Summer reading #3 God will be faithful!

The first 11 chapters of Genesis prove that Human beings are not capable of being faithful to God.  So starting in Genesis 12 it will be God who is faithful. He picks Abram and Sarai  (their names will change latter) to be the means by which God will show and work out God's faithfulness to the world.  We know nothing about them as this is the first place they are mentioned!   If you are enjoying reading the lesson via The Message here is the link for that version as well!



Genesis 12-13New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Call of Abram

 LASTMAN, Pieter Pietersz. Abraham's Journey to Canaan
1614

12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ² I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”^[a]

⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. ⁵ Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, ⁶ Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak^[b] of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. ⁷ Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, “To your offspring^[c] I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. ⁸ From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. ⁹ And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.

Abram and Sarai in Egypt

¹⁰ Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien, for the famine was severe in the land. ¹¹ When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know well that you are a woman beautiful in appearance; ¹² and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; then they will kill me, but they will let you live. ¹³ Say you are my sister, so that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared on your account.” ¹⁴ When Abram entered Egypt the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. ¹⁵ When the officials of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. ¹⁶ And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female slaves, female donkeys, and camels.
¹⁷ But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. ¹⁸ So Pharaoh called Abram, and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? ¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her, and be gone.” ²⁰ And Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning him; and they set him on the way, with his wife and all that he had.

Abram and Lot Separate

13 So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

² Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. ³ He journeyed on by stages from the Negeb as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, ⁴ to the place where he had made an altar at the first; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. ⁵ Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, ⁶ so that the land could not support both of them living together; for their possessions were so great that they could not live together, ⁷ and there was strife between the herders of Abram’s livestock and the herders of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land.
⁸ Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herders and my herders; for we are kindred. ⁹ Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” ¹⁰ Lot looked about him, and saw that the plain of the Jordan was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar; this was before the Lord had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. ¹¹ So Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward; thus they separated from each other. ¹² Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain and moved his tent as far as Sodom. ¹³ Now the people of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.
¹⁴ The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Raise your eyes now, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; ¹⁵ for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring^[d] forever. ¹⁶ I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. ¹⁷ Rise up, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” ¹⁸ So Abram moved his tent, and came and settled by the oaks^[e] of Mamre, which are at Hebron; and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 12:3 Or by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves
2. Genesis 12:6 Or terebinth
3. Genesis 12:7 Heb seed
4. Genesis 13:15 Heb seed
5. Genesis 13:18 Or terebinths

Some things to ponder:
1. Think of all the objections---maybe even make a list--all the reasons why Abram should NOT obey God when God calls him to leave everything behind.
2. Have you ever felt that God has called you to leave something behind?  
3.  How important is obedience in the life of faith?
4.  Were the promises that God made conditional or unconditional?
5.  What do you think of Abram's behavior in Egypt?  Was he faithful...or fearful?
6.  What do you think about Abram's invitation to give whatever land he wants to Lot?
7.  How are you generous with the gifts that God has given you? 
8. What is the BIG truth in these chapters of Genesis? 

Summer Reading #2 The Second Week in July

Week #2  Summer 2015

This week we have what traditionally has been called the story of the fall.  Do yourself a favor...empty your mind of all the things you think you know about this passage and just let the words read out loud sink in.   For example, no where is the snake associated with Satan, it is merely called 'more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made.'   If you enjoyed using The Message last week, here is a link to this weeks reading as well.  (The Message, Genesis 3)

Genesis 3 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The First Sin and Its Punishment

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” ² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; ³ but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’” ⁴ But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; ⁵ for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,^[a] knowing good and evil.” ⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

Cranach, Lucas the Elder, 1510  Adam and Eve

⁸ They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” ¹¹ He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹² The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” ¹⁴ The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
    cursed are you among all animals
    and among all wild creatures;
upon your belly you shall go,
    and dust you shall eat
    all the days of your life.
¹⁵ I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
    and you will strike his heel.”

¹⁶ To the woman he said,

“I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing;
    in pain you shall bring forth children,
yet your desire shall be for your husband,
    and he shall rule over you.”

¹⁷ And to the man^[b] he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,
    and have eaten of the tree
about which I commanded you,
    ‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
    in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
¹⁸ thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
    and you shall eat the plants of the field.
¹⁹ By the sweat of your face
    you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return.”

²⁰ The man named his wife Eve,^[c] because she was the mother of all living. ²¹ And the Lord God made garments of skins for the man^[d] and for his wife, and clothed them.
²² Then the Lord God said, “See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— ²³ therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. ²⁴ He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 3:5 Or gods
2. Genesis 3:17 Or to Adam
3. Genesis 3:20 In Heb Eve resembles the word for living
4. Genesis 3:21 Or for Adam

Questions to ponder:

1. Think about temptation for a moment. What is the source of temptation for Eve?  (the talking snake, the good looking fruit, the promise of wisdom, the command not to do something, the desire to be like God?)  What is the source of temptation for you?
2.  What truth do you think is being spoken about he two realizing they are naked and sewing fig leaves together?  I mean they've always been naked, nothing new here.  Do you think perhaps they now can 'see themselves' through a different/more unflattering lense?  
3.  I think verse 8 is one of the most deeply sad verses of the entire Bible.   What is different between God and Humanity after the eating of the fruit.   Fear has now been introduced.
4.  Thus the beginning of the "shame and blame" game!  What are the results of the blame/shame game?
5.  Think deeply about this:  What is the REAL sin (brokenness) in the story of Genesis 3?
6.  Is there anything heroic about Adam and Eve?
7.  What truth or truths do you think are being communicated in this story of Genesis 3?

Week 1 Summer Reading Genesis 1 (The First week of July)

Genesis 1

Here is our first reading for the Summer!  I recommend you also read this story from the Message version (follow link  The Message Version )

Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath

Pillars of Creation, Eagle Nebula, Hubble

1 In the beginning when God created^[a] the heavens and the earth, ² the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God^[b] swept over the face of the waters. ³ Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

⁶ And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” ⁷ So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. ⁸ God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
⁹ And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. ¹¹ Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. ¹² The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
¹⁴ And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶ God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. ¹⁷ God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, ¹⁸ to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
²⁰ And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” ²¹ So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” ²³ And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
²⁴ And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. ²⁵ God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.
²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make humankind^[c] in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth,^[d] and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

²⁷ So God created humankind^[e] in his image,
    in the image of God he created them;^[f]
    male and female he created them.

²⁸ God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” ²⁹ God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. ³⁰ And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. ³¹ God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 1:1 Or when God began to create or In the beginning God created
2. Genesis 1:2 Or while the spirit of God or while a mighty wind
3. Genesis 1:26 Heb adam
4. Genesis 1:26 Syr: Heb and over all the earth
5. Genesis 1:27 Heb adam
6. Genesis 1:27 Heb him

Some thoughts to ponder:

1.  What does Genesis 1 reveal to you about God?
2.  What does Genesis 1 reveal to you about creation?
3.   What does Genesis 1 reveal to you about human being?
4.   Thinking only about Genesis 1, are you surprised by anything about God, about creation, about Human Beings?
5.  Is there a 'truth' that Genesis 1 is trying to help us understand? (or is there more than one?).
6. What do you think it means when Genesis 1 says: "God blessed them" in regards to human beings?
7.  What does 'blessing' mean to you? 

Summer Reading....

So here is a little exercise in some 'spiritual' summer reading.  For each week of summer starting this Sunday June 28th I'm going to give you a passage of scripture to read.  Take as long as you like to read it.  Read it once, twice, three times if you want!  But read the passage looking for the Good News of God.  Pray before you read asking for the Holy Spirit to be present and if you can, read out loud!  Faith comes by hearing---not by reading!   So if you have a significant other, take turns reading together from the weekly scripture. 

I'll post the reading and some thoughts and commentary every Sunday morning.   And please leave some comments to let me know how it's going!

 

Here’s my list of Bible stories for your summer reading!

July

Week 1: Genesis 1  --the liturgy of creation

Week 2: Genesis 3  --The issues of trust

Week 3: Genesis 12-13 –God will be faithful

Week 4: Genesis 44-45 – Forgiveness

Week 5:  Exodus 1-2 – The birth of Moses

 

August

Week 6:  Exodus 3-4 –Reluctant Prophet

Week 7:  1 Samuel 17 – Fear and Trust

Week 8:  2 Kings 5 – healing and pride

Week 9:  Jonah 1 – 3 – Depths of God’s love

Easter Monday....a word about the Harrowing of Hell

Easter Monday....musings on the Harrowing of Hell.

Descent into Hell, Duccio, 1308

Christian doctrine and belief asserts that Jesus Christ 'descended to hell' in order to preach and proclaim the good news of God's love and mercy to those who had lived and died before his incarnation.   Hell of course is an interesting discussion: and one that often carries with it a lot of personal baggage.   But here the understanding of the church is not that those who lived before Christ were somehow being tortured in the afterlife, or in any discomfort.  The assertion was that they simply waited, slept as it were until the light of Christ would be revealed to them.  

Below is an excerpt from an ancient sermon, where Christ is explaining his presence to Abraham about his purpose in "hell."   I find it quite beautiful and while it should have been posted on Saturday....I thought it a descent Easter Monday thought.

"Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise.  I order you, O sleeper, to awake.  I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell.  Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead.  Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image.  Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated."

To this I can only say:  Amen!

EASTER SUNDAY---ALLELUIA!

“The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 
Luke 24.34















REMBRANDT Harmenszoon van Rijn The Ascension of Christ
1636

For all who wait.....Day 40 in Lent 2015 Saturday of Holy Week

Day 40 in Lent 2015  Saturday of Holy Week

"Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
    all you who wait for the Lord."  Psalm 31.24

Waiting is hard.  And yet waiting is so much a part of our culture that we even have rooms designated for this activity and lists that are generated solely for those who must wait.   This being said, I don't like to wait.  Maybe because I'm impatient--perhaps.  But I think the real reason I don't like to wait is that I'd rather be 'doing' something than just waiting.   Waiting sounds so, well, so passive.   It also means that I'm not in control of the situation and that is a whole other subject all together! 

GUERCINO The Dead Christ Mourned by Two Angels
1617-18

Here on the last day of Lent, situated between Good Friday and Easter Sunday all we can do is wait.   But our waiting need not be an invitation to do nothing.  No, this kind of waiting is ripe with expectation.  You see, we know that God will be faithful to God's promise.   We know that Jesus will rise from the dead and we know that tomorrow morning some women will go and find an empty tomb.   Knowing this our waiting is filled with preparation.  We are planning meals and worship schedules, we are getting out our Easter best and preparing for company that will join us to celebrate.   You see, when we wait with God, we wait with hope and that makes all the difference.

We who worship Christ are not naïve to pain, suffering and death.  We know that all these things exist and are the occasion for heartbreak and grief.  And yet, we also know that these things do not have the final word.  We are confident that even the deepest darkness will give way to the light of God's presence and that there is no denying the faithfulness of God.   So we wait....but we wait defiantly!  Our waiting is lived out not in rooms that make us comfortable but in lives that remain focused on what we know the outcome will be.  Our waiting stands by the old, old saying; It might be Friday (Saturday); but Sundays coming!   

A prayer for today:  "Dear Lord,  I ask that in all my waiting I might take courage that you are there and that nothing will be able to separate me from your love.  Amen"  

Behold the life giving cross.....Day 39 in Lent 2015 Good Friday

Day 39 in Lent 2015  Good Friday

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words."  Romans 8.26

Meditating on the cross of Christ can all to easily become a narcissistic enterprise into imagining that I can somehow feel what he felt or experience what he experienced.  The cross is awful--it's horrible.  It is public execution that is meant to shame and humiliate not only the offender but the family of the offender as well.  The mean spirit and mob morality of folks who have decided to scapegoat a particular individual are all well documented--it is unfortunately not rare in our day.  The cross is not meant for me to gaze upon and feel guilty; although this is what modern piety has turned it into.  No, the cross stands forever as a memorial to the triumph of God who through the cross shows a different way. 

What if love is ultimately the victor?  What if forgiveness is the answer to the plague of violence that we impose on each other?  What if Jesus truly is the King?  What if truth is found not in the power politics of Pilates expediency, but in the selfless giving of Jesus' life for the sake of the world?  

Come to this day in prayer.   But do me a favor, use your prayer time not to focus on you or your sin or your shortcomings....instead use this time of prayer to focus on God and what the cross reveals about God's nature.  May the Holy Spirit intercede for you as you contemplate the mysteries of faith. 

A prayer for today:   "Dear Lord may I see in your cross the love which you have for me and the whole world.  Amen."

In the business of feet....Day 38 Lent 2015 Maundy Thursday

Day 38 Lent 2015 Maundy Thursday

"For you are all children of light and children of the day;
we are not of the night or of darkness."     1 Thessalonians 5.5

On Maundy Thursday we remember Jesus giving us the sacrament of Holy Communion, the foot washing and the betrayal of Jesus.   John in his Gospel makes the point that as Judas was leaving to go and betray Jesus--it was night.  Night in John's Gospel especially is a vivid metaphor for all those things that run counter to God.   Judas of course goes out to betray Jesus at night, because he has been overcome by the darkness of this world.    This is not our lot!



BABUREN, Dirck van Christ Washing the Apostles Feet
c. 1616

Paul is convinced that we on the other hand are children of the light and children of the day!   This means that we are reflecting the life of Jesus in all that we do.  Since Jesus is the light of the world (John 8.12) so we are to reflect this light as we live in the fullness of his presence.  What does that mean.  First and foremost it means that we are to find the time to come to the family table.  To gather with the other people of God around the sacrament of Holy Communion and once again hear the words that this Jesus has been given for us!  Not just for our own salvation; but that we might participate in the salvation of the whole world through him!   

This happens when we follow his example of washing feet.  That is, to serve each other, and to find in service to the other the highest calling of the Christian life.  This reality gets shown in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats which suggests that the mystery of the incarnation (God come to us in Christ) continues to be lived out in the love that we show for one another.   Tonight at worship I'll undoubtedly talk about the sacrament and about what it means to come to the family table of our Lord; but I'll probably also call us back to the family business....we do feet.   That's what it means to be a child of the light. 

A prayer:  "Dear Lord, help us to let our light so shine before others that they might see you reflected in what we do.  Amen"

The Devil made me do it.....Day 37 Wednesday in Holy Week

Day 37 Wednesday in Holy Week

"And do not bring us to the time of trial,
        but rescue us from the evil one."   Matthew 6.13

Jesus offers us the Lord's prayer in two places, here in Matthew above and also in the Gospel of Luke.  The prayer is simple and to the point.  There is not a lot of fancy words or wasted window dressing; but Jesus invites us to get right to the heart and point of our communication: we give honor to God, we pray for God's Kingdom to come in our midst, we ask for our 'daily bread' which is those things we need for life and health, we ask for and pledge to live by the word of forgiveness and finally we ask to be saved from times of trial and to be rescued or delivered from the evil one (evil). 

GAUGUIN, Paul Words of the Devil (Parau Na Te Varaua Ino)
1892

I do believe that evil is real, and I'll also accommodate those who understand evil as being personified in a particular being; for it all points to the same reality that there are forces at work which are counter to the forces and intention of God.   In my experience these forces enter into the systems that manage our lives: politics, church, finance, industry, family and community.  They are subtle and often disguise themselves as a plea for some greater good.   But here is my test to see whether or not evil is a foot.  Does the solution, implication, direction counter the words of the Lord's prayer.  Does it take away the honor and sovereignty of God?  Does it work against the Kingdom of God as Jesus proclaimed it?  Does it keep others from receiving what should be their 'daily bread?'  Does it call for retribution rather than forgiveness?  

This is not perfect, but if things can't pass the "Lord's Prayer" test...well then I say to them, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen.

A prayer for today:  "Our father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen"

Do you see what I see..... Day 36 Tuesday in Holy Week Lent 2015

Day 36  Tuesday in Holy Week Lent 2015

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  John 14.6

Most of us know about Thomas and his moment of doubt or incredulity as the artists often say; but we often forget about this little encounter between Thomas and Jesus earlier in the Gospel.  Jesus has just promised his disciples that they will always be with him, and that in his Father's house their are many mansions, that is, plenty of room for all of them!  He then says, "and you know the way to the place where I am going."  To which Thomas responds, "Lord we do not know where you are going?  How can we know the way?"  To this we have Jesus response above.   Take a moment to reread those words and just let them settle into your heart.  Way, Truth, Life. 

We understand that in Jesus we have the fullest revelation of God that we will every encounter.  Jesus is God with us, and in his life, death and resurrection we come to know who God is and what God desires.  The words at the end aren't meant to keep people away, or somehow condemn folks who don't share our faith; they are meant to speak the truth.  To know Jesus is to know God.  To know God is to know Jesus.  For try as we might, there will never be a better way to understand God than to understand Jesus.  As we get deeper into the celebration of Holy Week, take a page from Pilate's script.  "Behold the man!" John 19.5  What do you see?   The Gospel of John hopes that you've come to see, the way, the truth and the life.

A prayer.  "Dear Lord, as we once again remember your passion during this holy week, help us to take the time to truly gaze at you and what you have revealed.  Amen."

Stand by me......Day 35 Lent 2015 Monday of Holy Week

Day 35 Monday in Holy Week  Lent 2015

"But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength"  2 Timothy 4.17a

"Just come and stand beside me, will you?"  The answer was yes, even though I didn't really have much to do with the incident, nor did I have anything pertinent to add.  But what this person needed was someone to stand beside them.  That is, to know that they had there in the presence of adversity a friendly face and someone who could be counted on for support, regardless of the outcome of the day.   Sometimes we just need to know that folks are standing with us, whether figuratively or literally.

Titian, 16th Century, Simon of Cyrene helping
Jesus carry the cross

I know in my own journey when I have felt the most vulnerable, the most dejected and disappointed, I have always reached out to folks and asked them to stand with me.  And it is amazing the strength and perseverance that comes from the knowledge that you are not alone.  How much more can we stand strong in the faith realizing that the Lord himself stands beside us and gives us strength.  These are the words of Paul to his young friend Timothy and they are important words for us to hear as well.  There is a promise that has been given to you in the waters of Baptism and one that will never wear out: the Lord stands beside you and will give you strength.   

Oh, that I might never forget this promise!  Thank you dear Lord for the gift of your presence!

A prayer:  "Dear God, remind me that I never stand alone, but am always in your presence. Help me to lean on your strength especially in my own times of weakness.  Amen."

Palm/Passion Sunday Lent 2015

Palm/Passion Sunday Lent 2015

As this Sunday is not a part of the days of Lent, it is the entrance to Holy Week.  Come to worship and walk with Jesus from the Mount of Olives where he'll be hailed as king, to the way of the cross were he will be sentenced to death, crowned with thorns, and enthroned on a cross. 

Hosanna!

What does he see in him..... Day 34 Lent 2015

Day 34  Lent 2015

"As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him."   Mark 2.14

Not exactly where you want to meet the Messiah of Israel; while working at the occupying Roman army tax booth in Capernaum.  Let's face it, Levi (Matthew) would have been hated by the townspeople.   He is not a spiritual up and comer and he certainly can be branded as a traitor to his people. Yet, Jesus calls him to follow.  In the Biblical story what comes next is quite fascinating.  They celebrate this new found friendship with a dinner at Levi's house.  Of course Levi has all of his friends there as well and this causes quite a scandal!  The Gospel tells us that 'many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples' at the dinner party.  This of course didn't go over well with the authorities. 

One of the most powerful portrayals in the film
Jesus of Nazareth by Zeffirelli.

What did Jesus see in Levi?   Then again, what does Jesus see in me?

I love what director Franco Zeffirelli does with this in his epic movie/mini-series "Jesus of Nazareth."  (Still the gold standard of Jesus films by my opinion).  He has Peter angry as a hornet that Jesus would call his enemy the tax collector to also be a disciple.  Peter will not go to the dinner party at Levi's house, but after an agonizing evening of personal struggle he shows up at the entrance to the door.  Jesus seeing him, tells those gathered that he wants to tell them a story, and he proceeds to tell the parable of the "Prodigal Son."  (Remember two brothers, one had strayed away and was welcomed home and the older brother was angry because he didn't think the younger one deserved mercy).  After telling the story, Peter in tears embraces his former enemy.   A truly powerful scene. Watch it if you can:  Jesus of Nazareth link

What did Jesus see in Levi---the power of reconciliation, of forgiveness and new life.  What do we see in others?

A prayer:  "Dear Jesus, help me to see in others what you see in me.  Amen"

Go ahead and be great.....Day 33 Lent 2015

Day 33  Lent 2015

"Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”  But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest."  Mark 9.33-34

woman pilgrim at Capernaum in the Holy Land

Here we are at the second of Jesus' passion predictions--he's just told the disciples that he is headed for a cross and all the anguish that will follow.  And what is their reaction?  They get into an argument about who is the greatest in their midst.  The disciples just sometimes don't get it---and neither do we.  We go around convinced that everything is a competition and that we have to at least make a pretty good showing, if not be the greatest ourselves.  Now, hear me, this has nothing to do with 'pride of workmanship' or of 'doing your best.'  No, the disciples here are arguing purely about status and especially about status vis-à-vis the position of the disciple standing next to him! 

But what I find interesting is that Jesus doesn't condemn them for their conversation.  I would have thrown down a little hellfire and brimstone myself; but thank goodness I'm just in sales and not in management.  No, Jesus sees this as a great opportunity to talk about greatness.  He doesn't seem phased by the idea at all.  In fact, he gives them a clear and direct answer.  "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”  Mark 9.35. 

Probably not what the disciples were expecting.  For Jesus being great has nothing to do with status, but with actions on behalf of the neighbor.  And truth be known we could all probably benefit from a little attempt at being great. 

A prayer:  "Dear Jesus,  I ask this day that you might give me the strength to be great without the ego of status.  Amen."

It's not all for you.....Day 32 Lent 2015

Day 32  Lent 2015

"When you beat your olive trees, do not strip what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow."  Deuteronomy 24.20

The Gleaners, Jean-François Millet, 1857

We no longer live--most of us--in the agriculturally driven society of the ancients; but we still have something to learn from their wisdom.  You see back then if you had an orchard, a field, a vineyard you were required by God to not be overly efficient!  What I mean by this is that those who were most marginalized and in danger of being exploited  (the foreigner, the orphan, the widow), those who had no one to look out for their best interests, were to be remembered at the time of harvest.  They were to be allowed to go and glean from the fields that which they needed to survive.  That is you didn't harvest everything, nor did you try to maximize your profits to the point of forgetting your obligation to provide for others.   Ruth, a very important figure in the history of the faith, and ancestor of Jesus, had to rely on the goodness of this practice as she was a foreigner and a widow living on the edge of subsistence. 

Most of us no longer have vineyards and orchards from which the most vulnerable can come and receive; but we do have income, skills and time that should fall under the same ordinance of God in regards to caring for the last and the least of these.  Why?  Partly because it is a good exercise in gratitude.  When we convince ourselves that every olive, every grape, every penny and every dollar solely belongs to us, then we have begun traveling down a road of ingratitude and greed that will lead to hardened hearts and misery.   Wealth is not bad, but what it can do to the soul is terrifying.  

So today I want you to be a tither.  You should tithe on all your income (give 10% on behalf of God's work in the world...it's actually fun... my family does this and we have yet to miss a meal).  But alas, this might just push you over the edge, so today I want you to tithe on what you make for one day.  So if you make $50,000 a year, that comes to $137 a day, so I want you to give away $13.70.  If you make 25K then cut that in half.  If you make a 100K then double it!  But whatever you do, give it to help the foreigner, the orphan, the widow, the homeless, the destitute, the sick, the forgotten....I don't really care who you give it to, but give it away!  Now that you've become a 'tither' for a day...I wonder if you could do it for a week, a month, a year, a lifetime....otherwise your not only beating your Olive trees but stripping them as well.

A prayer: "Dear Lord, guard me from the evils of greed and help me to enjoy what you have given, even as I give.  Amen."

A tale of the loving father....Day 31 Lent 2015

Day 31 Lent 2015

"But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him."  Luke 15.20b

MURILLO, Bartolomé Esteban Return of the Prodigal Son
1667-70

Tonight at evening worship we'll have the last of our Lenten parables which will be the so called "Prodigal Son."  It will come as no surprise to those who have been with us during these Lenten midweek worship opportunities that this is just one more misnamed parable.  The story is not about a prodigal/lost son; but about a loving merciful father.

What I always find so interesting in the parable is the little speech that the son is putting together in his head in anticipation of his upcoming meeting.  He has confession, regret, even his own punishment all figured out; but the old man, well, he doesn't care.  He doesn't care about anything other than the fact that his son was lost and has been found, was dead and is alive again.  Here I think is the real power of forgiveness.  Forgiveness dares to no longer defines a person (ourselves) by the past events; but by a future that is open to new growth, new bonds, and new opportunities. 

So take a lesson from the story of the loving father: if there is a particular moment of guilt, of shame, of remorse that you keep carrying around and conveniently use as a stick to beat yourself up about, put it down.  God doesn't care about your past, only the present.  And today, God would simply like to throw his arms around you in love and say, "Welcome home."

A prayer:  "Dear Lord, so often we carry within us burdens that you have long called us to leave behind.  Give us the courage to lay them down and to run into your arms.  Amen."

Life after birth .....Day 30 Lent 2015

Day 30 Lent 2015

"If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s."  Romans 14.8

Death.  I have to tell you that I'm not afraid of death, but I'm not looking forward to dying!  I think that sums up the feeling that many folks have.  We know what we have here on earth and the thought of leaving these things is, well, it's kind of depressing.  For me, it's not death that's depressing but the 'opportunity cost' that death represents.  To not be there as my family navigates the joys and trials of life---will that is sad.  And in the case of life that is taken way to soon, it is again the opportunity cost of 'unrealized potential' that I mourn; what could and should have been. 

In Our Greatest Gift, Henri Nouwen tells a parable of faith and hope. He imagines twins–a brother and a sister–talking to each other in their mother's womb:   The sister said to the brother, "I believe there is life after birth." Her brother protested vehemently, "No, no, this is all there is. This is a dark and cozy place, and we have nothing else to do but to cling to the cord that feeds us."  The little girl insisted, "There must be something more than this dark place. There must be something else, a place with light where there is freedom to move." Still, she could not convince her twin brother. 

 

After some silence, the sister said hesitantly, "I have something else to say, and I'm afraid you won't believe that, either, but I think there is a mother."  Her brother became furious. "A mother!" he shouted. "What are you talking about? I have never seen a mother, and neither have you. Who put that idea in your head? As I told you, this place is all we have. Why do you always want more? This is not such a bad place, after all. We have all we need, so let's be content."

 

The Christian life is lived between the sister and the brother in this mythical womb.  We are at once to be content and fully present in the gift of the moment; nevertheless we are also to be those who realize that there IS a 'mother' out there and that this present reality is only a foreshadow of what is to come.   So Paul has it right, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's--and that is the most important thing of all!

 

A prayer: "Dear Lord, may we live content in what you have given us; while being hopeful of that which is to come.  Amen"

Get up and go..... Day 29 Lent 2015

Day 29  Lent 2015

 "So Abram went, as the Lord had told him..." Genesis 12.4a

These first three words are really quite amazing:  So Abram went.  Really, at the age of 75, leaving the comforts of home and hearth, he strikes out from the family estate at Haran into the wilderness of the unknown.  Lot, his nephew goes with him, as does Sarah his wife; but they are all heading into an unknown future with very little security, besides that of faith.

Pieter Lastman, Abraham's journey, 1614

Now Abram (or Abraham as he'll later be called) was not perfect and he certainly had times of doubt and confusion, nevertheless you have to give him credit for the shear guts it took to set out that day solely because he believed it was what God had told him.  

Indeed, Paul will reflect on the faith of Abraham as he describes the very nature of the Christian life.  The Christian doesn't have it all figured out and certainly doesn't know where it is that God might be leading; but the Christian dares to trust that God is good and that God will not leave us abandoned.  Sometimes parts of the journey seem 'Godless' but when traveled through the lens of faith we are able to press on with the hope that even these 'Godless' patches will be the route by which God is at work in and for us.   

Be brave!  Be strong!  Be bold!  Where is it that you think God might be telling you to go? 

A prayer:  "Dear Lord, you call us just like Abraham to follow you.  Show us the way that you would have us go and give us the courage to get there!  Amen"

The Fifth Sunday in Lent 2015

The Fifth Sunday in Lent

While Sundays are not a part of the 40 days, they are an important part of our Lenten discipline.  

Today we hear the Gospel from St. John:  23 Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

What does it mean to follow Jesus?  Does he really mean hate?   What happens when a seed is sown (buried) into the earth?  What are the signs of growth in your life?

A prayer:  "Dear Lord, help me to follow.  Amen"

Come out, come out where ever you are..... Day 28 Lent 2015

Day 28  Lent 2015

"Truly, you are a God who hides himself,
    O God of Israel, the Savior."   Isaiah 45.15

The Crucifixion by Antonello da Messina
1475.   I think he captures the "hiddenness."

The hiddeness of God is something that is near and dear to Lutheran Theology.  We often speak of it as the "Theology of the Cross" wherein God is present and at work often times in those places where it seems most unlikely for God to be found.  It spells over into the fact that God in Christ seems to be found in those things which are opposite of what we would expect: God is present in the serving of others, in suffering, in darkness, in weakness, in lastness and leastness and even on the cross.  This is a holy mystery; but nothing new!

The passage above from Isaiah is spoken in the context of God claiming Cyrus the Great (A Persian Gentile emperor) as God's messiah (anointed) and how it is that God will be at work through him.   This is not what the people expected.  God shouldn't be found in a gentile king, but within God's own people...I mean we have a contract of sorts!  What could God be thinking?   Ah, yes, 'your thoughts are not our thoughts' O Lord!  Isaiah will remind us of this in just a few chapters.

Don't assume that God is not present, often God is hidden, to be seen only through the eyes of faith and the assurance of hope.   Look for the hidden God in all that you do and you just might be amazed to discover that God is in the most unusual places--and people!

A prayer:  "Dear God, we certainly don't see the world as you see it!  Help me to see you at work even in the hiddenness of your presence!  Amen"

In the world and loving it! Day 27 Lent 2015

Day 27 Lent 2015

 "I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one."   John 17.15

Here in John 17 Jesus is praying what scholars call his "High Priestly Prayer."  That is Jesus is acting in the role of priest and praying for all his people--including us!  This is an amazing thing to ponder.  Christ praying for us.  And the prayer that Christ prays is telling.

So many Christians have been duped into thinking that the plan of God is ultimately about the 'great escape' from this world and that the best way we can prepare for this rip roaring grand exodus is to cluster ourselves together in safe havens of holiness.   But that is not the plan.  Fear is not the plan.  Isolation is not the plan.  We are called to be out in the world, to let our light shine and to be doers of good on behalf of the God we love and serve.   
Jesus is not naive to the power of evil and to the temptations that face us all; but he seems to be confident that God is more than capable of protecting us from the assaults of the evil one while we go about witnessing to the love of God in Jesus Christ.   I know sometimes it seems like the bad news is winning, and it would be easier to just give up, to punt, to hunker down and disengage.  Don't.   For God has placed us in the world and we have work today...confident that God will protect us from all evil.   

A prayer:  "Dear Lord, what power is greater than your love?  Help me to remember this as I do my work in the world.  Amen"