Callahan's Devotions

I. Am. Still. Waiting.

2010-11-28T21:57:00.001-08:00

I. Am. Still. Waiting. Here again another Advent season begun, its commencement marking not only a prelude to the celebration of Christmas but also to the anniversary of my birth. And I am still waiting.

Here's the thing: When I first thought about the fact that I am still waiting for so many things, not least of which is the coming of Jesus Christ, I thought that I would really be posting an extended lament or at least a complaint, possibly a rant. I thought I would be more in the frame of mind to be saying "I can't believe that another year has come and gone and all these things still haven't happened." But at this moment, that's not how I feel at all. I feel like celebrating.

I AM STILL WAITING. I haven't given up on any of it. I am still hopeful. Still faithful. Still optimistic. Still determined. Still alert. Still watchful. My ears still perk up at the sound of approaching footsteps. My heart still skips a beat when someone or something new surprises and delights me. My eyes still tear up with joy at the very thought when we sing "O I Want to See Him." I still love love songs.

God knows that I have had some moments between November 2009 and November 2010 when I have considered quitting. But thinking about quitting and quitting are not the same thing. Despair ultimately has not won the day. I am still waiting.

And the longer I wait the stiller I am.

Remembering Dr. Dorothy Height

2010-04-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

One of the things I learned being raised by and among church-going black folks is that often when you don’t know where to start, the best thing to say is “I thank the Lord for being here.” Yes, indeed, I thank the Lord for being here is the very best way to begin my reflections on the experience of the past two days, when I was privileged to attend the celebrations of the life of Dr. Dorothy Irene Height. I thank the Lord for the unshakeable impulse to be in the number, present bodily with those who journeyed to Washington, D.C. to celebrate a woman who spent the overwhelming majority of her 98 years striving for justice, from the anti-lynching campaigns of the 1930s to the civil rights and women’s rights struggles. I thank the Lord for the resources of time and money, strength and energy, to make this pilgrimage. I thank the Lord for grace and favor embodied in friends and strangers who provided lodging, entrance, seats, and tickets.

I arrived in Washington by train at about 11 a.m. on Wednesday, 28 April 2010, with the plan to meet a relatively new friend who would provide both company and transportation for the memorial events. As soon as I got into the car, she decided that our day should begin with a trip to 633 Pennsylvania Avenue, the headquarters for the National Council of Negro Women, the site where Dr. Height had given so much of her labor. Although the building was closed, we arrived just at the time when Dr. Height's remains were to be transported from NCNW, where she had been honored the night before.

From the NCNW building, we journeyed to Howard University’s Burr Gymnasium where the members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. conducted the Omega Omega service, the final rite of passage to which every Delta is entitled, for Dr. Height. Dr. Height had served our sorority as the 10th National President from 1947-1956, and had in that period shepherded the organization into greater public service and institutional stability. Dorothy Height was herself an institution in Delta, dearly beloved and sought after, the very sight of her at a national convention or regional conference an important event.

Her service began promptly at 2 o’clock, under the leadership of the 24th National President, Dr. Cynthia Butler-McIntyre, with the eulogy being offered by the 16th National President, Dr. Thelma Daley. Other Past National Presidents offered reflections. Bishop Vashti Murphy MacKenzie, Delta’s National Chaplain, led the prayers.

There were many highlights of the service and many memorable moments. Particularly moving was the letter of tribute sent by the 11th National President, Dorothy Penman Harrison, who had been the National Treasurer when Dr. Height was President. She told the story of the purchase of Delta’s first headquarters building, including a humorous observation about the amazement of the realtor when three black women showed up to view the property and were able to write the deposit check for $1000 on the spot. Each speaker offered her own tribute to the dignity, determination, commitment, and fortitude of Dr. Height. Several commented on her indomitable spirit and boundless energy. All agreed that it was impossible to tell her no. The 19th National President Dr. Yvonne Kennedy offered one of the many quotable statements: “All Deltas are smart. Dorothy Height was brilliant.” Interspersed in the service was the musical offering of a quartet from the Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter, three of whom I am proud to say are my line sisters. Their harmonies, like the service itself and the woman it honored, were exquisite. Especially moving and fitting was the singing of “Grateful” as the violets were placed next to a portrait of Dr. Height by former Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman. Following the singing of the Delta Prayer, the service concluded with the combination of solemnity and buoyancy as the pallbearers removed Dorothy Height’s remains and the rest of us felt the inspiration and joy of knowing the impact that her life had made on Delta and on us all.

Dry Places

2010-02-20T18:54:00.001-08:00

Psalm 42

If it weren't for the honesty of the psalmist I might not admit how dry I sometimes feel, how dry I feel even today. I haven't always been spiritually dry. There have been moments, even seasons when, to paraphrase Jesus, rivers of living water have seemed to spring up from my own core. There are other moments and seasons, however, when it seems that all I have is the memory of water. And like the deer (and the psalmist), I am parched and panting.

The only thing worse than the dry season is to be taunted by the skeptic or the enemy in the midst of the drought. Bad enough when my heart secretly cries out to God "Where are you?" But sometimes my own question is echoed in the voice of the person or people who just don't mean well. "Where is YOUR God?"

There is a challenge too, though, in the psalm, an internal stubbornness that repeats in verses 5 and 11 as the psalmist speaks to himself and gives me words to speak for myself. "Why are you so disquieted?" At first, the answer seems obvious. After all, the whole psalm speak of difficulty and trial and the absence of any visible sign that God is on the case. That would be a good reason for a soul to be disquieted, right? Yet by asking the question the psalm seems to suggest that the reality of dryness and the season of drought are not necessarily reasons for anxiety, or dis-ease. And it strikes me that this may be the very lesson that the Lenten wilderness journey is designed to teach. I can be panting and hopeful simultaneously. I can be parched and praising at the same time. And there's no better place to learn that than in the desert.

Day Two - Guest Post by Reverend Charisse R. Tucker

2010-02-19T15:26:00.000-08:00

I didn't write yesterday, but Rev. Tucker did. Enjoy. Click here Ashes - Prelude to Outpour

Ash Wednesday 2010

2010-02-17T19:25:00.001-08:00

Psalm 51

I'm not really sure how it happened but Ash Wednesday sneaked up on me. I have been thinking about it for weeks, pondering how I would lead our congregation into the season of Lent and what I would give up and take on for the sake of the faith (and for my diet), but somehow I woke up this morning and I was not ready. No ashes for the heads of the faithful. No sermon for the service. And no energy. All I had was this J. Moss song in my head. Click here to listen to the song.

It turned out that the message of that song was the whole point - not my planning, not my pondering, not my preaching. The message of Ash Wednesday, present in the Psalm and in the song, is that we need God to pour out God's mercy. And just as the day caught me unawares, sometimes the level of my need for God's renewal and God's mercy hits me. It's not the first time I realized I need the Lord, but the awareness is so powerful that it almost feels like it's the first time. So, I pray "Have mercy on me, O Lord" - again.

Bow Down

2009-12-16T23:13:00.000-08:00

Revelation 4:1-11

In college, probably at the beginning of my radicalized black consciousness phase, I read the Autobiography of Malcolm X. Unlike many of my peers, however, I read it as a practicing Christian, and found most arresting Malcolm's description of his conversion. I was especially moved by his description of the first time he knelt in prayer. He said, "The hardest test I ever faced in my life was praying." Then he continued, "I had to force myself to bend my knees. And waves of shame and embarrassment would force me back up. For evil to bend its knees, admitting its guilt, to implore the forgiveness of God is the hardest thing in the world. It's easy for me to see and to say that now. But then, when I was the personification of evil, I was going through it. Again, and again I would force myself back down in the praying-to-Allah posture. When I was finally able to make myself stay down - I didn't know what to say to Allah."

Actually, it's not enough for me to say that I found Malcolm X's testimony about his conversion to Islam moving or even compelling, I found it convicting. The change he experienced made me question my commitment and then recommit to the discipline of my own faith in Jesus Christ. His testimony also made me more conscious of my need to bow down.

Little about the book of Revelation is straightforward or easily accessible, but all of its images are evocative. Everything it shows us makes us think. Note the transition in today's lesson, marked by the opening of heaven's door. The earlier chapters have been discussing the current activities of the seven churches, but beginning with chapter four we glimpse the activity taking place in a realm beyond our natural sight. This spirit realm is a place of brilliance and majesty, with thrones and gems and angelic hosts, with thunder, lightning, and flashing torches. There is One great Being who sits on the throne. There are 24 elders who wear crowns but in the presence of the One who sits on the throne, they cast their crowns down. Not just their crowns, though. They cast themselves down too, and fall down before God's majesty.

I needed the reminder when I was in college, and I am thankful for the reminder today to bow down. While I know that prayer is not simply about posture, I also know that where we put our bodies and how we configure them indicates and shapes what's going on in our minds and spirits.

Holy, holy, holy the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come.

Signs that Point to the Unexpected

2009-12-15T20:47:00.000-08:00

Matt. 24:32-44 (NRSV)

32 'From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates 34Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 36'But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming 43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

For me, a central element in the commemoration of the Advent season is learning to expect the arrival of the thing I cannot imagine at the time when I cannot imagine it. After all, we are talking about the coming of the Lord here. And God is nothing if not unpredictable. If our eyes could see, ears hear, or hearts imagine what God is up to, then we... well, we'd be God.

Listen to the competing images in the section of scripture for today's reading. The lesson of the fig tree is that there are signs that point to the change that's coming. The lesson of the thief is that some events are by their very nature unexpected. So, in Advent, I guess what we are looking for are the signs that God is up to something. And since we know that because what God does always disrupts the normal and mundane (cooking, eating, working, sleeping), we might as well get prepared for the shock of it. Everything will be normal until it isn't.

Be ye also ready.

I See You

2009-12-14T19:26:00.000-08:00

Revelation 3:7-13

When I was a child there was a television show for preschoolers called Romper Room. I remember almost nothing about the show. I do not remember any of the stories or skits. I don’t even know whether it, like Electric Company and Sesame Street, had an educational theme. What I remember is that at the end of the show, the host would take a mirror in her hand and the mirror was magic. As she looked into it, she would say, “I see ....” and then begin randomly to call out children’s names. I was not young enough to believe that she could actually see me in her mirror through the television, but I still loved to hear my name called, especially since my name is not Jennifer or Mary. “I see Leslie.”

Although I know that the Philadelphia of the text is not the Philadelphia where I make my home, there is something about having our name called as the name of one of the seven churches. There is something greater still about knowing that the same God who knew that Philadelphia church's works also knows ours. Now it is not lost on me that the fact that God knows our works can sometimes be disturbing and frightening, since not all of our works are good. Still, I am rejoicing that God really does see us. More than simply seeing us, though, God makes promises to us - an open door, a vindication of our cause, a conquering life, a new name. Hold fast, Philadelphia church, so that no one takes your crown.

Let anyone who has ears hear.

Rejoice Again

2009-12-13T19:11:00.000-08:00

Rejoice Again
Zephaniah 3:14-20 (with Philippians 4:1-7)

Again I say, Rejoice!

All around us there are announcements of joy. The most striking came to me in my inbox of a few days ago, presented as an equation: $30 off plus free shipping equals joy. I'm not going to tell you the name of the store because our thinking has become so commercialized, so commodified, so distorted that if I name the store you might actually get distracted with your lists of shopping duties. Joy, rejoicing, cheer. ‘Tis the season to be jolly Fa la la la la. Have yourself a merry little Christmas.

Don’t think I have to tell you but that’s not joy.
Anything I can buy on the internet, wrap in a package, tie up in a bow, or try on in a dressing room is NOT joy.
And to the extent that our rejoicing in this season or in any season is rooted in or predicated on or even facilitated by a credit card our joy will of necessity will be short-lived and tied to interest rates, credit limits, and late fees.
If you have to wash it, fold it, dry clean it, paint it, then it's not joy.

Told Bible study group that I have long since given up on Christmas and traded it in for Advent, in part because I’m tired of FAKE JOY. The season of Advent does not offer us fake joy, no chestnuts roasting, no mistletoe, no reindeer, no revelry that we do not mean and can ill afford.
Does not ask us to pretend that everything is already all right.
Does not ask us to spend more than we can pay for.
Does not ask us to compete with our relatives for who can buy or get the best gift.

And even when it asks us, commands us, dares us to rejoice it does so against the backdrop of the truth of our lives (that all is not well, that every part of us is not yet saved), the truth of our families (that they are all in their own way dysfunctional), and even the truth of our churches (that Eudoia and Syntyche, those precious and useful sisters in the ministry, need to learn how to get along - to be of the same mind in the Lord). Again, I say anyway, St. Paul’s REJOICE.

Zephaniah’s prophecy is grounded in a real time and place - lengthy superscription at the beginning of the book of the prophet - the son of the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah. Real prophets speak to real times and real places and real issues and real hurts and real violations and real dangers. Yes, real prophets and poets speak to their own REAL times.

Yet when we read the words of chapter 3, they sound like they could be any time and any place.
Yes its words of disaster/condemnation could have been written at any time to any soiled, defiled, or oppressive city.
Not all officials are roaring lions all of the time, but at any given time in any city you'll find some who are.
Not all judges are evening wolves that leave nothing until the morning, but at any time in any city you'll find some who are.
In any time and in any city, you can find prophets who are reckless, faithless persons.
And although there are some who honor the holiness of God and the wholeness of the people, in any given city you can find some priests who have profaned what is sacred and done violence to the law.
But the LORD within it is always righteous; God does no wrong. Every morning the Lord renders judgment, each dawn without fail; but the unjust knows no shame.

What I love about Advent, about the Scripture, about God, about Jesus and his story is that the REJOICING that elicits, commands, and dares is the joy that can speak the truth to us and about us.
In Jesus' story a YOUNG WOMAN has a pregnancy miraculous and inconvenient
In Jesus' story YOUNG MAN doing the right thing still ends up perplexed
THE BABY Jesus is watched over both by angels and by mooing cows
THE Christ CHILD is identified by the traveling star and visited by foreign princes bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh
But he also lies swaddled but in a manger with hay among animals and all they come with them
He was our hope, our peace, our strength, our salvation, our JOY  AND we didn’t know who he was.
I'm saying that the Joy of the Bible is always complicated.

In Zephaniah the Lord speaks to the soiled, defiled, oppressive city and declares that there is coming a time of judgment. Advent is about judgment. We believe that nations, individuals, and congregations will assemble and will have to give an account. Advent is our opportunity to get ready for that day!

And just when you think that everything is only what we thought it was/saw it was then v. 14 speaks to us.
Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem. The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the LORD is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.
That is the reality that we celebrate on this morning.
I say rejoice! Again rejoice
In the midst of the worst that we are - THE LORD IS
In the midst of the worst that we do - THE LORD IS
In the midst of the worst that is done to us - THE LORD IS

Even in the midst of the travesty and the agony that was/is the cross - THE LORD IS
The Lord was in the midst of the city of Jerusalem when they took Mary’s sweet baby and right before her eyes mocked him and spat on him and flogged him and lied on him and executed him. God was also in the midst of the tomb raising Jesus from the dead. And the Lord is in the midst of us.
Again, I say, Rejoice.

Some years ago during a time when our church was singing the chorus "This is the day that the Lord has made" one of the toddlers did what children do and mis-heard what we were saying. He began singing, "This is the day that the Lord has Me; I will rejoice and be glad in it." And then he sang, "This is the day that the Lord has mommy," and so on, adding all the people he loved to the song he sang about God's love. And although he was not singing the words to Psalm 118:24 correctly, he was singing the truth. The reason we rejoice is not because of what we have but because we know that God has us. This is the day that the Lord has me; I will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has us; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

And again I say, Rejoice!

Who(m) Have I Hindered?

2009-12-10T19:36:00.000-08:00

Matthew 23:13-26

What I love about the season of Advent is that it challenges us to examine ourselves and recognize the need we have for the coming of Christ. It pushes us beyond the trite and traditional -way beyond the commercial - emphases of the world around us. Occasionally, it asks us questions that stun us, such as the one the arises from the reading of our text today: Who have I hindered? (My cousin reminded me that grammatically this should read "whom" but that is not what I would say if I were talking to myself.)

Jesus in this passage offers the most strident condemnation of the religious leaders in his community, charging them with locking others out of the kingdom of heaven even as they themselves refuse to enter. It's not surprising that he accuses them of stubbornly refusing to live in the reality of God 's reign. After all, they have consistently rejected Jesus and his teaching. What is stunning is Jesus' statement that they "lock people out of the kingdom of heaven." Because they are leaders and teachers, when they refuse to enter the kingdom, they also keep others out. Their wrong has communal, not just personal implications and consequences. Jesus continues that their unbelief is virulent as they make converts of their way, actually converting others to the hell they are destined for.

Especially around the Martin Luther King holiday many soloists will strike up one of Dr. King's favorite hymns "If I Can Help Somebody." That hymn reminds us of our responsibility to assist others in finding the right way. Today, the scripture calls us to examine whether we have made converts in the other direction. When and where have our personal failings had communal consequences? Where has our hypocrisy, inconsistency, stubbornness, and wrongheadedness caused someone else to fall? Yes, I want to know whom I have helped, but I'm afraid to ask whom I have hindered. Lord, have mercy.

Practice and Teaching

2009-12-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

Matthew 23:1-12

I decided that in advance of my "big" birthday, I would get a personal trainer. She has been torturing me.... I mean, we have been working out together for a few weeks now. There is much to like about my trainer but two things stand out. First, when I look at her I can tell she practices what she teaches. Although she is old enough to be my mother, the shape she's in makes me want to be just like her when I grow up. Second, she demonstrates every move she wants me to do. Not only does this reinforce proper form, helping me to imagine what the exercise should look like, it also reinforces the sense that if I want to be like her then these are the very practices I should engage in.

The text for today concerns teachers who did not practice. The Pharisees were fond of holding the position of teacher and dressing the part, sitting in the seat of the professor and wearing the gown, but they were completely inept and out of practice when it came to living the principles they taught. And because they never actually had to shoulder the weights they piled on their students, they could be increasingly strict about what they said, even as they were increasingly lax about what they did.

Jesus as teacher couldn't have been more different from the Pharisees. He did not simply sit in Moses' seat, he lived out and fulfilled the law, demonstrating to his disciples and to us the proper form. He didn't add weight to his disciples' load while he gave himself a pass. He shouldered the full weight of the cross before he gave the assignment to others.

There is one more thing I like about my personal trainer and this training: I am beginning to see some results. As I follow her and do what she shows me, I am making progress. My prayer is that in Advent, I too will see some changes, not on the outside but on the inside.

That's It

2009-12-08T19:54:00.000-08:00

Matthew 22:34-40

I have always loved words. I like to read, to talk, to write, to do word puzzles. I enjoy beautiful turns of phrase. I love sentences. And I especially appreciate the gift that some people have of summing things up, getting to the point. Give it to me straight; don't beat around the bush.

The teachers of the law who Jesus encountered in our text were known for their love of the sound of their own voices. They loved their own words far more than they loved the word of God, which is why when the Living Word was in their midst they hated him. By the time our reading begins in v. 34, Jesus has already silenced the questions of the Sadducees and the Pharisees are taking their turn in trying to stump Jesus. "Rank the laws," they challenge him, expecting him to begin rambling as they would have done. Jesus bests them by answering the question they didn't ask: How do all the individual laws work towards a larger purpose? Love the Lord with everything. That's first. Love your neighbor as yourself. That's second. That's it!

The Price of Freedom

2009-12-07T20:57:00.000-08:00

Revelation 1:1-8

Sacrifice is something that previous generations understood intimately. On this the 7th of December, we might remember the sacrifices of US citizens during the World War II era as soldiers went to war and those who were left at home experienced rationing and other deprivations. Everyone in that generation knew that there was a price for the preservation of freedom. One of the challenges that we have now as a nation at war is that we at home find ourselves so disconnected that the fighting doesn't seem real to us, unless we have a relative who is actually deployed. (For Bob Herbert's discussion of the particular impact on the children of those deployed, click here.) Even those who make the political decisions that lead to military action are unlikely to have sons or daughters whose necks will be on the line once the decision is made. The cost is so abstract for us, that we forget that there is a price.

The message of Revelation 1 is multifaceted, but it like the rest of the book is designed to reorient our thinking about the past, present, and future. The revelation or "unveiling" comes from God to the angel to John to the reader to the hearers to provide the blessing of insight that goes beyond human perception. And this first section about Jesus Christ is foundational to all of the rest of the discussion. Jesus is the faithful witness, the one whose record is true. Jesus is the firstborn from the dead, the one who creates the pathway for all of us to follow into eternal life. Jesus is the prince over all the kings of the earth, the one before whom all the governors and potentates of this world will have to bow.

But none of those titles struck me as much as the phrase that followed them: To him who loved us and freed us from our sins with his blood.... Forgiveness and freedom are never cheap, even though sometimes we live as if they are. The breaches and the gaps and the problems that our sins cause for us and for others are not easily washed away. Loving us and making a way for us to worship God in spirit and in truth cost Jesus his life. Now we live as a community, a kingdom of priests unto God. This is no light thing.

As we share in this season of Advent, celebrating his coming, today we remember that the one who was born as a baby died on a rugged cross and will return as ruler of all. We remember also that the freedom we have become of his first advent was not cheap.

I Want to Be Ready

2009-12-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

Malachi 3:1-4

With the first snow, or at least the threat of snow, came one of the annual winter rituals. In supermarkets all over the city, shoppers crowded lines and lanes stocking up, not necessarily because they believed the forecast but just in case. The meteorologist read the signs on the doppler radar and saw the signs of a snowstorm ahead. Why are you stocking up after hearing the reports? Not necessarily because I believe I will be snowed in; I want to be Ready. What I cannot understand is why we don’t stay ready. Winter comes around every year, and most years it brings snow.

The prophet Malachi, whose name means messenger acts as a kind of weather forecaster. His writings occurred during a time of restoration and rebuilding on one hand, and complacency and corruption on the other hand. The book of Malachi is designed as a series of statements followed by questions. It reads like a kind of argument between God and God's people in which the central question has to do with where divine justice and judgment are. This section of the book has come to be identified as a prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah and is taken up in the New Testament as a word about the coming of John the Baptist.

One thing is clear in the text: Eventually God always comes to claim what belongs to God. It seems that the corruption of the temple and the corruption of the worship have gone unnoticed by God, but things are not always as they seem. The prophet declares that God is sending a messenger ahead of God and that eventually God will come back and occupy God's temple. If you're waiting for justice, you hear this news with anticipation.

The question is Will I be ready? The Lord is, after all, like a refiner's fire and a fuller’s soap. Both refining and fulling have as their goal the removed of impurity. To refine silver and gold the refiner heats the metals to exactly the right tipping point to allow the impurities to burn away or be taken out. To full wool, the fuller uses special soap and often agitates the cloth in an effort both to cleanse and to thicken and strengthen it. In our lives, the Lord is really both the refiner and the fire, both the fuller and the soap. None of these processes is necessarily pleasant, but everything God does in our lives is purposeful.
The Lord who enters the temple come with his own tools for making it fit.

In Advent, let us hear anew the messenger and pray for our preparedness.

Justice

2009-12-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

Amos 5:1-17

When I was an undergraduate, one of the largest courses at the college was a course taught by Michael J. Sandel, a professor and political philosopher, whose lectures consistently packed Sanders Theater with wide-eyed young adults who were entertained by his challenge to us to define Justice. I have had occasion to think of that course in recent days because Sandel, a lot grayer and balder than he was in those days, has just published a book and is hosting a PBS series on the subject matter of this course that he has now taught for more than 30 years. But as I think of Justice (the name by which this moral reasoning course was known) I am disturbed to realize how marginalized thoughts of real justice are. They are pushed aside, just as the people whose lives most cry out for justice are themselves so often far from the center of our thoughts or deliberations.

The text in Amos startles me as I ponder this because of the degree to which its condemnations seem contemporary. I know the locations Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba are far removed from us. But the condition of hardened hearts unwilling to receive the correction of true prophets who speak the truth about greed, mismanagement, theft, and poverty - all of that is as true in the 21st century urban world we inhabit as it was in the 8th century before Christ, when the prophet's words first were written. Worse still, in our times we experience the same kind of spiritual numbness and hypocrisy that allowed God's people to feel justified even as they exploited their kin (you know, God's other children). The message of the text is that the Lord will pass through, and how terrible will the day of the Lord be for those who fail to heed the righteous claims of those who cry out for justice.

For too long, the church has vacillated between a commitment to personal salvation and a commitment to social justice. To treat these foci as if they are incompatible and competing is to miss the point that Amos screams. To seek God we must also seek justice for those made in God's image. And on this 5th day of our Advent journey, the demand to make justice central is not merely an exercise in political philosophy for the entertainment of adolescents, it is God's call.

Attention Getter

2009-12-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

Amos 4:6-13

There is a kind of chronic neurosis that long-time Christians often display: we look for the reason in everything. What I mean by that is that we look for the "cause" behind every difficult or inexplicable thing that happens to us or to people close to us. The danger of that attitude is best exemplified biblically by the incorrect but firmly held convictions of Job's friends that Job must have done something to merit the disaster his life had become. It's good to read Job so that we know that there may not be answers to why calamity comes upon us, but we need to read Amos 4 to remember that sometimes we need to ask the question.

The prophet Amos, whose oracles regarding the injustice and evil in the community have inspired prophets centuries and continents removed from his context, speaks for a God who sometimes tries to get human beings' attention. Hunger, drought, blight, pestilence, scarcity, war, devastation - all kinds of calamity in succession emerged to make the people stop and ask the question: Am I/are we living right? The God whom Amos quotes sounds almost perplexed, certainly frustrated at the hardness of the hearts and the dullness of the ears of people who should be able to recognize the signs of God's displeasure. "But you would not turn," God says almost incredulously.

As I read the text from Amos, my first inclination is to recoil from the image of a God who would withhold rain and send war. My own sense of justice is troubled by the certainty that in any national tragedy many innocents suffer, and I am disinclined to see God as the source. At the same time, something about this text speaks urgently to the individual and the community that has parted company with right and righteousness. We are not always innocent. And when we are wrong, what, if anything, can shock us enough to arrest our attention so that we can hear God say, "Repent"? When God snatches us like a brand out of the fire of our own or others' making, it's not always harmful to ask whether there's something God is trying to tell us.

Is God trying to tell you something? Is today's challenge God's way of getting your attention? Or not.

Happiness Is

2009-12-02T20:32:00.000-08:00

Psalm 119:1-24

Who doesn't want to be happy? I know if you ask the children in your family what they want for Christmas, you'll get a list for Santa that would break the parents' bank. And if we're honest, most of us adults when asked what we want can go on and on with everything including having a material/financial needs met, having our relationships restructured, having our employment more adequately remunerated. Bottom line: we'd give the kids a run for their money in making our lists. But wait, what about happiness? Oh... yeah... that. I think we think that if we get the rundown of our lists, then happiness surely will follow. I mean what's missing from our bank accounts, our ideal homes, and our work life is the sum total of what keeps us from being happy. Right?

The Psalmist wouldn't agree. By his accounting, happiness is actually knowing what is right (the Lord's precepts) and doing it. The people who know the Lord's law and who walk in God's ways, those are the happy people. They are the ones who are wiser than the years. They are the ones who are protected even under assault. They are the ones who have clear paths. They are the ones who live with consistency.

For many years, the Lord and I have been having an ongoing conversation in which I feed God my list of the things that will complete my life and fulfill my joy - legitimate longings and desires to have and be what I fantasize will make me happy. I am relentless in asking. And God's answer does not change: Trust me. Seek my face. Find joy and gratitude in the life you have. Watch it unfold. Be happy now. I guess Advent is time again to work on this.

No Easy Answers

2009-12-01T20:25:00.001-08:00

Psalm 10

There really is significant biblical precedent for questioning God. I know you would never guess it based on the conventional wisdom passed on through Sunday school lessons and sermons, but "Why" is very much a part of the faithful person's prayer lexicon.

Hear the Psalmist in the face of trouble asking God why God is on the sidelines instead of changing the course of the game. But don't rush to the end of the Psalm too quickly. Don't you do the disappearing act of hiding behind an affirmation of faith without fully exploring the painful space of "no easy answers." For a moment, let's just tell the truth. Doesn't it feel sometimes as if just at the moment when having an omnipotent God would be most helpful, God goes into hiding? I mean, you pray for a parking space and it appears almost like magic, but when you really need some help - poof, no God nowhere. All you see are the signs of your misery; all you hear are the taunts of the people who thought your faith was futile or silly anyway. What is there to say to God in that moment but "Why?"

This Advent journey does not promise easy answers to the whys and the whens of our lives. It doesn't even guarantee that by Christmas we'll be sure we know where the Christ child lays. What it does is to invite us to take our own questions seriously and to bring them in the raw honesty to the place of worship.

Help Me Make it Through the Night

2009-11-30T18:27:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 2:1-5

With all the emphasis that we place on individual piety, salvation, and holiness, we sometimes forget that this spiritual journey was never designed to be a solitary walk. When we are remade in Christ, we become parts of a whole body, members of a family, ambassadors and citizens of a kingdom. Our successes are not ours alone, and we are not the only ones who live with the consequences of our failures.

The future that Isaiah envisioned which provides our Advent reading for Day 2 occurs during a period of decline for Israel and Judah, symbolized in darkness. Yet the prophet imagined not only the restoration of the local and nationalistic fortunes of Israel and Judah, nor even just the reunion of these estranged family members. No, he imagines a restoration of universal significance, centralized in the image of light that comes from the mountain of the Lord. This new kingdom has a just sovereign who will make things right, making it safe for nations to retrofit their weapons and turn them into tools, and put war strategists permanently out of business.

But it's this last sentence that strikes a chord with me today as I spend time thinking about Christian community. "Let us walk in the light of the Lord." It's the message I think we're supposed to take from Advent. If we really catch the vision of the future that God promises, we can walk now in the light of it and encourage each other to do the same. Even if we're in the dark, if we can see the light ahead and continuously point it out to one another, we can make it through the night.

Love Letters

2009-11-29T16:25:00.000-08:00

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

I miss letters. Although I am fond of phone conversations, emails, and texting, I miss getting mail that is not bills. I miss seeing familiar handwriting on the envelope, the anticipation of hearing the news and reading the sentiments of those I love. I miss update letters - especially those that are individually written and not a form sent to everyone - telling me what I've missed since the last time we spoke. I miss make up letters, first steps to reconciliation. I miss love letters, missives that detail in writing and thus concretize emotions deeply felt. I miss letters. What I miss most about letter writing is the ability to run across the letter after months or years of not having read it and remembering again the emotions that the first reading elicited.

It is instructive, I think, to remember that the biblical books we describe with the technical word epistles are actually letters. They were in most instances written by an author and intended to be read aloud in a community to communicate the author's perspective, theology, and even emotions. Taken this way, the section from 1 Thessalonians that we read in this first Sunday of Advent is actually a love letter and a make-up letter. First, it comes from Paul, whose relationship with the saints at Thessalonica was tenuous, or at least so he feared. He tested the waters through his emissary Timothy and discovered that all was well. Hang in there, he wrote. I can't wait to see you.

Indirectly, though I am reading this and other Advent lessons as letters from a more intimate and much more deeply awaited source, that is, Jesus himself. Through Paul and sometimes through preachers, Jesus sends his message of love by emissaries, not because he doesn't already know where we stand but because he wants to reopen communication. He too is saying, "I can't wait to see you." And I hear him saying, "I am coming to see you." At once, I am elated and petrified.

Paul again steps in. If you want to be ready for your Beloved's appearance, then get your heart right. No need to fear. This is a love letter.

The Family Table

2009-08-13T20:26:00.001-07:00

A sermon preached at St. Paul's Baptist Church, 1000 Wallace St. Philadelphia PA 9 August 2009

The Family Table
John 6

  In the hustle and bustle of contemporary life, many of us hurry through everything, including our meals. We “grab” something and “wolf” it down in the midst of or while in transit to something else. More and more, this unhealthy behavior characterizes the eating habits of children as well as those of busy adults. Yet within the past several years, research has emerged that links positive outcomes socially, emotionally, and physically with the experience of regularly dining at the family table. Not only do children eat a more balanced diet, with more fruit and vegetables, but there is evidence that they are also less likely to engage in delinquent social behaviors when they sit down with their parents for bonding time at meals.  The article continues, "Just the act of eating together is on some level beneficial." (Click here for complete NY Times Article.)

The scenes of this entire chapter take place was by the Sea of Galilee, the site where Jesus had originally called some of his disciples and where he had attracted great crowds because of the miraculous signs that he performed on behalf of the sick.
The time was near the Passover feast, itself the family meal that commemorated God’s rescue of the Israelites from slavery. Spending time with his disciples, Jesus notices the crowds coming from the distance. The ever observant Jesus perceived the condition of the approaching masses and in it a teachable moment for his disciples. “Where shall we buy bread for the crowd that's on its way?” he asked his crew.

What followed was yet another demonstration of human limitation overcome by divine providence. Philip the questioning disciple focused on their limitations. Andrew looked at the situation with a different eye. He had taken account of the boy with a lunch. "I don't know what we can do with it, but there is a boy who has a lunch," Andrew said. By the end of the story, there was enough  and more than enough to feed all who took a portion until they had all that they wanted and were satisfied.  

What is striking about Jesus’ distribution of the resources is that he gave away nothing before the people sat down. Before he gave thanks, broke the bread, or distributed the fish, Jesus commanded that the great crowds come to rest. The lesson, of course, is one of obedience. The disciples cannot be used if they will not obey. In fact, they are not even disciples at all if they won’t FOLLOW. The crowds cannot be fed unless they accede to the command to sit down. We have but little distance to walk to discover that the satisfaction of the Christian life is elusive if we do not take heed to Christ’s voice.

But there is significance in the content of the command to be seated. In bringing order and quiet to those who would dine through his miraculous provision, Jesus instituted and presided over the family table, prefiguring the table he prepared at the Passover with his own broken body and shed blood.

Not long ago, President Obama invited two men who were having a very public, acrimonious dispute,Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Sergeant James Crowley, over to the White House for a beer. Let’s come together on common ground the president said. Let’s sit down at the table. Let’s look at one another and have conversation. Coming from different backgrounds and experiences, encountering on another first in the contentious context of mistaken identity - now let’s come together in table fellowship. The beer? Just a little something for attitude adjustment, a drink in common to bring us to a compatible level. Now you have to know that Gates and Crowley would likely never have come together for a beer or anything else on their own. But because the President called and invited them to the White House, they responded to the specialness of the President's invitation.

I hear the Savior say “I am the bread of life.” And while I wouldn’t mind an invitation to the White House to sit down to the table either inside the house or on the White House lawn. While I wouldn’t mind having a tomato plucked from the white house vegetable garden. While I would mind dining off the fine china from which presidents and heads of state have eaten, I recognize the greater privilege and the more nourishing meal is the one I share with my brothers and sisters every 2nd Sunday morning at St. Paul’s Baptist Church.

I hear the Savior say, Anyone who comes to me will never be hungry. Anyone who believes in me will never be thirsty. I am the living bread who comes down from heaven. My flesh is real food. My blood is real drink.
Jesus knows even better than we do how different we are: ages, status, gender, nature, tastes, desires : This is my body which is for YOU (pl.) Do this and think about me. This is my blood shed for YOU for the forgiveness of sins. Do this and think about me. Just as the passover was celebrated with a family meal, so also our deliverance is celebrated with a meal. And if a beer between enemies can lead to common ground, how much more can the bread of life shared among sisters and brothers?

Young Enough to Do Something Different

2009-06-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

Today marked another first for me in my new ministry as pastor of the St. Paul's Baptist Church. Although I was the officiating minister for a funeral last Saturday, today I gave my first eulogy as pastor. Mrs. Clara Gilliam Lightfoot was born in 1912 and had been a member of St. Paul's for 70 years. She had not been able to come to church for some time, but she did have the opportunity to vote in the pastoral election a few weeks ago. The deacon who provided her with the absentee ballot remarked that although she knew that her vote was by secret ballot and therefore confidential, after seh placed her marked ballot in the envelope she volunteered, "Clara Lightfoot has done something different. I just voted for the woman."

Of course I smiled to know that Mrs. Lightfoot would have been pleased with the pastor at her funeral, but more than that I was struck by what extraordinary liveliness she had even in her last weeks. If anyone has an excuse for holding on to the familiar and maintaining the status quo it is the person who has lived for 97 years. But I am thinking that the willingness to embrace new things, a delight in doing "something different" (especially when that something is a good and right thing) may very well be the reason why Mrs. Lightfoot lived as long as she did.

This week I heard several moving and challenging sermons and lectures at the Hampton Ministers' Conference. I felt convicted and encouraged by the sermons of Dr. Claudette Copeland. I reflected and repented because of the word placed in Dr. Renita Weems's mouth. And I recommitted to preaching with boldness because of what Dr. William Curtis preached. But as Dr. Copeland herself made clear in her sermon on Wednesday, sometimes the prophetic is mediated through a life. In Mrs. Lightfoot's final act as a member of St. Paul's Baptist Church, God spoke to me: No matter how old we get, we're always young enough to do something different. Message taken.

It's Time

2009-06-01T02:42:00.000-07:00

Pentecost Sunday at 10th and Wallace was a special occasion because it marked my first Sunday there as pastor of St. Paul's Baptist Church. Here's the basic sermon I preached.

It’s Time
Acts 2:1-21

In one of the most famous passages in all of Holy Scripture, the Preacher says, To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. Text from Ecclesiastes so much lives up to the wisdom tradition that its sentiment is borrowed, its phrases cribbed and cited in everything from wedding and funeral rites to Pete Seeger lyrics. You don’t have to be spiritually astute to observe its truth. We all know that life is seasonal.

Generally, when all our seasons seem to flow predictably, the seasonal nature of life feels easy, commonplace. Peaks and troughs, ups and downs – after winter comes the spring, after spring comes summer, after summer comes fall, after fall comes winter, and then we do it all again.
But at are other times where there is breakdown, disruption, death, and destruction, then the words of the Preacher, either the biblical one or even the local ones in our pulpits seem empty.

Easy to rejoice in the cycle of seasons when the season you’re in is fruitful. But when you’re in a drought, in a desert, in the midst of the famine –
When the grass is withered and the flowers have fallen
When the leaves are brown and the trees are bare
When the ground is hard and the springs are dry
When the harvest is past and the summer has ended and we are not saved
Sometimes the winter lasts longer than three months
In those times, to hear that life is seasonal is cold comfort indeed.

Remember last year at the first signs of financial trouble? Analysts and pundits observed the declining market and described it as “correcting”. Don’t worry, they said, the economy has natural peaks and troughs. John McCain, the Republican nominee, could without shame declare himself basically ignorant about the economy and still hope to be elected president by reason of his expertise in the truly important matters, such as national security. But by the fall, when the downturn and potential recession threatened to devolve into an out and out depression, suddenly the cycle of economic seasons didn’t seem so natural, and John McCain the presidential candidate had to “suspend” his campaign to attend to economic matters. When blue-chip stock sells for a penny we realize that there are seasons and then there are CATASTROPHES.

In catastrophic times, when someone declares “Your season is coming” – nothing drowns out the demand of the question “But when?”

Nothing prompts ask the question “when” as much as our acknowledgment of a promise from God. In fact, one way to know that we really believe that God has made us a promise is that we become anxious and impatient for the promise to be fulfilled. More than the question of what, where, who, or even why or how, whenever the promise of God comes to us, it the question of when that dominates

When will I (fill in the blank)
When will we (fill in the blank)
When will the church ever (fill in the blank)

This question of when in the minds of Jesus’ disciples forms the backdrop to this morning’s text. Having seen God do the extraordinary in Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples actually grasp that God had been making them a promise that God intended to fulfill, and so they ask, “When will the restoration be?” Jesus’ instruction to them is embodied in the command for them to stay in Jerusalem and WAIT. But I can hear them traveling back to Jerusalem and spending all their time between the ascension and Pentecost asking the question, “Is it time yet?”

Time is by definition: A nonspatial continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future.
In God’s timing there is a the story of previous deliverance and salvation interwoven into the promise. There’s always a past. After all, God has been working in us for so long. And even the present glory is linked to past deliverance.
Pentecost was an ancient feast celebrating harvest, the feast of weeks measured from the barley harvest (at Passover) to the harvest of wheat (at Pentecost) also commemorating the giving of Torah (divine law)

After the disciples had gathered in obedience and handled the business of replacing Judas in their number, then the Spirit declared, “It’s time.” And I came to announce to St. Paul’s on this Pentecost Sunday that “It’s time!”

I want to make clear that there are some signs that the announcement of God’s working in our time is true. For the announcement that God is at work to be the truth then there are three things that must accompany the announcement.

First, there is divine visitation – I am so grateful that all of us have gathered this morning in the house of worship. I’m thankful for the deacons in their place, the ushers in theirs, the choir in theirs, the musicians in theirs. I’m thankful for my friends who have traveled and for this congregation who have come together in this one place and with one accord, but if GOD doesn’t show up in the building, our gathering is in vain. What we have come to do is to prepare the altar and to bring the living sacrifices of our whole selves. But we need is for God to send the fire.

When I was growing up, we sang a chorus that declared, “O Lord I come, withholding nothing. And I have but one desire. All I have is on the altar. And I pray, Lord, send the fire.”

People manufacture fire but it’s not God’s fire. People blow hot air but it’s not God wind. God’s wind blows where it wills and we hear its sound, but we cannot control it and we cannot even predict it. In fact, no matter how long we have been waiting for it, whenever it comes it still feels “sudden.”

Second, there is supernatural communication. The tongues divide and the disciples are given supernatural utterance, both the ability to speak and the words to say. Then the multicultural crowds of those who hear them are able to hear in their own languages God’s marvelous deeds of power. Some people say that the miracle was a miracle of speech, in that the disciples were ecstatically enabled to communicate in a language they had not studied. Others say the miracle was in the hearing of the listeners, that the Spirit translated for them. I am clear that real communication requires both speech and hearing, both articulation and understanding. And when God’s Spirit decides that “It’s time” God fills the spaces and makes communication across cultures and other divides possible.

This does not mean that the scene was without confusion and disbelief. God’s timing, vision, and presence activated among us will sometimes cause people to think we’ve lost our minds. But there will be others – sometimes a few, sometimes the many – who will hear for themselves and take hold of God’s promise.

Finally, the third sign of God’s timing is Christ-centered proclamation. God pours God’s Spirit out on all flesh to enable us to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a divine vision for humanity, embodied and enfleshed in the life of Jesus Christ. We tell that story about his birth in Bethlehem, his openness to the outcast, his care for those who were left out. We tell the story of how much he loved us. We tell that he gave his life on Calvary, but that his story does not end on Golgatha nor in Joseph’s new tomb, but on that first Easter he arose with power. And his story still has not ended.

It’s time.
It’s God’s time.
It’s our time.
When is the time of restoration? Now is the acceptable time. When is the day of salvation? Today, is the day of salvation. And everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

PENTECOST WAS A COMMENCEMENT – the first Sunday in a great new era.
Not only is there a past (history), a present (opportunity), in God alone it can be said that there is always a future (hope). Spirit that brooded over creation now dwelling in the disciples prompts us to ask “What plan is God hatching?”

The reality is that there is a cry louder and more significant even than our own cries for a change of seasons. There is a community that has looked upon the buildings called churches and community centers and perceived in them a promise from God.

Hungry ask when will be fed
Naked ask when will we be clothed
Homeless ask when will we have homes
Broken ask when will we be mended
The poor ask when will we have provisions
The oppressed ask when will we be freed
The imprisoned ask when will we be visited
The children ask when will we be educated
And our answer in the name of the Lord is “It’s time”

Yes, St. Paul’s it’s time
It’s praying time
It’s preaching time
Praising time
Planting time
Healing time
Building time
Laughing time
Gathering time
Searching time
Keeping time
Mending time
Singing time
Dancing time
Working time
Serving time
It’s time for justice, mercy, walking humbly
It’s my time, it’s your time, it’s our time, and it’s the time.
It’s time for the wind and for the fire
It’s God’s time
It’s just time.

A Real Fast

2009-02-26T08:51:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 58:1-12
Here we are at Lent again. And this year I have to say that while I knew I needed it, I wasn't in a hurry to get started on the Fast. I even admitted to a congregation where I was preaching that I was eating everything that wasn't nailed down in advance of the Lenten fast. Somehow, I think that probably was not the best physical or spiritual decision. But my own lack of moderation does bring me to this Lenten season with the useful reminder that I need to fast to get me off of the treadmill of self-destructiveness.

The truth is that I had been eating everything that wasn't nailed down for months. The approach of Ash Wednesday didn't really change my eating habits; it simply made me aware of them. Even before the beginning of my Lenten fast, the self-evaluation that Lent brings was already at work to help me see how out of control I was. Thank God!

What I am praying for, then, in this season is that the analysis will go deeper than the issue of what I eat or don't eat. I am praying that just as the Lenten fast has already broken the chains of overeating, especially desserts, that it will also reveal and break other habits and attitudes that keep me from the best that God has for my life and for my relationships in community.

This is the point of the text from Isaiah in which God makes clear to self-indulgent people that abstinence from certain foods and other comforts is not a real fast, or at least not the fast that pleases God. The real fast happens when our awareness goes deeper and our behavior changes. If we fast but do not see, then what kind of fast are we really on? If we fast while we quarrel, then who does the fast really bless? Our choice to go without is not important if it is not accompanied by a will to make sure that everyone has what she/he needs. Our willingness to starve ourselves for a day or even forty means little when we are inattentive to the people who are starved daily because greed and injustice.

I am praying that this Lenten fast develops into a real fast that heeds the call to get right with God, our neighbors, and ourselves. Thank God!

What Kind of People?

2008-12-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 40:1-11
Mark 1:1-8
2 Peter 3

Advent 2

Bad news about our economy abounds these days. Once-in-a-generation unemployment rates, one-half million jobs lost in November alone, the big three US automakers in the death throes, record-high mortgage foreclosures, consumer confidence in the dumps, along with myriad other statistics and projections leave us wondering how bad it's going to be and how long we and it can last. At the heart of the volatility in the markets is a crisis in confidence, an awareness of our fundamental uncertainty as to where and when this downturn will end. Looking into such a scary future, we might even wonder whether it will end.

The three lectionary texts for the second Sunday in Advent have in common their assurance that everything eventually comes to an end. Isaiah emphasizes the promise of God that trouble doesn't last always. No matter how intense the trauma or hopeless the prospects, God's infinite lovingkindness insures that those who wait on the Lord have a good ending. Mark's gospel presents the preamble to the whole Gospel's message in that John the Baptizer's presence in the wilderness represented the end of a very long wait for God's people.

But it is the message of 2nd Peter that gets to the heart of the issue for us. After reminding the impatient and fainting believers that God will make good on the divine promise, the author then turns the spotlight on the community of faith: Since we know all of this, what kind of people ought we to be? In other words, since everything, including the world, will end, what do we want to be doing when the end comes?

Beloved, the church has something to offer that our culture at this moment sorely tneeds: a holy perspective. Even when we would want to forget, the message returns to us and like the prophet cries, "All flesh is grass." But the fact that everything on earth is in transition from its seed to flower then back to dust doesn't leave us hopeless; it points us to a more stable foundation. Our own frailty reminds us to seek a God who is neither frail nor fallible and whose word will stand. Grass withers, flowers fall, markets crash, people die, but the Word of our God stands forever. That's good news that we should share.

Sing, "Hold to God's Unchanging Hand"

I Sing this Song for You

2008-12-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

Psalm 18

One of my favorite films is "Family Man," in which Nicholas Cage plays a high powered Wall Street executive who awakes on Christmas morning to find himself in an alternative life, experiencing what would have happened if he had married his college sweetheart. The rest of the movie is about how Cage comes to value what money cannot buy. One of the turning points comes when he watches a video of himself singing the Delfonics' "La La Means I Love You" to his wife on her birthday. Although his voice would win no vocal awards, the poignancy of the moment derives from his soulful expression of love through the medium of song. There are few things more precious than having a loved one sing to another.

The Psalms, as you are well aware, represent the songbook of the Bible. And although we often think of the Psalms merely as a compilation of praise songs, most of them are more of a mixture of praise, reflection, and lament. Psalm 18 is different though. Titled as a song of David after his deliverance from Saul, this Psalm is a lovesong from a grateful believer to a gracious God. It is more than thank you note for all that God has done. It expresses the relationship between a righteous person and a covenant-keeping God. From the cords of death and the mighty waters to a redeemed life in a broad place, the Psalmist records the reversal of his fortunes that occurred because a loving God "bowed the heavens and came down" (v. 9).

In this season of Advent, we too have reason to sing a song of redemption because our Savior bowed the heavens and came down. We have a reason to pause, even in the midst of the ongoing crises of our lives, and sing a love song to the lover of our souls. Like Nicholas Cage's Jack, maybe observing ourselves singing the song will help us to see what really matters.

Sing, "My Jesus I Love Thee"

Shock and Awe

2008-12-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 1:18

Sometimes we just need a jolt of awareness to bring us back to our senses. Okay, perhaps I shouldn't speak for other people. Sometimes I just need a jolt to wake me up. The occasion for my renewed awareness this time was the funeral service for Rev. Dr. Ella Pearson Mitchell, a pioneer woman in ministry. Dr. Mitchell lived for 91 years, 64 of them married to her partner in life and ministry Rev. Dr. Henry Mitchell. What pleasantly startled me was the testimony of all who knew the Mitchells that she lived, they lived their whole lives - publicly and privately - with the love and goodness of God (to quote her daughter who gave the eulogy) as the foundation. I came away from the service awakened and inspired again to live faithfully.

In Isaiah chapter 1, there is much to shock and shake the people of God. Faithfulness and righteousness are no longer known among them. God is disappointed and angry. Yet within the pronouncement of judgment remains the promise of better things to come, a declaration of God's fundamentally good intention toward the people of God. There is hope; at the end of the purging, right relations and covenant will prevail and righteous acts will be restored.

Where, you ask, is the awe? It is the radiating glow of gratitude and thankfulness in God's people for the mercy that God continuously extends. At the point when God has extended the divine hand and drawn you near again with the steadfast love that drew you to begin with, who could help but stand in awe. I will be forever grateful for another chance, a deeper walk, a new opportunity.

Sing, "Just a Closer Walk with Thee"

Do Something

2008-11-30T15:08:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 64:1-9
Advent 1

Have you ever just wanted God to do something? I know that our theological and spiritual upbringing cautioned us against making demands of God, so much so that we may never have said it out loud. But haven't you ever just wanted to yell, in the midst of a tragedy in life or a travesty of justice, "God, why don't/didn't you DO SOMETHING?"

It was that way for the prophet Isaiah. There was so much destruction, so much pain for his people that his heart cried out for some action from God, the kind of decisive action that God had taken in the paste. The prophet remembers when God's presence had shaken everything, causing both God's people and their enemies to tremble at the reality of Israel's God - the only God who answered prayers. But the nation's dissipation and destruction were now complete. They had transgressed and had fallen to such a low condition that even their righteous deeds were tainted, like filthy rags. Nevertheless, the site of their hope had not changed: "Yet, O Lord, You are our Father." Isaiah seems to remind himself of the covenant relationship that is between them and closes this passage by praying that God will not forget the Israel's is God's people.

In Advent, which begins today, we too anticipate the great shakeup that will come when the Lord returns. But the message the speaks to us from the prophet is that more than just anticipating what God will do, we need to remember the relationship with God. It is not what God does, but who God is in relationship to us that makes the difference. God is our God and we are God's people. While we are waiting, that will have to be enough.

Sing, "Have Thine Own Way"

Not Even Death

2008-07-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

Romans 8:31-39
Tuesday, 8 July 2008

There is a poignant and pivotal scene in the movie The Color Purple, when Celie and her sister Nettie are being forcibly separated because of the evil heart of Celie's husband Mister. As Nettie is dragged away, Celie yells, "Write." Nettie stands up straight and looks past Mister into her sister's eyes, "Nothing but death will keep me from it."

I think of this scene because the issue of disconnection is also at the heart of today's lesson, one of the most famous passages in all of Scripture. The passage is a declaration of love and victory. It reminds us as believers that God has cast the decisive vote in our favor, and because God is for us no one and nothing can succeed against us. Then Paul encourages us to imagine a list of everything that might arise to challenge the God who is on our side. Hardship and distress rear their heads, but fall quickly in a battle against God. Those foes are followed by every other category of challenge that might arise to defeat us by separating us from the love of Christ. The conclusion: Nothing in creation can separate us from Christ's love.

The sisterly love that Celie and Nettie share in Alice Walker's novel transverses a lifetime without contact, the machinations of Mister who withholds Nettie's letters, and even the Atlantic Ocean, joining their hearts even while their bodies are separated. It is a great love, but God's love is greater. And as believers we give thanks for the love of Jesus that has defeated death - a love so strong that not even death can keep us from it.

Sing, "Jesus Loves Me"

Let us pray:
Almighty God, in whom we live and love, we are awestruck by the depth and consistency of your love for us in Christ Jesus. Yet despite our inability to understand it, we rejoice in its certainty. We thank you for the way that living in your love intensifies our ability to love. But most of all, we thank you for your victory over our greatest enemy death and for the eternal love we share because of you. Amen

Free Indeed

2008-07-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

Matthew 11:16-30
Sunday, 6 July 2008

Over the last several days the word freedom has been on our minds. It happens every year on July 4th when this nation celebrates its independence. We are reminded of our unalienable rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" here in the "land of the free and the home of the brave," a place of "liberty and justice for all." Yet for all the importance that the words liberty and freedom conjure, there are also misguided notions of what those words mean, exemplified in the sarcastic words of an errant child justifying her/his disobedience and recklessness with the words "It's a free country."

Just as children often misunderstand the meaning of freedom, especially in their teen years, defining it as the ability or right to do whatever they want, especially the wrong thing, we Christians too sometimes see ourselves as most free when we are least within the will of God. Yet Jesus' words seek to right our wrong understanding of what it means to be free and at rest. The beginning of our liberty is not found in the Declaration of Independence but rather in the recognition of our utter dependence on Christ lovingly to direct us into right paths. Our first step toward true freedom responds to the most blessed invitation ever offered. Jesus beckons, "Come to me." We exchange the yoke of sin which is too burdensome to bear, for the yoke of discipleship which is easy and light.

So much of what it means to mature is to recognize the difference between what seems good and what actually is good. This is true also of spiritual maturity. Lawlessness and faithlessness attract us with their empty promises of true fulfillment and joy, but they leave us ultimately empty and burdened. Embracing the way of Christ, and more importantly, having Christ embrace us leads to true joy and fulfillment. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.

Sing, "Come Unto Me"

Let us pray:
Loving Savior, it is sometimes hard for us to admit how tired we actually are of living our own way. We have been oppressed so long that we struggle to imagine that real freedom and rest are even possible. Grant us in this moment simply to take your word for it. Draw us near to you so that we may be freed by taking on your yoke, by living life your way. Amen

Paid in Full

2008-06-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

Romans 4:1-12
Wednesday, 25 June 2008

I don't pretend to be an economist. I'm just a sister trying to stay afloat in a complex and scary economy. And I'm responsible enough to pay attention to what's going on around me and savvy enough to understand that we are up to our necks in debt and about to go under. I don't just mean individuals. I mean the nation as a whole. Everything about our lifestyles from our cars to our wars costs more money than we have on hand (for the next couple of decades). Individuals are stressed.

Our text for today is full of monetary metaphors, beginning with the distinction between "wages" and "gifts." It is a discussion of Abraham's righteousness and the law, making the most significant point that Abraham's account came out in the black, not because of his work but because of the gift of God. God balances our budgets, takes on our debt, and pays it off. But this fact gives us no cause for selfish boasting since it is not our doing, nor even does it arise as a response to something we have done. All praise and glory belong to God.

Considering the enormous debt that we owed for our sins and the generous gift of God in Christ to pay that debt in full puts in perspective our entire lives. And although the natural economy may often be against us, the spiritual economy is all good. Thanks be to God!

Sing, "Jesus Paid it All"

Without Exception

2008-06-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

Romans 3:21-31
Tuesday, 24 June 2008

I had always been a good, even excellent student when I put my mind to it, so when I discovered that the seminary I attended did not give letter grades, I was a bit taken aback. There were only three possible grades, credit, no credit, or credit with distinction. Most people passed and received credit, but few broke through to a "distinction." Even I had some difficulty getting those exceptional grades. Most of the time I just blended in with the rest of the group. I'll be honest; I didn't like that.

There are several points that Paul makes in this section of his letter to the church at Rome, the most important being that no one person or group has an advantage where God's favor is concerned. No one is righteous. No one earns a distinction. And even though the Law had been given to one group of people, because grace is a gift and cannot be earned, knowing or even attempting to keep the law brings no advantage. All who believe have access. Just as all of us, without exception, have sinned, all of us have the opportunity to be set free from our sin through Jesus Christ.

This reality is difficult for us to embrace fully because we humans have a tendency to desire to be exceptional. We like to have an advantage to lord over other people. We like to belong to the right crowd, to be accepted at the right school, to get the best grade. And sometimes we even manufacture symbols of status in the church in order to recreate the sense of distinction or advantage that we had in the world. But we have to remember that to grasp a sense of ourselves as better than others is to misunderstand and even cut ourselves off from the wondrous grace available to us through faith in the only truly exceptional person ever, that is, Jesus Christ.

Sing, "Glory to His Name"

Let us pray:
We confess, God, that our sinful pride sometimes still rears its ugly head as we judge one another and try to create distinctions among us. Help us to remember that just as all have sinned, all have received access to the gift of grace through Jesus Christ - no excuses, no exceptions. Make us aware that our confidence and our boasting can, thus, never be about us, only about you. Amen

Baptism Matters

2008-06-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

Romans 6:1-11
Sunday, 22 June 2008

Although it is no longer the case, as it was during certain eras in Christian history, that the method your church uses for baptism can get you killed, the ins and outs of baptismal mode and formula remain contentious issues within Christianity. Most all us feel strongly about our baptism, especially those who regard believers' baptism as essential. And we will argue vehemently that baptism matters, but we seldom remember what really matters in baptism.

This week's epistle calls our attention to the ongoing meaning of baptism as the preeminent symbol of regenerated life. Having been introduced to the super-abounding grace of Christ in chapter 5, the grace that looks beyond our faults, we encounter the challenge in Romans 6 of living the new life which that grace makes possible. Our death to the old life frees us from its sinful bondage. Our baptism is the rite by which we are initiated into Christ's burial. Having been united in a crucified death, we hope for resurrection in a glorified life. How many times and in how many ways can God tell us that the Christian life is a radical break from what we were before?

So much of the debate about baptism is a struggle to define what it means to come into the door, at the same time that it loses sight of what it means to live in the house of God. Don't get me wrong. Baptism is important enough to take seriously and to handle rightly. Baptism matters, indeed, but it matters because it marks the break between our old, sinful ways and our new, redeemed life. This life is made possible only by and in Jesus the Christ.

Sing, "Take Me to the Water" and remember your own baptism, reaffirming the covenant you made with God and before the community to live a new life in Christ Jesus.

Let us pray:
Life-giving Savior, although for many of us the occasion of our baptism has long passed, the reality of our new life in you remains before us. Teach us how to walk in the newness of life that our baptism symbolized. Refresh us again by a baptism of your Spirit. Make us new. Make us whole. Make us yours. We pray, in Jesus' precious name. Amen

Who Do You Think You're Talking To?

2008-06-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

Numbers 11:1-23
Wednesday, 18 June 2008

I'll admit that I am not always as careful as I ought to be when it comes to my "tone." This has been an issue all of my life, with especially tricky consequences during my teen years when I was speaking to my parents. More than once my parents responded to my questions, requests, and even answers with the their own question "Who do you think you're talking to?" It seems in life that there are times when it's not so much what you ask as how you ask it.

The Israelites' wilderness experience has become more treacherous in today's lesson.

In addition to all of the challenges inherent in the desert, the murmuring in the camp has angered God. The text begins with a description of God's burning anger at the peoples' incessant complaints. Whining, murmuring, complaining, accusing, griping - God simply got tired of hearing it and sent a fire at the edge of the camp to remind the people how bad it could be. Meanwhile, "the rabble" develop a "strong craving." Their appetites create a stirring that God's food ("manna") does not satisfy. Rather than appreciating the miracle of constant food in a desert, they wax nostalgic about their past lives in Egypt. Conveniently, they discount the fact that in Egypt they were slaves, burdened and serving in oppression. All they remember is the scrumptious and diverse foods of the Egyptians.

I have to believe as I read this text that, as is usually the case with the Israelites, their problem is not so much what they want but how they ask for it. How could they forget that God loves them and has borne them on eagles' wings? How could they forget that God released them for a purpose and is leading them to a wide and abundant place? How can they be so focused on the inconvenience of the moment? It's all about the boredom. "Give us meat!" God speaks to Moses and says, "I'll give them meat until they are sickened with it,until it comes out of their noses and ears."

Brothers and sisters, boredom is dangerous, especially when it is accompanied by spiritual amnesia and ingratitude. And when you add to it murmuring against the God who knows, sees, and hears everything, it is only worse. Don't get me wrong, I believe that God cares enough to want to know how we are feeling. We don't have to be afraid to be honest with God. At the same time, we must never forget that God is God. Asking for what our hearts desire is not a sin. Craving the things that belong to the worldly life is.

Sing, "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah"

Let us pray:
God our Provider, even though we sometimes live with the deprivations of the wilderness, we give you thanks for freedom from the oppression and bondage of sin. We thank you for the daily bread, the manna that you provide each morning with the dew, to nourish and sustain us in our current state. Keep our minds clear so that we never mistake the world's smorgasbord for a nourishment. Help us to dine daily on the delicacies you provide at your table. Bread of heaven, feed us till we want no more. Amen

Showing the Love: A Celebration of My Dad

2008-06-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

Romans 5:1-11
Father's Day
15 June 2008

I am not much of a holiday person, for reasons too numerous to list but that boil down to the fact that I think the reality of holidays rarely lives up to the hype. Still, I recognize the importance of celebrating the great people and events who have influenced or made our lives possible. Thus, I am offering a tribute to my dad Leonard M. Callahan. My dad was commendable for many things: he was a faithful provider (more than 40 years mining coal to make his family's ends meet); he was an honorable man who was a leader in the community; he encouraged me and celebrated my accomplishments; and he showed me the value of faith and family. In so many ways, I am his child. One thing he wasn't, though, was verbally affectionate. He was of the "old school," a stoic man who believed in showing rather than telling feelings. Day to day, week to week, month to month, and year to year, with clockwork consistency he showed his family how incredibly loved we were.

As I read this text from Romans 5, I couldn't help thinking that God too shows more than tells us of God's love. Oh, that is not to say that the scriptures lack verbal expressions that God loves us, but really the way in which God proves God's love is the fact that Christ died for us, so that God could live in us. Far more perfectly than any human parent, father or mother, God daily provides all that we need - new mercies emerge every morning.

I guess my dad really knew what it meant to be a Christian, to love not in word only but also in deed. After all, the scriptures teach us clearly that we are to grow up into the image of our God and learn to be followers of Christ as dear children. We too are called to show the love.

Sing, "Great is Thy Faithfulness"

Let us pray:
Precious Lord, on this day set aside to honor our earthly fathers, our minds center on your unending faithfulness. As good as some of our dads may be, none of them is perfect. And so we remember and rejoice that we have you, even when our parents forsake us. Grant us the grace to resemble you and your loving ways more and more, so that others may come to know your grace and mercy, upon which we so rely. Amen.

Not Until They're Filled

2008-06-10T23:33:00.000-07:00

Matthew 15:29-39
Tuesday, 10 June 2008

Jesus has completed three jam-packed days of ministry to the multitudes. Among the crowds a catalog of illnesses and maladies have presented and he has healed all of them. The mute speak, the blind see, the lame walk, and the maimed are whole after three days. The kingdom has been proclaimed with word and demonstration of power. The disciples and Jesus are exhausted. It's time for the crowd to go their way and for Jesus to go his. But wait, a stomach growls. Eyes glaze over in the heat. They multitude is hungry.

At this point in the story it would be easy and understandable for Jesus simply to send the crowds away. After all, his healing and restoring powers have ensured that all will be fit and able to work for food when they return home. He has already done more for them than they could ever thank him for. The healings alone represent more glory than they had ever seen in one place. Jesus could simply have sent them away and told them, "As for food, you're on your own." He could have berated them for their poor planning and left them to fend for themselves. But he couldn't allow them to go away hungry because they might not make it home. He had compassion on them.

Beloved,in addition to the realization that Jesus has the ultimate capacity to stretch a few resources into a feast, we observe in this scene that Jesus cares too much about us to let us go without anything essential. And following his example, we understand that our role as his disciples is to hang close enough to distribute the good he provides until everyone is filled.

Let us pray:
Jesus our Savior, you alone are the source of all of our provisions. We thank you for ministering to all of our major needs. We see with new eyes, ear with new ears, understand with new minds. But you don't just handle the big things. You notice the growling of our stomachs and attend to the more mundane things that would cause our strength to fail. Help us likewise to attend to one another for your name's sake. Amen

Get Out of Your Own Way

2008-06-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

Romans 4:13-25
Sunday, 8 June 2008

I have been trying to play golf for about two years. I knew I was hooked the first time I went to the driving range, but I also figured out that because so much of golf is counterintuitive, I needed lessons. So I took lessons. Now the problem is that when I am actually out on the course, I have to avoid being so focused on thinking about golf that I can't actually play it. I have to trust that my muscles will remember what I have practiced. I have to learn to get out of my own way.

Abraham is known as the father of the faithful for a reason. Every success in his life required extraordinary faith because every promise God made him was a promise against all odds. If Abraham had considered his own circumstances, if he had focused on his own body, then he would have wavered in is faith. Rather than focusing on himself, though, he paid attention to the promise of God. Paul expresses it this way, in one of my favorite passages of scripture, "No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised." In a word, by centering his attention on God and God's ability, Abraham got out of his own way and into God's plan.

We all have the ability to take ourselves too seriously. We zero in on our own gifts and limitations, our own possibilities and liabilities, and in so doing we actually trip ourselves up. The time has come for us to practice and train ourselves simply to trust God. Thus we can open ourselves up to the miraculous promises of God's working in our lives.

Sing, "Standing on the Promises"

Let us pray:
Loving God, create in us hearts and minds that trust your ability even in the midst of our disability. Allow us to move out of our own way so that you can have your way. We pray, in Jesus' name. Amen

How did I get here?

2008-06-06T04:26:00.000-07:00

Galatians 1:1-24
Friday, 6 June 2008

I am privileged to serve on the Advisory Board of The African American Pulpit, the premier journal for reflecting on preaching in the Black Church. During the Hampton Ministers Conference earlier this week, the Advisory Board met over lunch. Included at the table were some of the most prominent and gifted pastors and preachers in the nation, including Hampton's outstanding, anointed Morning Preacher for this year, Rev. Dr. Gina Stewart. On the board, but not present at lunch, are a veritable "Who's Who" within the Black church. After lunch upon reflection, I asked myself, "How did I get here?"

Anyone who pays attention to the writings of Paul will notice that the title by which he refers to himself is that of "apostle." While it may now seem obvious to us that he would consider himself an apostle, since the word literally means "one who is sent" and Paul's life in ministry consisted of a series of journeys orchestrated and plotted by the God, Paul's apostleship was constantly under attack by people who couldn't figure out how he got so much play. As Paul himself notes in our lesson, his identification with the gospel of Jesus Christ came unexpectedly, since he began his career as an ardent persecutor of the church. Nevertheless, the question of his right to preach and of his position as an apostle was not one that could be answered by a resort to any human authority. In a word, Paul established the source of his life and his apostleship not in the will of other apostles in Jerusalem, but in the will of Christ. Paul says, I got here because God sent me.

Beloved, it seems to me that the whole challenge of life is to recognize in ourselves and honor in others the activity of the Spirit, even when it defies human logic or wisdom. Often, I am made to wonder at what God has done and is doing in my own life. Sometimes God sends us into situations that we would rather avoid. Sometimes God send us into situations and others wonder how we got in. And sometimes God opens doors, such as the Advisory Board, that represent unimaginable blessing. The point for us is to understand that in all things, all spaces, all times, and most importantly all of us, God is to be glorified.

Sing, "Glory to His Name"

Let us pray:
Sovereign God, we do not always understand why or how you work with us, but we are grateful for your kindness and grace. When we say that you have brought us a mighty long way, we are not just engaging in idle talk. Now we ask only that we may cease from asking you how we got here and begin in earnest to seek your will for us in this present time and space. Allow, we pray, our lives to redound to your praise. Yes, God be glorified in us, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Heavy Lifting

2008-05-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

1 John 5:1-12
Wednesday, 21 May 2008

Occasionally, I go through fits of exercise mania, usually for the purpose of losing weight. For as little as a few days or as long as a few weeks, I faithfully build stamina and strength by applying myself to a regimen of physical activity. And even though I struggle to maintain that regimen over time, I still learn or re-learn something crucial about working one's body, namely, that pushing oneself builds strength. Raising the standard incrementally leads to the wondrous blessing of greater stamina, flexibility, and strength. I can always go farther, stand straighter, and lift heavier things when I build up.

Perhaps the most radical assertion of 1 John is found in today's lesson when the writer informs us not only that our love for God is demonstrated in our obedience to God's commandments, but also that those commands do not constitute a burden for us. Much of the time when we think of God's commandments, we recognize our duty to obey them but we miss much of the joy that comes through that obedience. We assume that God's laws are the curfew meant to disrupt and cut short the party of our lives. In reality, we only think that because we have not been in the practice and habit of obeying God. If we were, then we would realize that God's instruction builds us up, increases our stamina, and enhances our flexibility. In obedience, we become overcomers and victors.

Human life is filled with trials and burdens. Obedience to God's commandments functions as the exercise regimen that tones and hones us so that we can do the heavy lifting of life. Loving God with our obedience builds us up and makes us victorious. Indeed, it is through faith-filled obedience to Christ that we discover what life is really about. For whoever has the Son has life.

Sing, "Trust and Obey"

Let us pray:
We confess, Lord, that we do not always remember that your commandments are for our good. Like unwise children or lazy adults, we drag ourselves along lamenting that your "rules" inhibit our "fun." Forgive us for our folly. Lead us into obedience to your word and way, and thus to the victory that overcomes the world and to abundant and eternal life, in Jesus' name. Amen

How Deep is Your Love?

2008-05-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

1 John 3:18-4:6
Tuesday, 20 May 2008

Many of the worst things that can happen to a car's mechanics happen slowly and silently. By the time the oil gauge lights up on your car to tell you that you're low on oil, most of the time you have been low for long enough to cause real damage to the engine. The same is true for our relationships. By the time the red light appears in them, neglect has already undermined the foundations, and it is often too late for repair. Look under your hood; check your oil. Look into your heart; check your relationships.

Reading 1 John 3, one notices that the church's significant concerns have not changed much in the last two millennia. The relationship with God and with other believers remains at the center. The instruction jolts us. Let us love in truth and in action, not just in word and speech. Much is at stake in this instruction, since the well-being of our entire spiritual life is determined by the depth of the love that we have for each other. If we do not love in action, then our hearts are condemned. If we do not love in action, then our prayers are hindered. If we do not show love, then our spirits are wrong. Only through a life of love can we have the power to discern false spirit. Only when we live in love do we have the confidence that the One who is in us is greater than all that is in the world.

Too often we allow a good show or an eloquent speech to turn our heads. We forget that the test of spiritual vitality is found in our actions not in our words. What we should be asking of ourselves and others is not "how deep is your voice" or "how deep are your pockets" but "how deep is your love"?

Sing, "Bind us Together with Love"

Let us pray:
Loving God, your command that we should love one another is clear. Our failure to live in that love continuously is also apparent. We confess that we have not love one another as we ought, and, therefore, that we have not love you as we ought. Forgive us, Lord, and allow that the power of love in us will show itself to be greater than the power of hatred that is in the world. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, whose love is unfathomable. Amen.

Now What?

2008-05-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

Matthew 28:16-20
Sunday, 18 May 2008

Life is filled with climactic, mountaintop moments that are followed by anticlimactic or underwhelming aftermaths. I remember when I finished my doctorate and after all of those years of hard work, they gave me a piece of parchment. I wondered, "Now what?" Then there are the people who pray for years to get married and have the wedding of the year only to wake up a couple weeks later and look at their spouse and say, "Now what?"

Earlier in Matthew 28, the greatest feat in human history is accomplished in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Now on the mountain, his disciples are wondering what comes next. Jesus' words to them remind us of the continual, perpetual purpose of the believer. First, "Go." You cannot stay where you are. You cannot even remain where you are comfortable. Second, "Make disciples." You cannot remain with the group you're in or even with those with whom you are comfortable. God is commissioning you to reach out to every kind of person and to entreat them to follow the Christ. Third, "Baptize." God wants everyone to be initiated into the family. Thus, you are not to baptize them in your own name, nor in the name of your church or denomination. They are to be baptized into the name and the authority of the Godhead. Fourth, "Teach." Everything you have learned from Christ, you are to teach others. Most importantly, "Remember." Remember that Jesus the Powerful One is also Present. Wherever you are, wherever you go, Jesus goes with you, before you, and behind you - even to the end of the world.

The spiritual life is filled with high moments, singular and memorable moments. Baptism, ordination, joining the church, becoming an officer, to name a few. But high moments are often followed by the question, "Now what?" Now that I am saved, what? Now that I am a church member or officer, what? Now that I am ordained, what? The good news is that the what never changes. Better even than that, is the news that Jesus is always the same.

Sing, "If Jesus Goes With Me"

Let us pray:
In the intense moments of your presence, O Lord, everything seems clear to us. But when we leave the mountaintop, we often forget what we are supposed to do and who we are supposed to be. Unsettle us from our places of complaceny and from our comfort zones. Remind us that as we go, disciple, baptize, and teach, we live fully in your call and commission. As we go, make us to remember that you are with us. Amen

What We Shall Be

2008-05-16T04:20:00.000-07:00

1 John 3:1-10
Friday, 16 May 2008

There are lots of reasons to love babies, and anyone who knows me knows that I do. They are for our families both the continuation of what has been and the expression of possibility of what we will be in future. Parents hold their children and look into their lovely little faces and project decades into the future, imagining them in their 20s and 30s and on, seeing them as doctors, lawyers, and other noble professions. We don't know what they shall be, but we love it that they exist.

John's epistle focuses on the love of God that we experience in Jesus Christ and the victory it brings. In today's lesson, we are reminded of three matters that should bring us comfort and compel in us righteous service. First, we are God's children. Since 1 John 1 discusses universal human sinfulness, the fact that chapter 3 asserts that God has bestowed on us the love of a Parent and the privileges of being God's children should leave us grateful and in awe. Second, we are not all that we will be and we don't even know yet what that is. We are a work in progress. Finally, whatever we become when Christ is revealed, we should be comforted by and confident in the fact that we shall be like him.

Although we are far from being babies and most of us have become most of what we imagined ourselves to be, it is needful for us to embrace the reality that in Christ we are still becoming what we shall be. That we have not yet arrived, as old as we are and as hard as we have tried, should not discourage us. Even in our journeying, as we recognize that we have not yet reached our destination, we are always fiercely and wonderfully loved. We always have an enduring hope in Christ. And that love and hope are actually reproducing in us the image of Christ as we consecrate ourselves.

Sing, "Jesus Loves Even Me"

Let us pray:
Amazing and Wonderful God, how privileged we are to be called your children. How grateful we are that you see in us more than we see in ourselves and that you are making us over into what pleases you. As we consider the blessed hope of your glorious appearing, renew in us a commitment to pure and faithful living, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Share the Spirit

2008-05-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

Numbers 11:24-30
Pentecost and Mother's Day
Sunday, 11 May 2008

Pentecost is for me one of the most important days of the year. It was on Pentecost Sunday in 1997 that I was ordained and the authority to preach and preside over the holy ordinances, such as communion and baptism, was invested in me through the laying on of hands. In that service, other ministers and even lay members extended their hands to signify their belief that God had called and gifted me for ministry. In that service, they share the Spirit.

For many, the text from Numbers may seem an obscure choice for Pentecost. Acts 2 with its description of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the 120 disciples who gathered in Jerusalem following Jesus' ascension is the obvious choice. But the Old Testament lesson expresses something important about the underlying meaning of Pentecost. Moses the servant of the Lord has spent time in God's presence. And the Lord decides to spread the anointing of the Spirit to other elders and they prophesy. Eldad and Medad prophesy in the camp, and some supporter of Moses reports them. Moses in a moment of prophetic utterance expresses his desire and God's desire simultaneously: I wish that all of God's people were prophets and that the Lord would place God's Spirit on all of them. At Pentecost, that is exactly what God did. They were all filled. They all spoke.

Although we do not all share the same offices in the church, we are all supposed to share in the same Spirit. Each of us should drink of the Spirit and be filled. All of us should be clothed in the Spirit and covered. When I see you moving in the Spirit, I know that the reach of God's power is being extended. And I rejoice!

Let us pray:
Holy Spirit, we invite you to work in us and in all who surround us. Pour out you anointing so that we might be filled. Let your power overflow so that even our environment is transformed. Let your glory fill us, in Jesus' name. Amen

Today, I want us to sing "He Looked Beyond My Fault" in tribute to the late gospel singer Dottie Rambo, who was killed this morning in a bus accident on her way to do a Mother's Day performance.

And I Mean It

2008-05-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 4:17-32
Thursday, 8 May 2008

Most of us grew up in homes where our parents' instructions were not in any way optional. When we were given orders, we knew that we were expected to comply. Still, the intensity of the expectation varied from circumstance to circumstance, such that while all commands were to be followed, some of them had a greater urgency. My mom signified this by adding the words "and I mean it" to the most serious of her rules.

While the tone of the letter has be instructive and cajoling up to now, in today's text the message is firmly given. This firmness is indicative of the seriousness with which we ought to take the insistence that the believer must not live any longer in the former way, the way of people who do not know God. Whether we understand all of the intricacies of the theology of redemption or not, we must endeavor earnestly to put off the old way of live, even the old self, and to embrace the renewal of the mind and the new self, which God created in holiness. This theme has dominated Ephesians since chapter 1, which informed us that God chose us to be holy and blameless. Although the grace of God extends abundantly to us, God employs grace as a tool to lead us to the righteous, new life not as an excuse for our remaining as we always have been.

Change is never easy, especially when the change seems fundamentally to alter us. Nonetheless, it is impossible to live as a believer and please God if we are unwilling to be transformed. God is not playing with us. God means it.

Sing, "He Brought Me Out"

Let us pray:
Gracious God, we invoke your holy presence in our lives to effect the work of transformation in us. And we gratefully yield ourselves to the reordering of our priorities and the re-forming of our characters. May we never return to who we once were, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen

Take Some Steps

2008-05-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 4:1-16
Wednesday, 7 May 2008

Some of the most significant moments of childhood occur when children's mental faculties prevent them from remembering; they are left only with pictures, video, and the recounted memories of their elders to show them when they learned to do what grew to be second nature, such as walking. But even if the children themselves do not remember, their parents certainly know the joy of watching the child take their steps, first halting, then sure.

In Ephesians, as in any reasonable argument, each successive point builds on the last. Here in chapter 4, the writer is finally hitting on the practical implication of the theological explanations in the first 3 chapters. God chose us, gave us grace, saved us, and empowered us with the divine Spirit. Now God is looking for us to take some steps. And most of the steps God wants us to take in the process that will end only when we have grown into the full stature of Christ involve our relationships with the rest of God's people. Although Jesus announced in John 4 that God is looking for people to worship God, it is equally clear that God is looking for God's children to love one another. There are leaders in the church to watch out for us as we begin the walk, and even as sisters and brothers in Christ, we act as conduits of blessing for one another.

Unlike the experience of learning to walk as small children, the walk of faith is a conscious one for us. Although we began as babes in Christ, the goal is to grow up and to be no longer children. There will be a time when our walking will become second nature. But just as a child's walking begins with unsteady steps and progresses to sturdy strides, we also have to start somewhere. We may not be all that we should be or want to be, but we can take some steps.

Sing, "I Want Jesus to Walk with Me"

Let us pray:
Grant, O God, that we may be so led by your Spirit and by taught your messengers that we learn to walk worthily. May we grow up into the fullness of Christ, who is our peace, our freedom, and our victory. Amen

Benediction

2008-05-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 3:14-21
Tuesday, 6 May 2008

When you pray for the people you love, what do you ask God to do for them? Oh, I imagine that there is the usual list including food, clothing, shelter, protection, good grades, a job with benefits, companionship etc. When I think of my younger relatives, especially, I pray for all of these things. But I also know that all of those things could be present in abundance and the person still might not be truly blessed.

The text today is one of the most incisive and poetic in the whole of scripture. I hear it almost as the voice of a parent to a child as well as that of a spiritual leader to a congregation. The leader prays that God will strengthen the saints, that Christ will dwell in their hearts by faith while they are rooted and grounded in love. Most importantly, on bended knee the leader asks that God's people will plumb the depths, embrace the width, reach the lengths, and ascend to the heights of God's love, thereby being filled with God's fullness. But even in this prayer, a leader always commends the church to God, whose power at work in us can accomplish abundantly more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God!

Although the word is used at the end of the service, "benediction" does not mean ending so much as blessing. And while we are not at the ending of our transition into Pentecost (and Ephesians isn't over either), reflection on these words of blessing is instructive. Beloved, whatever else you may have or lack, please know that God's power is at work in you, doing far more than you can ever ask or think, for this knowledge is the greatest and most important blessing.

Sing "Sweet Hour of Prayer"

Get out your prayer list and pray that prayer for all on the list. 1. To be strong in God's power 2. To have Christ in their hearts 3. To be rooted and grounded in love 4. To know that Christ loves them. As you close your prayer, don't forget to give God the glory.

Worrying about Worrying

2008-05-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 3:1-12
Monday, 5 May 2008

I have known what it means to be loved as a pastor. I say this with humility because it astounds me, but I know what it is like to have someone see my struggle and suffering and then struggle and suffer themselves on account of it. I know how it feels myself to be standing strong in the faith and to have others observe it and wonder how I can do it. And I know what it is like to worry about people worrying about me.

The suffering experienced by the pastor in the text is much more intense than any I could even imagine, but his entreaties to the saints suggest that he too knows what it is like to worry about people worrying about him. The whole reading for today demonstrates his encouraging assertions to the Ephesians that the troubles he endures for the gospel's sake are worth it for him and will lead to glory for the saints. What Paul understands is that the mystery of the gospel that has been revealed to and entrusted in him is far more precious and valuable than the conveniences of this world and life that he has given up. Consequently, he can write from jail to people on the outside and tell them, "Don't worry about me." Indeed, he says that his prayers are not for himself but for them, that they will not lose heart.

As difficult as it may be for us to watch anyone we love suffer, we must always remember that the responsibility for protecting the child of God is God's alone. The call of the gospel includes a cross for everyone, a challenge for everyone, a sacrifice for everyone. So, when you see a godly person suffering for righteousness sake, don't worry about them. God's got them. Instead of worrying, follow their example and give yourself more wholly to the glorious gospel.

Sing, "A Charge to Keep I Have"

Let us pray:

Loving God, we give you thanks for the ties that bind us to one another. More than that, we praise you for entrusting your glorious gospel to us. Help us to trust you with our own lives and the lives of those we love, including our leaders. Allow those of us who are leaders to be filled with passion for your work, such that your people may be built up and your name glorified in us. We pray, in Jesus' name. Amen

Easter's Fullness

2008-05-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

John 17:1-11
Easter 7
Sunday, 4 May 2008

I don't spend a lot of time trying to figure out the significance of biblical numbers. But even without such esoteric knowledge, I am aware that the number seven (7) signifies completion or fullness. And it is the awareness of today as the seventh week of Easter, the last week before the change of seasons represented by the feast of Pentecost, that is the object of my reflections this week. What does it mean to experience Easter's fullness?

John 17 almost seems out of place as a text for the last week of the Easter season, since the scene recounted in it occurred before Jesus' crucifixion. The other text, Acts 1, seems far more appropriate to this time of year. Yet I submit to you that the Lord's prayer in John 17 actually teaches us much that we need to know about the purpose of the resurrection and the work of the Holy Spirit whose power we will consider in next week's reading. In John 17, Jesus' themes are glory and unity. He asks his Father to restore the fullness of the glory which he shared with God from the beginning. Jesus also intercedes for the disciples, praying for unity. How powerful it is to observe that as Jesus prepares himself to endure suffering and condemnation, his prayer is not for his own strength but for his disciples' oneness. Jesus knows that his death has a purpose that can only be fulfilled when and as his disciples unite.

As we prepare to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, we would do well to remember that the goal is never for us to one-up each other in Christian community. We are not called to compete with one another to show who sings, preaches, or prays "the best." Rather, our goal and calling come to fullness as we unite and grow closer. God knows that this is not possible apart from the Holy Spirit. Therefore, God pours out the Spirit which acts as the seal of our salvation and the cord that binds us in love. Celebrating the Spirit and the bond seems a fitting and full conclusion to the Easter season.

Sing, "Sweet, Sweet Spirit" or "Somebody Prayed for Me" (remember that Jesus prayed)

Let us pray:
Thank you, Lord, for the blessings of this Easter season and for the freshness with which we have received it. Thank you for lifting us up in prayer before your Passion and for the Spirit which constantly makes intercession for us. Grant us, we pray, the unity of the faith so that we your church may aptly fulfill all that you desire. May we show our faith in the resurrected Christ by living together in a spirit of unity, in Jesus' name. Amen

Blood Ties

2008-05-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 2:11-22
Saturday, 3 May 2008

Blood is thicker than water, or so the saying goes. Of course the meaning of this adage is that no matter how close or how distant relatives may seem from the outside, the genetic bond should never be underestimated.

This section of Ephesians 2 begins with the reminder that at first all of the odds were against us. Earlier in the chapter, we learned that our actions, our trespasses and sins condemned us until grace found us. Today, we learned that our bloodline was wrong too. We were hopeless, godless aliens and strangers. But the same grace that redeemed us from our sinful actions also provided for us the missing blood link that would bring us near and into the family of God. This time the blood is not from a human progenitor, but it is the spiritual sacrifice of Christ's blood that brings us to God and that joins us together with one another. Christ is our access; Christ is our peace.

The more I interact with church members, that is, members of the body of Christ, the more I marvel at God's ambitious intentions for us. God brings us together from all directions, persuasions, attitudes, affiliations, and inclinations, and then expects us to be more connected to each other than to anyone else, even the people with whom we have more in common. With human eyes, it looks impossible. But Christ's blood is thicker than our differences. And when we focus on Jesus, we discover how true it is that he alone is our peace. He is what makes our relationships with one another possible and positive. Without him, we will always remain strange and alien to one another. In him, the hostility is gone, and we recognize each other as family.

Sing, "I Know it Was the Blood"

Let us pray:
In this moment, O God, we acknowledge how much you have done for us, how often you have provided for us, how consistently you forgive us. And our gratitude leads us to open our hearts to love and fellowship with all of your children. Grant that we may know the peace of God and live in peace with one another, recognizing always that we are one family through the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen

Wanted: Alive

2008-05-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 2:1-10
Friday, 2 May 2008

When I think of the word "wanted" two images come to mind. The first image is of the "most wanted" posters that hang in the post office. The other is of "help wanted" signs in the window of businesses. While the circumstances of the two uses of "wanted" are different, they have in common the fact that the one posting the sign is earnestly seeking to fill an opening.

The most remarkable aspect of our new life in Christ is, according to today's reading, the fact that we have any life at all. Although we did not realize it, when we were in sin, we were actually dead. Now we have been made alive. Just as Ezekiel saw the dry bones in the valley come to life when the four winds blew into them, we too have come to life as the Spirit of God has blown into us. But there are two crucial things that we need to know about the new life we have. First, we didn't earn it; it is a gift of God's grace. Second, our new life has a purpose. Although our works could never merit God's life-giving Spirit, when God chose us God planned for us to produce good works.

Isn't it interesting, sisters and brothers, that we went from the condemned ("most wanted) to the valuable ("help wanted"? By God's grace, we have gone from being bound for judgment to bound for glory. Now God is processing us so that God can get a return on the investment that God has made in us.

Sing, "Amazing Grace"

Let us pray:
Gracious God, to be wanted, loved, and redeemed by you gives us life and gives our lives meaning. To be used in your service is our dearest desire. To live in your presence is our sweetest joy. Grant us the grace to fulfill all that you have in mind in creating and re-creating us, though Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Transitions

2008-05-01T17:03:00.001-07:00

Ephesians 1:15-23
Ascension Day
Thursday, 1 May 2008

This week classes ended. Most of my students are seniors and for them the ending of this semester very well may mark the end of their formal schooling, at least for a time. But often the ending of one season marks the beginning of another. My students leave Penn with the hope that this ending (graduation) truly is the beginning (commencement) of their productive and successful adulthood.

The text from Ephesians continues the theme of God's purpose in choosing us. As is always the case, we are instructed to turn our vision fully on Jesus Christ. The scripture invites us to see Jesus descending into the grave and then ascending triumphant into heaven. Observing this, we come to know our hope, the riches of our inheritance in Christ, and the immeasurable greatness of his power. Our hope rests in Christ, whom God raised from the dead and who reigns supreme over every other force and power we will ever encounter.

Today marks the church-wide commemoration of the ending of the Lord's earthly ministry with the Ascension of our Lord. Having secured the believer's salvation and hope, Jesus was taken out of his disciples' sight. With the Lord's ascension, we join the disciples in the Jerusalem, where they are instructed to remain during the transition between Christ's ascending and the Holy Spirit's descending 10 days later at Pentecost.

With this first devotional of the 10-day transition period, I am inviting you to join me in reflecting on what we have known of God before and where God would carry us in our next season.

Sing, "My Hope is Built"

Let us pray:
God our Hope, on this day and in the midst of these transitions, we stretch forward with expectation concerning the power that is to come. Help us to release what is past, to be freed from all the things that tether us to this world. We offer our thanksgiving for what we have survived so that we could approach the new beginnings you are offering. Help us likewise to survive this transition and land safely in the glory that is to come, through Jesus Christ our Rock and Redeemer. Amen

The Family Name

2008-04-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 1:1-10
Wednesday, 30 April 2008

I remember when it meant something to be a part of a family or a community. I remember when parents would send their children out into the world with the reminder that they represented the family and with a warning not to bring shame on the family name. For those of us who had families like that, our identity was grounded and stabilized, so that even when we veered from the path we still had a fundamental sense of who we were.

Today's text offers us a glimpse into God's plan before time. Before the world began, God chose us and destined us for adoption as God's children. Thus, our foundation in God's love and grace predate the foundation of the world itself. And while we watch the scenes of our lives play out in anticipation of God's final triumph, we already inhabit high and heavenly places in Christ. God has lavished grace on us, redeemed us by Christ's blood, and set us up for a praising and praiseworthy life. Thanks be to God!

A lot of people think that the best incentive for serving God and doing the right thing is fear. I disagree. For me, the greater motivation comes when I ponder who I am and what God has done for me. Gratitude for God's love and grace serves as stronger motivation for living right than does fear of God's judgment and wrath. I just have to remember to uphold the family name.

Sing, "Take the Name of Jesus With You"

Let us pray:
We thank you, God, for having made provisions for us, for having us and our well-being in your mind, even in the design of the universe. May we be ever mindful of the precious gift we have been given and may our lives be worthy of the family name. Amen

They Need Prayer

2008-04-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

1 Timothy 2:1-6
Tuesday, 29 April 2008

Have you noticed that our nation's circumstances have taken a significant downturn in the last several months? (Some would argue years.) In addition to the protracted war with fronts in both Afghanistan and Iraq, which has substantial human costs, there is a financial markets crisis, accompanied by a steep rise in price for gas as well as essentials such as food. In the election campaign, today's scandal centers on the fractured relationship between a pastor and his presidential hopeful parishioner. The media's description is filled with the image of each of these Christian men throwing the other under the bus. If we ever needed the Lord before, we sure do need God now.

Today's text provides an occasion to consider the relationship between the church and the state from the vantage point of the church's primary interests. In an instruction from an elder to a younger minister, we hear that the first priority is prayer. Notice the elements of the prayer to be offered. Supplications represent the prayers that we pray when we earnestly desire something for ourselves. Intercessions are the prayers that we pray on behalf of others. And as bad as the government can be, Timothy also instructs us to offer thanksgiving, to find something even in the messed up government to appreciate. The believer seeks God on behalf of leaders who often do not know that they should seek God for themselves.

I'll admit that when I look at the challenges that we bring on ourselves as a nation and as its individuals citizens, I am not as inclined to offer thanks as I might otherwise be. And yet we are called, even commanded to keep our eyes open and senses attuned to what is praiseworthy and what should make us grateful. This command is for our good, because our own route to real happiness and joy includes gratitude. As for all that is lamentable in the world, our nation, the current president, the candidates to succeed him, and all of the rest of us - well, let's just pray about it.

Sing "O God, Our Help in Ages Past"

Let us pray:
We come to you, O God, on behalf of all people, especially the leaders of our nation. We pray for the President and his Cabinet, for the Congress, for governors, and mayors. We pray for all four remaining presidential candidates: for Clinton, McCain, Obama, and Paul. We pray for Jeremiah Wright. We give you thanks for the opportunity to choose and the right to vote. We thank you for the progress we have made as a nation, even as we pray that your justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream. Grant us the spiritual fortitude to represent Christ's kingdom in this hour, we pray in his name. Amen

The Double Standard

2008-04-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Matthew 7:1-12
Friday/Saturday, 25-26 April 2008

Here's a question for the ages: Why are people so inconsistent? It's a chronic condition among us that we hate in others the same qualities that we allow for or even take pride in in ourselves. And let's face it, much of the time we hold others to higher standards of behavior than we allow for ourselves.

Addressing the human tendency toward hypocrisy, Jesus begins this section of his teaching with a command concerning judgment. Most people reading the text focus on the first clause "Do not judge." Many an errant soul has waved the flag of "Do not judge" as a way of deflecting critique or censure of bad behavior. Yet Jesus is not justifying the wrong that the blatantly sinful person does; he is shining a light on the secret sins of the outwardly pious. And the particular error that Jesus confronts in v. 1 is the double standard. Remember, Jesus does not say that it is never appropriate to remove the speck in your sister or brother's eye, only that you are ill equipped to do so until you have removed the log from your own.

Here again, Jesus reminds us that there are consequences for our actions, that there is an accountability that goes beyond humans and their systems of justice. While our games of hypocrisy may work on people who cannot see what is inside us, there is a God who knows what the real deal is. Just as we cannot be forgiven if we do not forgive, we cannot receive mercy if we are unwilling to show some.

Sing "At Calvary"

Let us pray:
Merciful God, how grateful we are that when our own failure and sin could well have snuffed all possibility of redemption out, you extended your love to us. As we live in community with one another, as sisters and brothers through your blood, help us to extend mercy and grace to one another. Help us to live the golden rule spiritually and do for others what we want to have done for us. Make us consistent and well-formed in our character, we pray through Jesus Christ. Amen

What are you Looking At?

2008-04-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

Matthew 6:25-34
Thursday, 24 April 2008

Being competitive is a part of my nature. Most of the time, I try to use this tendency as a motivation to do more of what is good and right. But occasionally I find myself in the mode of "keeping up with the Joneses." Every now and then I find myself looking at my neighbor and comparing myself to her or him. And you know how that moment of comparison and judgment makes me feel? Anxious.

Our text today is one of the most famous in scripture because it expresses the primacy of the kingdom over every material concern, even for necessary things. Jesus' expression is even more vivid in the King James Version. Where the NRSV says "Don't worry," the KJV says "Take no thought." It's almost startling to read Jesus telling his disciples not to think at all about the very things that most consume our attention. After all, food, clothing and shelter are basic needs. All around us people are stressed about how they will provide for themselves. But Jesus doesn't want us to look around us at our friends and families; he wants us to look at the flowers. When we consider the flowers and the birds, we realize that taking care of ourselves is not our top priority. Our top priority is God's kingdom and God's righteousness.

In this season of economic downturn, when anxiety fills so many hearts and when the desire to show off materially could have disastrous effects on our present and future, it is good to be reminded to look at lilies and sparrows. We cannot afford to let the anxieties of this world distract us either from the security we have in a loving God who provides or from the responsibility God has given us to seek God's reign and justice.

Sing, "His Eye is on the Sparrow"

Loving God, we bring all of are cares and concerns to you. We thank you for the reminder that you care for us and that you have always taken care of us. May we grow in our trust in you and in our commitment to your righteous rule here on earth as it is in heaven. Keep us centered in our purpose as your children; rid us of our anxiety and make us secure in your love. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen

Valued and Prized

2008-04-23T03:41:00.000-07:00

Matthew 6:19-27
Wednesday, 23 April 2008

Most of us have lots of possessions but few treasures. Our possessions we use, enjoy, take care of, but eventually discard. Our treasures are another matter entirely. Those things we polish, appraise, ponder, and set in a place of honor. When we lose our possessions, we are irritated and disgusted. If they are stolen, we feel violated and angry. But when we lose our treasures, we are crushed.

Jesus continues to dig deeply into the human condition with a warning to his followers concerning what is valued and prized. "Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth." Jesus understands that some possessions are necessary for the navigation of life in this world. But he doesn't want his disciples to confuse the incidentals of life with the main point. Treasures, those highly valued and prized parts of your life, should never be material. The material is vulnerable to moth and rust; it can be lost and stolen. It is this vulnerability that makes people inclined to hoard those material things. But Jesus wants his people to know that the temporary nature of material things is the very reason that we should hold no great stock in them, but rather treasure what is preserved and protected in heaven for us. For, where our treasure is, our hearts are there also.

Jesus does not offer the easy way for those of us who want to walk with him. He challenges us to think about what is most special, valued and prized in our lives. If the most precious things to us are earthly, then we are on the wrong path. If we seek what is earthly, then we have our reward already. But if we seek what is heavenly, then we continue to strive.

Sing, "Jesus is All the World to Me"

Let us pray:
Loving God, we praise you for guiding us into this way that leads to abundant and everlasting life. We thank you for directing us away from the materialism and worldly-mindedness that plagues our culture. Continue to remind us to value most the spiritual life and to store up treasures in your kingdom, we pray through Jesus Christ. Amen

Learning to Pray

2008-04-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

Matthew 6:7-15
Tuesday, 22 April 2008

Few things are as irritating as having a person criticize your actions or ideas without offering an alternative. "How could I improve my performance?", you ask. "I don't know; I just don't like the way you do it now." And the only thing worse than having a peer do this to you, is to have a teacher be so unhelpful.

Jesus not only gives his disciples instructions on "how not to pray;" he teaches them how to pray. There is much in the lesson of the "Lord's prayer" for us to consider, but two aspects of the prayer stand out in my reading of it today. The first is that Jesus wants his disciples to pray always for and with one another. Even if I am at home alone, when I say "Our Father," I join myself with all of God's other children around the world and even throughout all the ages. I care as much about my sister's daily bread as I care about my own. I am as interested in my brother's being forgiven as I am in being forgiven myself. In addition to the communal concern that is expressed in the prayer, Jesus also demonstrates God's holistic interest in human beings. Our worship of God's holy name is connected to our prayer for God's will and God's kingdom which is also connected to our need for daily food. Nothing in our lives is outside of God's loving concern for us all.

As we pray, we learn that we are our brother and sister's keeper. We hold each other in prayer as we pray in the pattern that Jesus teaches in contrast to the misguided petitions we would offer without his guidance. We also discover that when our hearts are turned heavenward we see God's absolute provision for all of our needs - spiritual, emotional, and physical.

Sing, "The Lord's Prayer"

Pray the Lord's prayer.

Treasures in the Closet

2008-04-21T21:27:00.001-07:00

Matthew 6:1-18
Monday, 21 April 2008

Occasionally, in a fit of cleaning frenzy or to bemoan a change in dress size, I clean out my closet. Although I don't do it often, whenever I do clean the closet, I find items that I had lost or had wondered about - articles of clothing that had fallen off their hangers, jewelry or money in pockets, etc. Odd, isn't it, that when we think of "closets," we imagine skeletons instead of pondering the treasures that are hidden in them?

Jesus is in the midst of his most famous teaching, known as the Sermon on the Mount. Throughout this discourse, the Master instructs his disciples and the listening crowd about the distinction between the follower of Jesus and the ordinary person. Literally and figuratively, Jesus' followers are always called to go the extra mile. But what we are not called to do is to create public displays of piety for the entertainment of the world around us or for the advancement of some personal agenda, such as the praise of people. Prayer, fasting, and the giving of alms all are integral to the spiritual walk, but the audience for those pious acts is God and not people. Go into your room (the King James Version says "closet") and shut the door, and trust that the God who sees in secret will give an open reward.

There is a sweetness about the presence of God that can only be known in solitude. While there is much about the Christian way that is communal, some of our time and energy have to be given to God alone. We know that sharing secrets with a friend builds intimacy and bonds. Likewise, sharing secret time with God in the secret place binds us to God and to God's purpose for our lives. Take the time to discover the treasures in the prayer closet, knowing that the secret of our intimacy will eventuate in open and public rewards.

Sing, "More Love to Thee"

Take the time to pray your own private prayer.

Troubling, Troublesome, Trouble Free

2008-04-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

John 14:1-14
Easter 5
20 April 2008

To me one of the greatest gifts that the African American spiritual tradition has given to the world is the ability to embrace the difficulty and tension of human life and at the same time to celebrate the presence and joy of knowing God's presence. Few songs were as effective in capturing this pain and joy than the old chorus "Trouble in my way/I have to cry sometime." Even after you "lay awake at night" you know that "That's all right" because "Jesus, He will fix it after while."

Surely Jesus is aware that trouble waits at the door for himself and for his disciples as he dines with them in the upper room on the night of his betrayal and on the eve of his crucifixion. Indeed, near the end of this extended discourse, recorded in John 16:33, Jesus declares that in the world [the disciples] will have tribulation. Yet in midst of this troubling time, when the one who has been the source of their stability is about to be crucified and the very foundations of their understandings about the Christ and about God are about to be shaken, Jesus instructs his disciples "Let not your hearts be troubled." How does he think that peace in the midst of trouble is possible? Believe in God; believe also in me. Understand that even the troubling times you are now experiencing are the preparation for the way that God is making for your future lives. "I go to prepare a place for you."

News around the world, in our neighborhoods, and even in our homes and churches is troubling. Our own infirmities, vices, and bad habits are troublesome. But our faith in God is strong. When we focus on our trustworthy and faithful God, believing God and the One whom God has sent, then our hearts are blessedly trouble free. The peace that surpasses understanding keeps our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.

Sing "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"

Let us pray:
O for grace, God, to trust you more. Much in our experience has taught us of your faithfulness and encourages us in our hope in you. Still, the troubles of this world and the traumas of our lives sometimes cause us to forget what our spirits have learned. Today, we recommit ourselves to believing you, in the name of Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice has made a home for us. Amen

How Will They Know 17 April 2008

2008-04-17T06:46:00.000-07:00

Exodus 33:1-23
Thursday, 17 April 2008

I grew up in a church tradition that focused on holiness, on being set apart. The "saints" didn't behave the way the "world" behaved. In speech, in attire, in commitment, in recreation, in everything visible they tried to be an example of the sanctified life. They wanted people to know by looking at them that they were saved.

The disaster of idolatry and its devastating aftermath are fresh in the minds of Moses and the people. But God is ready for them to move on into the Promised Land. In conversation, though, Moses notices that God has not promised that the divine presence will accompany them. Instead, God promises to send an angel, a messenger to fulfill God's will. The problem is that an angel is not God, and Moses knows it. In one of the most poignant prayers of the scriptures, Moses declares that if God's presence does not go with them, then Moses will not go. "How else," Moses asks, "will they know that we are your people, if you are not with us?" It is by God's presence that the people are distinct from other peoples. God relents. In seal of this promise, Moses asks to be shown the divine glory - the weighty presence of God. Although Moses is not permitted to behold that glory, he is given protection in a rock as the Lord passes by.

Our desire as Christians to be distinctive from the world is an appropriate one. But our distinctiveness is not primarily measured in how we dress or what we eat or what we say or how we have fun. It is really the presence of God in our lives and the hand of God upon our lives that distinguishes us from the rest of the world. The world will know that we are Christians by our love, by our light, and by our truth, as the character of God is demonstrated in our character as God's children.

Sing "He Hideth My Soul"

Let us pray:
Lord, we confess that we are not all that you would have us to be. Just as our ancestors in the faith have done before us, we have sometimes failed to honor you. But we pray that your presence will continue to go with us and lead us to your promised land. Set us apart as your people even as you develop in us character and beauty that is more than skin deep, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen

How Do You Tell the Difference 13 April 2008

2008-04-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

John 10:1-10
Easter 4
Sunday, 13 April 2008

Q: How do you tell the difference between a violin and a dog? A: The dog knows when to stop scratching.

This Sunday's Gospel text put me in mind of the style of "How do you tell the difference" jokes. In this joke format two things are compared which have such obvious distinctions that part of the joke is the question itself. Who can't tell the difference between a violin and a dog? Who can't tell the difference between a walrus and an orange? Who can't tell the difference between a shepherd and a robber?

The point the Jesus makes in his discourse about the Good Shepherd is that while the difference between a good shepherd and a thief/robber seems obvious, people can be confused and choose to listen to the latter rather than the former. To remedy this tendency, Jesus describes the activities of the Shepherd in contrast to the thief. First of all, the shepherd's concern is for the sheep's well-being. Psalm 23 remarks that the shepherd leads the sheep to green pastures and beside still waters. Jesus says that the sheep who enter through him will have pasture. The thief, on the other hand, looks out only for the thief's interests. In sum, the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. The Shepherd comes to give life. The sheep recognize the Shepherd's voice because it is associated with loving and consistent care.

So, how do you tell the difference between a shepherd and the thief? I don't have a pithy statement in answer to this question, but I am clear that the actions are more important than the words anyway.

Sing "More About Jesus" and/or "The King of Love My Shepherd Is"

Let us pray:

Loving Shepherd, grant us discernment to hear your voice and follow your way, so that we experience the fullness of abundant and eternal life. Keep us safe away from the thief. Fill us with every good thing that comes from your hand, through Jesus Christ. Amen

Enter the Cloud 11 April 2008

2008-04-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

Exodus 24:1-18
Friday, 11 April 2008

I have never liked to be left out. I want to know what the conversation is about, what the organization does, what the person behind the facade is like. I don't want to be the only one who doesn't understand the joke. I don't even want to be one of the ones who doesn't get it. But as much as I want to be included, I know that there are some things I cannot understand without being let in and some places I cannot go without being invited.

The section we have been considering from the book of Exodus has been discussing the preparations and conversation that constitute the covenant between God and the Israelites. Have you noticed how often God draws boundaries and limits as a part of the relationship's terms? In today's text, there are various levels of engagement into which individuals or groups are invited. Although all are drawn into the covenant, speaking with one voice their intention to obey the Lord's command and being sprinkled with the blood of the covenant, there are degrees of intensifying closeness, culminating in the last verse of our lesson when Moses is the only one who enters the cloud.

Like the Israelites, we share a common invitation to be cleansed by the blood of the covenant and a diversity of gifts and callings. But what is different is that now we all have an invitation to the space where before only Moses could enter. We are all invited into the presence of God; we all may enter the cloud. The thing is that too often we either miss the invitation or ignore it. Too often we have far more curiosity about each others' business and a far more passionate desire to be invited into exclusive clubs than we desire the things of God. Yet what we get when we enter the cloud is not trivia or gossip; it is an experience of the knowledge that makes life full or actually that makes real life possible.

Sing, "Close to Thee"

Let us pray:
Lord, thank you for the provision of your word and of your blood which make relationship with you possible for us. Thank you for laying the foundation and opening up the way to abundant and eternal life. We pray that you will give us a passionate curiosity to know the things about you that can only be learned through closeness and intimacy. Help us not to be afraid to enter the cloud, though Jesus Christ the Door to all that his holy. Amen

God Only Knows 10 April 2008

2008-04-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

Exodus 20:1-21
Thursday, 10 April 2008

Much of what is really true about us is hidden from the world around us. To be sure, unexpected or difficult circumstances can catch us off guard and cause us to reveal more about ourselves than we intend. But normally we employ mechanisms that keep the real self hidden, so much so that we think nobody sees, nobody knows.

The scene in today's text is familiar to us as the Ten Commandments. After days of preparation and warning concerning the encounter between God and the Israelites, God now begins the discourse that defines God's relationship and covenant with God's people. "You shall have no other gods before me." For a long time, I read this commandment as an assertion of proper priorities: Nothing should come before God. Lately, though, I have been imagining God sitting high and viewing us as if our lives are a performance. With that image in mind, I hear the first commandment as God's expression of what God does and doesn't want to see from us. "I am looking at you and your life; don't parade any other gods in front of me."

There really is no excuse for us to be confused about who our the rightful ruler and deity is in our lives. But even if we are clueless about God, we need to know emphatically that God is not confused about who we are. Even now God is observing our hearts' performances. God is searching us out and can see what's real. God is looking beyond the facade to see who reigns on the throne of our hearts and in our lives. No one else may know how warped, misguided, mean-spirited, haughty, proud, devious, etc. we are, but God still knows.

Sing, "Take My Life and Let it Be"

Let us pray:
Create in us clean hearts, O Lord, and renew right spirits within us. Remind us that you are always looking. Reveal to us the idols that remain and strengthen us to remove them from our lives and thus from before your sight, in Jesus' name. Amen

Meeting God 9 April 2008

2008-04-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

Exodus 19:16-25
Wednesday, 9 April 2008

Although it is a fad among church people to do so, I have never been a fan of proclaiming that "God told me" this or "Thus saith the Lord" that. Don't get me wrong, I do sometimes think that God talks to me, but I have enough respect for and even fear of God that I am careful not to take God's name in vain or attribute to God those things that I suspect may be a figment of my own imagination.

Having prepared themselves for an encounter with God, the Israelites are encamped near the mountain on the third day of consecration, when the earth begins to quake, the thunder rolls, and a dense cloud of darkness descends. God has shown up for the scheduled meeting and announced the divine presence with fanfare fit for the Lord of Hosts. Moses the leader recognizes the signal that it is time for the people to meet their God. As usual, God is the first to arrive at the meeting point, both because God is first in everything and because God wants Moses to have a chance to set forth the boundaries of the encounter before some unwitting Israelite accidentally approaches God in the wrong way. You see, as loving as God is, God has boundaries.

Because God is so kind and has extended the divine hand toward us, we sometimes act as if we forget that God is God. Leaders and people have to learn how to recognize the presence of God in our midst by bringing the right kind of consecrated spirit and observing the boundaries. The word and presence of the Living God are never anything to take for granted or to behave haphazardly around. When we come into God's presence, the proper posture is humility and the proper activity is worship and obedience.

Sing, "O Worship the King"

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we acknowledge and give thanks for the privilege of being in your presence. We thank you for arranging for and showing up first to the meeting places in our lives. As we seek to know you more intimately, grant us the grace of consecrated lives that observe the boundaries you set. Help us to lead others to meaningful encounters with you, in Jesus' name. Amen

The Big "If" 8 April 2008

2008-04-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

Exodus 19:1-16
Tuesday, 8 April 2008

Since you're reading this meditation, I suspect that you have already discovered that the price of adulthood far outweighs the perks. I still remember what it was like to wish for the day when I would be an adult, when I could make my own decisions. When I had no responsibility, I longed for more choices. Now that I have to live with the choices I make, choosing is more of burden than I anticipated. Now I know that actions have consequences.

Today's reading comes from my favorite book in the Old Testament, the book of Exodus. Moses has succeeded in leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, into the wilderness, on the way to the Promised Land. After roughly two months of freedom, God engages the people in a conversation with Moses as the intermediary. After recounting the loving favor that God has extended to the Israelites, God then makes clear the need for the people to make a choice with the understanding that the choice will have specific consequences. "Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples." No more are they like children to take their blessings for granted. No more can they expect their errors to be overlooked.

Too often we want the privileges of spiritual maturity without taking on the responsibilities. Church people fancy ourselves to be God's treasured possession, holy nation, and priestly kingdom without committing ourselves to obeying God's voice. We want all the perks that God has promised without the investment of ourselves that we are called to make. We are free in Christ to enjoy abundant life, if we trust the leading of the loving God who has borne us this far on eagles' wings. If we obey God's voice the life of freedom and choice is limitless. But that's the big "if".

Sing, "Trust and Obey"

Loving God, we thank you for having freed us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Help us to live up to all that you have promised us through obedience to your will and fellowship in your Spirit. Wash and sanctify us for fuller and more fruitful relationship with you, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen

What Leaders Do 7 April 2008

2008-04-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 5:1-14
Monday, 7 April 2008

In the 19th century, Lord Acton offered a despairing assessment of leadership: "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." And while my own optimism as well as my sense of a call to leadership urge the rejection of the generalization, my experience with people in power confirms that they can be dangerous in the absence of checks and balances.

Last week when we began 1 Peter, I asserted that the letter represents the activation of the gospel in the life of the believer. And in this closing passage, we see a charge to those in the Christian community who hold positions of authority. From one leader to the others, the writer seeks to convey the fundamental differences between worldly power and Christian leadership. Remember that the church was at that very moment experiencing persecution at the hands of an unjust and unchecked government. They of all people understood the dangerous arrogance that power can engender. Against this backdrop, Peter offered a riff on a perspective that Jesus articulated when he equated leadership with service in the kingdom of God. Note that before Peter asked the church to respect and follow elders' leadership, he instructed the elders to be good for and to the people. Feed the flock; keep watch over them for their souls' sake; be an example. That's what real leaders do.

I often say that all of us are leaders in one venue or another. All of us, without regard to our position in the church, have spheres of influence and arenas of power. I pray that we might be encouraged in those spaces to exhibit the characteristics of caring and humility that distinguish Jesus' people from everyone else. And while it may be the case that we sometimes find ourselves corrupted by power, we would do well to remember that no human power is ever absolute. Indeed, Peter's last words before signing the letter are "To [God] be the power for ever and ever." Great Christian leaders all say "Amen."

Sing, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name"

Let us pray:
Sovereign of All, we acknowledge your ultimate authority, in heaven and on earth. You are God above all; you reign over all. Allow us to take heed to our charge to serve you and to minister to others in the myriad spaces of our influence and authority. May we always humble ourselves so that we might be accepted by you, through Jesus our Lord. Amen

Still the One 6 April 2008

2008-04-06T22:15:00.000-07:00

Luke 24:13-49
Easter 3
Sunday, 6 April 2008

Disappointment is always uncomfortable, but it is nearly unbearable when you have pinned all of your hopes on one person or one possibility. In the face of break ups, deaths, illnesses, layoffs, failures, shortages, infidelity and the myriad other disappointments humans regularly experience, we all struggle with the choice of what to do next. The most resilient of us hope to hope again.

In the text, two of Jesus' disciples are traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus. The timing of their journey is curious. It is Easter evening and the news has gotten around that Jesus has risen, but these two disciples do not remain in town even to see him. It seems that the disappointment of his crucifixion, dashing their most treasured hope that he would be Israel's redeemer,is too hurtful for quick recovery even after the astounding and incredible testimony about the resurrection. With their heads down, they head out of the city. While they walk, Jesus appears alongside them. He shows up! Notice his compassion as he hears them out in their sorrow and complaint. Imagine how it sounds to him to hear them speak of their hope in the past tense. "We used to believe that he was the one." But he does not condemn them. The rest of the text is about their healing, the reclamation and restoration of hope. In his teaching and in reaking bread, but mostly in the pure presence of Jesus as he walks with them they discover that he's still the one.

Occasionally, life throws all of us curve balls, and out of nowhere we are struck with crushing disappointment that shakes us to our core. Like the two disciples, we hit the road with a destination in mind but also with a deep unsettledness as we try to regroup and allow an alternative hope to spring forth. In these seasons, beloved, expect Jesus to draw near and walk alongside. Pay attention while he speaks; feel your heart burn with recognition. Jesus may not look exactly like he did before the heartbreak, but he's still the only one to pin your hopes on.

Sing, "I Want Jesus to Walk with Me" or "Abide With Me 'Tis Eventide" (to hear this hymn sung beautifully by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir click here.)

Let us pray:
Blessed Savior, our most fervent prayer is that you would walk with us through the days of our lives and abide with us in the evening. We know that you hear our sorrows and our complaints and that in compassion you draw near to us. Forgive us for speaking of our hope in the past tense. Kindle anew the fire in our hearts and by your presence reclaim and restore our hopes. You are still the only one who can. Amen

How Well We Live 4 April 2008

2008-04-04T01:30:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 3:13-4:6
Friday, 4 April 2008

Around the nation today people have gathered to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. Many are asking questions about the progress we have made toward the goals for which he gave his life. Still others are wondering how the message of love that he preached has been so domesticated by the holiday in his name and the deification of his memory that we no longer see it as radical or him as prophetic. A few are even asking about the circumstances under which he died; most, though, are thinking about how he lived.

Today's reading offers a question that connects forcefully with the anniversary of King's death: "Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is right?" Pause and consider the question momentarily. Recognize that while it is insane that there are people who seek to harm others for doing good, history is replete with stories of evil powers that did just that. Christ was crucified; martyrs were burned at the stake or thrown to the lions; Martin King and others died from assassins bullets, lynchers' nooses, and segregationists' bombs. Addressing this reality, Peter asserted that even when evil forces convene against God's people, what the devil meant for evil simply tranforms into a conduit of blessing. Doing right is itself a blessing, even when it leads to suffering and even death.

Contrary to the misinformation propounded by "prosperity" preachers, God's promise of abundant life is no guarantee that the life of faith will be free from trouble. In fact, the Captain of our faith, Jesus Christ suffered unjustly and died a horrific death. But remembering that his resurrection from the dead is the locus and source of our hope, we arm ourselves to live fully and totally for God and for good while we have a chance. After all, as my mother used to say, it doesn't matter how long you live but how well.

Sing, "If I Can Help Somebody"

Let us pray:
Lord, grant to us the faith and commitment to stand strong in face of opposition and to do good in the midst of an evil and perverse world. May we not be intimidated or ensnared by the wiles of the devil. Rather, fill us with boldness, justice, and compassion so that our living will be meaningful and our blessedness assured. We ask these favors in memory of our faithful ancestors and in the name of Jesus Christ, our Perfect Example. Amen

Where Justice Reigns 3 April 2008

2008-04-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 2:11-25
Thursday, 3 April 2008

As a true idealist, I long for and look for the world to be just and fair. I vehemently resent the tendency among people to discriminate against others merely because they are different. In the world and in the church, I observe the ravages of sexism, racism, classism, and countless other insanities, which dishonor some of God's children on the basis of accidents of nature and status without regard to gifts, character, competency, or even call. When I see these things, I just want to scream.

Because of my disposition regarding justice among humans, I was tempted to skip today's text in favor of something more egalitarian and justice-minded than the injunction for slaves to obey their masters. But upon closer reflection I came to regard the text as a critique of rather than an apology for the injustices and distortions that are inherent in human government. The writer recognized that the Roman persecution of Christians was evil, but reminded the reader to follow in the steps of Christ who confronted the powers of this world with love unto the death while trusting that his vindication was in the hands of God "who judges justly." What matters most in the life of the believer is not the sometimes evil and unjust circumstances that confront us, but rather the faithful and consistent witness for good and God that we maintain in the midst of that injustice. When we do what is right anyway, we proclaim that Christ reigns and that in Christ justice prevails.

On the eve of the 40th anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, I want to state clearly that the Bible does not require us to relinquish our human rights, to be compliant and complaisant in the face of evil. Indeed, I believe that its teachings provide a mandate to do all within our power to effect just and righteous rule in human government. Still it is good to remember, as our forbears most assuredly knew, that in the midst of injustice here, we can appeal our case to a God whose very name means justice. Martin King understood well the principle that as believers we must always behave honorably so that the message of Christ can be proclaimed in our talk and in our walk. Defeat only comes when we forget who we are.

I won't ask you to sing the hymn, "Once to Every Man and Nation," adapted from a poem by James Russell Lowell. I will simply quote the final stanza, in honor of Dr. King and of all the other great preachers who have quoted over the last 160 years.

Though the cause of evil prosper,
yet the truth alone is strong;
though her portion be the scaffold,
and upon the throne be wrong;
yet that scaffold sways the future,
and behind the dim unknown,
standeth God within the shadow,
keeping watch above his own.

Let us pray:
Grant, O Lord, that we may embody in our relations with others the justice that we seek from others for ourselves. Amen

Fashion Sense 2 April 2008

2008-04-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 2:1-10
Wednesday, 2 April 2008

For the fashion conscious,the changing of seasons signals the change of attire. But even those of us who cannot distinguish high fashion from a hand grenade still change our clothes to accommodate the temperature. Indeed, one of the ways that we can tell when a person's mental faculties are diminished is that they wear a winter coat in 95-degree weather or a sleeveless sun dress in the dead of winter. Safety, comfort, taste, and, yes, conformity to culture all dictate to us what to wear and what not to wear.

Continuing the description of the transition from nonbeliever to believer, 1 Peter 2 outlines the attitudes that clash with the life of holiness to which we are called. Funny, isn't it, that the writer's top five list of holiness fashion "don'ts" is not the list most often cited by church people? But even if we don't know it, the truth is that harboring a bad attitude is at least as likely to cause a person to miss the kingdom of God as any other failure or sin. It keeps us from the nourishment of God's word and inhibits our progress in growing closer to Christ. And I haven't even mentioned the havoc it wreaks in our relationship with the other saints.

Beloved, hear God telling us that while we are doing our spiritual spring cleaning, we need to take malice, guile, insincerity, envy and slander out of our closets and discard them. We are chosen as God's own people, holy and royal, and we have to dress the part, so that the world will see our light and praise our God. When we were in the world, our bad attitudes fit right in with the ways of the world. But now our spiritual safety, comfort, style, and culture in the kingdom of God make the attire of the world not only out of fashion but downright crazy.

Sing, "Close to Thee"

Let us pray:
God our Rock, attune our thoughts and dispositions to your perfect will. You have called us by your name and invested us with an excellent purpose. Expose and excise those aspects of our inward character and attitude that would block our growth and impede our intimacy with you. Help us to conform to the culture of your kingdom, to embody your style, to reflect your taste and in so doing keep us safe from the ways of the world and the wiles of the devil, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Spring Cleaning 1 April 2008

2008-04-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 1:13-25
Tuesday, 1 April 2008

Today is the first day that actually feels like spring to me. The breeze is gentle and warm. Even though the weather is overcast, it only reminds that April is known for its showers. The buds on the trees are turning to blossoms. The flowers in my yard that only bloom once per year are in bloom. Something about this season bespeaks new opportunities. It makes me want to get my house in order. I feel like I should be getting ready.

Yesterday's text discussed the trials and struggles that are a part of the human sojourn in a barren season. Today's text reminds us that winter does not last forever. And since the Lord's kingdom is at hand, there are some actions that are critical for believers to engage. Get ready! Prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Remember that the Lord requires much more than a half-hearted attempt at service. The standard is holiness in all your conduct.

I usually find the call to holiness intimidating. But this time as I read the text, I realized that God was not saying "Make yourself holy." God certainly knows that we don't have that capacity. Really what God is giving us is a promise of holiness: "You shall be holy because I am holy." We're supposed to let God's holiness rub off on us, just as child inherits the traits of a parent. Getting our minds ready, bringing discipline to our character, and living faithful lives simply makes room for God to show off the beauty of God's Spirit in us. And remember that unlike the beauty of the blossoms and flowers of spring, God's offer is for a beauty that will not fade.

Sing, "Lord I want to Be a Christian"

Let us pray:
Holy God, quite apart from the signs of the changing of seasons in nature, we are grateful for the changing of seasons in our lives. How wonderful it is for us to see the buds and blossoms emerging in our spirits. We long to be like you, Lord, to have your character and disposition formed in us. Make us holy. Make us faithful. Make us Christians, in Jesus' name.

What's the Point? 31 March 2008

2008-03-31T20:16:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 1:1-12
Monday, 31 March 2008

Some people like to hear all of the details and then the punchline of a story. I'm not one of those people. Tell me the diagnosis, the outcome, the bottomline, and then I can ask for the details I find most relevant. This doesn't mean I'm not interested in the story or in the telling of it. On the contrary, I am both engaged by and concerned about it, so much so that I can't wait to hear the point. I'm anxious to know how it turns out.

Today, we transition out of the Gospels and into the Epistle of Peter. This represents a movement from simply telling the story of Jesus' life, ministry, death, and resurrection to understanding how that story is to be lived out in those of us who call ourselves believers. The introduction to the epistle succinctly documents God's intention for us. God has given us birth into a living hope through Christ's resurrection and has laid up an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance for us. In contemporary terms, God has brought us into the family and set up a trust fund for us. When we see our lives in these terms, we recognize that just as Jesus' suffering had a purpose, the Christian's trials also lead to a larger point : a saved life of unfettered, unspeakable joy here and glory ahead.

To be sure, suffering and trial meant something different for the earliest Christians than it does for us today. Most of us do not face the constant threat of execution because of our testimony and witness. But even while the circumstances differ from age to age, and even from individual to individual, everyone who seeks to do what's right faces tribulation and trial sometimes. Yet believers also share the common experience of being kept by God's power, a power the keeps us secure in our trial and inspires and emboldens our praise. The details may have changed but the point has not. In Christ, Christians of all ages are ultimate overcomers and more than conquerors.

Sing "Joy Unspeakable"

Let us pray:
Generous God, we ourselves sometimes wonder how we can experience such fullness of joy in a world so confused and tumultuous. Then we are reminded that the joy you have given did not come from the world or its circumstances; it came with the love and the life we know in Christ. Thank you for the salvation of our souls, the transformation of our minds, the uplifting of our spirits, and even the regulation of our emotions. Grant us the grace to endure these temporary trials, even as we look forward to our imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance, in and through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Whatever It Takes 30 March 2008

2008-03-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

John 20:19-31Easter 2
Sunday, 30 March 2008

This is the season known as March Madness, when 64 college basketball teams vie for the honor of meeting in the Final Four and then in the national championship game. The excitement of this part of the season exists in the fact that everything is on the line in each game. If you lose, you're out. And nobody wants to be out. Consequently, the players play with exceptional heart and energy, bringing everything they can muster during each individual game,putting their bodies on the line, and doing whatever it takes to bring home the victory.

By now, we know that Jesus' commitment to providing eternal life for humans is limitless. In his Crucifixion he demonstrated that there was nothing he would not do to secure our victory. Having vanquished death by his Resurrection, Jesus appeared his disciples, showed himself alive, and imparted victorious living to them by breathing on them. There was just one problem; Thomas was not in the building. It is unclear where Thomas was, but in his absence he had missed the main event. When told about the time of rejoicing that the disciples had when they saw the Lord, Thomas was unconvinced. He needed to see and experience for himself. The amazing thing is not that Thomas wanted to see for himself, but that Jesus appeared again so that Thomas could get what he needed. It was as if Jesus was saying "Whatever it takes."

Jesus knows us all well enough to know what it takes to bring us to faith and faithfulness in our walk with Christ. Just as he did with Thomas, sometimes Jesus makes return appearances even though we were the absent and/or negligent ones who missed his first performance. How many times has Jesus had to show us again, speak to us again, touch us again, heal us again, deliver us again? From A to Z, Jesus has done and continues to do whatever it takes to bring home our victory. Thanks be to God!

Sing "Victory in Jesus"

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we are amazed at the grace you constantly extend to us. Even when we should have long since been convinced to be believers, you continue to honor our request to show us again, to teach us again. We thank you that just as you did not banish Thomas or give up on him, you do not banish us or give up on us. As you have given your all for us, may we be equally committed to do whatever it takes to live in the reality of the victory that you purchased for us, through Jesus Christ our Risen Savior. Amen

He Moved 28 March 2008

2008-03-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

Luke 24:1-12
Friday, 28 March 2008

If you've known me for any length of time, you know that while housekeeping is not my greatest gift, I usually know where I put things. And I have lived alone for so long - since 1993 - that I am used to things remaining where I put them. So when a friend lived with me in Philly for a semester, my hardest adjustment came when I went to the shared areas of the house and discovered that things I had left in a particular place had moved.

Once again in this Easter week, we are considering the first response of Jesus' disciples upon their arrival at the sepulcher. Luke's account resembles Matthew and Mark in focusing on the multiple women who remained at the cross until Jesus died and then followed his body on Friday to its burial site. These same women returned at dawn on Sunday only to discover that the tomb was empty. Luke's Gospel, however, is the only one that makes an issue of their looking for Jesus in the tomb in the first place. "Why are you looking for the living among the dead?" the angel asked. Although the women did not answer, mostly because the announcement that Jesus had risen recalled their memory of his promise before his crucifixion, their reasoning for looking for Jesus at the cemetery was that that was where they last had seen him. Usually when you leave the dead if you happen to be looking for their bodies again, you know precisely where to find them - where you left them. But Jesus obviously was no regular corpse. He moved! Note that Peter too felt the need to check out the tomb; it was still empty.

When you are dealing with God, you are always dealing with a moving target. From the very first mention of God in Genesis 1, we see a God who creates and whose Spirit moves. And even in Christ's Passion, God's movement continues. By the time the women get to the tomb, Jesus is already on his way to Galilee. By the time we head back to where we left Jesus, to review the last thing God did or lament what God didn't do, Jesus has already moved ahead of us to set up the next space. So stop looking for where Jesus was (especially a dead Jesus) and look for where Jesus is (alive and at work).

Sing, "He is Lord" (He is Lord 2x, He is risen from the dead and he is Lord. Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.)

Let us pray:
Lord, the example of the first witnesses continues to give us new insights concerning what you require of us. We thank you for the way in which you have allowed us to follow along through this season of suffering and resurrection, to observe the crucifixion and the burial, and now finally to rediscover that you are still moving. Help us to discern where you are, rather than to be frustrated or frightened that we do not see you where you were before. Amen.

Worship and Doubt

2008-03-27T22:44:00.001-07:00

Matthew 28:16-20
Thursday, 27 March 2008

I continue to be struck, in my reading of the Gospels, by the human capacity for ambivalence. Perhaps this reflects my own preoccupation of late with my own tendency to vacillate. I am in the midst of several transitions in my life, and I admit that the way I feel changes so quickly that sometimes even I have a hard time keeping up. It's good to know that I'm not the only one whose feelings are in flux.

The women pass along the message to the disciples to meet Jesus in the previously appointed place, the place where he had instructed them. For Matthew, this meeting represents the other disciples' first recorded encounter with the risen Christ. When the women met Jesus, they had fear and great joy, along with their worship. When the 11 remaining close followers saw Jesus, they worshipped but some doubted. More important, whatever uncertainty was in them - and Jesus surely knows what's in them -Jesus still called them and commissioned them to replicate their discipleship in others.

I, for one, rejoice that Jesus sees my fear and my faith, my conviction and my uncertainty, but still calls me close and sends me forth. Last week, I heard a preacher quoting C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters. In Lewis's work, Screwtape and Wormwood work for the devil and consider God their Enemy. Here's what Screwtape tells Wormwood, "

Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger, than when a human, no longer desiring, but intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.

What I am trying to say to you, sisters and brothers, is that the most important thing that the disciples did was to obey and to worship, in spite of their doubts. And the most important thing for us to do is to obey and worship the Living Christ no matter how we are feeling at a particular moment.

Sing, "Lead Me Guide Me"

Let us pray:
In a world that is in transition and with lives that are in flux, we are thankful to know that in you there is stability. While we wait as you fix our hearts and regulate our minds and emotions, we seek the grace simply to do your will, to obey your word, and to worship you. Make us instruments on the Lord's side in the cosmic battle. Keep us faithful until the end, in Jesus' name.

On Time 26 March 2008

2008-03-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

Matthew 28:1-16
Wednesday, 26 March 2008

In my home church, being on time mattered. Although I have been affiliated with many other churches that operated differently, when I was growing up, if service began at 11:30, the core membership arrived no later than 11:15 in order to have time for kneeling prayer at the altar before service began. "It shows respect," my elders asserted. Since God gives us the privilege to set the time for worship, the least we can do is to show up on time for the time that we have set.

They came to see the tomb. In Matthew's account there were no spices to anoint the mangled corpse and thus no questions about gaining entrance to the sepulcher. Mary Magdalene and another Mary simply arrived as soon as it was permissible following the Sabbath, at the dawn of the first day of the week. They were right on time to see the earth quake and the stone roll and the angel appear. They were exactly on time to be the first to see the risen Lord. Notice in the text how words suggest timing and timeliness. "Quickly" and "suddenly" repeat in the narrative. Notice too that while they were still afraid, in Matthew's narrative their fear was mixed with great joy.

I am learning that timeliness in my home church demonstrated more than a legalistic attachment to a set order; it also reflected anticipation that our worship might be filled with great joy. We didn't want to miss anything. And so we developed the habit and practice of arriving promptly. In that same church, I learned that God shows up on time too.

Sing, "He Lives"

Let us pray:
Risen Savior, we desire to approach our time of private and corporate worship with anticipation of your life-giving presence. Whenever we might be found lagging behind, refer us again to the breaking of day on that first Easter morning and to the great joy that we experience in knowing you. Just as you are on time for us, grow us in faithfulness that we might be on time for you. Amen

The Shock of Answered Prayer 24 March 2008

2008-03-24T23:09:00.000-07:00

Mark 16:1-8
Monday, 24 March 2008

Answered prayers can be just as scary as unanswered ones. It always seems that God chooses to intervene and turn things around just when you are beginning to accustom yourself to the grief and trauma of a bad situation. When God does that, you don't know what to say; you're shocked silent.

Most scholars regard this section as the Gospel of Mark's original ending. The faithful women who had been following Jesus demonstrated their commitment to their crucified teacher by rising early to perform the last rites and burial preparation for his mangled body. They journeyed with many critical questions, the most pointed of which was "Who will roll the stone away?" But when they arrived, the question was already answered, and more besides. Every time I read this narrative, I am amazed at the women's faithfulness to what they thought was a dead Jesus, especially when I compare it to our sometimes flakiness in serving a Christ we now know is alive. There is no question that their hearts' desire was to have their Lord returned to them and to have his cause, to which they had devoted their lives, vindicated. Still, the announcement that God had disrupted the normal course of human events and had raised Jesus of Nazareth from the dead both disturbed and surprised the women. Although the man in white spoke words of peace and told them to go witness to the other disciples, the scene ends not with gleeful witness but with astonished silence. The women have experienced the shock of answered prayer.

Fundamentally, what it means for us to worship and serve God is that we never know how God's purpose will bear fruit, only that it will do so. We never know how our prayers will be answered, only that they will be so. What you can always expect from God is that God's procedures defy human wisdom and logic. Just when you think things are hopeless, God shows up. The funny thing for me is that no matter how many times it happens, I still find myself in shock, speechless, and sometimes even afraid that if I tell it, no one will believe me. The women at the tomb eventually recovered the power of their speech. May we too find the grace and strength to go and tell what great things God has done. Perhaps we might even learn to expect God to do something astonishing.

Sing, "He Rose from the Dead"

Let us pray:
Thank you, Lord, for the faithful witness of the women who ventured to the tomb early on that first Resurrection morning. But thank you even more for the power and even the surprise we ourselves have witnessed in your answers to our prayers. Grant us deliverance from low expectations and from paralyzing fear so that we may fulfill the command to proclaim the good news to our associates and the world, in Jesus' name. Amen.

It's a New Day - Easter, 23 March 2008

2008-03-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

John 20:1-18
Psalm 118:22-24
Easter
23 March 2008

There are several phrases which always get a response in the African American church. Some of them are snippets from hymns: Father, I stretch my hands to thee; none other help I know. Some of them are pithy sayings from our culture. Still others are scriptural. Now that the Easter season has official begun this year, I cannot help but be reminded that "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

On that first Easter Sunday, Mary Magdalene ventured to the tomb before daybreak. Little did she know that a fresh, new morning had broken before the sun had even risen. The Lord whose death she had been mourning since Friday had been resurrected. In the other Gospels, the women traveled wondering who would roll the stone away. In this Gospel Mary's inner thoughts turned more toward the question of what happened to Jesus when she discovered that the stone was gone. Even though Jesus had told her that God was about to make a new day for all of God's people, we should not be surprised that Mary came to a natural rather than supernatural conclusion about Jesus' absence from the tomb. Jesus, after all, had sworn enemies who crucified him and who would have liked nothing better than to remove and maybe even desecrate his corpse. Mercifully, Jesus saw her confusion and appeared to her with an explanation (I'm alive!) and instructions (Go tell it!).

This message of the Resurrection is for us, brothers and sisters. It reminds us that that human night cannot overwhelm God's light. In rejecting the one that God anointed - first, David and then Jesus - people set themselves up for the weariness and sorrow of a long night. But God did not abandon them, and God does not abandon us. God knows how to bring life out of death, to bring peace out of confusion, to make a new day after a seemingly endless night. The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Sing, "This is the Day that the Lord Has Made" and "Praise Him, Praise Him"

Let us pray:

Alleluia. Christ is risen! Alleluia. He is risen, indeed! We praise you, Living God, for the joy that comes in the resurrection morning. Not everything in our lives is worked out yet. But in you everything important is settled. In Jesus Christ, we have life, love, joy, hope, strength, and victory. Thank you for the dawn of our new day, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord! Amen

Now What? 21 March 2008

2008-03-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

John 19:38-42
Good Friday
21 March 2008

There is always that moment. What moment?, you ask. The moment after you've notified all of the family and friends, after the funeral director has completed his/her work, after the pastor has prayed and preached, after the choir has sung, after the funeral is over, the burial completed, the repast eaten, after the limousine has dropped you off, after your relatives have come and gone, after the house is empty, after you have changed your clothes. There is always that moment when there is nothing left to do.

The disciples must be exhausted after their whirlwind week of activity. There were already signs that their bodies were fading just after the Passover meal, when they were supposed to keep watch while Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane but they fell asleep instead. In all likelihood, that's the last time they've slept. Thursday night they followed the proceedings - to Herod's palace, to Pilate's court, to the place of scourging, from judgment hall to judgment hall. Friday, though standing afar off, they observed Jesus' tortuous journey toward Golgotha, the place of the Skull, and up Calvary, the mountain of crucifixion. As the life ebbed out of the beloved but broken body of their teacher and friend, the hope ebbed out of them. They must be exhausted. Now a virtual stranger has claimed the body of their Christ and placed him in a garden in a tomb. And there is nothing left for anyone to do, at least not until after the Sabbath has ended.

I came to the Lenten season with an agenda, and I bet you did too. I had a list of issues that I wanted God to deal with. And I'll confess to you that in the darkness of Good Friday I am struck by how little has worked out. The heavens have not opened up with a miraculous answer to all of the questions I had/have. Like the woman who anointed Jesus' body, I believe that I have done what I could. And on this evening after all of the arrangements, commemorations, and reflections, I am left to ask "Now what?" The answer I was not quite prepared for, but it came to me even as I was writing: GRIEVE. Grieve the disappointments, the losses, the failures. Grieve the dreams deferred and the hopes unrealized. That must have been what the disciples did after the burial of Jesus. By Friday evening they must be baptized in grief.

Painful as it is, sisters and brothers, face it and grieve. At least until Sunday.

Sing, "The Old Rugged Cross"

Let us pray:
Lord, I pray for those who read this meditation to face their grief. Give us courage to speak to you of our disappointments and losses. Turn our anger and mourning into greater trust in you. Make our sorrow good grief, healing grief. And come Sunday when the morning dawns, may we be filled all the more with joy for having faced our sadness today. Amen

Well Prepared 20 March 2008

2008-03-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

Mark 14:12-25
Maundy Thursday
20 March 2008

Another childhood memory: Easter shopping. Head to toe I would be outfitted so that I looked my best and crispest for the holiest day of the year. The thing is that it always seemed that Easter sneaked up on us and we would be out on the day before buying something that had been left out. But we couldn't wait; we had to be ready for the DAY!

The disciples finally ask the right question. Where do you want us to go and make preparations? It is Passover, the celebration that frames Jewish identity and reminds them of God's intervention in human circumstances. In one sense they are a little late if their goal is to make preparations, since the day has already arrived. On the other hand, their commitment in the midst of the whirlwind of events is admirable. They may be clueless but they have not forgotten the most important season of the Jewish year.

Jesus' response is telling, as he gives them specific instructions about the person they should look for in the city - a man carrying water. The reason Jesus did not need to give a fuller description is that it was woman's work to carry water in that community. A man carrying water would stand out. Then Jesus lets them know that the gathering place for their meal together has already been furnished and made ready.

That evening following the Passover ritual meal, Jesus shows them that the real preparations go far beyond their work or that of the man carrying water. Things are already in motion that will bring about the events he has been describing to them on the way. One of them is a traitor who already is in contact with Jesus' enemies. More importantly, the memory of the first covenant that they share in the Passover prefigures the establishment of the new covenant in his own broken body and blood. Another ritual meal emerges. All things, indeed, are made ready.

Nearing the end of Holy Week, we may be a step behind when we ask Jesus about the preparations. But thank God this season has come around so that even the densest Christians will think of Christ's passion and resurrection this week. You'd have to be living under a rock not to realize that this is a holy season. So, again we have the opportunity to catch up. We get to ask Christ again, "What would you like for us to do to prepare ourselves for the meal that you already prepared?" Go ahead and ask him. Listen for his answer. We're running out of time.

Sing: "Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling"

Let us pray:
Loving God, even if we were in danger of forgetting before, the season has reminded us again of the gracious opening you prepared for us to be your children. As we ingest the symbols of our faith, the broken body and blood of Jesus Christ, may we grow thereby into greater faithfulness and commitment to follow in his steps. May our hearts and lives be places furnished and ready, well prepared for your residence and use. Let your will be done in us. Amen

Too Greedy to Live 19 March 2008

2008-03-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

Mark 12:1-11
Wednesday, 19 March 2008

I appreciate a lot about my upbringing. I was raised by people who got along with one another in the home and who were well-respected in our community. Both of my parents were known in their respective venues as people of great generosity of spirit and liberality in their giving and service. There wasn't a greedy tendency in either of them. I hope I inherited their spirit.

During this last week of his ministry Jesus seems more inclined to initiate conflict and not simply to let the conflict come to him. First, he enters the city riding a colt thereby identifying himself as the messiah. Then, he tears up things in the temple. Now he offers a parable that clearly condemns the bystanders who constantly eavesdrop in an effort to entrap him. The tale he tells is of a landowner who lovingly and diligently sets in motion everything that is necessary for a plentiful harvest. Although the landowner is away, he certainly has an expectation that the tenants he has placed over his land will give him his share of the produce. But they don't. They abuse and kill his messengers and even murder his son rather than to give him what is his due. Basically, their greed overrules both their sense of fairness and their good sense period. And in the end, when the landowner executes justice, their greed will cost them their lives.

Sit for a moment with the story, not as an occasion to think about all of the other people you know in the world who have refused to give God what rightfully is God's due. Don't think about the people who tried to kill you when you told them what God requires. Rather, ask yourself whether and when you too have been like the greedy tenants. Confront yourself. When have you refused the word of God or even attacked the messenger? Ouch. I just thought of a few occasions. No, I have never killed anybody. But I have used cutting words. Did you notice how many chances the landowner gave the tenants before lowering the boom? Hallelujah. Thank God for mercy.

Sing, "Just As I Am"

Let us pray:
Merciful God, since the earth and all its inhabitants rightfully belong to you, each of us needs to repent for the moments when we have been the tenants who have misused your property. We have resisted the messengers you have sent. We have even occasionally refused the Son. Thank you for not giving up on us, for not lowering the boom before we had this opportunity to see ourselves and our error and turn back to you. Thank you for redemption. Thank you for mercy. Thank you for your generosity in giving your Son. Help us to appreciate and praise you for your grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Who Authorized That? 18 March 2008

2008-03-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

Mark 11:27-33
Tuesday, 18 March 2008

As a child, I was precocious; as an adult, I am audacious. What that means practically is that I often do not ask permission to do what I think needs doing. Occasionally, I am astute and wise as well. Not everybody finds these characteristics or the combination of them endearing. Who told you, my detractors ask, that you were allowed to do or say or be that?

Every moment for Jesus is significant, but his Holy Week activities are especially so. His critics are even more focused on him, seeking a way of tripping him up and ridding themselves of him permanently. I don't know how long the elders had been planning to corner him with the question of his authority. Perhaps they are tired of hearing reports about how powerfully he speaks. Their question is inherently dangerous for a person to answer, particularly in a society and culture that is honor-driven, stratified, and hierarchical. Tooting one's own horn always harbors the danger of sounding presumptuous and conceited. Further,anyone who fails to recognize that his teaching and miracles come from God is unlikely to be swayed by his testimony. So, he turns the tables back on them. "Who authorized John the Baptist?" It turns out that it's just as dangerous to answer the question about someone else's authority as it is to answer about one's own. The "experts" agree to remain neutral.

I think the lesson from Jesus today is simply that, as a friend of mine is fond of saying, just because someone else pitches the ball doesn't mean we have to swing at it. When we exercise our God-given gifts and live out our God-ordained purpose, even church people will sometimes criticize. But if we do what is right and we are authorized by and accepted of God, the "experts'" opinions and criticisms are immaterial. As always, we must focus on pleasing God not people.

Sing, "This Little Light of Mine" (and sing it with attitude, especially the part about "Jesus gave it to me")

Let us pray:
Almighty God, you have called, anointed, ordained, appointed, and gifted us as your people. You have commissioned us to spread your message with our words and with our lives. You gave us this light, this love, this joy, this hope, this peace, and this assignment. Help us remember that our authority emerges not from within ourselves but through the grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, in whose name we pray and act. Amen

Off the Chain

2008-03-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

Mark 11:12-25
Monday, 17 March 2008

Have you ever known a person in one context and then struggled to reconcile yourself to seeing a different side of him or her? I remember when I was a child how strange I felt whenever I saw my teachers outside of the classroom. When I ran into them at the grocery store or at the gas station or even sometimes in church, I was always startled. I had my teachers in a box and I couldn't imagine them outside of it, even when I witnessed it.

Jesus' behavior throughout the Gospel of Mark has been utterly consistent. He teaches with authority; crowds follow him; detractors criticize him; disciples misunderstand him. But he always behaves with equanimity. Having grown used to Jesus as we have seen him, this passage takes us by surprise. He curses a fig tree for lacking fruit, even though it is not the season for figs. Then he enters the temple and wreaks havoc, turning over tables and blocking the passage of merchants and customers. "My house shall be a house of prayer." This is not Jesus meek and mild. This is Jesus off the chain, outside of the box. His critics boil with hatred. The fig tree withers under his curse. His disciples are agape. This is the first sign that all is not well, even after Palm Sunday's celebration.

We have to acknowledge that the Jesus we see in this text is not the Jesus we are used to. He's way too forceful, not nearly peaceable enough. And then there's the problem of all of the merchandise he destroyed. Yet occurring on Monday of Holy Week, this scene reminds us that all is not sweetness. Judgment too is on Christ's agenda. God will not excuse our fruitlessness or unforgiveness. We cannot misuse the gifts of God or the people of God. Still, we needn't be afraid. We need only to believe.

Sing, "My Faith Looks Up to Thee"

Let us pray:
Loving God, we approach you with thanksgiving for your mercy, for the provision you have made for our escape from your wrath. Forgive us, Lord, for the ways in which we sometimes forget why we are here and what church (your house) is for. Restore us to faithfulness and fruitfulness, so that we might be pleasing to you and a blessing to your people, in Jesus' name. Amen

Don't Let This Moment Pass You By 15 March 2008

2008-03-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

Mark 10:46-52
Saturday, 15 March 2008

Timing is everything. Strike while the iron is hot. Seize the day. Tomorrow is not promised. I am sure there are a hundred other common sayings in the English language that remind a person that opportunity does not always knock twice. And each of us has a testimony of chances that we missed that never came around again.

Jesus has passed through Jericho, a city just fifteen miles, less than a day's walk from his destination Jerusalem. His miracles and teaching continue to attract followers and a crowd accompanies him and listens to his teaching. Murmurings in the crowd indicate to Bartimaeus that the source of the commotion is the presence of Jesus of Nazareth. Bartimaeus recognizes that opportunities for him are a few and far between. He cries out. "Jesus Son of David have mercy on me." Bystanders seek to quiet him, but he does not relent. He grows even louder. Jesus calls for him. He leaves behind what is likely his only possession, his cloak. When Jesus asks what he wants, Bartimaeus is specific. "I want to see again."

Talking about the ascension of a legally blind man David Paterson to office of governor of New York, Stephen Kuusisto wrote how perceptive blind people are by necessity. They are especially known for listening well. Like Bartimaeus we are sometimes sitting at the crossroads waiting for our chance to see significant change in our circumstances. Unfortunately, we are not always perceptive enough to make the most of the chances that we do have. Jesus by his Spirit is passing through our midst even now. I pray that we will not miss hearing what he has to say or experiencing his transformative power.

Sing, "Amazing Grace"

Let us pray:
Thank you Jesus, for coming by again. Forgive us, Lord, for the ways in which we are prone to take your presence in our neighborhood for granted and for all of the opportunities we squandered in consequence of that negligence. Help us now to redeem the time. Open our hearts and make us relentless and unwavering in our determination not to miss another chance to see you and to have you heal and remake us. Thank you, Jesus, for coming by again. Amen.

The Shotgun Seat 14 March 2008

2008-03-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

Mark 10:32-45
Friday, 14 March 2008

Remember the days before airbags when it was safe for children to sit in the front seat? If you recall those days, then you probably also remember the wrangling, haggling, and downright fighting for the privilege of riding shotgun. In many families, the first one to ask for the spot got it, a circumstance that occasioned the strategic placement of the request. "I want to sit upfront." "Well, I already asked and Mom said I could."

It turns out that Jesus' journey is taking him to Jerusalem for the last time. Once he enters Jerusalem, events will proceed quickly; he wants his closest followers to understand what is ahead. All of the disciples have been debating who is greatest. The Zebedee sons seize the chance to put their bid in for the best seats. They perceive that the closer one sits to Jesus the more power one will have in the kingdom. "Let one of us sit on your right hand and the other on the left in your glory." (One can only imagine the next level of haggling that would have ensued between the brothers about which of them sat on the right if Jesus had granted their request.) Jesus presses them about the self-denial and suffering that precede elevation and promotion in the kingdom: "Can you drink the cup? Can you endure the baptism?" Participation in God's glory comes not by ambition or strategy but rather by service and humility.

It is important for us not to judge James and John too harshly but rather to learn the lesson that Jesus taught them. The one thing we have to know if we are going to ride with Jesus is that the way he travels is unlike any journey we have experienced before. The rules here are different. Neither the loudest, the fastest, the smartest, the cutest, the richest, nor the best connected advance in his administration. To move forward and upward with him, we have to be humble and helpful with one another.

Sing, "Are ye Able?"

Let us pray:
Good Teacher, we see ourselves in the rich man who could not leave his stuff. We see ourselves in the disciples who want to be regarded more highly than one another. And when the question arises about whether we are able to pay the price that discipleship requires, our hearts cry "Yes," not because we are confident in ourselves, but because we trust that if you have called us then you will make us able. We trust you not ourselves. When we come to the end, give us a seat somewhere in your kingdom we pray through Jesus Christ. Amen

Since You Asked

2008-03-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

Mark 10:17-31
Thursday, 13 March 2008

I had occasion today to talk with a young woman who had called me asking for my advice. As soon as she began her story, I knew that what I was going to say was not going to be what she wanted to hear. She called me because she wanted me to tell her something deep and spiritual. I told her that she needed to confront the dysfunctional situation directly and get rid of the baggage.

Jesus is in motion beginning another journey when a young man intercepts him. The young man asks a question that is in many ways perceptive. He knows enough about Jesus to consider him an authority on spiritual and eternal matters. He even knows enough to ask on his knees. Basically, he asks "How do I make it in?" Jesus' initial answer reinforces what he already knows and confirms what he expects. Obeying the commandments? Check. And in truth the young man does do well. He is honorable and observant, kind to parents and aboveboard in his approach to others. "One thing you still lack," Jesus says, for Jesus knows the deepest failure and the deepest need of the young man's life. He has a lot of stuff. And the stuff he has tethers him to the world. He walks away downcast.

We often approach Jesus with perceptive questions, hoping that Jesus will either tell us that all of our ducks are in order and our ticket is properly punched or that what little we lack is either not that important or something we are apt to do. Most of the time when we open ourselves enough to hear Christ's answer, we are disappointed as he shines his light on the remaining idols of our lives, the stuff that we love in competition with our love for right and light. But since we asked him, the ball is now in our court. Will we walk away and die in sorrow or we will unload our baggage and rise into blessed light?

Sing "Jesus is all the World to Me"
Let us pray:

God who searches the heart, although the lesson of the rich young man teaches us to do so with fear and trembling, we come today to ask you the relevant question. What must we do to inherit eternal life? Are there areas of our hearts, minds, spirits that are uncommitted to you? Are there persons, places, or things that we set as idols? Shine the light of truth upon us. Help us to walk away from idols and walk in that light, through Jesus who gave up everything first. Amen

God's Baby 12 March 2008

2008-03-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Mark 10:1-16
Wednesday, 12 March 2008

If you know me well, then you know that I relish being the baby in my family. In fact, I have been known to announce that I am The Baby (period). One of the hardest things about the loss of my mother was figuring out whose baby I would be once she was no longer among us.

The scene in the gospel is a familiar one. Once again the crowds have gathered; Jesus is teaching them. As usual, the religious leaders of the community are
creating doctrinal disputations trying to trap Jesus and discredit him. Yet again his disciples act rashly and wrongly, as they speak sternly to parents who are bringing their children for Jesus' touch. But Jesus does not just touch the children in passing. He takes them into his arms. Imagine that. The children are held; they are babied in Jesus' arms. The kingdom belongs to the children. And whoever receives the kingdom must receive it as a little child.

Beloved, today we are not hard at work. We are not troubled by a world around us gone mad. We are not even dwelling on our own frailties and faults. We are enfolded in the love of Christ. The Lord's hand is upon us. And we are blessed. Today it is enough for us simply to be God's baby.

Sing, "Safe in the Arms of Jesus" or "He Hideth My Soul"

Let us pray:
For the grace of being held and for the knowledge that we are loved, we thank you, Lord. All that is around us remains the same, but our vantage point is different when we remember that we are safe in your arms. Even as we thank you, we pray for the children of the world, many of whom are forced to grow up too quickly. Teach us by your own love to love all of God's babies. Amen.

Tripped Up 11 March 2008

2008-03-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

Mark 9:42-50
Tuesday, 11 March 2008

I have had occasion to think again today of how blessed and favored I generally have been. God has marvelously opened doors and made ways for me all of my life. Although I have had occasion to stumble along the way, I haven't had many circumstances in which I felt that others intentionally placed a stumbling block in my way. I may have tripped up, but not because someone else stuck out a foot.

In the text, Jesus turns the spotlight onto the disciples as individuals. Watch out, he says, lest your own intrinsic parts - your own hands, feet, and eyes - become potential culprits in an incident of stumbling all the way the hell. Not only must the disciples tread carefully around the "least of these" or face the wrath of a God who loves "the least", they must also examine themselves to make sure that their own character conforms to the "salty" flavor that befits Jesus' followers. Worthless indeed is the salt that has lost its flavor. Jesus concludes, Act like salt and get along with one another.

This is a timely message as we prepare for Holy Week. Even when we see ourselves as a part of the inner group of Jesus' followers, we must always be on guard lest we either cause others to stumble or, more likely, we allow an occasion of stumbling to persist in ourselves. I think the big point that Jesus makes here is that our ability to walk without tripping up does not happen by accident. It comes as a result both of God's grace and of our vigilance. And we should know, further, that when we trip we ourselves can become a stumbling block that causes someone else to fall.

Sing, "Grace Greater than All our Sin"

Let us pray:
Here we are again, Lord, forced to examine ourselves and confront the reality that we are most often the culprits in our own downfall. While devilment abounds in the world around us, it is usually our own hands, feet, and eyes that lead us to destruction. Again, we know that we stand in the need of your grace. Forgive our sins. And while you are remaking us, please preserve those who look to us for guidance from the pitfalls our failings may create for them. Make us salty again as we learn to live at peace with one another. We pray, through our Crucified Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Honor the Children 10 March 2008

2008-03-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

Mark 9:30-41
Monday, 10 March 2008

When I was a child, I used to like it when Elder Griffith, one of our associate ministers, would preach. It wasn't so much that I was moved by Eld. Griffith's homiletical skills as the fact that Elder Griffith had a way of making me feel noticed and important as a child. You see, whenever he began his sermons, in addition to "giving honor" to God, the pastor, the ministers, the saints, and the friends, he always made sure to mention the children too. Nobody else ever gave honor to the children.

Jesus has been eavesdropping on the conversation of his disciples, or more aptly reading their hearts, as they argue among themselves about who is the greatest. Their conversation is ironic since they have just experienced the embarrassment of being unable to heal the tormented young son of a man who had come to them for help. Rather than wondering how to hone their healing and exorcism skills, they are comparing themselves against one another. Jesus surprises them by presenting the lowest and least honored person in the community - a child. Most likely the disciples would never even have noticed the child in their midst if Jesus had not called their attention to him. "When you welcome the child, you welcome me."

In the kingdom of God, we should always remember that conventional wisdom is upended. The greatest is the servant. The last are first. Whoever is not against us is for us. The children are honored. This reversal of fortune was hard for the disciples to accept and remains hard for us to believe. For them, the biggest welcome should be reserved for the most important people, those who have something to offer or some perk to bestow. But if we can't honor the child, then we are unlikely to recognize the Crucified One as Lord. And if we miss the Crucified One, we cut ourselves off from the reign and glory of God. Elder Griffith had the right idea.

Sing, "I Think When I Read"

Call in prayer the names of the children in your life. Give thanks for them, and ask for the wisdom to know how to honor and welcome them and thus to welcome the kingdom of God.

Listen 7 March 2008

2008-03-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

Mark 9:2-13
Friday, 7 March 2008

I don't even remember the product as much as I remember the commercial: "If you want to capture someone's attention, whisper." Whether one was inclined to purchase the perfume for sale or not, the tag line for the commercial stood out as it appealed to that part of each of us that wants to know how to get the important people in our lives to listen to what we have to say. We all want to experience the focus on us from time to time. And we all know just as well that there will always be other noises that threaten to distract the attention.

With each day, the intensity increases in the message of Jesus. His identity as the Messiah is established. The general contours of the coming suffering are being made known to his disciples. But there are still a lot of distractions. Just a few days after Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus carries his three closest followers to a mountain, away from all the competition for their attention. Imagine their astonishment as a powerful light shines out of Christ's visage. Even more astounding is the presence of the two great ancestors Moses and Elijah, embodying the Law and the Prophets. There is no question that God has their attention, but the ability of people to miss the point should never be underestimated. Peter has a bright idea for a building program. God's voice speaks and brings the focus to Jesus alone: Listen to him!

It is so easy for us to be distracted, so difficult for us to maintain focus over the long haul. We are now in the routine of Lent and therefore are poised to lose focus or to come to the wrong conclusion. Even when God does great things in our midst, we are inclined to look more at the miracle and miss the message. Pause now and quiet yourself. Don't think. Just listen. You have confessed that Jesus is the Christ the Savior of the world. Now listen to him and be saved.

Sing, "Open My Eyes that I May See"

Let us pray:
Merciful God, we thank you for the privilege of being the people whom you have called to the mountain to witness your glory. We rejoice that we have come this far and have been privy to the revelation of your identity. Help us in this waning Lenten season not to miss the message. Attune us to your voice. Grant us the grace of focus on Jesus the Christ. Amen

Do you Get It? 6 March 2008

2008-03-06T09:59:00.000-08:00

Mark 8:27-9:1
Thursday, 6 March 2008

On the airplane, I like to do the crossword puzzles in the airline's magazine. I prefer them to the puzzles in the newspaper because with the newspaper puzzles, I have to wait until the next day (or solve the whole puzzle) to see whether my guess was correct, rather than just flipping to the answer at the back of the magazine. I guess I am not known for my patience. I have to know sooner whether I got it.

As evinced in the earlier part of the chapter through the gradual healing of the blind man, Jesus is giving his disciples multiple opportunities to come to the right conclusion. The answer is before them. The question is whether they've got it or not. "Who do people say that I am?" Jesus asks. That's an easy question; one only has to repeat what one has heard. Here comes the hard ball: "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answers, "You're the Messiah." At first glance, it seems that Peter has it. Jesus begins to reveal the rest of the plan to the disciples: great suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection. At this point, Peter's certainty gets the better of him, as he takes Jesus aside to explain to him what his Messiahship does and does not mean. Peter doesn't get it after all. His mind is on the wrong thing.

Today, I get the sense that we should be careful lest we rush ahead too quickly with our answers. Like Peter, we may grasp the most significant information without understanding all of the details about what that knowledge requires of us. Just knowing who Jesus is is not enough. Following him means laying aside all of our preconceived notions and plans and taking up our cross. Suffering, rejection, and death lead to resurrection and eternal life. Do you get it?

Sing, "Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone"

Let us pray:
Crucified One, it is so easy to rush forward to Easter without accounting for the suffering, rejection, and death of Good Friday. It is so easy to leap forward with the knowledge of discipleship and eternal life without responding to the call of taking up our cross. Reminds us today, Lord, that there can be no resurrection without the cross; no victory without suffering. Help us to deny ourselves and therefore to embrace and follow you. Amen.

Taking Shape 5 March 2008

2008-03-05T22:19:00.000-08:00

Mark 8:11-26
Wednesday, 5 March 2008

Now that we are two weeks away from Holy Week, a mere 18 days from the celebration of Resurrection Day, I for one am put in mind again of all that I hoped to accomplish spiritually during the Lenten season. The end of Lent is near, but how about all of those issues and needs I placed on the altar. Is anything taking shape?

The disciples in the text are their usual clueless selves. Jesus issues a blanket warning to avoid the contaminating influcence of the Pharisees and Herod, but they think he's talking about literal yeast and fear that he is angry because they forgot to bring bread with them. After reminding them that they have recently witnessed the feeding of multitudes with little or no resources, he asks them a question "Do you still not understand?" The disciples seem to be as blind as ever.

Enter a real blind man whom Jesus touches. Can you see now? Unlike other healing stories, for this blind man, things only gradually come into focus. He sees people but they look like trees. And while seeing people looking like walking trees represents a significant improvement over not seeing anything at all, it's not as good as seeing things as they really are. How does Jesus fix things? He touches the man again. The man looks intently and his sight is restored clearly.

I can say honestly that I am glad that the Lenten season is not quite over because I feel like that blind person in the story who sees some things taking shape but not clearly. I am grateful, then, that I have time to ask Jesus to touch me again.

Sing, "He Touched Me"

Let us pray:
Dear Lord, for the gift of growing focus and clarifying sight, we give you thanks. At the same time, we confess that we, like the disciples, still suffer from chronic cluelessness. Our only recourse is to ask that you in your mercy would touch us again. Apply the salve of your Spirit and anoint our minds, hearts, and spirits. Preserve us against the errors of religious and social arrogance. Deliver us into the next season of greater awareness, in Jesus' name. Amen

Enough to Get Home 4 March 2008

2008-03-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

Mark 8:1-10
Tuesday, 4 March 2008

I have been a bit under the weather the last few days, but of course my responsibilities have not diminished. I have been able to cancel or postpone a few things. For the things I absolutely could not postpone, I prayed that God would give me just enough strength to get through them.

Today's text reminds us again of the sure footing we are on when we ask for enough to get us home. Jesus has been feeding the crowds all that they can handle of the gospel message. For three days, they have dined sumptuously on his teaching, replete with miracles. The most important aspects of life are covered. Life indeed is more than food; everything that proceeds from Jesus' mouth satisfies the hungry and thirsty soul. But Jesus sees something more. His compassion extends beyond the spiritual. The people need to eat, otherwise they will not survive the journey back to their residences. What follows Jesus' astute observation is the disciples' lesson about God's abundant provision even with scarce resources. The people are seated. Jesus provides, not simply enough to get the people home but more than enough. Jesus uses the provisions and the hands of the disciples to fill up the people. Extra is left over.

As we come to the end of our resources - physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual - we have the opportunity to see Jesus' compassion and surpassing greatness in action yet again. There is no such thing as just enough in Jesus. We are ourselves, along with all of our substance and our need, in the hands and in the heart of the all sufficient one. We have cause to rejoice.

Sing "All I Need"

Let us pray:
You alone know, O Lord, where the middle of this Lenten season finds us. You know our weariness, our worry; you know how far we have come and how far we've yet to journey. Grant us a glimpse of your compassionate eyes. Seeing you, make us confident of your grace to finish the course with more than enough of what we need to make it home, in Jesus' name. Amen.

All in the Family 3 March 2008

2008-03-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

Mark 7:24-37
Monday, 3 March 2008

Parents are frequently asked but loath to admit whether one of their children is their favorite. Because we have a romantic and idealistic notion that goods and services, or at least love ought to be meted out indiscriminately within a family, we certainly don't want to admit that favoritism is a natural part of being human. Even within our families some relatives are our favorites and others not so much.

Today's text includes one of the most difficult scenes in all of the scriptures. Here we see Jesus initially refusing the request of a woman whose daughter is possessed by demons. No matter how many times I read the happy ending I am still made uncomfortable by the exchange. I read that Jesus is taking a respite, hiding out in Tyre (Gentile territory) away from the crowds that dog him. I see that again his efforts toward solitude are interrupted by the persistence of some needy person(s). The woman's need is real and serious. Her faith and persistence rule the day. And in the end, Jesus' own ministry expands and makes room for a larger family, large enough even for us to participate.

Like the text from Sunday regarding the man born blind, this text points us again toward the question of fairness and suffering. What I like about the gospel writers' inclusion of this scene is that it sets a standard for all of us who claim to follow Jesus. When is the last time we allowed our vision of the family to expand?

Sing, "Jesus Loves the Little Children"

Let us pray:
As always, Lord, we wish to follow your example and walk in your steps. As we consider the needs around us, we pray that you will help us to have a vision of family that includes people like ourselves and those who are radically different. Stretch us in this season, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen

The Blame Game 2 March 2008

2008-03-02T10:04:00.000-08:00

John 9:1-41
Lent 4
Sunday, 2 March 2008

We have a need for things to make sense to us. Even when we do not agree with an idea or an outcome, it makes us feel better if we can understand the reason or logic behind it. Even when we confront the difficulties in our own lives, we feel better if we can discern some deeper meaning for our suffering and struggle. We always grasp after a reason for the bad things that happen to good people.

In this Sunday's gospel, Jesus and his disciples encounter a man who was born blind. His disciples see an opportunity to query Jesus about this most difficult issue of who to blame for the bad things that happen. Whose fault is it? Was there some discernible sin in the unborn child? Was there some parental sin? There is no reason to think that they know anything more about the man than that he was blind from birth. They have no more information than that about the man or his parents. Thus, they are really asking a larger question about the cause of suffering and misfortune. If sin is the culprit, then whose sin is it? Jesus answers, Neither the man nor his parents are to blame. He then heals the man to the glory of God.

While the healing of the man certainly glorifies God, Jesus' answer to the disciples' question leaves us without a definitive statement about why bad things happen. The truth is that life does not always make sense to us. Things are not always fair or just. Sometimes the "bad guys" seem to get away with it, and the "good guys" lose or fail. I'm not sure that asking Jesus face to face will yield the answer that we crave. So, we'll simply have to keep trusting. And I guess we will understand it better by and by.

Sing, "We'll Understand it Better By and By"

Struggle and Strain 29 February 2008

2008-02-29T19:43:00.000-08:00

Mark 6:47-56
Friday, 29 February 2008

It is a truism that people do not like to confront the unfamiliar. And I think that it is particularly difficult for us to be faced with the unfamiliar in the midst of a space that we think we know well. It's one of the reasons that church people have such difficulty with any change in the worship liturgy; it's a struggle and strain to acclimate oneself in a familiar space with what feels like a foreign experience.

Much of Jesus' activities thus far in the Gospel of Mark have taken place on or near the lake. Several of Jesus' disciples are fishers by trade. As today's scene opens, the disciples are crossing the lake with great difficulty, straining and struggling against an adverse wind. Jesus, though taking time for his own communion with God and solitude, has been keeping an eye on them, and when he sees their strain he approaches for a closer look. He intends to pass by, but they spot him. Jesus is familiar; the seas is familiar; even the adverse wind is familiar. But when you put all of them together, it all seems foreign. The disciples are afraid and they cry out. Jesus enters the boat and the adversity clears.

We have the advantage over the disciples in the text, since as Jesus' people we should always be expecting Jesus to show up. In fact, rather than being surprised at his arrival, we ought to be keeping our eyes open to see how and where he will make his appearance. Especially when we are struggling and strain against inevitable adverse winds, we can cry out for his help, not in fear but in faith.

Sing "Jesus Savior Pilot Me"

Pray Psalm 25

Come Away and Rest 28 February 2008

2008-02-28T22:18:00.000-08:00

Mark 6:30-46
Thursday, 28 February 2008

I bet you have noticed that with all of our time-saving, step-saving technology, we neither work less nor have more leisure time. Whereas we used to read during our commute, now we work. Whereas coming home from the office used to mean switching out of work mode, now our computers and PDAs make it possible to bring the office home with us literally and not just figuratively. The question we are all dealing with is When do we get a chance to rest?

Today's lesson really picks up where we left off in v. 12 before the interlude concerning the fate of John the Baptist. Jesus has given his disciples power and sent them forth, preaching and anointing with oil for healing. It is their activity that is setting the environment on fire; they are the ones whose ministries grab Herod's attention. It is safe to say that they have been very productive and very busy. Now they are touching bases with Jesus, and they are bringing the same excitement to their testimonies that they brought to their ministries. Jesus interrupts them with a command, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while."

Periodically, we need to be reminded that human beings require rest. Too often in the church we are so interested in and consumed by our desire to work for God and to minister to people that we forget that we cannot survive without a break. Church workers and professionals are notorious for burnout. To be sure, the people we serve may still come after us and we may shortly find ourselves involved in a miraculous demonstration of ministry and power, but right about now I think I hear Jesus' voice, "Come away and rest."

Sing, "In the Garden"

Let us pray:
We come to this moment of solitude, Lord, taking time from the hustle and bustle of life. We inhale deeply to embrace your presence. Allow us in these moments to glimpse the rest that you have promised for us. Refresh us in this respite so that we may return renewed to the work to which you have called us, in Jesus' name.

Fear and Liking 27 February 2008

2008-02-27T06:21:00.001-08:00

Mark 6:13-29
Wednesday, 27 February 2008

One of the most interesting, confusing, and frustrating characteristics of human beings is our ability to hold two conflicting opinions at the same time. We can be endlessly fascinated by the same people we find unbearably annoying. We can love and not like someone. We can be afraid of people we like.

Herod is obviously a man controlled by his passions. Although it was unlawful to do so, his passions drove him to marry his brother's wife. Furious with John the Baptist for calling attention to his misdeeds, he has John arrested and imprisoned. At the same time, he handles John with care, not only because of the people's regard for John, but also because he himself recognizes that John is a man of God. He despises the truth that John tells; he fears John's spiritual and political power; but he also finds John's words compelling. He likes to listen to the same one he fears. So haunting is his memory of John the Baptist that even after he has him beheaded, his conscience troubles him and he sees John the Baptist resurrected in the ministry of Jesus and he hears John's voice in Jesus' words.

It's funny how life often causes us to revisit the very areas and relationships that we most would like to bury, forcing us to examine and reexamine our feelings and thoughts. Even kings get haunted by their misdeeds; even rulers have to give an account before God and in their own consciences. And for us, a big part of this Lenten journey is the opportunity to have our hearts, minds, emotions, and passions exposed before God so that God can make sense of them. Realizing this, as we listen to God's voice, we like Herod have conflicting responses. We are afraid and we are drawn closer. Unlike Herod, however, we are wise enough not to try to silence the voice.

Sing,"I am Thine O Lord"

Let us pray:
All-Knowing God, we both long for and tremble at your awesome presence. In your light, we see ourselves as we were and are - broken, unworthy, and sinful. By your light, we also see ourselves as we are becoming - healed, cleansed, and transformed. Grant us the privilege of remaining near enough to experience your perfect love casting out our fear. Lead us on the journey of exposure and restoration, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen

Coming Home 26 February 2008

2008-02-26T04:24:00.000-08:00

Mark 6:1-13
Tuesday, 26 February 2008

In recent years, I have become something of a baseball fan; I guess it is a function of living in a sports town like Philadelphia. Of course, I like things best when a player from my team scores. I love to watch a home run hitter round the bases and to see him met at home plate and in the dugout by his teammates. Basically, they're saying "Welcome home."

I am struck in this reading of Mark how regularly Jesus returns to his home in the early chapters. In chapter 5, Jesus has demonstrated the far reaches of his power, as a woman who simply touched him was healed and a young girl who had died was raised back to life. Jesus has hit the ministry home run. He goes into the synagogue and teaches with power and authority. People are amazed. Then they remember who he is. They tell themselves, "He's a homeboy." And then they stumble. It's just too much for them to allow the carpenter whose mother and siblings live among them to be more than they anticipated. The sad thing is that the loss was really theirs, as Jesus was unable to perform the deeds of power there that would have ministered to them.

We have all had moments when we came home with our accomplishments in hand and expecting that we would get the home run greeting from our family and friends. Sometimes they have done more to honor accomplishments than we could have imagined; sometimes they simply could not bring themselves to celebrate us at all. But the thing we learn from this is the lesson Jesus teaches, that the truth of who we are and of what we have to say does not change on the basis of whether there's a parade or not. And even when the people at our address or in our hometown do not know how to embrace us, Jesus himself demonstrates again and again that he is our true home.

Sing, "Lord I'm Coming Home"

Pray a prayer that focuses on the people of your home.

Has Jesus Dropped the Ball? 25 February 2008

2008-02-25T04:54:00.000-08:00

Mark 5:21-43
Monday, 25 February 2008

I have been thinking a lot about the demands of pastoral ministry, particularly the challenge of balancing the competing needs and issues among the congregation. Problems and tragedies do not stand in line; new emergencies do not wait for the resolution of the previous issue. I am sure you can think of areas in your life in which you are juggling, with lots of balls in the air, each one as precious as the other, but it's all you can do to keep from dropping them all.

Throughout the gospel of Mark, Jesus has been negotiating the growing crowds who follow him because of the power and effectiveness of his ministry. You might even remember that in chapter 1, Jesus rose before it was even light in order to make some solitary time to commune with God through prayer. But when Peter found him, Peter simply reminded him that "Everybody's looking for you." Here in chapter 5, everybody is still looking for him; the crowds are pressing in and a ruling official of the synagogue makes an urgent request regarding his daughter who is ill. On this way to the man's house but still pressed by the crowds, Jesus stops to acknowledge the touch of another daughter - God's daughter - known to us as "the woman with the issue of blood." Unlike the rest of the clamoring crowd, this woman's touch has transferred healing and virtue from Jesus to her. She goes in peace. But during the pause, the other little daughter dies. I wonder what the synagogue official's thoughts are at that moment. Has Jesus dropped the ball?

Of course, you read the text so you know that Jesus has an answer even for apparent defeat and failure. Death for others is sleep to him. We can be inspired by this reality, as it is the essence of our faith. As our forebears sang, he may not come when you want him, but he's on time.

Sing, "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands"

Let us pray:
Loving Savior, so much in this Lenten season reminds us of your infinite power to snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat. Whether we find ourselves in the crowd desiring your attention or seek to be your ministers in a world that needs so much, help us to be mindful that while we may drop the ball, you hold the whole world in your hands. Teach us again by your death and resurrection to regard all of the tombs in our lives as temporary, in Jesus' name. Amen.