If you are standing outside when the foundations of the earth shake, you will notice something curious and unsettling; the term solid ground is an illusion. You will notice that the solid ground in fact moves like an ocean as waves of soil is tossed a foot into the air and then settles back down only to be tossed up once again. Houses rise and fall like boats on the rough seas and people pray that their houses will hold through the storm. When the foundations of the earth shake, the only thing that stays secure is the foundation itself; rocky crags and granite mountains proclaim their solid majesty while the soil dances around them.
But, when God shakes the foundations, even the mountains quake and crumble. Did not the mountains quake whenever God spoke to Moses and the prophets? When God’s word of truth is spoken, it rumbles existence, and we clearly see that the term “unmovable mountain” is also an illusion. They too can dance in waves like the soil. The foundation of all existence is not a geological bedrock after-all, but the Word of God, whom we know as Christ Jesus. The Word was in the beginning when order was brought out of chaos and the world formed. The Word is with us now, still creating order out of chaos and shaking the false order that humans create. The Word will still be in the end when the world is shaken for the last time, and everything crumbles apart except everything and everyone that Christ Jesus has set solidly into the foundation itself. Jesus Christ is the unshakable foundation who “is the same yesterday and today and forever.” If you have been claimed by Christ, then you can be found in an unshakable foundation.
Christ may be holding you fast, your feet may be buried forever in the unshakable foundation of God’s unconditional love, cemented there through your baptism, but that does not mean we always remember this fact. As you may have noticed during both the toddler and the early teenaged years, it is a truth of life that people have a tendency to stumble because they do not remember where their feet are. But, you do not have to be a toddler or a teenager to stumble in our relationship with God. In our consumer driven reality where we are told through enticing commercials that happiness can be bought and courage is kept to a minimum because of the discomfort it may bring to us or to our families, it is easy to forget where our feet are. It is common to forget that our feet are grounded in Christ. Much easier is pretending that our feet are grounded in the comforts of the world or the false constructions of the mind. One of the more unsettling truths for us about God is that God has no problem shaking these false foundations. If you have ever struggled in your faith, it is quite likely that you have experienced what I like to call a "God quake."
Most people experience a God quake when they enter their first college religion course, and are told outright that the god they believe in, the god they have held onto since childhood, is not real. In the least, people are told their god only partially resembles the true God. The first year of seminary, for those who enrole, is a year of complete decimation and despair as God uses the professors to completely tear down the gods we have constructed for our false foundations of security. Some leave the school and go back home trying to put the pieces of their false god back together. Most stay and wait until their life becomes less dizzy. Only then can they look down and see the truth.
Most times when you start to feel uncomfortable in worship because of a word spoken or an action done or unanswered prayers linger, you will discover that you are on the verge of a God quake. The quake will honestly be horrible. It will shake your formerly confident soul. It will make you question your life. It will make you question who God is. It will tear down all of your security and will rip off all of your protective clothes and you will be naked before God. And, only when God has shaken all of our securities away will we be able to look down and see, as if for the first time, that our feet are stuck in the foundation of Christ’s unconditional love. And, we realize, as if for the first time, that only in Christ and his unconditional love can we trust.
When the foundations have been shaken, we see through new eyes; Christ’s eyes. We see strangers who need the kindness of others. We see prisoners who have been forgotten by everyone, because they have been deemed worthless. People who are abused and tortured are no longer seen as statistics or too far overseas to be concerned about. Anything that would destroy the relationship we have with our spouse no longer looks as pressing or appealing. We see that money and the things it buys is truly a weak foundation; it can be put to better use than building false, useless foundations for ourselves. When we see through new eyes, Christ’s eyes, we see people just like us, who are in sin, and have not yet figured out how to look down at their feet. They do not yet realize that they don’t have to sin in order to make it in this life. If they would just look down they would see that they have been claimed by Christ. Christ has cemented them into the unshakable foundations. They simply didn’t see it before! Wouldn’t it be great if someone would point out that truth? Wouldn’t it be great if they heard these words of truth from Christ: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Because of these words we can all say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?”
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Jesus Christ is our unshakable foundation. Look down! Look down and see the truth. You are fixed into an unshakable foundation. You have been claimed by God and are eternally loved. Now go in peace, put on the eyes of Christ, and share that love. Thanks be to God.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Reflection on Luke 13:10-17
As some of you may know, a number of weeks ago my wife and I took a one night vacation to Wine Country Cabins on Lake Seneca. The cabins were small, uncluttered, and mercifully quiet, with only the sound of the lake gently lapping against the shone. There was a TV, but we didn’t use it. We simply spent some time on our small porch, staring out at the lake, reading a good book. The refreshing calm of that one night vacation was as restorative as a two week vacation with extended family. That night, I truly understood that the Sabbath was not a rigid rule that God came up with just so that God could have something by which we might be tested. Rather, it is a gift to a tired, tired world.
It is a gift of rest beside still waters that refreshes the soul. It is the gift of an entire day devoted to nothing but resting in God’s word, resting in a loving embrace with a spouse, and resting a tired body. So, it is curious to me that the commandment to keep the Sabbath is probably one of the most universally broken commandments in existence. Honestly, I have not killed anyone lately, I don’t have time to steal right now, Mom and Dad are good, and I wasn’t planning on committing adultery very soon. But, ask any pastor if they’ve kept the Sabbath, if they have refrained from working, and see if they give you an honest answer. Even with the best intentions of worshipping God fully, someone will inevitably tell you to remember their Uncle Larry in the prayers of the day. And, while the rest of the congregation is taken to a blissful rest in the powerful and beautiful voice of the organ, the pastor is recalling the whole time: “Larry, Larry, Larry.” Of course, we cannot forget the hospital visit that needs to be make before the day is over. And yes, we cannot forget that little Bill needs new sneekers.
Pastors aren’t the only violators though. On internship I once asked someone if they kept the Sabbath and he answered, “Of course, you see me every Sunday.”
“Yes I do,” I responded, “But, is it a day of rest for you?”
“Oh yeah,” he said. After church I eat a light lunch and then I take a short nap.”
"Good," I thought.
Then he continued, “After that I usually mow the lawn and pull the weeds from the flower bed. I pay the bills and sometimes I get the grocery shopping done that I haven’t been able to do. The grandkids are usually dropped off in the evening and we entertain them.”
I wasn't convinced that he was very rested.
I also remember asking a mother with six children if she ever took a Sabbath Day of rest. She just laughed at me.
And, I think that it has always been that way. From the very beginning people have been testing the boundaries of the Sabbath. There are chapters upon chapters of case law in ancient Judaism in which Rabbis debated what was and was not allowed on the Sabbath. “Is it OK for me to water my donkey?” “Is it O.K. to milk the cow? I’m sure the thing is going to explode if I don’t.” “Can I walk to my neighbor’s? It’s a long walk. Walking isn’t work is it?” “Can’t we at least get a drink of water? What do you want us to do? Just sit around all day and dehydrate?”
Answering some of those very questions, preacher Barbara Brown Taylor in a sermon about the Sabbath remarked that what all of the Jewish Sabbath restrictions have in common is that they ask us to refain primarily from acts of creativity. On the Seventh day God rested from creative, meaningful acts, and we should too. In other words, the Sabbath is the day where we allow God to take care of things. It is the day that we refrain from helping God. Only on the Sabbath do we intentionally recognize that God is capable of managing without us. It is the Lord's day in the truest sense. The Sabbath helps us to remember that God is God, and we are not. This is hard for Christians to hear. Christians are people who care and love others. Meaningful acts are what make us who we are. We can not rest from that, can we?
We have Luke 13:10-17 after-all. Does not that tell us that as Christians we cannot rest? That story basically spell out that we are not bound to those ancient Sabbath laws, does in not? Luke 13:10-17 is the story of the bent over woman. This woman hobbles near Jesus on the Sabbath. She is severely crippled and has been burdened with that state for eighteen years. Jesus sees her, and with compassion, heals her. "How dare she walk near Jesus and allow herself to be healed on the Sabbath," she is chastised by the religious leader. The retort is ridiculous of course, but the religious leader wasn’t truly angry with her. He was, not so subtly, angry with Jesus for working on the Sabbath. And, in response Jesus says those words that all of us Christians take as license to throw away the Sabbath commandment, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” (NRSV, Luke 13:15-16)
It is easy to get confused here. We Christians feel the need to be God’s helpers so strongly. "We cannot take a Sabbath. We cannot rest, and here is proof!" Of course, our proof is as unstable as a child standing on a bike, moving down a hill, with no hands. Jesus doesn’t throw away the Sabbath here. Through Jesus’ healing touch, God simply allows one more person the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful gift of a day of rest without pain and burden. Like anyone would do for their donkey, she is untied from her burdened and led to the still waters to drink and to rest in the soft grass.
As you have probably already figured out by now, we are not punished for the sin of breaking the Sabbath. There is no jail time, and I am willing to bet that there probably is not a place in hell designated for those who paid their bills on the wrong day. Rather, we are punished by the sin of breaking the Sabbath. When we break the Sabbath, we miss God’s wonderful gift of refreshment and rest. Just like the child who falls after standing on a moving bike with no hands, there is no more punishment needed to make the point. There is no more punishment needed after we have run ourselves dry of energy, dry of a close relationship with our spouse, and dry of a close relationship with God.
It doesn’t have to be that way. The gift of the Sabbath is offered every week. God will be able to handle things for a day without you. Let God work on you, instead of the other way around. Feel the word of God refresh your tired brain. Feel the warmth of a loved one held close. Feel the nourishment of God’s body and blood restore your body. Feel the peace of silence. Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.
All biblical quotes are from: The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
It is a gift of rest beside still waters that refreshes the soul. It is the gift of an entire day devoted to nothing but resting in God’s word, resting in a loving embrace with a spouse, and resting a tired body. So, it is curious to me that the commandment to keep the Sabbath is probably one of the most universally broken commandments in existence. Honestly, I have not killed anyone lately, I don’t have time to steal right now, Mom and Dad are good, and I wasn’t planning on committing adultery very soon. But, ask any pastor if they’ve kept the Sabbath, if they have refrained from working, and see if they give you an honest answer. Even with the best intentions of worshipping God fully, someone will inevitably tell you to remember their Uncle Larry in the prayers of the day. And, while the rest of the congregation is taken to a blissful rest in the powerful and beautiful voice of the organ, the pastor is recalling the whole time: “Larry, Larry, Larry.” Of course, we cannot forget the hospital visit that needs to be make before the day is over. And yes, we cannot forget that little Bill needs new sneekers.
Pastors aren’t the only violators though. On internship I once asked someone if they kept the Sabbath and he answered, “Of course, you see me every Sunday.”
“Yes I do,” I responded, “But, is it a day of rest for you?”
“Oh yeah,” he said. After church I eat a light lunch and then I take a short nap.”
"Good," I thought.
Then he continued, “After that I usually mow the lawn and pull the weeds from the flower bed. I pay the bills and sometimes I get the grocery shopping done that I haven’t been able to do. The grandkids are usually dropped off in the evening and we entertain them.”
I wasn't convinced that he was very rested.
I also remember asking a mother with six children if she ever took a Sabbath Day of rest. She just laughed at me.
And, I think that it has always been that way. From the very beginning people have been testing the boundaries of the Sabbath. There are chapters upon chapters of case law in ancient Judaism in which Rabbis debated what was and was not allowed on the Sabbath. “Is it OK for me to water my donkey?” “Is it O.K. to milk the cow? I’m sure the thing is going to explode if I don’t.” “Can I walk to my neighbor’s? It’s a long walk. Walking isn’t work is it?” “Can’t we at least get a drink of water? What do you want us to do? Just sit around all day and dehydrate?”
Answering some of those very questions, preacher Barbara Brown Taylor in a sermon about the Sabbath remarked that what all of the Jewish Sabbath restrictions have in common is that they ask us to refain primarily from acts of creativity. On the Seventh day God rested from creative, meaningful acts, and we should too. In other words, the Sabbath is the day where we allow God to take care of things. It is the day that we refrain from helping God. Only on the Sabbath do we intentionally recognize that God is capable of managing without us. It is the Lord's day in the truest sense. The Sabbath helps us to remember that God is God, and we are not. This is hard for Christians to hear. Christians are people who care and love others. Meaningful acts are what make us who we are. We can not rest from that, can we?
We have Luke 13:10-17 after-all. Does not that tell us that as Christians we cannot rest? That story basically spell out that we are not bound to those ancient Sabbath laws, does in not? Luke 13:10-17 is the story of the bent over woman. This woman hobbles near Jesus on the Sabbath. She is severely crippled and has been burdened with that state for eighteen years. Jesus sees her, and with compassion, heals her. "How dare she walk near Jesus and allow herself to be healed on the Sabbath," she is chastised by the religious leader. The retort is ridiculous of course, but the religious leader wasn’t truly angry with her. He was, not so subtly, angry with Jesus for working on the Sabbath. And, in response Jesus says those words that all of us Christians take as license to throw away the Sabbath commandment, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” (NRSV, Luke 13:15-16)
It is easy to get confused here. We Christians feel the need to be God’s helpers so strongly. "We cannot take a Sabbath. We cannot rest, and here is proof!" Of course, our proof is as unstable as a child standing on a bike, moving down a hill, with no hands. Jesus doesn’t throw away the Sabbath here. Through Jesus’ healing touch, God simply allows one more person the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful gift of a day of rest without pain and burden. Like anyone would do for their donkey, she is untied from her burdened and led to the still waters to drink and to rest in the soft grass.
As you have probably already figured out by now, we are not punished for the sin of breaking the Sabbath. There is no jail time, and I am willing to bet that there probably is not a place in hell designated for those who paid their bills on the wrong day. Rather, we are punished by the sin of breaking the Sabbath. When we break the Sabbath, we miss God’s wonderful gift of refreshment and rest. Just like the child who falls after standing on a moving bike with no hands, there is no more punishment needed to make the point. There is no more punishment needed after we have run ourselves dry of energy, dry of a close relationship with our spouse, and dry of a close relationship with God.
It doesn’t have to be that way. The gift of the Sabbath is offered every week. God will be able to handle things for a day without you. Let God work on you, instead of the other way around. Feel the word of God refresh your tired brain. Feel the warmth of a loved one held close. Feel the nourishment of God’s body and blood restore your body. Feel the peace of silence. Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.
All biblical quotes are from: The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Reflection on Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
This week my wife and I drove into Chicago to be a part of the National Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. I don’t know if you’ve been to Chicago, but downtown Chicago is a beautiful city filled with gloriously carved stone skyscrapers from the early 1900s and dozens of shimmering towers from today. The sight of these lit towers from a sailboat on lake Michigan at night simply takes your breath away. The cityscape beckons you back toward the shore; promising that when you step onto the finely carved granite and cement you will find the very thing for which your soul has been craving.
From the edge of the city a thirsty soul can see a rich community of artists. Immediately, the lonely and displaced artist’s soul is beckoned to come closer. There is the “golden mile” filled with fine shops luring you in from the outskirts. Each of these shops offers only the best. Do you desire to appear better? Not looking so hot? The golden mile will fulfill your desire with custom made designer shoes and custom fitted dresses. Do you desire relaxation? The golden mile is filled with five star hotels to cater to your every desire. Massage? Right away. Fine food? Coming sir. Tattoo? Down the street, two blocks to the left, turn right into the alley, the door behind the dumpster. The city promises that every desire can and will be fulfilled.
As my wife and I traveled toward this glorious city of promise, I saw all of these cars streaming into the city. Other people were also drawn in to quench their thirsty souls. I saw all of these cars intimately: bumpers in my windshield; truck grills practically in my trunk; people drinking coffee, not watching where they are going and practically sitting in my passenger’s seat. All of these people were putting up with everyone else, kindly honking their horns at each other, and greeting each other calmly with an interesting greeting of the finger; just so that they can find the promise of the city. And, I thought to myself, “Self…Why aren’t this many people steaming into church?” Isn’t this scene of city traffic the very thing all Christians dream to see just outside the church door? After-all, God has given the church a special promise that will water the soul of any spiritually dry person. It is a fact that every person who enters Chicago will be disappointed by its inability to fulfill the cravings of their life. No matter how well the things the city has to offer is marketed, obtaining stuff will always leave us with just a lot of stuff, rather than a quenched soul. God’s promises, on the other hand, will never leave us dry. So, why are not people cutting off other people on the highway in order to get into church where the thirst quenching promises of God can be heard?
Do not forget how powerful God’s promises are. It is easy for the faithful to get discouraged and forget. It is easy for the words of God's promises to ring dryly in the ear because it has been heard so many times. Do not forget how powerful God's promises are. God promised Abraham land and a great world full of descendants. You know Abraham: landless cattle herder Abraham; non-convinced, questioning God all the time Abraham, childless old, old, old, old Abraham. He had no reason to have faith. But, the assurance of the things hoped for: the promise of land and the promise of many descendants, kept him moving and motivated in life. He strove to reach God’s promised city despite the fact that he knew he would never see it or enjoy the fruits of God’s promise directly. He would not see the great city of Jerusalem. He would not see the earth populated with his descendants. That is how powerful God’s promises are. They draw us in even if we will not directly benefit from them. They draw us in like moths to beautiful blue lights. Of course, God doesn’t kill us, and God isn’t blue, so that’s a bad example. Some better examples: God promises do draw us close like the smile of a newborn child or the beauty of a forested mountain at sunrise or the mystery of a glorious lit city at night.
We still find ourselves drawn toward the promised city of God. The beautiful city comes down to us out of heaven. There is no temple because God is there. God is no longer far far away. God is right there. God’s light shines bright, not only on the people of the city, but it spills out of the gates of the city to the four corners of the earth. The gates are wide open and everyone the light touches is invited in. There will be no more separation or segregation or hating or sinning of any kind. Crying and weeping will be no more. All will be given the chance to wash their robes in the waters coming from the throne of Christ and forgiveness and love will make everything clean and new. Hunger will no longer plague people as the tree of life provides more than enough food for all.
These images from Revelation provide a powerful promise to us and I find that I am drawn to the city of God. How can you not be? How can we not want to be a part of the city without hatred? How can we not get excited about a city where everyone, even the too short or too fat or too skinny or too dumb or too whatever, are all accepted in? How can we not get excited about a place where forgiveness has the last word and all of our hurts and pains and sins are washed away forever? Who reading this doesn’t want to be a part of that? No one, of course! Who reading this doesn’t want to tell others to get in the backseat of the car and come along for the glorious ride? No one, of course!
So I am forced to ask: with the promise of such a glorious city, why aren’t people knocking down the doors of the church wanting to be a part of it? This is a question I take very seriously. This is a question that God’s church cannot afford to ignore. This is a question that our own congregation cannot afford to ignore. And, the only way we can answer this question is by looking first at the messengers of this glorious vision; ourselves. So, here’s a question to us.
Is this congregation a church of wishful thinking or a church of faith? There is a difference between wishful thinking and faith after-all. Wishful thinking anticipates some great thing to happen out of the blue. Expecting to catch a pop fly for the first time when one has never put on a baseball glove before in life is wishful thinking. Faith is the assurance of something hoped for. Expecting a major league player with a perfect record to catch a pop fly is faith. Faith is the assurance of something hoped for.
Here’s the difference between the two types of church. A church of wishful thinking wishes more people would quit whatever they are doing on a Sunday and fill the pews. The church of faith sees that God has opened the table to everyone and therefore invites their friends and family and neighbors to come in and eat. A church of wishful thinking wishes people would get their acts together, and because of this expectation, gets bogged down in correcting little misdemeanors like forgetting to turn off a hall light or misprinting something in the bulletin. The church of faith experiences the forgiveness of God every morning, and shares that forgiveness freely with everyone around. A church of wishful thinking desperately wishes to raise lots of money from bake sales and yard sales, so that they will get enough to pay the pastor and the light bill. The church of faith gives freely from God’s gifts to them for the healing of the world and for the healing of those in need in their community. They understand how truly blessed they are. Any proceeds from a bake sale or yard sale is seen as a gift from God so that ministry to the poor, disadvantaged, or abused can occur. A church of wishful thinking wants to see immediate results from the efforts of their people in leadership. The church of faith prays that God will cause to sprout the seeds that everyone in the church casts on the ground. They expect this to happen in God's own time, just as God’s promises to Abraham sprouted in God's own time.
The church of wishful thinking is a church that is bitter; expects much, but does little; desires a full church, but does not desire God. I am afraid that many churches can in some way be characterized as a church of wishful thinking. The church of wishful thinking will never see a traffic jam outside its doors. No one wants to be a part of such a misdirected church?
But, we don’t need wishful thinking when we have a God who promises a beautiful city where everyone is lovingly accepted, and washed clean; even those of us who have messed up trying to do this church thing correctly. Who needs wishful thinking when forgiveness for everyone is available now and bitterness can be wiped away right now? Who needs wishful thinking when God promises a city where everyone is welcome & division will be no more? Who needs wishful thinking when God is present with you right now, filling the room with life & love? Who needs wishful thinking when the deepest desires of our soul are being filled right now so tightly that we can’t possibly contain it? Who needs wishful thinking when we have faith; a faith that moves mountains, a faith that moves us out of here, a faith that endures forever?
From the edge of the city a thirsty soul can see a rich community of artists. Immediately, the lonely and displaced artist’s soul is beckoned to come closer. There is the “golden mile” filled with fine shops luring you in from the outskirts. Each of these shops offers only the best. Do you desire to appear better? Not looking so hot? The golden mile will fulfill your desire with custom made designer shoes and custom fitted dresses. Do you desire relaxation? The golden mile is filled with five star hotels to cater to your every desire. Massage? Right away. Fine food? Coming sir. Tattoo? Down the street, two blocks to the left, turn right into the alley, the door behind the dumpster. The city promises that every desire can and will be fulfilled.
As my wife and I traveled toward this glorious city of promise, I saw all of these cars streaming into the city. Other people were also drawn in to quench their thirsty souls. I saw all of these cars intimately: bumpers in my windshield; truck grills practically in my trunk; people drinking coffee, not watching where they are going and practically sitting in my passenger’s seat. All of these people were putting up with everyone else, kindly honking their horns at each other, and greeting each other calmly with an interesting greeting of the finger; just so that they can find the promise of the city. And, I thought to myself, “Self…Why aren’t this many people steaming into church?” Isn’t this scene of city traffic the very thing all Christians dream to see just outside the church door? After-all, God has given the church a special promise that will water the soul of any spiritually dry person. It is a fact that every person who enters Chicago will be disappointed by its inability to fulfill the cravings of their life. No matter how well the things the city has to offer is marketed, obtaining stuff will always leave us with just a lot of stuff, rather than a quenched soul. God’s promises, on the other hand, will never leave us dry. So, why are not people cutting off other people on the highway in order to get into church where the thirst quenching promises of God can be heard?
Do not forget how powerful God’s promises are. It is easy for the faithful to get discouraged and forget. It is easy for the words of God's promises to ring dryly in the ear because it has been heard so many times. Do not forget how powerful God's promises are. God promised Abraham land and a great world full of descendants. You know Abraham: landless cattle herder Abraham; non-convinced, questioning God all the time Abraham, childless old, old, old, old Abraham. He had no reason to have faith. But, the assurance of the things hoped for: the promise of land and the promise of many descendants, kept him moving and motivated in life. He strove to reach God’s promised city despite the fact that he knew he would never see it or enjoy the fruits of God’s promise directly. He would not see the great city of Jerusalem. He would not see the earth populated with his descendants. That is how powerful God’s promises are. They draw us in even if we will not directly benefit from them. They draw us in like moths to beautiful blue lights. Of course, God doesn’t kill us, and God isn’t blue, so that’s a bad example. Some better examples: God promises do draw us close like the smile of a newborn child or the beauty of a forested mountain at sunrise or the mystery of a glorious lit city at night.
We still find ourselves drawn toward the promised city of God. The beautiful city comes down to us out of heaven. There is no temple because God is there. God is no longer far far away. God is right there. God’s light shines bright, not only on the people of the city, but it spills out of the gates of the city to the four corners of the earth. The gates are wide open and everyone the light touches is invited in. There will be no more separation or segregation or hating or sinning of any kind. Crying and weeping will be no more. All will be given the chance to wash their robes in the waters coming from the throne of Christ and forgiveness and love will make everything clean and new. Hunger will no longer plague people as the tree of life provides more than enough food for all.
These images from Revelation provide a powerful promise to us and I find that I am drawn to the city of God. How can you not be? How can we not want to be a part of the city without hatred? How can we not get excited about a city where everyone, even the too short or too fat or too skinny or too dumb or too whatever, are all accepted in? How can we not get excited about a place where forgiveness has the last word and all of our hurts and pains and sins are washed away forever? Who reading this doesn’t want to be a part of that? No one, of course! Who reading this doesn’t want to tell others to get in the backseat of the car and come along for the glorious ride? No one, of course!
So I am forced to ask: with the promise of such a glorious city, why aren’t people knocking down the doors of the church wanting to be a part of it? This is a question I take very seriously. This is a question that God’s church cannot afford to ignore. This is a question that our own congregation cannot afford to ignore. And, the only way we can answer this question is by looking first at the messengers of this glorious vision; ourselves. So, here’s a question to us.
Is this congregation a church of wishful thinking or a church of faith? There is a difference between wishful thinking and faith after-all. Wishful thinking anticipates some great thing to happen out of the blue. Expecting to catch a pop fly for the first time when one has never put on a baseball glove before in life is wishful thinking. Faith is the assurance of something hoped for. Expecting a major league player with a perfect record to catch a pop fly is faith. Faith is the assurance of something hoped for.
Here’s the difference between the two types of church. A church of wishful thinking wishes more people would quit whatever they are doing on a Sunday and fill the pews. The church of faith sees that God has opened the table to everyone and therefore invites their friends and family and neighbors to come in and eat. A church of wishful thinking wishes people would get their acts together, and because of this expectation, gets bogged down in correcting little misdemeanors like forgetting to turn off a hall light or misprinting something in the bulletin. The church of faith experiences the forgiveness of God every morning, and shares that forgiveness freely with everyone around. A church of wishful thinking desperately wishes to raise lots of money from bake sales and yard sales, so that they will get enough to pay the pastor and the light bill. The church of faith gives freely from God’s gifts to them for the healing of the world and for the healing of those in need in their community. They understand how truly blessed they are. Any proceeds from a bake sale or yard sale is seen as a gift from God so that ministry to the poor, disadvantaged, or abused can occur. A church of wishful thinking wants to see immediate results from the efforts of their people in leadership. The church of faith prays that God will cause to sprout the seeds that everyone in the church casts on the ground. They expect this to happen in God's own time, just as God’s promises to Abraham sprouted in God's own time.
The church of wishful thinking is a church that is bitter; expects much, but does little; desires a full church, but does not desire God. I am afraid that many churches can in some way be characterized as a church of wishful thinking. The church of wishful thinking will never see a traffic jam outside its doors. No one wants to be a part of such a misdirected church?
But, we don’t need wishful thinking when we have a God who promises a beautiful city where everyone is lovingly accepted, and washed clean; even those of us who have messed up trying to do this church thing correctly. Who needs wishful thinking when forgiveness for everyone is available now and bitterness can be wiped away right now? Who needs wishful thinking when God promises a city where everyone is welcome & division will be no more? Who needs wishful thinking when God is present with you right now, filling the room with life & love? Who needs wishful thinking when the deepest desires of our soul are being filled right now so tightly that we can’t possibly contain it? Who needs wishful thinking when we have faith; a faith that moves mountains, a faith that moves us out of here, a faith that endures forever?
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Reflection on Luke 11:1-13
When you watched him pray alone in his corner of the garden, sweat running down his face, you knew that what was being said really mattered. When you watched him pray, his eyes were open, staring intently; like he actually expected an answer. When you watched him pray, you saw a trusting child talking to his loving Daddy.
“I want that,” the disciple must have thought looking at Jesus’ relationship with his Father. “I want to pray like that.”
When Jesus had returned from praying the disciple asked, “Lord, teach us how to pray.”
This desire for genuine prayer is a thirst that has lingered dryly for thousands of years. We still hear parched souls pleading, “How do you pray?”
A pastor was stunned when a prominent and (by all outward appearances) faithful member walked up after worship and said, "I have really enjoyed the sermon series you and the other pastors have given on prayer. And I really feel called to pray more. The only problem I have is that I just don't know how." (Michael Foss, Power Surge)
The pastor was again stunned when a pastor walked up after a conference that stressed the importance of prayer in any ministry and remarked, “You are assuming," he said, "that we pastors know how to pray. But many of us don't." (Michael Foss, Power Surge)
“How do we pray?” What a silly question thought a five year old girl with pigtails when she was asked by her Sunday School teacher. “You open your mouth and talk,” she said intelligently as she colored her picture of Jesus praying by the rock.
She’s right. Prayer is nothing more than conversation with God, and this simple answer has come out of my mouth many times when people have asked me how to pray. “Just open your mouth and talk.”
But, in giving this answer I think that I have let a lot of people down because I think that I answered the wrong question. People really do know how to pray. We really do understand that prayer is simply conversation with God. The problem is the same problem you have when you try talking about something extremely interesting and intelligent with Uncle Frank who is your Father’s cousin’s uncle’s grandfather, and whom you’ve just met and are now stranded with alone on the back porch. What do you say? You don’t know this man. You wouldn’t share your deepest needs with the guy. So, you talk about dumb stuff like the lawn and the hornet’s nest in the attic. The problem is that you don’t yet trust the man. And, when we ask, “How do I pray?” I think we are actually asking this much deeper question; we are actually asking, “How do I trust?” “How do I get into a deeper relationship with God?” This is not a question that can be answered through a flippant remark from a five year old girl with pigtails. But, it is a question she does know the answer to. Children inherently know how to trust very well, so it is not surprising that Jesus answers with a very childlike answer.
“When you pray, say: Daddy, let your name be holy. Send us your kingdom. Give us food everyday. Forgive our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And, please do not test us.” Every child trusts that their parents will give them a stable home (send us your kingdom). Every child trusts that their parents will feed them (give us food everyday). Every child trusts that they can mess up big time and still be loved (forgive us our sins). Every child fears having their love being put to the test (do not bring us to the time of trial).
How do we pray? How do we trust God? Jesus answers, “just try it, and you will not be disappointed.” “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you,” he promises as incentive to try.
But, this is not an easy thing to do for many of us. Trust is an act of courage. Faith is an act of courage. We don’t know how it will turn out. We aren’t in control of the results. Trusting someone else means that ultimately, we are not the shapers of our own lives. But, that’s the whole point of prayer, isn’t it. We are not in control. The world isn’t ours to conquer. Our lives are not our own. Our lives were purchased with a price, the death of God’s own Son. Our lives are not our own. You are owned by God. You are God’s precious child. True prayer does not allow us to take that fact lightly. So, Jesus urges us to take a few steps back in maturity and do what children do so well; trust our heavenly daddy.
Because she believes that trusting our heavenly father is so essential to life, Catherine Foote helps children who have suffered under abusive fathers pray to their very different, loving heavenly father through this prayer:
Daddies hold their babies,
daddies hold them soft.
Strong daddy arms
hold babies up
and gentle is the hold.
Daddies laugh with babies,
daddies smile with love.
Warm daddy eyes meet new eyes
and easy is the laugh.
Daddies care for babies,
keep them covered safe.
Big daddy hands reach baby hands
and tender is the care.
Daddies and their babies,
eyes and arms and smiles and love.
Then a daddy hurt a baby
Baby cold with fear,
Baby crying new tears,
Baby frightened, lost.
No more smiles for baby,
No more shelter here.
And God, they call you Daddy,
God, they say you care.
Do you hold your babies?
Do you dry their tears?
Do you match them smile for smile?
Do you shelter safe?
God, that daddy stole your name.
God, that daddy made me mad.
God, I want a daddy back
(daddies hold their babies).
God, please daddy me.
Amen.
(Survivor Prayers: Talking with God about Childhood Sexual Abuse, pp. 44-45)
We all need our heavenly daddy. We all want our heavenly daddy. That’s why we ask the question, “How do we pray?” in the first place. So, how do we pray? It takes courage to trust God. But, Jesus promises that when we “ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
“I want that,” the disciple must have thought looking at Jesus’ relationship with his Father. “I want to pray like that.”
When Jesus had returned from praying the disciple asked, “Lord, teach us how to pray.”
This desire for genuine prayer is a thirst that has lingered dryly for thousands of years. We still hear parched souls pleading, “How do you pray?”
A pastor was stunned when a prominent and (by all outward appearances) faithful member walked up after worship and said, "I have really enjoyed the sermon series you and the other pastors have given on prayer. And I really feel called to pray more. The only problem I have is that I just don't know how." (Michael Foss, Power Surge)
The pastor was again stunned when a pastor walked up after a conference that stressed the importance of prayer in any ministry and remarked, “You are assuming," he said, "that we pastors know how to pray. But many of us don't." (Michael Foss, Power Surge)
“How do we pray?” What a silly question thought a five year old girl with pigtails when she was asked by her Sunday School teacher. “You open your mouth and talk,” she said intelligently as she colored her picture of Jesus praying by the rock.
She’s right. Prayer is nothing more than conversation with God, and this simple answer has come out of my mouth many times when people have asked me how to pray. “Just open your mouth and talk.”
But, in giving this answer I think that I have let a lot of people down because I think that I answered the wrong question. People really do know how to pray. We really do understand that prayer is simply conversation with God. The problem is the same problem you have when you try talking about something extremely interesting and intelligent with Uncle Frank who is your Father’s cousin’s uncle’s grandfather, and whom you’ve just met and are now stranded with alone on the back porch. What do you say? You don’t know this man. You wouldn’t share your deepest needs with the guy. So, you talk about dumb stuff like the lawn and the hornet’s nest in the attic. The problem is that you don’t yet trust the man. And, when we ask, “How do I pray?” I think we are actually asking this much deeper question; we are actually asking, “How do I trust?” “How do I get into a deeper relationship with God?” This is not a question that can be answered through a flippant remark from a five year old girl with pigtails. But, it is a question she does know the answer to. Children inherently know how to trust very well, so it is not surprising that Jesus answers with a very childlike answer.
“When you pray, say: Daddy, let your name be holy. Send us your kingdom. Give us food everyday. Forgive our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And, please do not test us.” Every child trusts that their parents will give them a stable home (send us your kingdom). Every child trusts that their parents will feed them (give us food everyday). Every child trusts that they can mess up big time and still be loved (forgive us our sins). Every child fears having their love being put to the test (do not bring us to the time of trial).
How do we pray? How do we trust God? Jesus answers, “just try it, and you will not be disappointed.” “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you,” he promises as incentive to try.
But, this is not an easy thing to do for many of us. Trust is an act of courage. Faith is an act of courage. We don’t know how it will turn out. We aren’t in control of the results. Trusting someone else means that ultimately, we are not the shapers of our own lives. But, that’s the whole point of prayer, isn’t it. We are not in control. The world isn’t ours to conquer. Our lives are not our own. Our lives were purchased with a price, the death of God’s own Son. Our lives are not our own. You are owned by God. You are God’s precious child. True prayer does not allow us to take that fact lightly. So, Jesus urges us to take a few steps back in maturity and do what children do so well; trust our heavenly daddy.
Because she believes that trusting our heavenly father is so essential to life, Catherine Foote helps children who have suffered under abusive fathers pray to their very different, loving heavenly father through this prayer:
Daddies hold their babies,
daddies hold them soft.
Strong daddy arms
hold babies up
and gentle is the hold.
Daddies laugh with babies,
daddies smile with love.
Warm daddy eyes meet new eyes
and easy is the laugh.
Daddies care for babies,
keep them covered safe.
Big daddy hands reach baby hands
and tender is the care.
Daddies and their babies,
eyes and arms and smiles and love.
Then a daddy hurt a baby
Baby cold with fear,
Baby crying new tears,
Baby frightened, lost.
No more smiles for baby,
No more shelter here.
And God, they call you Daddy,
God, they say you care.
Do you hold your babies?
Do you dry their tears?
Do you match them smile for smile?
Do you shelter safe?
God, that daddy stole your name.
God, that daddy made me mad.
God, I want a daddy back
(daddies hold their babies).
God, please daddy me.
Amen.
(Survivor Prayers: Talking with God about Childhood Sexual Abuse, pp. 44-45)
We all need our heavenly daddy. We all want our heavenly daddy. That’s why we ask the question, “How do we pray?” in the first place. So, how do we pray? It takes courage to trust God. But, Jesus promises that when we “ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Reflection on Luke 10:25-27
Everyone is so busy these days, have you noticed that? There is always somewhere to go, or something to do, or something that we feel like we should be doing. I recall vividly a conversations I had with my pastor before I became a pastor myself. Looking at the nice summer day outside the church door, I made the completely ignorant comment; ”At least, since adult classes, confirmation, and Sunday School is over, you get to enjoy these nice days.” I swear that I saw reflected in this kind, Godly man’s eyes the urge to lovingly strangle me. He knew what I now know and you know also from your own lives; just because some cars clear off the busy freeway of life does not mean there are not others speeding up the on ramp, trying to butt in. And so, even through the summer, we continue to speed around, swerving as we go, hoping not to hit anyone.
This can’t be healthy; all of this rushing and speeding from place to place. We miss a nice little thing called rest. You remember what rest is like don't you? I had a dream about resting once, then I was abruptly woke up: "Did you remember to squeeze the toothpaste toward the front end of the tube?" "No, I’ll go do it now honey.” There is always something we’ve forgotten or need to get done. And, I don’t think that rest is the only casualty of our modern lives. Another casualty of speeding around from place to place all the time is that we never seem to have time to “Go and do likewise.”
You know what I’m talking about. As we are driving along, we see someone walking along the side of the road, probably stranded and homeless, and in true Christian fashion we take our car and swerve over the center line a little so as to keep the person from getting sideswiped; that’s very thoughtful of us. The example of the Good Samaritan pops up in my head every time I do this, and I feel like I should do be stopping and doing something. “Go and do likewise” rings around between my ears. Now, we know logically that there could be any number of good reasons that this person is stranded, walking on the highway. Their car could be broke down, or they could be running away from an abusive situation, or they just may be someone down on their luck who could use a little help. Of course, my brain quickly weighs these options and quickly comes to the conclusion that the person is likely a 87 year old mass murderer. The walker is just a ruse to get me to stop. Plus, my Bible is sitting on the passenger’s seat and there couldn’t possibly be any room.
I also like to play the “Well, I can’t help everyone in the world” game. Do you like to play that one? An example: we hear that care givers of aids patients in Africa need hygiene kits to keep them safe from the disease; simple things like latex gloves and the such. But, we have also heard that people are starving in India, and the food pantry is low on food, and the fine arts center could really use your help to expand their stage. So we shout, “Well, I can’t help everyone in the world.” It is true that we can’t help everyone. However, we can help at least someone. Not realizing this fact because of the overwhelming nature of life, the "Well, I can't help everyone in the world" game usually gets wild and goes something like this:
“Can you give just a quarter to help feed the infants.”
“Well, I can’t help everyone in the world.”
“Daddy can you please get me a glass of water?”
“Well, I can’t help everyone in the world.”
The best excuse of them all though is: “I have something important and I just don’t have the time.” This is the excuse of people who actually do care. The Levite and the priest were surely thinking that they should help the person bent over and bloodied on the side of the road. The cleanliness laws of Judaism do allow space for compassion on people who are bloodied and in need of help, so don’t imagine for a second that they wouldn’t have stopped if only they had the time. But, they have lives devoted to caring and were surely on their way to something very important. We, caring people, are always on our way to something important.
A sociological study done at Princeton Theological Seminary proves this point. In this experiment, seminary students (people who presumably love their neighbor) were informed that they were to give a talk that would be tape recorded in another building. “Along the way to the place for the talk, the subject encountered a ‘victim’ slumped in a doorway. The question was, under what conditions would the [students] stop to help the victim.
Half of the [students] were assigned to talk on the Good Samaritan Parable; the others were assigned a different topic. Some of the [students] were told they were late and should hurry; some were told they had just enough time to get to the recording room; and some were told they would arrive early” (Harman).
Now, one would assume that those students who had just studied the parable of the Good Samaritan would most definitely be more likely to stop and help. But they weren’t. “The only…variable that made a difference was how much of a hurry the [students] were in. 63% of subjects that were in no hurry stopped to help, 45% of those in a moderate hurry stopped, and 10% of those that were in a great hurry stopped” (Harman).
Becoming too busy is a sin. You know that already. You have felt its effects. It’s not a sin we are necessarily punished for though. As the writer Ann Lamott puts it, we are not punished for the sin, we are punished by the sin. I think this is the case with being too busy. When busy, we get that frantic, brainless feeling. When busy, we become entangled in ourselves and start to feel stuffy. When we are busy, others get punished by our sin also, because they are not cared for as they should.
It was no surprise to me when I studied the Greek word used for “Go” in “Go and do likewise" and found that it doesn’t simply mean just leave point A and get to point B. It is not that bland of a word. It has the flavoring of life to it. The flavor would make it sound like, “Go and truly live” or “Go with a fulfilling purpose.” The idea is that, when we “Go and do likewise” we are doing something that is nourishing and refreshing to both ourselves and the person we are helping. Surely you know what I am talking about. You know how refreshing it feels to slow down in life, pull off of your busy freeway, and do something meaningful for someone. It is like fresh cool water purifying your once stuffy soul.
A friend told me of an African pastor who was one of these refreshed souls. While attending a church in the bush of Africa, my friend stood in the crouded room for two hours, waiting for the service to start. The pastor of the African church had not yet arrived. The pastor did finally arrive, calmly sauntering in. After services were over, my friend asked if the congregation would be mad at him for being late.
“Of course not,” was his response. On his way to church he encountered an ill man who needed his help. “’Why would they be mad about that?” the African pastor asked.
“In America, people usually aren’t late, it is considered rude,” my friend mentioned.
“In America, you have watches, in Africa we have time,” he said in that peaceful way that spiritually fulfilled people do.
“Go and do likewise.” These words of Jesus are not a command as much as they are a gift from our savior. They are a gift of a new way of life that allows us to say "no" to being busy and "yes" to a life full of richness and purpose. It is the gift that Jesus had himself. Jesus had the time to save us. Nothing distracted him. No amount of business got in his way. God always has time for us. Share in that peaceful and enriching gift. “Go and do likewise.”
The study cited can be found at http://www.princeton.edu/~harman/Papers/Virtue.html, Moral Philosophy Meets Social Psychology
Virtue Ethics and the Fundamental Attribution Error by Gilbert Harman of Princeton University
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
This can’t be healthy; all of this rushing and speeding from place to place. We miss a nice little thing called rest. You remember what rest is like don't you? I had a dream about resting once, then I was abruptly woke up: "Did you remember to squeeze the toothpaste toward the front end of the tube?" "No, I’ll go do it now honey.” There is always something we’ve forgotten or need to get done. And, I don’t think that rest is the only casualty of our modern lives. Another casualty of speeding around from place to place all the time is that we never seem to have time to “Go and do likewise.”
You know what I’m talking about. As we are driving along, we see someone walking along the side of the road, probably stranded and homeless, and in true Christian fashion we take our car and swerve over the center line a little so as to keep the person from getting sideswiped; that’s very thoughtful of us. The example of the Good Samaritan pops up in my head every time I do this, and I feel like I should do be stopping and doing something. “Go and do likewise” rings around between my ears. Now, we know logically that there could be any number of good reasons that this person is stranded, walking on the highway. Their car could be broke down, or they could be running away from an abusive situation, or they just may be someone down on their luck who could use a little help. Of course, my brain quickly weighs these options and quickly comes to the conclusion that the person is likely a 87 year old mass murderer. The walker is just a ruse to get me to stop. Plus, my Bible is sitting on the passenger’s seat and there couldn’t possibly be any room.
I also like to play the “Well, I can’t help everyone in the world” game. Do you like to play that one? An example: we hear that care givers of aids patients in Africa need hygiene kits to keep them safe from the disease; simple things like latex gloves and the such. But, we have also heard that people are starving in India, and the food pantry is low on food, and the fine arts center could really use your help to expand their stage. So we shout, “Well, I can’t help everyone in the world.” It is true that we can’t help everyone. However, we can help at least someone. Not realizing this fact because of the overwhelming nature of life, the "Well, I can't help everyone in the world" game usually gets wild and goes something like this:
“Can you give just a quarter to help feed the infants.”
“Well, I can’t help everyone in the world.”
“Daddy can you please get me a glass of water?”
“Well, I can’t help everyone in the world.”
The best excuse of them all though is: “I have something important and I just don’t have the time.” This is the excuse of people who actually do care. The Levite and the priest were surely thinking that they should help the person bent over and bloodied on the side of the road. The cleanliness laws of Judaism do allow space for compassion on people who are bloodied and in need of help, so don’t imagine for a second that they wouldn’t have stopped if only they had the time. But, they have lives devoted to caring and were surely on their way to something very important. We, caring people, are always on our way to something important.
A sociological study done at Princeton Theological Seminary proves this point. In this experiment, seminary students (people who presumably love their neighbor) were informed that they were to give a talk that would be tape recorded in another building. “Along the way to the place for the talk, the subject encountered a ‘victim’ slumped in a doorway. The question was, under what conditions would the [students] stop to help the victim.
Half of the [students] were assigned to talk on the Good Samaritan Parable; the others were assigned a different topic. Some of the [students] were told they were late and should hurry; some were told they had just enough time to get to the recording room; and some were told they would arrive early” (Harman).
Now, one would assume that those students who had just studied the parable of the Good Samaritan would most definitely be more likely to stop and help. But they weren’t. “The only…variable that made a difference was how much of a hurry the [students] were in. 63% of subjects that were in no hurry stopped to help, 45% of those in a moderate hurry stopped, and 10% of those that were in a great hurry stopped” (Harman).
Becoming too busy is a sin. You know that already. You have felt its effects. It’s not a sin we are necessarily punished for though. As the writer Ann Lamott puts it, we are not punished for the sin, we are punished by the sin. I think this is the case with being too busy. When busy, we get that frantic, brainless feeling. When busy, we become entangled in ourselves and start to feel stuffy. When we are busy, others get punished by our sin also, because they are not cared for as they should.
It was no surprise to me when I studied the Greek word used for “Go” in “Go and do likewise" and found that it doesn’t simply mean just leave point A and get to point B. It is not that bland of a word. It has the flavoring of life to it. The flavor would make it sound like, “Go and truly live” or “Go with a fulfilling purpose.” The idea is that, when we “Go and do likewise” we are doing something that is nourishing and refreshing to both ourselves and the person we are helping. Surely you know what I am talking about. You know how refreshing it feels to slow down in life, pull off of your busy freeway, and do something meaningful for someone. It is like fresh cool water purifying your once stuffy soul.
A friend told me of an African pastor who was one of these refreshed souls. While attending a church in the bush of Africa, my friend stood in the crouded room for two hours, waiting for the service to start. The pastor of the African church had not yet arrived. The pastor did finally arrive, calmly sauntering in. After services were over, my friend asked if the congregation would be mad at him for being late.
“Of course not,” was his response. On his way to church he encountered an ill man who needed his help. “’Why would they be mad about that?” the African pastor asked.
“In America, people usually aren’t late, it is considered rude,” my friend mentioned.
“In America, you have watches, in Africa we have time,” he said in that peaceful way that spiritually fulfilled people do.
“Go and do likewise.” These words of Jesus are not a command as much as they are a gift from our savior. They are a gift of a new way of life that allows us to say "no" to being busy and "yes" to a life full of richness and purpose. It is the gift that Jesus had himself. Jesus had the time to save us. Nothing distracted him. No amount of business got in his way. God always has time for us. Share in that peaceful and enriching gift. “Go and do likewise.”
The study cited can be found at http://www.princeton.edu/~harman/Papers/Virtue.html, Moral Philosophy Meets Social Psychology
Virtue Ethics and the Fundamental Attribution Error by Gilbert Harman of Princeton University
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Reflection on Luke 10:1–11, 16–20
“Do not carry anything you don’t need to take with you; it will only weigh you down” were the ominous words issuing out of the mouth of Clint a day before we embarked on our backpacking trip. “Believe me, if you think you need it, you probably don’t. Just pack what’s on the list.” He handed us a list of supplies for our week long backpacking trip that was basically a cup, a spoon, a knife, a sleeping bag, a small bar of soap, deodorant, a toothbrush, a small toothpaste, and one change of clothes. The tent and food would be divided up later. “Is this all?” I thought.
Of course, at home you find all kinds of things you need. You need a book to read when everything gets boring. You need more than one change of clothes for Pete’s sake. How are you expected to sleep well without a cushiony sleeping pad? And the list of “needed” items slowly grows to a small pickup full.
Now I will freely admit that when I go backpacking, I can be trusted to bring way too much stuff. “Do not carry anything you don’t need to take with you, it will only weigh you down” are not words that I heed well. I lugged my 50 pound backpack up the mountain, full of its books that were never opened, full of its camera equipment that would have sent a wedding photographer into heaven, and filled with clothes for every single day of the trip. But, at least I didn’t carry a wrench.
“What the heck did you bring that for?” Clint exclaimed as Tim pulled out his full sized open-ended adjustable wrench. “We’re 15 miles back in the wilderness. There are no roads above 10 thousand feet. We are not going to be helping any stranded motorists out here! What were you thinking?”
Tim, being a motor head, could not imagine a time in his life when he wouldn’t need an open-ended adjustable wrench. I do have to say that at no time during our entire trip in the wilderness did we find any trees, rocks, or furry marmots who required adjustment with our open-ended adjustable wrench.
“Do not carry anything you don’t need to take with you; it will only weigh you down.” That is the number one rule of backpacking. Some people will even go as far as drilling holes into the handles of their toothbrushes so that they are not carrying the unneeded weight. The plus that you get with doing that, is that everything you own is hideous and full of holes. No one is going to steal it while you are off hiking to a distant and hard to reach lake. Taking anything extra is just a hindrance. It will burden you. It will give you a headache. It will unnecessarily give you something to worry about.
Reflecting on this scripture I have come to the conclusion that Clint would have loved Jesus as a backpacking companion. “Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road.” Jesus knows how to travel light; he chooses to carry nothing. And, he tells us to do the same. But, his advice does more than just ease the weight on our backs. If you were being sent out to do ministry on roads filled with bandits lurking in the shadows; carrying no purse, no bag, and no sandals just might save your life. I’ve know people jumped in the streets of the city for their nice sneakers; so this is pretty good advise. Things will weigh you down, and they will get in the way of your ministry.
This gets me to wondering: when a Christian does ministry to the poor and desires to share with them the idea that God releases us from bondage to stuff, how well do you think that will go over if we are weighed down by nice clothes and top of the line gadgets? “Do not carry anything you don’t need to take with you; it will only weigh you down.” These are words that cause me to stop and reconsider where my faith truly lies, because I have been know to carry around nice gadgets. I think that things often weigh me down. How freeing these words of Christ are. Be set free from your things. The more you have, the more you worry about loosing. Be set free from your stuff.
While lugging 50 pounds of useless equipment up sharp rocks on a steep trail, breathing too hard to talk to anyone else, with only yourself for company, you usually find that you are lugging around more than just stuff. When you have that much time alone, you have no choice but to deal with all of the people you are lugging around also. You know all of the people you have on your back; all of the people you said the wrong thing to or all of the people who said the wrong thing to you; all of the people who discounted you and made you feel worthless. They cling to your back and gnaw away at your soul while hanging there.
I think that’s why Jesus does offer us at least one thing to carry around while out
proclaiming the Kingdom of God. This thing is very light. It is God’s peace. “Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you.” Notice how fascinating God’s peace is. Not only is it a gift that you can give anyone you encounter, but it is a gift that you can continue to carry even if you have been rejected or scorned. Just because the people you encounter on the trail don’t want peace, doesn’t mean you have to live your life without it. God’s peace is powerful, if they don’t want it, take it back and keep it safe for someone who does. We don’t need to be carrying these unloving, uncaring morons on our backs; we really don’t! If someone tries to dirty up your spirit by unloading their own dirt on you, shake their dirt off of your feet! Don’t carry it around. It is way too heavy. It is “their” dirt after-all, you don’t need it. Shake those people off your back and enjoy the peace that passes all understanding.
“Do not carry anything you don’t need to take with you; it will only weigh you down,” this is a gift of grace for all disciples of Christ. God needs you to help proclaim release to those who are captive to their own messed up selves or who are held captive to an abuser. God needs you to help heal those who are hurting and feel hopeless. God needs you to show love to those who feel unloved. Take the gift of God’s peace and allow everything to drop from your back. God is going to have a hard time using you when you are weighed down. Carry nothing and God will use you for the kingdom.
Of course, at home you find all kinds of things you need. You need a book to read when everything gets boring. You need more than one change of clothes for Pete’s sake. How are you expected to sleep well without a cushiony sleeping pad? And the list of “needed” items slowly grows to a small pickup full.
Now I will freely admit that when I go backpacking, I can be trusted to bring way too much stuff. “Do not carry anything you don’t need to take with you, it will only weigh you down” are not words that I heed well. I lugged my 50 pound backpack up the mountain, full of its books that were never opened, full of its camera equipment that would have sent a wedding photographer into heaven, and filled with clothes for every single day of the trip. But, at least I didn’t carry a wrench.
“What the heck did you bring that for?” Clint exclaimed as Tim pulled out his full sized open-ended adjustable wrench. “We’re 15 miles back in the wilderness. There are no roads above 10 thousand feet. We are not going to be helping any stranded motorists out here! What were you thinking?”
Tim, being a motor head, could not imagine a time in his life when he wouldn’t need an open-ended adjustable wrench. I do have to say that at no time during our entire trip in the wilderness did we find any trees, rocks, or furry marmots who required adjustment with our open-ended adjustable wrench.
“Do not carry anything you don’t need to take with you; it will only weigh you down.” That is the number one rule of backpacking. Some people will even go as far as drilling holes into the handles of their toothbrushes so that they are not carrying the unneeded weight. The plus that you get with doing that, is that everything you own is hideous and full of holes. No one is going to steal it while you are off hiking to a distant and hard to reach lake. Taking anything extra is just a hindrance. It will burden you. It will give you a headache. It will unnecessarily give you something to worry about.
Reflecting on this scripture I have come to the conclusion that Clint would have loved Jesus as a backpacking companion. “Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road.” Jesus knows how to travel light; he chooses to carry nothing. And, he tells us to do the same. But, his advice does more than just ease the weight on our backs. If you were being sent out to do ministry on roads filled with bandits lurking in the shadows; carrying no purse, no bag, and no sandals just might save your life. I’ve know people jumped in the streets of the city for their nice sneakers; so this is pretty good advise. Things will weigh you down, and they will get in the way of your ministry.
This gets me to wondering: when a Christian does ministry to the poor and desires to share with them the idea that God releases us from bondage to stuff, how well do you think that will go over if we are weighed down by nice clothes and top of the line gadgets? “Do not carry anything you don’t need to take with you; it will only weigh you down.” These are words that cause me to stop and reconsider where my faith truly lies, because I have been know to carry around nice gadgets. I think that things often weigh me down. How freeing these words of Christ are. Be set free from your things. The more you have, the more you worry about loosing. Be set free from your stuff.
While lugging 50 pounds of useless equipment up sharp rocks on a steep trail, breathing too hard to talk to anyone else, with only yourself for company, you usually find that you are lugging around more than just stuff. When you have that much time alone, you have no choice but to deal with all of the people you are lugging around also. You know all of the people you have on your back; all of the people you said the wrong thing to or all of the people who said the wrong thing to you; all of the people who discounted you and made you feel worthless. They cling to your back and gnaw away at your soul while hanging there.
I think that’s why Jesus does offer us at least one thing to carry around while out
proclaiming the Kingdom of God. This thing is very light. It is God’s peace. “Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you.” Notice how fascinating God’s peace is. Not only is it a gift that you can give anyone you encounter, but it is a gift that you can continue to carry even if you have been rejected or scorned. Just because the people you encounter on the trail don’t want peace, doesn’t mean you have to live your life without it. God’s peace is powerful, if they don’t want it, take it back and keep it safe for someone who does. We don’t need to be carrying these unloving, uncaring morons on our backs; we really don’t! If someone tries to dirty up your spirit by unloading their own dirt on you, shake their dirt off of your feet! Don’t carry it around. It is way too heavy. It is “their” dirt after-all, you don’t need it. Shake those people off your back and enjoy the peace that passes all understanding.
“Do not carry anything you don’t need to take with you; it will only weigh you down,” this is a gift of grace for all disciples of Christ. God needs you to help proclaim release to those who are captive to their own messed up selves or who are held captive to an abuser. God needs you to help heal those who are hurting and feel hopeless. God needs you to show love to those who feel unloved. Take the gift of God’s peace and allow everything to drop from your back. God is going to have a hard time using you when you are weighed down. Carry nothing and God will use you for the kingdom.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Reflection On Luke 9:51-62
It’s the season for summer vacations. Families are packing up the cars with luggage, cloth folding chairs, tents, toys, water softeners, everything needed to make the vacation comfortable. Along with all of this, fathers everywhere are setting their minds on their destination. As I speak right now there are at least 1,000 fathers telling their children to, “Go to the bathroom before we leave because we are not going to be stopping.” As I speak right now there are another 1000 fathers telling their children that, “No, we will not stop to see the largest ball of lint…did I say we would stop to see the largest ball of lint?” As I speak right now there are another 1,000 fathers telling their children to "hold it for another 15 miles" because, “I said we are not going to be stopping.” Yet another 100 fathers are so focused on the road that they have not noticed the early demise of their pet parakeet in the back of the vehicle. These fathers have their destination in mind and nothing is going to dissuade or detour them from heading toward their destination.
With his destination in mind and the disciples packed in the backseat, Jesus is on the road. And, similar to thousands of fathers out there, he is set on his destination. His eyes are fixed on Jerusalem. He is not going to be taking any detours. And, “Yes Simon Peter, you are going to have to hold it for another 15 miles.”
Similar to every father out there, Jesus’ travel plans are constantly be threatened. Chances for detours are everywhere. An entire Samaritan village, men, women, and children all hanging out the windows of the packed car, speeds by and cuts Jesus off. “Step on the gas Jesus;” “Ride their tail…see how they like that;” “Follow them off the exit. I’ll roll down the window and hurl flaming balls of fire at their tires;” James and John shout in turn from the backseat.
“Get back in your seat, don’t make me come back there James. John, get your head back in the window, don’t make me stop!” Jesus’ narrowed eyes in the rearview mirror punctuate his harsh words. “You don’t take a detour just because someone has trampled on you. Turn the other cheek, don’t get distracted. We are on a mission of forgiveness here, we aren’t going to get detoured,” he teaches, eyes becoming gentler.
Soon, Jesus’ car is parked on the side of the road, still pointing towards Jerusalem, with the flashers on. No they aren’t broke down…you guessed it, he’s picking up hitchhikers. Typical Jesus move…he stops for the hitchhikers, but not for the bathroom. The hitchhiker peers through the window. “Going to Jerusalem? I’ll go with you to Jesus.”
"Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head," Jesus tells the man.
Having compassion on the baffled fellow, Peter chimes in, “He means we don’t stop to stay at hotels or even tent camping. We don't stop to go shopping. We almost never stop at all…except for hitchhikers,” Peter glares at Jesus feeling his bladder throbbing. “We don’t get detoured from our mission,” Peter finishes. Jesus pulls away and drives on.
Pulling off on an exit and stopping at the first farm on the right, Jesus hangs his scraggly beard out the window and says to a couple just getting into their car, “Hey, we’re going to Jerusalem. Follow me.”
That is his way you know. He always says “follow me.” He never says “worship me,” or “give me something for now and follow me at a more convenient time,” just “follow me.”
The couple looks at each other, seems to discuss (It’s his mesmerizing eyes that cause them to even discuss following in the first place), and, rolling down the window again the wife says, “We’re on our way to his parent’s funeral, we’ll catch you afterwards.
Jesus says, “Can the kingdom of God wait? Can forgiveness wait? Can loving a neighbor wait? Can showing an enemy what love looks like wait? You are telling me that helping someone who is starving can wait? You’re life is getting detoured. Set your eyes toward God’s kingdom instead.”
Further down the road they are again stopped. I shouldn’t say stopped, they are moving almost imperceptibly slow as Jesus talks to a guy on a riding lawnmower. James and John are trying to shove each other out the car window.
“Sure, I’ll come. Let me say goodbye first,” the lawnmower man says.
“There’s always something that comes first isn’t there,” Jesus points out. “Do you think we are going to make it to Jerusalem if you keep looking in the rearview mirror? The past is the past. What is behind is behind. How are you going to drive anywhere if you aren’t looking forward? How are you going to get to Jerusalem if you can’t see where you are going. Keep your eyes ahead, what is in behind is of no consequence. Follow me and your life will make sense.”
And with that, Jesus speeds up again, traveling toward Jerusalem.
And that was the way Jesus’ trip towards Jerusalem occurred. That was the way Jesus' trip towards forgiveness and new life occurred. He kept asking people to follow. Some would climb into the car. Bathroom breaks became more urgent as people’s bladders stretched from the weight of those sitting on their laps. Other people would promise to follow, but always put something else first. They always had something that they needed to wrap up first. You see, the thing these people didn’t understand was that, “the cure for the craziness of life isn’t to wait until we’ve got everything neatly packaged and put together, and then we have time to follow Christ. Rather, it is in following him that our life finally works and makes sense” (Schenck, Carl A., Lectionary Homiletics, June/July 2007, 48). The best you can do for the world and yourself is to turn your back on all that craziness and listen to the words, “Follow me.” Take the time to follow Christ Jesus on his trip toward forgiveness and a new way of life.
In addition, do not forget that the single greatest thing you can do for anyone else is to give the gift of invitation to follow with you. Stick your head out the window, invite them to drop the craziness of life that they've been carrying around, and tell them to follow along. The invitation to follow is always open. Jesus never turns away anyone who truly wants to go on the trip.
With his destination in mind and the disciples packed in the backseat, Jesus is on the road. And, similar to thousands of fathers out there, he is set on his destination. His eyes are fixed on Jerusalem. He is not going to be taking any detours. And, “Yes Simon Peter, you are going to have to hold it for another 15 miles.”
Similar to every father out there, Jesus’ travel plans are constantly be threatened. Chances for detours are everywhere. An entire Samaritan village, men, women, and children all hanging out the windows of the packed car, speeds by and cuts Jesus off. “Step on the gas Jesus;” “Ride their tail…see how they like that;” “Follow them off the exit. I’ll roll down the window and hurl flaming balls of fire at their tires;” James and John shout in turn from the backseat.
“Get back in your seat, don’t make me come back there James. John, get your head back in the window, don’t make me stop!” Jesus’ narrowed eyes in the rearview mirror punctuate his harsh words. “You don’t take a detour just because someone has trampled on you. Turn the other cheek, don’t get distracted. We are on a mission of forgiveness here, we aren’t going to get detoured,” he teaches, eyes becoming gentler.
Soon, Jesus’ car is parked on the side of the road, still pointing towards Jerusalem, with the flashers on. No they aren’t broke down…you guessed it, he’s picking up hitchhikers. Typical Jesus move…he stops for the hitchhikers, but not for the bathroom. The hitchhiker peers through the window. “Going to Jerusalem? I’ll go with you to Jesus.”
"Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head," Jesus tells the man.
Having compassion on the baffled fellow, Peter chimes in, “He means we don’t stop to stay at hotels or even tent camping. We don't stop to go shopping. We almost never stop at all…except for hitchhikers,” Peter glares at Jesus feeling his bladder throbbing. “We don’t get detoured from our mission,” Peter finishes. Jesus pulls away and drives on.
Pulling off on an exit and stopping at the first farm on the right, Jesus hangs his scraggly beard out the window and says to a couple just getting into their car, “Hey, we’re going to Jerusalem. Follow me.”
That is his way you know. He always says “follow me.” He never says “worship me,” or “give me something for now and follow me at a more convenient time,” just “follow me.”
The couple looks at each other, seems to discuss (It’s his mesmerizing eyes that cause them to even discuss following in the first place), and, rolling down the window again the wife says, “We’re on our way to his parent’s funeral, we’ll catch you afterwards.
Jesus says, “Can the kingdom of God wait? Can forgiveness wait? Can loving a neighbor wait? Can showing an enemy what love looks like wait? You are telling me that helping someone who is starving can wait? You’re life is getting detoured. Set your eyes toward God’s kingdom instead.”
Further down the road they are again stopped. I shouldn’t say stopped, they are moving almost imperceptibly slow as Jesus talks to a guy on a riding lawnmower. James and John are trying to shove each other out the car window.
“Sure, I’ll come. Let me say goodbye first,” the lawnmower man says.
“There’s always something that comes first isn’t there,” Jesus points out. “Do you think we are going to make it to Jerusalem if you keep looking in the rearview mirror? The past is the past. What is behind is behind. How are you going to drive anywhere if you aren’t looking forward? How are you going to get to Jerusalem if you can’t see where you are going. Keep your eyes ahead, what is in behind is of no consequence. Follow me and your life will make sense.”
And with that, Jesus speeds up again, traveling toward Jerusalem.
And that was the way Jesus’ trip towards Jerusalem occurred. That was the way Jesus' trip towards forgiveness and new life occurred. He kept asking people to follow. Some would climb into the car. Bathroom breaks became more urgent as people’s bladders stretched from the weight of those sitting on their laps. Other people would promise to follow, but always put something else first. They always had something that they needed to wrap up first. You see, the thing these people didn’t understand was that, “the cure for the craziness of life isn’t to wait until we’ve got everything neatly packaged and put together, and then we have time to follow Christ. Rather, it is in following him that our life finally works and makes sense” (Schenck, Carl A., Lectionary Homiletics, June/July 2007, 48). The best you can do for the world and yourself is to turn your back on all that craziness and listen to the words, “Follow me.” Take the time to follow Christ Jesus on his trip toward forgiveness and a new way of life.
In addition, do not forget that the single greatest thing you can do for anyone else is to give the gift of invitation to follow with you. Stick your head out the window, invite them to drop the craziness of life that they've been carrying around, and tell them to follow along. The invitation to follow is always open. Jesus never turns away anyone who truly wants to go on the trip.
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