel God’s presence work in us and through us. It is easy to fall back into our regular routines after the excitement of Advent and the birth of Christ is over.
Fortunately for us, Luke includes this story that none of the other Gospels tell. Fortunately for us we not only have a story of Jesus seeking God, we also have the story of Samuel seeking God. Samuel was a boy who also served in the temple, was consecrated to the Lord, and came to an understanding of his ministry in God’s house. Samuel grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men, as did Jesus. They both came of age knowing what their mission and vocation from God was going to be. They both found favor in God’s sight. They both were found in the temple amazing their elders and their parents. They both learned with eagerness and offered themselves as servants. They both seek God with a deep seated passion and desire, avoiding any temptation to rush back home. They linger in the temple; they linger in God’s house.
A 12 year old boy teaches us the importance of seeking, knowing, and feeling God’s presence. He leads us back to the God’s house after we desert it. Jesus leads us straight back to God.
If we were to end the story here we would miss a central theme to Luke’s Gospel because Jesus doesn’t stay in the temple the rest of his life. He takes what he has gained from God and becomes a faithful and obedient servant. He begins his public ministry of teaching, healing, and performing miracles. He continues to lead us into God’s kingdom, showing us that God’s presence is outside the temple as well. God’s presence is in everyone we meet, everyone we touch. Christ shares God with us, pointing God out to us in everything he does, leading us to God everywhere he goes.
Friends, we have met God in the baby born to us this Christmas time. We have met God many times in this very place we now sit, as this is God’s house. It is truly a wonderful feeling and an amazing thought. Linger for just a moment and realize where you are, and what you are doing. Linger for a moment and feel God’s presence.
Now let us follow Christ’s example and find God within our community. Let us seek to find God in everything we do and everyone we meet and everywhere we go. Let us share God with others and help strangers and neighbors alike seek out God. Let us, with God’s help, lead others to God’s house and teach them how to be true disciples of Christ who delight in the joy of finding God in each activity we do, and who lead others to a place where they can take pleasure in the joy of finding God.
In our enough efforts may God find favor with us as he did with Jesus and Samuel. With God’s help let us continue Christ works of seeking for the Kingdom of God. Amen.
As a child I use to play a particular game all the time; hide and go seek. I had a blast and so did my friends. I liked to be the one hiding in some small corner or under the bed. As the years went on the rules to hide and seek changed. As more players wanted to play we had to change the rules so that one person would hide and the rest of the people would seek to find her. When you find the one person hiding you stayed with them until the last person found the whole the group. I believe it was called Sardines-primarily because 5-10 people were crammed into whatever tiny space the hiding spot turned out to be. Other forms of hide and go seek included hiding actual objects that we had to find. Sometimes we had clues to help us, other times we were told we were getting “Cold” or “hot” depending on how far away or close you were to the object. Once you found the object there was great relief, excitement, and a sense of accomplishment on winning the game.
Mary and Joseph’s search for Jesus resembles a game of hide and go seek. Mary and Joseph have been following the Jewish law and teaching the importance the law to Jesus as they traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. They even showed their loyalty to raising their child in the faith when Jesus was born. As customary for Jewish rites they presented Jesus in the temple, dedicated him to the Lord, circumcised him and offered sacrifices. They were religiously obedient and taught that obedience to their child.
As Mary and Joseph headed home after the Feast of the Passover ended, they didn’t realize their son was missing for a whole day. Then panic starts to set in. They realize their son is not among friends and relatives. The level of panic starts to rise and the heart beats faster. Mary and Joseph go in search for their son from the direction they came, traveling back towards Jerusalem. Another day passes and they haven’t found him yet. They begin to search the town of Jerusalem; they search for yet another long agonizing day. By this time panic level has reached a new high, the heart has jumped up into the throat, the whole body is shaking, and the worst possible outcomes cross the mind.
This actually maybe the worst hide and go seek game ever, particularly for Mary and Joseph. Mary and Joseph are not reported as having help with their search. They are not told that they are getting “cold” or “hot” or even “luke-warm” in their search of their son’s “hiding” place. After three days they are finally relieved as they find Jesus in the temple courts among the teachers asking questions, listening, and answering his elders. What relief Mary must have felt. But that relief felt by Mary turns into a loving rebuke when Mary says: “Son why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
For the first time in Luke’s gospel we hear the voice of the 12 year boy named Jesus and his words are astounding. He turns to his parents and says to them: “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I must to be in my Father’s house?”
This 12 year old boy’s answer is prophetic. It is obvious that Jesus does not believe himself to be hiding from his parents. In fact, Jesus gives a non-chalant response to his parents. It’s what we might call a “DUH…you should know this” type of a response. Jesus says: “Didn’t you know I must be in my Father’s house?” For Jesus this is a simple answer to Mary and Joseph’s frantic, anxiety ridden search.
But if Jesus is not hiding in the temple from his parents, which I believe he was not, what is he doing there at the age 12 by himself? I want to suggest that Jesus was seeking as well. He was seeking for knowledge, wisdom and the will of God. In fact, as Fred Craddock states, Jesus turns Mary’s loving rebuke on its on head. Instead of referencing Joseph as his father like Mary does, Jesus’ references God as his Father.
So now we have two seekers and no one hiding. We have parents seeking their child, and their child seeking God. This makes for interesting new game for children to play “Seek and Go Seek.”
But Jesus’ statement is not just that simple. There is actually a teaching element in his response to his parents and to us. What Jesus teaches Mary and Joseph in this narrative is something more than a son who is eager to learn about God. What Jesus teaches US in this narrative is something more than just an example of how to learn and listen for God’s mission, will and vocation in our lives. What Jesus teaches his parents and what he teaches us is the importance of seeking God.
Just like Mary and Joseph, many of us are religious individuals who strive to raise their children according to the baptismal promises, to know God and teach their faith to their children. I would say that Covenant church does a good job in this effort from Vacation Bible School to WOW to Children’s Sabbath, to Sunday school. But, in our efforts to raise our children in the ways of faith we sometimes neglect the need to seek God. We go from one activity to the next sometimes simply fulfilling a religious obligation. Mary and Joseph certainly have been portrayed by some scholar as individuals who travel many miles to fulfill the religious obligation of observing the Feast of the Passover. Some religious events like going to church, or bible study, or committee meetings simply just become part of our routine. We lose sight of the eagerness, wonderment, joy and meaning which we once had. We lose sight of meeting God and feeling God’s presence in these activities.
It is even harder the 1st Sunday after Christmas to keep the eagerness, wonderment and joy of truly wanting to worship God and wanting to feel God’s presence work in us and through us. It is easy to fall back into our regular routines after the excitement of Advent and the birth of Christ is over.
Fortunately for us, Luke includes this story that none of the other Gospels tell. Fortunately for us we not only have a story of Jesus seeking God, we also have the story of Samuel seeking God. Samuel was a boy who also served in the temple, was consecrated to the Lord, and came to an understanding of his ministry in God’s house. Samuel grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men, as did Jesus. They both came of age knowing what their mission and vocation from God was going to be. They both found favor in God’s sight. They both were found in the temple amazing their elders and their parents. They both learned with eagerness and offered themselves as servants. They both seek God with a deep seated passion and desire, avoiding any temptation to rush back home. They linger in the temple; they linger in God’s house.
A 12 year old boy teaches us the importance of seeking, knowing, and feeling God’s presence. He leads us back to the God’s house after we desert it. Jesus leads us straight back to God.
If we were to end the story here we would miss a central theme to Luke’s Gospel because Jesus doesn’t stay in the temple the rest of his life. He takes what he has gained from God and becomes a faithful and obedient servant. He begins his public ministry of teaching, healing, and performing miracles. He continues to lead us into God’s kingdom, showing us that God’s presence is outside the temple as well. God’s presence is in everyone we meet, everyone we touch. Christ shares God with us, pointing God out to us in everything he does, leading us to God everywhere he goes.
Friends, we have met God in the baby born to us this Christmas time. We have met God many times in this very place we now sit, as this is God’s house. It is truly a wonderful feeling and an amazing thought. Linger for just a moment and realize where you are, and what you are doing. Linger for a moment and feel God’s presence.
Now let us follow Christ’s example and find God within our community. Let us seek to find God in everything we do and everyone we meet and everywhere we go. Let us share God with others and help strangers and neighbors alike seek out God. Let us, with God’s help, lead others to God’s house and teach them how to be true disciples of Christ who delight in the joy of finding God in each activity we do, and who lead others to a place where they can take pleasure in the joy of finding God.
In our enough efforts may God find favor with us as he did with Jesus and Samuel. With God’s help let us continue Christ works of seeking for the Kingdom of God. Amen.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Comfort Oh Comfort
Come in times of hardship and rest
yOur worries on Me
Forgive yourself, don't blame yourself
for things yOu couldn't foresee.
together we will get thRough this
no need to do iT alone
hOpe is a form of Healing
which uplifts the depth of your soul
Cry out to me for anything
my lOve for thee runs deep
i'll be at your side each Morning and night
to help you Face the day with Overwhelming success.
the road may be long and tiResome at best
but all that is within you will beaT
this gruesome pest.
yOur worries on Me
Forgive yourself, don't blame yourself
for things yOu couldn't foresee.
together we will get thRough this
no need to do iT alone
hOpe is a form of Healing
which uplifts the depth of your soul
Cry out to me for anything
my lOve for thee runs deep
i'll be at your side each Morning and night
to help you Face the day with Overwhelming success.
the road may be long and tiResome at best
but all that is within you will beaT
this gruesome pest.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Swine Break
I've been on "fall break" this week expecting to be relaxing, catching up on some homework, enjoying a break with some fun with friends. BUT, instead I have been nursing my sick H1N1 infested body back to health. It's a good thing that my school is being very nice to those of us who are sick and giving us extension on homework. I'm starting to get my energy back and my fever is gone, after having a 100-101 plus fever for 3 straight days. Whew. I felt horrible if you can image. On the bright side however, now I'm immune from it, I hope! Now it's time to get back to work slowly but surely on my theology midterm and New Testament assignments.
The other bright side of this week is that I have till Friday off because Fall break was Monday and Tuesday and I don't have classes on Wednesday and my Theo and NT sections were cancelled on Thursday! YAHOO. Longest fall break I've ever had.
On another note I can't wait to finish my Halloween costume! It will be the bomb! I'll post pictures as soon as I finish it. Until then you will have to wait to find out what it is!
Take care and stay swine flu free!
The other bright side of this week is that I have till Friday off because Fall break was Monday and Tuesday and I don't have classes on Wednesday and my Theo and NT sections were cancelled on Thursday! YAHOO. Longest fall break I've ever had.
On another note I can't wait to finish my Halloween costume! It will be the bomb! I'll post pictures as soon as I finish it. Until then you will have to wait to find out what it is!
Take care and stay swine flu free!
Friday, September 11, 2009
ABC is NOT as easy as 123
I've been reading the book The Freedom Writers. It's a collection of dairy entries from high school students in CA. It was made into a movie not to long ago. Their teacher Mrs. G., in an effort make her students learn about themselves, about lititature and about non-tolarence and violence, goes outside the bounds of ordinary teaching to grab the students attention. She gets them reading about Ann Frank and the Holocust. They also read about the civil rights and the freedom riders and the war in Bonisa. The students become engaged in the topics becuase they find themselves relating to the different situations. Each day the students in CA are faced with drugs, gangs, molesation, abuse, and death. Many have seen their friends die and their mothers beaten by their fathers. Each of these stories is heart wrentching to read, but also enlightening.
One the students writes about an experience that hits close to home for me, Dyslexia. A learning disablity that affects many individuals but in different ways metally and emotionally. Here is one of the passages that spoke to me in dairy #70: "I felt especially hopeless and depressed when I had to take an essay test where spelling counted toward my grade. I wanted to do well, but no matter how many great answers I had in my head, if I couldn't spell words right, I was going to fail."
I was not diagnosed until about 2 weeks before I graduated from High school. I remember very clearly to this day how the testing I went through made me feel: Stupid (yes with a captil S). It was not becuase I did not know the answers or could not read etc. Rather it was becuase I felt the tests were insualting my intelligence and the hard work I always did every day to pass tests, write good papers, not to mention having taken several honors courses and graduating with a 3.5 GPA in the top half of my class. After I was diagnosed with dyslexia I felt "labeled" and I thought people would see me as stupid or not capable of certian tasks. Starting college not ever having delt with this "label" or knowing what I would need to help improve my ablity to keep up with school work was hard. There was one point where I never wanted anyone to know expect those that had the need and right to know. Being dyslexic was one of the issues hindering me from entering graduate school to become a minister. However, the call from God was too strong to ingore.
As I got older and matured into my "new self" I started seeing dyslexia as more of the beautiful person God made me. This learning disability has actual kept me grounded instead of having my head in the clouds with big theological words and concepts. It helps me relate better to people on a human level. It has also made me vulurable to the human difficultities we face and made me be able to appericate and accpect people for who they are, knowing that God does not see their flaws as hinderances to doing God's work in the world. God calls ALL types of people.
So for me the ABC's are NOT as easy as 123 and if you read this blog closely you will notice numuerous spelling mistakes. They were not made on purpose. And I chose not spell check this blog becuase it would defeat the purpose of my message.
I want to end with this quote from Dairy #70 becuase I think it speaks to the power of being able to freely write without feeling limited:
"Thanks to spell check, now I feel like there are no limits or boundaries enclosing my ideas and feelings. Sitting in front of the monitor with my fingers on the keyboard makes me feel powerful in a way I never have before."
Keeping writing, share your stories, write down your experiences you may never know how they will help change the world.
Peace~ Jen
One the students writes about an experience that hits close to home for me, Dyslexia. A learning disablity that affects many individuals but in different ways metally and emotionally. Here is one of the passages that spoke to me in dairy #70: "I felt especially hopeless and depressed when I had to take an essay test where spelling counted toward my grade. I wanted to do well, but no matter how many great answers I had in my head, if I couldn't spell words right, I was going to fail."
I was not diagnosed until about 2 weeks before I graduated from High school. I remember very clearly to this day how the testing I went through made me feel: Stupid (yes with a captil S). It was not becuase I did not know the answers or could not read etc. Rather it was becuase I felt the tests were insualting my intelligence and the hard work I always did every day to pass tests, write good papers, not to mention having taken several honors courses and graduating with a 3.5 GPA in the top half of my class. After I was diagnosed with dyslexia I felt "labeled" and I thought people would see me as stupid or not capable of certian tasks. Starting college not ever having delt with this "label" or knowing what I would need to help improve my ablity to keep up with school work was hard. There was one point where I never wanted anyone to know expect those that had the need and right to know. Being dyslexic was one of the issues hindering me from entering graduate school to become a minister. However, the call from God was too strong to ingore.
As I got older and matured into my "new self" I started seeing dyslexia as more of the beautiful person God made me. This learning disability has actual kept me grounded instead of having my head in the clouds with big theological words and concepts. It helps me relate better to people on a human level. It has also made me vulurable to the human difficultities we face and made me be able to appericate and accpect people for who they are, knowing that God does not see their flaws as hinderances to doing God's work in the world. God calls ALL types of people.
So for me the ABC's are NOT as easy as 123 and if you read this blog closely you will notice numuerous spelling mistakes. They were not made on purpose. And I chose not spell check this blog becuase it would defeat the purpose of my message.
I want to end with this quote from Dairy #70 becuase I think it speaks to the power of being able to freely write without feeling limited:
"Thanks to spell check, now I feel like there are no limits or boundaries enclosing my ideas and feelings. Sitting in front of the monitor with my fingers on the keyboard makes me feel powerful in a way I never have before."
Keeping writing, share your stories, write down your experiences you may never know how they will help change the world.
Peace~ Jen
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
29,999
Cram packed like sardines in can, my dad, mom, grandma, me and all my stuff drove for 2 days and 23 hours across the e
astern states and through the blue ridge mountains, to arrive in Richmond, VA just as my car mileage counter reached 29,999 miles. It was a long trip, including numb bottoms and legs, but non the less fun and filled with stories and laughter. We stayed one night in Nashville, TN and when we reached FancyGap, VA we followed the Blue Ridge Mountain parkway to see the mountains and take pictures, since it would be the last time to do so. The mountain view was gorgeous and had hue of blue (hence the name).
astern states and through the blue ridge mountains, to arrive in Richmond, VA just as my car mileage counter reached 29,999 miles. It was a long trip, including numb bottoms and legs, but non the less fun and filled with stories and laughter. We stayed one night in Nashville, TN and when we reached FancyGap, VA we followed the Blue Ridge Mountain parkway to see the mountains and take pictures, since it would be the last time to do so. The mountain view was gorgeous and had hue of blue (hence the name).The first day in Richmond we all decided to not drive anywhere too far. So we slept in and then I took my family to Short Pump town center. My grandma was tickled at the sight of the train that carries the little kids around for a ride. She also enjoyed the outdoor aspect of the mall. We ate one of my favorite restaurants The Cheese Cake Factory and of course had a piece of cheese cake.
The next day we travelled to Charlottesville, VA to see Monticello, the house of Thomas and Martha Jefferson. We learned that Jefferson built his house by introducing many French styles like the alcove bed, which I really liked. Jefferson also had a vegetable garden with all types of veggies and fruits that the crew of Monticello continue to tend today. He also had an orchard and grew grapes. From those grapes he made wine. His servants also made beer. Apparently, Jefferson was against the idea of slaves, but only released five in his will. However, it was the times he grew up in and the society in which he lived in so it was hard free all them. We all saw Jefferson's grave. They told us that people are still buried at the Monticello burial site. Last year they buried five of Jefferson's descendants and this year they have buried one.
The last full day my family was here we enjoyed a time of shopping and touring the Richmond area, including going to Ten Thousand Villages and For The Love of Chocolate on Carry street. My grandma bought me a chocolate bar entitled: Emerengency Chocolate-For immediate relief of Chocolate cravings, love sickness, exam pressure, mild anxiety and extreme hunger. Directions for use: Tear open wrapper, break off desired dosage, and consume.
It will definitely be used as exams and ordination exams take place. Until then I'm saving it.
Well I'm now signing off to continue to get ready for the start of classes on Monday.
I leave you with over 30,000 miles of different life experiences.
Blessings~ Jen
Monday, August 17, 2009
"Leaving Well"
Sermon August 16th, 2009
Acts 20:17-24, 32-35
Paul has come to the end of his missionary journey in Asia. He has gathered up the elders of Ephesus to say good-bye. But he does more than just say good-bye. Paul leaves them in a manner that benefits both Paul and the elders. To use a coined phrase, Paul “leaves well.” He does not leave saying he was sorry he ever step foot in Asia. Paul does not leave mad, angry, or upset, but rather he leaves, having given himself and the group with whom he has lived and worked, closure.
Paul makes a lengthy farewell speech which can be divided into what I believe is three sections.
Scholar Robert Wall calls the first part of Paul’s farewell speech the apologia. An apologia is not an apology to say I’m sorry, rather it is a justification of a belief or mission that has taken place. Paul knows what his missionary experience in Asia was an event ordained by God, not just a mere coincidence. Paul was called by the Holy Spirit to minister to the people in Asia and to testify to the good news of God. When we hear the first part of his speech, Paul is leaving his legacy with the elders about the work he has done Asia. Paul recounts that he has lived in Asia as a witness to God, “serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, enduring the trails that came to him through the plots of the Jews.” He reminds the elders how did not back down from doing anything helpful, proclaiming God’s message to Asia and teaching the people in public areas and in their own homes. Paul’s work in Asia has been to testify to both the Jews and the Greeks about repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord. Paul is leaving a good legacy and one in which he urges the elders to carry on in the latter half of his farewell speech.
The switch to second part of Paul’s speech occurs as he is prophesying about his departure. Paul says: “And now, as a captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.”
Paul knows that rough times and persecution are ahead of him, but he also knows that he must “finish his course and the ministry that he received from the Lord Jesus, which is to testify to the good news of God’s grace.”
There is something intriguing to me about this part of Paul’s address to the elders. The verse that captures my attention is Paul’s description of being captive to the Spirit. Being captive is a word that implies being held against one’s will like a prisoner or being restrained by circumstances that prevent free choice. In our vocabulary it has a negative connotation because we often link it with being held captive in war.
But for Paul being captive to the Spirit is a positive duty. Sure it may come with risks and challenges and disappointments, but it is a privilege to be captive by the Holy Spirit and Paul goes where God leads him. Paul does not run in the other direction like Jonah, rather he goes to Miletus and then follows the Spirit to Jerusalem. Paul has also been to Athens, Corinth, Antioch, Macedonia, Greece, and Ephesus. Paul does not set an agenda for himself and strictly follow it; in fact he does not set a personal agenda for himself at all. Rather Paul follows only one agenda that of God’s will. Paul may not always know what God’s agenda holds for him, but he is committed to being God’s disciple.
The third part of Paul’s speech comes toward the end and it takes the form of a charge and
benediction. Paul says: “I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified…In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Paul is making the last of his speech at this point and his charge and benediction mark the finality of his departure along with the actions prayer and of the elders kissing him and walking with him to the boat.
Paul had a keen awareness about what it meant to be a disciple of God. He also knew how to provide closure for a group of elders whom he has been working and living with for some time. Paul knew how to say goodbye and he did quite well. He spoke about the work that had been accomplishment through God, he told them of his call to move forward and to follow not his own agenda but God’s agenda, and he affirmed the elders saying: “continue to be God’s people, caring for them, supporting them, and spreading the good news of God in my absence.”
Covenant Presbyterian Church, the time has come for me to say my goodbyes. Just like Paul, I to feel that are joining together this summer was not mere coincidence, but rather ordained by God. It has been a wonderful journey these past ten weeks. We have worked together in all ways. We have taught each other and learned from each other. I’m especially thankful that this church gave me the opportunity to learn and grow in my ministry, giving me the feedback, care, and support I needed to become a better pastor. Preaching and being involved in other areas of worship afford me the opportunity to experiment a little with the order of worship. I was able to enhance my gifts for preaching and voice projection when the sound system went out. Teaching The Greener Side of Faith and one of the series in You on a Journey gave me insight into finding your passions and thinking about how best to discuss them. Your overall warmth, support, encouragement and trust were and are deeply appreciated. Whether you realize it or not you have made a mark on the future of the church by being open to God’s guidance and will, and affording me the chance to further my calling. What great things God has done in our midst!
Using the same words that Paul said to the elders of Ephesus, I say to you: “And now, as a captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Union Presbyterian Seminary, not knowing what will happen to me there.” I know I must return to Union and finish my education and to continue to discern my calling not knowing where or how God will us me. I must remain open to God’s agenda and not my own. I must “finish my course work and continue the calling that I received from God.” I will carry with the things I learned from Covenant and I will do my best.
As I leave this place to continue in my learning process, I want to challenge you all to continue being a church, made up of people both young and old. I encourage you to continue building up your community and I pray that you always follow God’s will not your own personal agendas. Continue to be a people of God who spread the good news of the Gospel. Be a people of God who will relay on God and who will be open to changes according to God’s will because God is making all things new.
Let us as a community of faith keep each other in our prayers, pass the peace of Christ to each other and walk each other toward the our departure points.
Remember these words from Dr. Seuss: “Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.”
Goodbye, farewell. Amen.
Acts 20:17-24, 32-35
Paul has come to the end of his missionary journey in Asia. He has gathered up the elders of Ephesus to say good-bye. But he does more than just say good-bye. Paul leaves them in a manner that benefits both Paul and the elders. To use a coined phrase, Paul “leaves well.” He does not leave saying he was sorry he ever step foot in Asia. Paul does not leave mad, angry, or upset, but rather he leaves, having given himself and the group with whom he has lived and worked, closure.
Paul makes a lengthy farewell speech which can be divided into what I believe is three sections.
Scholar Robert Wall calls the first part of Paul’s farewell speech the apologia. An apologia is not an apology to say I’m sorry, rather it is a justification of a belief or mission that has taken place. Paul knows what his missionary experience in Asia was an event ordained by God, not just a mere coincidence. Paul was called by the Holy Spirit to minister to the people in Asia and to testify to the good news of God. When we hear the first part of his speech, Paul is leaving his legacy with the elders about the work he has done Asia. Paul recounts that he has lived in Asia as a witness to God, “serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, enduring the trails that came to him through the plots of the Jews.” He reminds the elders how did not back down from doing anything helpful, proclaiming God’s message to Asia and teaching the people in public areas and in their own homes. Paul’s work in Asia has been to testify to both the Jews and the Greeks about repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord. Paul is leaving a good legacy and one in which he urges the elders to carry on in the latter half of his farewell speech.
The switch to second part of Paul’s speech occurs as he is prophesying about his departure. Paul says: “And now, as a captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.”
Paul knows that rough times and persecution are ahead of him, but he also knows that he must “finish his course and the ministry that he received from the Lord Jesus, which is to testify to the good news of God’s grace.”
There is something intriguing to me about this part of Paul’s address to the elders. The verse that captures my attention is Paul’s description of being captive to the Spirit. Being captive is a word that implies being held against one’s will like a prisoner or being restrained by circumstances that prevent free choice. In our vocabulary it has a negative connotation because we often link it with being held captive in war.
But for Paul being captive to the Spirit is a positive duty. Sure it may come with risks and challenges and disappointments, but it is a privilege to be captive by the Holy Spirit and Paul goes where God leads him. Paul does not run in the other direction like Jonah, rather he goes to Miletus and then follows the Spirit to Jerusalem. Paul has also been to Athens, Corinth, Antioch, Macedonia, Greece, and Ephesus. Paul does not set an agenda for himself and strictly follow it; in fact he does not set a personal agenda for himself at all. Rather Paul follows only one agenda that of God’s will. Paul may not always know what God’s agenda holds for him, but he is committed to being God’s disciple.
The third part of Paul’s speech comes toward the end and it takes the form of a charge and
benediction. Paul says: “I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified…In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Paul is making the last of his speech at this point and his charge and benediction mark the finality of his departure along with the actions prayer and of the elders kissing him and walking with him to the boat.
Paul had a keen awareness about what it meant to be a disciple of God. He also knew how to provide closure for a group of elders whom he has been working and living with for some time. Paul knew how to say goodbye and he did quite well. He spoke about the work that had been accomplishment through God, he told them of his call to move forward and to follow not his own agenda but God’s agenda, and he affirmed the elders saying: “continue to be God’s people, caring for them, supporting them, and spreading the good news of God in my absence.”
Covenant Presbyterian Church, the time has come for me to say my goodbyes. Just like Paul, I to feel that are joining together this summer was not mere coincidence, but rather ordained by God. It has been a wonderful journey these past ten weeks. We have worked together in all ways. We have taught each other and learned from each other. I’m especially thankful that this church gave me the opportunity to learn and grow in my ministry, giving me the feedback, care, and support I needed to become a better pastor. Preaching and being involved in other areas of worship afford me the opportunity to experiment a little with the order of worship. I was able to enhance my gifts for preaching and voice projection when the sound system went out. Teaching The Greener Side of Faith and one of the series in You on a Journey gave me insight into finding your passions and thinking about how best to discuss them. Your overall warmth, support, encouragement and trust were and are deeply appreciated. Whether you realize it or not you have made a mark on the future of the church by being open to God’s guidance and will, and affording me the chance to further my calling. What great things God has done in our midst!
Using the same words that Paul said to the elders of Ephesus, I say to you: “And now, as a captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Union Presbyterian Seminary, not knowing what will happen to me there.” I know I must return to Union and finish my education and to continue to discern my calling not knowing where or how God will us me. I must remain open to God’s agenda and not my own. I must “finish my course work and continue the calling that I received from God.” I will carry with the things I learned from Covenant and I will do my best.
As I leave this place to continue in my learning process, I want to challenge you all to continue being a church, made up of people both young and old. I encourage you to continue building up your community and I pray that you always follow God’s will not your own personal agendas. Continue to be a people of God who spread the good news of the Gospel. Be a people of God who will relay on God and who will be open to changes according to God’s will because God is making all things new.
Let us as a community of faith keep each other in our prayers, pass the peace of Christ to each other and walk each other toward the our departure points.
Remember these words from Dr. Seuss: “Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.”
Goodbye, farewell. Amen.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Impossible Mission?
Sermon July 26, 2009
Text: John 6:1-21
What do Green eggs and Ham, Sleeping beauty, and The Three Little Pigs all have in common? They are all stories that have been around for ages. You, your children, your children’s children and maybe even your children’s children’s children will encounter these stories. No matter how many times these stories are told they never seem to become old. My mom has a stack of books from my childhood, including some of those I listed a few moments ago, that she is keeping to read to her grandchildren (when the time comes). There is something about the way they were written that grabs people’s attention and keeps them yearning to hear the story again or to retell the story to their children. Maybe the story is funny and makes you laugh each time. Maybe the story carries a good message that parents want to pass along. Or maybe the story helps parents and children get into touch with their imagination and creativity. Whatever the reason these books have become classics and I image they will be around for years to come.
Other stories that are told and retold are the two miracle stories in the Gospel of John: the feeding of the five thousand and Jesus walking on water. These are stories I’m sure most of us have heard many times before, either in Sunday school, in sermons, or in youth groups. Many of us have grown up with these two stories. Early Christians even told these two stories orally for many years. All four Gospel have an account of these two stories. Matthew and Mark even tell the feeding of the five thousand stories twice within a few chapters of each other. The stories change from feeding five thousand to feeding four thousand, but they have the same outcomes.
These stories are just as popular if not more popular than the current children’s books. These stories have existed for at least two thousand years. One scholar feels that the popularity of the stories of the feeding of the five thousand is that contains images and reminders of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus blesses, breaks and gives bread to the crowd. It is a story that has multiple meanings and messages. There is the message of eating together in fellowship, Jesus’ self-revelation to the crowd and to the disciples, and in John there is a message that God uses all people including a small boy in God’s ministry. One other message that was speaking to me this week was how Jesus can do what seems to us as an impossible mission.
Place yourselves in the disciple’s shoes for a moment and experience what they are experiencing. The disciples have been walking with Jesus from place to place; they have been followed by crowds of people wanting to be healed and to hear Jesus teach. The disciples are tired, want rest, they lack energy and passion to keep going, but their leader continues to place the needs of others above himself. Stunned by the size of the crowd, the disciples are uncertain and worried as how they might go about sustaining the crowd’s needs during the Passover Festival. Philip is asked by Jesus, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” Philip answers Jesus out of distress saying, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” Another one of Jesus disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, says to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” The disciples respond to Jesus out of facts and figures and fail to image the possibilities that can take place with God. They only see an impossible task set before them, feeding five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish.
Now this whole time Jesus knows what he is going to do, but he questions his disciples in order to stretch their faith. When Jesus sees their lack of belief in God’s power and their great anxiety and distress to make the impossible possible, he lights a fire under them and reveals to them who he is and the true power of what God can do. Jesus takes those five loaves of bread, blesses, breaks, and gives them to the five thousand individuals sitting on the ground. He also does the same with the two fish. After everyone in the crowd has eaten as much as they wanted until they were satisfied Jesus tells his disciples to collect everything that is leftover. What they collect equals twelve baskets full of bread and fish. Image five loaves of bread and two fish used to feed a family of five thousand and there was enough left over to fill twelve baskets. An amazing site indeed!
While many of us today are not generally faced with five thousand people to feed we are faced with our struggles, worries, and distress. Many people in God’s church are faced with what seems to be the impossible mission of gaining new and younger members, of growing and sustaining a lively ministry. Everything we try seems to fall just short of our goals. We try different programs hoping to bring in new members, we have special offerings to raise money to sustain the church and we try to faithfully bring our friends and neighbors to church hoping they will feel the Holy Spirit working within them and decide to join. We often grow tired of trying; we lose passion and fire to continue in God’s ministry. We run out of ideas that are new and different, we lose our vision for the future, and lose our focus on the power of God. We often become like Philip and Andrew and start thinking about facts and figures and how little money and energy we have as a church and how it won’t be enough to sustain God’s ministry. We become distress and anxious. Maybe we believe as though we are failing in our tasks to be Disciples of Christ who were given the great commission to “go out baptizing nations in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything the Lord has commanded?”
Where is our miracle that will renew our passion and vision and take away our distress? Where are the twelve leftover baskets that we can use to sustain our ministry?
I don’t have the answers to these questions and I don’t expect you do either. These questions and worries about the future ministry of the church are valid. However, I wonder if God is trying to stretch our faith a little, to get us out of our comfort zones, or to have a little more faith in God who can make an impossible mission possible. Just as Jesus initiated the miracle of feeding five thousand, maybe we need to initiate a new beginning with God’s help. As society changes around us, a new vision, new missions, and a different type of ministry is needed. A ministry where we think about God’s call for us to join with our partners in faith, one in which we see Christ outside the walls of this church building, one in which we rely on God to supply everything we need, knowing we will have more than enough to sustain us.
I recognize this leap of faith is never easy to do. Stepping out in faith into unfamiliar terrain is terrifying. We wonder how people will react, we wonder if it will be a positive outcome or will it end in disaster? It can be as terrifying as seeing a man walking on the rough waters of the seas, just as the disciple witnessed Jesus doing.
But Jesus says to his disciples and to us, “I am. It’s all alright. Do not be afraid.” God announces his name among us, tells us everything is alright, tell us not to be afraid and tells us that God is with us on this journey.
The work of ministry is hard. It requires that we drop our nets and follow Jesus taking nothing with us on the journey. It requires our walking shoes and our willingness to leave behind places of comfort. But, if we rely on God, if we are patient and seek God’s guidance, God will help us accomplish the impossible, because nothing is impossible for God. Ephesians 3: 20 reminds us that it is because of God’s power at work within us that we are able to accomplish abundantly far more than we can ever ask or imagine. For this we should give thanks and praise to God now and forever. Amen.
Text: John 6:1-21
What do Green eggs and Ham, Sleeping beauty, and The Three Little Pigs all have in common? They are all stories that have been around for ages. You, your children, your children’s children and maybe even your children’s children’s children will encounter these stories. No matter how many times these stories are told they never seem to become old. My mom has a stack of books from my childhood, including some of those I listed a few moments ago, that she is keeping to read to her grandchildren (when the time comes). There is something about the way they were written that grabs people’s attention and keeps them yearning to hear the story again or to retell the story to their children. Maybe the story is funny and makes you laugh each time. Maybe the story carries a good message that parents want to pass along. Or maybe the story helps parents and children get into touch with their imagination and creativity. Whatever the reason these books have become classics and I image they will be around for years to come.
Other stories that are told and retold are the two miracle stories in the Gospel of John: the feeding of the five thousand and Jesus walking on water. These are stories I’m sure most of us have heard many times before, either in Sunday school, in sermons, or in youth groups. Many of us have grown up with these two stories. Early Christians even told these two stories orally for many years. All four Gospel have an account of these two stories. Matthew and Mark even tell the feeding of the five thousand stories twice within a few chapters of each other. The stories change from feeding five thousand to feeding four thousand, but they have the same outcomes.
These stories are just as popular if not more popular than the current children’s books. These stories have existed for at least two thousand years. One scholar feels that the popularity of the stories of the feeding of the five thousand is that contains images and reminders of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus blesses, breaks and gives bread to the crowd. It is a story that has multiple meanings and messages. There is the message of eating together in fellowship, Jesus’ self-revelation to the crowd and to the disciples, and in John there is a message that God uses all people including a small boy in God’s ministry. One other message that was speaking to me this week was how Jesus can do what seems to us as an impossible mission.
Place yourselves in the disciple’s shoes for a moment and experience what they are experiencing. The disciples have been walking with Jesus from place to place; they have been followed by crowds of people wanting to be healed and to hear Jesus teach. The disciples are tired, want rest, they lack energy and passion to keep going, but their leader continues to place the needs of others above himself. Stunned by the size of the crowd, the disciples are uncertain and worried as how they might go about sustaining the crowd’s needs during the Passover Festival. Philip is asked by Jesus, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” Philip answers Jesus out of distress saying, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” Another one of Jesus disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, says to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” The disciples respond to Jesus out of facts and figures and fail to image the possibilities that can take place with God. They only see an impossible task set before them, feeding five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish.
Now this whole time Jesus knows what he is going to do, but he questions his disciples in order to stretch their faith. When Jesus sees their lack of belief in God’s power and their great anxiety and distress to make the impossible possible, he lights a fire under them and reveals to them who he is and the true power of what God can do. Jesus takes those five loaves of bread, blesses, breaks, and gives them to the five thousand individuals sitting on the ground. He also does the same with the two fish. After everyone in the crowd has eaten as much as they wanted until they were satisfied Jesus tells his disciples to collect everything that is leftover. What they collect equals twelve baskets full of bread and fish. Image five loaves of bread and two fish used to feed a family of five thousand and there was enough left over to fill twelve baskets. An amazing site indeed!
While many of us today are not generally faced with five thousand people to feed we are faced with our struggles, worries, and distress. Many people in God’s church are faced with what seems to be the impossible mission of gaining new and younger members, of growing and sustaining a lively ministry. Everything we try seems to fall just short of our goals. We try different programs hoping to bring in new members, we have special offerings to raise money to sustain the church and we try to faithfully bring our friends and neighbors to church hoping they will feel the Holy Spirit working within them and decide to join. We often grow tired of trying; we lose passion and fire to continue in God’s ministry. We run out of ideas that are new and different, we lose our vision for the future, and lose our focus on the power of God. We often become like Philip and Andrew and start thinking about facts and figures and how little money and energy we have as a church and how it won’t be enough to sustain God’s ministry. We become distress and anxious. Maybe we believe as though we are failing in our tasks to be Disciples of Christ who were given the great commission to “go out baptizing nations in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything the Lord has commanded?”
Where is our miracle that will renew our passion and vision and take away our distress? Where are the twelve leftover baskets that we can use to sustain our ministry?
I don’t have the answers to these questions and I don’t expect you do either. These questions and worries about the future ministry of the church are valid. However, I wonder if God is trying to stretch our faith a little, to get us out of our comfort zones, or to have a little more faith in God who can make an impossible mission possible. Just as Jesus initiated the miracle of feeding five thousand, maybe we need to initiate a new beginning with God’s help. As society changes around us, a new vision, new missions, and a different type of ministry is needed. A ministry where we think about God’s call for us to join with our partners in faith, one in which we see Christ outside the walls of this church building, one in which we rely on God to supply everything we need, knowing we will have more than enough to sustain us.
I recognize this leap of faith is never easy to do. Stepping out in faith into unfamiliar terrain is terrifying. We wonder how people will react, we wonder if it will be a positive outcome or will it end in disaster? It can be as terrifying as seeing a man walking on the rough waters of the seas, just as the disciple witnessed Jesus doing.
But Jesus says to his disciples and to us, “I am. It’s all alright. Do not be afraid.” God announces his name among us, tells us everything is alright, tell us not to be afraid and tells us that God is with us on this journey.
The work of ministry is hard. It requires that we drop our nets and follow Jesus taking nothing with us on the journey. It requires our walking shoes and our willingness to leave behind places of comfort. But, if we rely on God, if we are patient and seek God’s guidance, God will help us accomplish the impossible, because nothing is impossible for God. Ephesians 3: 20 reminds us that it is because of God’s power at work within us that we are able to accomplish abundantly far more than we can ever ask or imagine. For this we should give thanks and praise to God now and forever. Amen.
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