Second Sunday in Lent Feb 28, 2010 Nancy Meehan Yao
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 p10
15After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” 4But the word of the LORD came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” 5He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6And he believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7Then he said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” 8But he said, “O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. 17When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.
Luke 13:31-35 p849
At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
This is the word of the Lord:
Thanks be to God
Here we are, in the second week of Lent. We started with ashes on our forehead, and we have heard the story of Jesus in the desert, and his temptations. David Lose, a professor at Luther Seminary, says that Lent “reminds us of whose we are. The practices, the spiritual discipline, are not intended as good works offered by us to God; rather, they are God's gifts to us to remind us who we are, God's adopted daughters and sons, God's treasure, so priceless that God was willing to go to any length - or, more appropriately, to any depth - to tell us that we are loved, that we have value, that we have purpose.
Let us keep that in mind when we come to the story of Abram and God. God and Abram have been talking. God has called Abram out of Ur to go to a land that God will show him, and God will make a great nation out of Abram. Abram endures travel, and famine, land disputes and war, and some time has passed since God has spoken to him. Some Old Testament experts think it is about 13 years since God has last spoken to Abram, which means that Abram is by now in his mid-eighties. He has listened to the Lord, he has moved, followed the Lord’s instructions, has believed in God’s promises: but he still has no children.
And God comes to Abram, and gives Abram another promise: your reward will be very great. But Abram is not content with this. He argues with God, questions God. Even though we are told that Abram believed the Lord, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. That is, Abram is declared righteous. In the Old Testament, righteous acts are God approved acts, in which a human demonstrates that he or she intends to stand in a relationship of dependence on God.
So Abram, declared righteous, STILL continues questioning God—How am I to know that I am to possess the land you are giving me? And God then does something that seems strange to us- God gives Abram what sounds like a grocery list for a feast: and tells Abram to bring a heifer, a goat, a ram, a turtle dove and a pigeon. This is not to be a feast—Abram cuts the animals in half, and lines them up on the ground. God is making a covenant with Abram. And this is how it goes: the animals are cut in two, and lined up so that a path or walkway is made. And the people making the covenant are to walk through this grisly path to seal the deal. It is, literally, cutting a deal. We did much the same as children, when we would make a deal or a promise with a friend, and say “cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye…”. But Abram, we are told, falls into a deep sleep—it is God, in the form of a smoking fire pot and a blazing torch, that goes through the midst of this carnage.
Because what God is doing is this: By passing through the slaughtered animals, God was ritually calling upon himself the same fate the animals suffered should God be unfaithful to the covenant promise. The animals stand as both witness and warning: this is what will happen to the one who breaks this covenant.
Now, in the covenant between God and Abram, we would expect it to be Abram walking down that line of bodies. But it is GOD who takes on that burden and pledge.
Which brings us to Jesus. Jesus is outside of Jerusalem. He has been warned by the Pharisees that Herod is after him. Jesus is not swayed by that news. Jesus does not run and hide, or change his mind, or tone down his life giving message. Rather, Jesus says this: “I am casting out demons and performing cures….and I must be on my way….” Jesus knows that Herod is after him, threatening to kill him, but at the risk of his own life, Jesus will keep doing what he is doing: healing people, preaching good news, giving people life instead of death. In the same way that God takes on risk to himself, walking through the covenant, Jesus takes on risk, going deliberately to Jerusalem to continue his salvation work—even when he knows how great and how certain the risk is.
Because Jerusalem doesn’t have a good reputation with prophets. Instead of being the town so nice they named it twice, like New York New York, or the city to busy to hate, like Atlanta GA, Jerusalem is the City of peace, which is what Jerusalem means in Hebrew. But Jerusalem, we are told is “ the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to it!” And yet Jesus sets his face to go on towards that city!
But before he goes, Jesus laments.
A lament is a form of prayer or song, in which the speaker is pouring out his deepest pain—to God. A lament is a frank, honest telling of one’s life and circumstances before God—we heard Job’s honest pain earlier this fall. There are more psalms of lament than any other kind in the bible. Jesus cries out in the lament of Psalm 22 from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” A lament is always predicated on 2 things: the first is that God hears us—Abram’s questions to God can be seen as a lament—he is honestly telling God his fears and worries. This is considered part of the life of faith and the faithful: remember, Abram was reckoned as righteous.
The 2nd thing is that there is hope……in lament forms, there is almost always a turn at the end….a statement, a song of praise, an recitation of the good that God has done, how God has rescued the person from death to life. In Jesus’ lament over the city of Jerusalem, there is that same hope—hope that things will change, that the people will change, and be rescued from death to life…note that it is Jesus who laments over the people and their waywardness, their stubbornness.
Barbara Brown Taylor writes about it this way: "If you have ever loved someone you could not protect, then you understand the depth of Jesus' lament. All you can do is open your arms. You cannot make anyone walk into them. Meanwhile, this is the most vulnerable posture in the world --wings spread, breast exposed.”
Judgment and mercy are inextricably bound up in Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem. In Jesus we have both compassion and judgment. We don’t talk about judgment, much. We like to forget about that part of it. Yet in Jesus’ lament we have both.
Jesus, seeing the people’s sin and pain, takes it on himself. He walks, not through lines of killed animals, but into Jerusalem. There, at least for a day, people will say “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord…” The hopeful end of his lament is this: that the people, that we people, will recognize Jesus as the Blessed One, the One who is the Power of God, the One who opens His arms to deliver and protect us. The grace and mercy is that we, who have resisted Jesus, who have not been willing to let ourselves be gathered, will still be able, by the grace of God, to say “Blessed is He…” Today, and tomorrow, Jesus is at work, bringing life. On the third day, at the close of time, we will say “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”. Amen.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
First Sunday in Lent
First Sunday of Lent, Feb 21, 2010 Nancy Meehan Yao
Psalm 91
1You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”
9Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place,
10no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.
11For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
12On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
13You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
14Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.
15When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.
16With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.
Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Last Wednesday we began the 40 days of Lent, a time of preparation.
The word Lent comes from an Old English word, for spring, Lengten, meaning to lengthen- as in, the days are beginning to lengthen. Now, for people who have gone to Florida for the winter, or for people who live in the Southern Hemisphere, this doesn’t mean much. But for us, who are famished for every particle of daylight and sunlight we can get, even the idea of lengthening days is a hope for us.
Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days. The 40 here is a number filled with meaning and memory- Noah and his family were on the ark for 40 days of rain, Moses and the people of Israel were in the desert for 40 years- Jesus is in the desert for 40 days- and Lent, a time of increasing daylight, is a time of 40 days. It is a time of preparation and testing.
This story appears in all 3 synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke. In the Luke account, after his baptism, in the Jordan, the Holy Spirit appears like a dove, and Jesus hears a voice that says “you are my son, my beloved, with you I am well pleased.” And then Jesus is in the wilderness.
The light in the desert is harsh. Anyone who has ever been in a desert can tell you .-It is perilously dark at night, and cold, but when the sun comes up, it comes fiercely- so that people who live in a desert area are forced to do things early in the morning, or late at night, because the sun is blinding and dangerous. The light and heat are crippling. But the light is also revealing.
While in the desert, Jesus is set upon by the devil- the accuser—who acts as a prosecuting attorney. He comes after Jesus with one simple word….”if”….”If you are the Son of God, then turn these stones into bread. …“if you will only worship me….” And lastly, again, “if you are the Son of God, then prove it! Throw yourself down- and as God said--you’ll be safe, right?…” The devil is working here, asking questions, planting doubt about Jesus identity.
The devil offers what seem to be reasonable things—bread- for himself and the world! Power—to overthrow the Romans, perhaps, or power to set things right in the world. And glory—for if Jesus was to emerge safe, in the middle of Jerusalem, then surely the Temple authorities, the people, would understand just who he was, and what he could do!
They seem to be reasonable, but in the harsh light of the desert Jesus see what satan is really like. Because Jesus’ answers to the devil all are simple: “no”.
In a few moments, we will receive new members into our church. While we have known and loved them for a while, today they are making the formal step to join us in our common life and worship together. And I will ask them questions, questions that re-affirm the covenant made at their baptism. The first of these is this: “Trusting in the gracious mercy of God, do you turn from the ways of sin and renounce evil and its power in the world?” And the answer is simple- “I do”. Simple to say, that is, but not simple to live out. The devil is still alive and working in our lives, planting doubt about our identity, our identity as children of God.
The second question I will ask is “Do you turn to Jesus Christ…?” Turning away is not all there is: when we turn away, we also then turn towards something or someone. When we say “yes, I do” to our spouse, then we are saying no to a host of other things and people. When we say “I believe in God” we are saying no to everything that is not God. Every “no” is also a yes to something else.
The blinding light of the desert, the cruel light of the wilderness, can show us the difference between yes and no. The cruel light of the desert can show us the truth about our lives. In that bright light, we can see the broken places in our lives. We can see the pain we have caused others, where we have failed to be who God created us to be. But we also can see the places of grace, and the places of healing. We can see just how dusty the house is, and see how beautiful the sky and trees look. We can see the darkness of our own souls, but we can see the smudge of ashes, shaped in a cross, and the damp spot left by baptismal waters. This is not to say that the desert is fun, or exciting, or even a place we would choose to go—ever. But when we are in the desert, there is so little: just stones and dust and bright light. There, we can begin to see.
I do not want you to think that Jesus was not really tempted. Unlike Tiger Woods, Jesus does not say that he worked hard and felt he deserved to enjoy all the temptations around him. Jesus was fully human and fully divine—like us in every way, the Apostle Paul says, except for sin. But notice something that we often miss in our reading of this story. Jesus was not without resources in the desert. And neither are we.
Jesus had Scripture—all of his answers, his “nos” are from Scripture. This is why it is important to hear the word of God, to study the word of God. It is like food and water in the desert for us. There is a lot to be said for memorizing Scripture. Memory verses are not as popular as they were when many of us were children—but there is a great deal to be said for having Scripture so deeply within us, so deeply ingrained, that that is what comes up in times of trial and distress.
Jesus had the Holy Spirit. Right there in the first verse, it says “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit IN the wilderness”- the Spirit did not drive Jesus out to the desert, shove him out of the car and then speed away—God’s own Spirit did not abandon Jesus at his time of testing—and the same is true for us. WE ALL go through times of wilderness, times of testing, long dark times of temptations and wrestling with evil and its power in the world, and in our own lives, and in the lives of the people we love—but the Holy Spirit is with us, in that desert, in that time of trial—the Holy Spirit has not abandoned us. The question to the new members begins “trusting in the gracious mercy of God…” That in itself, that trusting, is a work of the Spirit, and is evidence of the work of the Spirit in our lives. The passage we read today ends “and the devil departed from him, until an opportune time.” There will be more testing, more trials—but the very next verse, one we didn’t read today, v 14, says “Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee…” the testing, the trial, did not separate Jesus from the Spirit of God.
And I want us to notice one more thing. The sequence of events is the same for us. Jesus, at his baptism, was declared by God “my son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” This does not get said after Jesus successfully lives in the desert for 40 days, after Jesus says “no” to the devil and the temptations. No, the order is this: Jesus is baptized, called and blessed, and after that, the temptations come. The same is true for us—in our baptism, we are marked by God, blessed by God, claimed by God—and the temptations begin later.
The 40 days of Lent are often described as a time of renouncing: renouncing dessert, or the internet, or chocolate—and perhaps renouncing something, for a time, gives us strength, to renounce other, bigger things, with the Spirit’s help, to renounce sin and evil in the world, and its hold over us. These practices are not grim and despair-filled: rather we learn the meaning of hope in the grace of God in the practices of these disciplines. The light in the desert times is harsh, but it gives us light to see clearly. And what we see is the One who died on the cross for us, the One who was raised to bring us new life, the One who is Light of the World. Amen
Psalm 91
1You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”
9Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place,
10no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.
11For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
12On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
13You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
14Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.
15When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.
16With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.
Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Last Wednesday we began the 40 days of Lent, a time of preparation.
The word Lent comes from an Old English word, for spring, Lengten, meaning to lengthen- as in, the days are beginning to lengthen. Now, for people who have gone to Florida for the winter, or for people who live in the Southern Hemisphere, this doesn’t mean much. But for us, who are famished for every particle of daylight and sunlight we can get, even the idea of lengthening days is a hope for us.
Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days. The 40 here is a number filled with meaning and memory- Noah and his family were on the ark for 40 days of rain, Moses and the people of Israel were in the desert for 40 years- Jesus is in the desert for 40 days- and Lent, a time of increasing daylight, is a time of 40 days. It is a time of preparation and testing.
This story appears in all 3 synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke. In the Luke account, after his baptism, in the Jordan, the Holy Spirit appears like a dove, and Jesus hears a voice that says “you are my son, my beloved, with you I am well pleased.” And then Jesus is in the wilderness.
The light in the desert is harsh. Anyone who has ever been in a desert can tell you .-It is perilously dark at night, and cold, but when the sun comes up, it comes fiercely- so that people who live in a desert area are forced to do things early in the morning, or late at night, because the sun is blinding and dangerous. The light and heat are crippling. But the light is also revealing.
While in the desert, Jesus is set upon by the devil- the accuser—who acts as a prosecuting attorney. He comes after Jesus with one simple word….”if”….”If you are the Son of God, then turn these stones into bread. …“if you will only worship me….” And lastly, again, “if you are the Son of God, then prove it! Throw yourself down- and as God said--you’ll be safe, right?…” The devil is working here, asking questions, planting doubt about Jesus identity.
The devil offers what seem to be reasonable things—bread- for himself and the world! Power—to overthrow the Romans, perhaps, or power to set things right in the world. And glory—for if Jesus was to emerge safe, in the middle of Jerusalem, then surely the Temple authorities, the people, would understand just who he was, and what he could do!
They seem to be reasonable, but in the harsh light of the desert Jesus see what satan is really like. Because Jesus’ answers to the devil all are simple: “no”.
In a few moments, we will receive new members into our church. While we have known and loved them for a while, today they are making the formal step to join us in our common life and worship together. And I will ask them questions, questions that re-affirm the covenant made at their baptism. The first of these is this: “Trusting in the gracious mercy of God, do you turn from the ways of sin and renounce evil and its power in the world?” And the answer is simple- “I do”. Simple to say, that is, but not simple to live out. The devil is still alive and working in our lives, planting doubt about our identity, our identity as children of God.
The second question I will ask is “Do you turn to Jesus Christ…?” Turning away is not all there is: when we turn away, we also then turn towards something or someone. When we say “yes, I do” to our spouse, then we are saying no to a host of other things and people. When we say “I believe in God” we are saying no to everything that is not God. Every “no” is also a yes to something else.
The blinding light of the desert, the cruel light of the wilderness, can show us the difference between yes and no. The cruel light of the desert can show us the truth about our lives. In that bright light, we can see the broken places in our lives. We can see the pain we have caused others, where we have failed to be who God created us to be. But we also can see the places of grace, and the places of healing. We can see just how dusty the house is, and see how beautiful the sky and trees look. We can see the darkness of our own souls, but we can see the smudge of ashes, shaped in a cross, and the damp spot left by baptismal waters. This is not to say that the desert is fun, or exciting, or even a place we would choose to go—ever. But when we are in the desert, there is so little: just stones and dust and bright light. There, we can begin to see.
I do not want you to think that Jesus was not really tempted. Unlike Tiger Woods, Jesus does not say that he worked hard and felt he deserved to enjoy all the temptations around him. Jesus was fully human and fully divine—like us in every way, the Apostle Paul says, except for sin. But notice something that we often miss in our reading of this story. Jesus was not without resources in the desert. And neither are we.
Jesus had Scripture—all of his answers, his “nos” are from Scripture. This is why it is important to hear the word of God, to study the word of God. It is like food and water in the desert for us. There is a lot to be said for memorizing Scripture. Memory verses are not as popular as they were when many of us were children—but there is a great deal to be said for having Scripture so deeply within us, so deeply ingrained, that that is what comes up in times of trial and distress.
Jesus had the Holy Spirit. Right there in the first verse, it says “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit IN the wilderness”- the Spirit did not drive Jesus out to the desert, shove him out of the car and then speed away—God’s own Spirit did not abandon Jesus at his time of testing—and the same is true for us. WE ALL go through times of wilderness, times of testing, long dark times of temptations and wrestling with evil and its power in the world, and in our own lives, and in the lives of the people we love—but the Holy Spirit is with us, in that desert, in that time of trial—the Holy Spirit has not abandoned us. The question to the new members begins “trusting in the gracious mercy of God…” That in itself, that trusting, is a work of the Spirit, and is evidence of the work of the Spirit in our lives. The passage we read today ends “and the devil departed from him, until an opportune time.” There will be more testing, more trials—but the very next verse, one we didn’t read today, v 14, says “Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee…” the testing, the trial, did not separate Jesus from the Spirit of God.
And I want us to notice one more thing. The sequence of events is the same for us. Jesus, at his baptism, was declared by God “my son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” This does not get said after Jesus successfully lives in the desert for 40 days, after Jesus says “no” to the devil and the temptations. No, the order is this: Jesus is baptized, called and blessed, and after that, the temptations come. The same is true for us—in our baptism, we are marked by God, blessed by God, claimed by God—and the temptations begin later.
The 40 days of Lent are often described as a time of renouncing: renouncing dessert, or the internet, or chocolate—and perhaps renouncing something, for a time, gives us strength, to renounce other, bigger things, with the Spirit’s help, to renounce sin and evil in the world, and its hold over us. These practices are not grim and despair-filled: rather we learn the meaning of hope in the grace of God in the practices of these disciplines. The light in the desert times is harsh, but it gives us light to see clearly. And what we see is the One who died on the cross for us, the One who was raised to bring us new life, the One who is Light of the World. Amen
Friday, February 19, 2010
Ash Wednesday
Lent started this past Wednesday, Ash Wednesday. Ashes are both a sign of grief and repentence (Job and others put ashes on their heads when mourning, the people of Ninevah put on sackcloth and ashes when repenting and turning to God) and also a reminder of our mortality: "you are dust, and to dust you shall retutn" (Genesis 3:19). Although being reminded of our death is perhaps not the cheeriest way to spend a Wednesday evening, it is important. We are mortal creatures. With one exception, the ratio is still 1:1- we are born, and we die. But that one exception is Christ. And Christ, in his death, overcame sin and death for us. Now--how will you live?
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Transfiguration Sunday
Transfiguration Sunday- Feb 14, 2010 Nancy Meehan Yao
Exodus 34:29-35 The Shining Face of Moses p. 71
29 Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 30When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. 31But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. 32Afterwards all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; 34but whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
Psalm 99 p. 480
Luke 9:28-35 The Transfiguration p. 843
28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. 34While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’
Today is Valentine’s Day. Now, I suppose since this is Valentine’s Day, you are expecting me to talk about love. And I will- but we will take a roundabout route to get there. We heard the famous Corinthians “love” text a few weeks ago—and you heard me say that that text is not about romantic love, even though the word love appears there numerous times. In today’s readings, there is no talk about love, explicitly- but love is spread all over these pages.
We have in this morning’s texts two stories about shining faces, about transformation, or transfiguration. Something has happened, and neither Moses, nor Jesus, nor the people around them remain unchanged.
Moses, in today’s reading, has been up on the mountain for 40 days. He has interceded for the people to God. Shortly before this, the people have made a golden calf and worshipped it; and God is—literally—fuming mad. God wants to destroy the people, or at least refuse to accompany them any longer on their trek through the wilderness. Moses talks God out of his anger, persuades God not to destroy the people, and Moses receives, again, the law, the Ten Commandments, to bring down to the people. When Moses comes down from the mountain, he is glowing—his face is radiating—and the people are afraid to come near him.
And Moses, apparently, is unaware of his face. But when he realizes that the shining of his face is scary, distresses the people, he wears a veil when speaking with them. But when he goes back into the tent of meeting, to meet with God, he removes his veil.
Jesus, on the mountain top, is also transfigured. He has gone up on the mountain to pray. With him are three of the disciples, Peter, James and John. While Jesus is praying, “the appearance of his face changed”, the text says- literally, he looked “other” and his clothes were like flashes of lightning. And then, as if that were not strange enough, two people- Moses and Elijah appear with him, and talk to him. The disciples, we are told, were heavy with sleep- but, because they stayed awake, they saw all this. And Peter- perhaps in fear, perhaps just in stunned astonishment, says “Master it is good for us to be here—let us make three dwellings”. Peter wants to stay. He might be confused, a little rattled at what he saw, but he doesn’t begin to get scared until the cloud descends, and he hears a voice from heaven—then, we are told, all three of the disciples were terrified.
The voice tells them “This is my Son, my Chosen—listen to him” apparently they were not really listening—or at least not listening enough—well enough, hard enough—to suit God. God intervened, gave them a little shake up.
And Peter and John and James are shook up. Because after the voice has faded, after the fog has lifted, we are told, “they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.”
Perhaps they were as scared as the Israelites were upon seeing Moses’ shining face. Perhaps they just couldn’t think of any way to explain what happened. Perhaps they were embarrassed, at being yelled at by God. Because when God speaks to the disciples, up on the mountain top, he gives them a direct command- “This is my Son- Listen to him”
Moses was transfigured, transformed, after listening to God. We are told earlier in Exodus that Moses and God used to talk, face to face, “as one speaks to a friend” Not only did Moses speak face to face with God, he spent time with God- a lot of time. In this morning’s text, Moses has come down after spending 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Sinai with God. Jesus, prior to being transfigured, was in deep prayer—and it must have been a long prayer, because we are told the disciples are “weighed down with sleep”. Jesus was spending time with God.
Transfiguration Sunday is the Sunday before Lent. We begin our Lenten journey this Wednesday, Ash Wednesday. Many people give things up for Lent—chocolate, or tv or soda. But many people also take things on—additional spiritual disciplines. The Hector church will be open on Wednesday afternoons for a time of prayer and meditation during Lent. During Lent we are taking time to be intentionally silent, to have some time in worship to listen to God. Times when we do not say anything, but only listen. And this will be uncomfortable for many of us--because we are a people of words. But I am not suggesting that you can only pray in church. A time of silence, a time of quiet, a time of listening for God can be any place—at home, at work, in the car waiting for practice to be over. What is less important is how you do it or where you do it than that you do it. In this area of the state, there are beginning to be places for people to go away for awhile, to set aside time to intentionally listen to God. One of these places, Wellspring, is in Hammondsport, and is connected to the Presbyterian church there. Another is Cobblestone Springs, over in Dundee. Both are places for spending time with God. Time away from the phone, time away from the to-do lists, time with God.
And here is where the love comes in. Both Moses and Jesus were shining—because they were spending time with God, whom they loved. Moses talked to God as a friend, face to face. Jesus was God’s own son, the Beloved, the Chosen. Both Moses and Jesus were listening to God. When you spend time with someone you love, it shows. We all have seen couples who are just glowing when they are around each other. We all see on faces the love of parents and grandparents for their children. What was visible on Jesus and Moses faces was love and reflected glory, the glory of God. They were transformed by that love.
Here is another love story. Heidi Neumark was a seminary graduate, and was called to Transfiguration Lutheran Church in the South Bronx. In the Lutheran tradition, churches often have red doors. And the congregation, eager to welcome Heidi, painted the doors freshly red for her arrival. Having leftover paint, they neatly stored the can in her office. Which was handy, because every morning Pastor Heidi went outside and repainted the doors. Had to, because of all the graffiti that had been applied over night. It was a daily event—the graffiti at night, and the repainting every morning. When Heidi got down to the end of the second bucket of red paint, she invited some of the neighborhood children in for an art class, run by a friend. And the children began to paint murals—not just on the inside, not just for bulletin boards or Sunday School rooms, but a big, riotous mural on the outside of the church building. The children painted a fire hydrant, open, flowing with water—the only experience those city children had with water—flowing down into a baptismal font, and they painted a communion table with bread and wine, and they painted a table filled with food- turkey and greens and rice, a table where no one would be turned away, hungry. The children painted what they had learned of love, about God’s love, in that church. After that, the church was transformed. There was no more graffiti on the walls or the door. It was not easy. And it is not that the church did not struggle or have setbacks. But it began to live into its name, Transfiguration Church.
There is a lot of talk in churches about transformation, and about transformational leadership. What does a transformed church look like, how do we do it, can we do it here. There are all kinds of training and books, programs and consultants that churches can hire—at exorbitant prices.
But no matter what the program for transformation is titled, no matter how charismatic the author or workshop leader, unless the transformation is founded on three things, it will not succeed.
The first is what I have already said: the people must be spending time with God in order to be transformed.
And the second is that the people, like Moses, are to reflect God’s holiness. Because Moses face was not shining of his own accord—it was a reflected glory. We, as the church, are to reflect God’s glory, not our own.
The third part of the transformation is the willingness to be transformed to be reshaped by the Holy Spirit. One of the mottos of the Reformation, out of which comes the Presbyterian church, our heritage, is a Latin phrase: Ecclesia Reformata, semper reformanda- the church, reformed, is always being reformed- by the Spirit of God. In speaking of the church, Paul says “all of us, seeing the glory of the Lord as through reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory into another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Cor 3:18)
Jim and I have been meeting with the Session to begin to talk about the church that God is calling us to be. Transformation can be scary and uncomfortable—but it always is grounded in listening to God, spending time with God, seeking God face to face. May God transform us, as people and as the church, so that we might shine with God’s own glory. Amen
Exodus 34:29-35 The Shining Face of Moses p. 71
29 Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 30When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. 31But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. 32Afterwards all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; 34but whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
Psalm 99 p. 480
Luke 9:28-35 The Transfiguration p. 843
28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. 34While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’
Today is Valentine’s Day. Now, I suppose since this is Valentine’s Day, you are expecting me to talk about love. And I will- but we will take a roundabout route to get there. We heard the famous Corinthians “love” text a few weeks ago—and you heard me say that that text is not about romantic love, even though the word love appears there numerous times. In today’s readings, there is no talk about love, explicitly- but love is spread all over these pages.
We have in this morning’s texts two stories about shining faces, about transformation, or transfiguration. Something has happened, and neither Moses, nor Jesus, nor the people around them remain unchanged.
Moses, in today’s reading, has been up on the mountain for 40 days. He has interceded for the people to God. Shortly before this, the people have made a golden calf and worshipped it; and God is—literally—fuming mad. God wants to destroy the people, or at least refuse to accompany them any longer on their trek through the wilderness. Moses talks God out of his anger, persuades God not to destroy the people, and Moses receives, again, the law, the Ten Commandments, to bring down to the people. When Moses comes down from the mountain, he is glowing—his face is radiating—and the people are afraid to come near him.
And Moses, apparently, is unaware of his face. But when he realizes that the shining of his face is scary, distresses the people, he wears a veil when speaking with them. But when he goes back into the tent of meeting, to meet with God, he removes his veil.
Jesus, on the mountain top, is also transfigured. He has gone up on the mountain to pray. With him are three of the disciples, Peter, James and John. While Jesus is praying, “the appearance of his face changed”, the text says- literally, he looked “other” and his clothes were like flashes of lightning. And then, as if that were not strange enough, two people- Moses and Elijah appear with him, and talk to him. The disciples, we are told, were heavy with sleep- but, because they stayed awake, they saw all this. And Peter- perhaps in fear, perhaps just in stunned astonishment, says “Master it is good for us to be here—let us make three dwellings”. Peter wants to stay. He might be confused, a little rattled at what he saw, but he doesn’t begin to get scared until the cloud descends, and he hears a voice from heaven—then, we are told, all three of the disciples were terrified.
The voice tells them “This is my Son, my Chosen—listen to him” apparently they were not really listening—or at least not listening enough—well enough, hard enough—to suit God. God intervened, gave them a little shake up.
And Peter and John and James are shook up. Because after the voice has faded, after the fog has lifted, we are told, “they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.”
Perhaps they were as scared as the Israelites were upon seeing Moses’ shining face. Perhaps they just couldn’t think of any way to explain what happened. Perhaps they were embarrassed, at being yelled at by God. Because when God speaks to the disciples, up on the mountain top, he gives them a direct command- “This is my Son- Listen to him”
Moses was transfigured, transformed, after listening to God. We are told earlier in Exodus that Moses and God used to talk, face to face, “as one speaks to a friend” Not only did Moses speak face to face with God, he spent time with God- a lot of time. In this morning’s text, Moses has come down after spending 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Sinai with God. Jesus, prior to being transfigured, was in deep prayer—and it must have been a long prayer, because we are told the disciples are “weighed down with sleep”. Jesus was spending time with God.
Transfiguration Sunday is the Sunday before Lent. We begin our Lenten journey this Wednesday, Ash Wednesday. Many people give things up for Lent—chocolate, or tv or soda. But many people also take things on—additional spiritual disciplines. The Hector church will be open on Wednesday afternoons for a time of prayer and meditation during Lent. During Lent we are taking time to be intentionally silent, to have some time in worship to listen to God. Times when we do not say anything, but only listen. And this will be uncomfortable for many of us--because we are a people of words. But I am not suggesting that you can only pray in church. A time of silence, a time of quiet, a time of listening for God can be any place—at home, at work, in the car waiting for practice to be over. What is less important is how you do it or where you do it than that you do it. In this area of the state, there are beginning to be places for people to go away for awhile, to set aside time to intentionally listen to God. One of these places, Wellspring, is in Hammondsport, and is connected to the Presbyterian church there. Another is Cobblestone Springs, over in Dundee. Both are places for spending time with God. Time away from the phone, time away from the to-do lists, time with God.
And here is where the love comes in. Both Moses and Jesus were shining—because they were spending time with God, whom they loved. Moses talked to God as a friend, face to face. Jesus was God’s own son, the Beloved, the Chosen. Both Moses and Jesus were listening to God. When you spend time with someone you love, it shows. We all have seen couples who are just glowing when they are around each other. We all see on faces the love of parents and grandparents for their children. What was visible on Jesus and Moses faces was love and reflected glory, the glory of God. They were transformed by that love.
Here is another love story. Heidi Neumark was a seminary graduate, and was called to Transfiguration Lutheran Church in the South Bronx. In the Lutheran tradition, churches often have red doors. And the congregation, eager to welcome Heidi, painted the doors freshly red for her arrival. Having leftover paint, they neatly stored the can in her office. Which was handy, because every morning Pastor Heidi went outside and repainted the doors. Had to, because of all the graffiti that had been applied over night. It was a daily event—the graffiti at night, and the repainting every morning. When Heidi got down to the end of the second bucket of red paint, she invited some of the neighborhood children in for an art class, run by a friend. And the children began to paint murals—not just on the inside, not just for bulletin boards or Sunday School rooms, but a big, riotous mural on the outside of the church building. The children painted a fire hydrant, open, flowing with water—the only experience those city children had with water—flowing down into a baptismal font, and they painted a communion table with bread and wine, and they painted a table filled with food- turkey and greens and rice, a table where no one would be turned away, hungry. The children painted what they had learned of love, about God’s love, in that church. After that, the church was transformed. There was no more graffiti on the walls or the door. It was not easy. And it is not that the church did not struggle or have setbacks. But it began to live into its name, Transfiguration Church.
There is a lot of talk in churches about transformation, and about transformational leadership. What does a transformed church look like, how do we do it, can we do it here. There are all kinds of training and books, programs and consultants that churches can hire—at exorbitant prices.
But no matter what the program for transformation is titled, no matter how charismatic the author or workshop leader, unless the transformation is founded on three things, it will not succeed.
The first is what I have already said: the people must be spending time with God in order to be transformed.
And the second is that the people, like Moses, are to reflect God’s holiness. Because Moses face was not shining of his own accord—it was a reflected glory. We, as the church, are to reflect God’s glory, not our own.
The third part of the transformation is the willingness to be transformed to be reshaped by the Holy Spirit. One of the mottos of the Reformation, out of which comes the Presbyterian church, our heritage, is a Latin phrase: Ecclesia Reformata, semper reformanda- the church, reformed, is always being reformed- by the Spirit of God. In speaking of the church, Paul says “all of us, seeing the glory of the Lord as through reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory into another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Cor 3:18)
Jim and I have been meeting with the Session to begin to talk about the church that God is calling us to be. Transformation can be scary and uncomfortable—but it always is grounded in listening to God, spending time with God, seeking God face to face. May God transform us, as people and as the church, so that we might shine with God’s own glory. Amen
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Sermon Feb 7 2010
Sermon Feb 7, 2010
Communion Sunday/5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 p 935
15Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain. 3For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.
Luke 5:1-11 p 836
5Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
We grow up in a culture of self esteem- or at least a culture that struggles with self esteem.- we give out gold stars and certificates to our children so they will know that they are good achievers, that they are full of self esteem, that they are loved. But we, most of us, don’t believe it ourselves.
There used to be a running skit on Saturday Night Live. In it, a character named Stewart Smalley, would host a show called “Daily Affirmation”. He would encourage his guests who were riddled with self doubt to look into a mirror and say positive things about themselves, and confirm it by saying:- “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and, dog gone it, people like me.”
It was funny because many of the guests like basketball great Michael Jordan expressed doubts we all feel but assume successful people couldn’t possibly struggle with. This week’s readings feature three of the big names in Scripture, Isaiah, Simon, that is Peter (though this is before Jesus gives him that name) and Paul, and all are struggling with a sense of unworthiness, because all find themselves in the presence of God. .
In the Gospel text this morning, Jesus is out in the Galilean countryside. And the people so much want to hear him, to hear the good news that they crowd onto the lakeshore. When Jesus is by the lakeshore with Simon, he asks Simon for one of his boats. And Simon puts out into the water, a little ways. Jesus had already been at Simon’s home, and had cured his mother in law of her illness. So perhaps Simon felt a debt of gratitude to Jesus.
And Jesus, after teaching the crowd, told Simon to put out into the deep water and go fishing again. This is after they have fished all night, and have been pulled up on shore, cleaning their nets—because that’s what you do at the end of your shift, clean your equipment. But Simon does put out his nets, and the catch is so large, so amazing, that it threatens to tear the nets and sink not one but two boats- because Simon had to call to John and James to come out and help, there were so many fish.
Simon Peter, then, in an instant—in a flash, because Simon does everything quickly, falls to his knees and says “Go away from me LORD, for I am a sinful man.” Go away, for I am sinful.
Now, I don’t think this would be my first reaction. Mine might be “great-- food for all” Or even I’m stickin’ with this guy- whenever he’s around, things start looking up! But that’s not Simon Peter’s reaction- he falls to his knees- in fear and trembling- because he sees that this is God sitting in the boat with him- Simon calls him Kyrie- LORD- and Simon Peter also sees himself in startling truth- “for I am a sinful man.”
In the 6th chapter of the book of Isaiah, Isaiah has a similar experience- Isaiah is serving in the Temple, and he sees the Lord God in the Temple—and there is smoke, and thunder so loud the doors of the temple shake, and angels that look like fire. And Isaiah’s reaction is “Woe is me”- meaning, I am doomed—“Woe is me,” he says, “I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
But Isaiah is not doomed, and Simon Peter, in the boat, is not struck down. Jesus words to Simon Peter are: “Do not be afraid”
Do not fear. And then, in the boat, Jesus goes on to tell Simon Peter about his future, to give him his own mission statement: “Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching people.”
We have been studying, these past few weeks, Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. Paul has been writing to a church that is divided. And it is a church that Paul himself started- Paul was in the business of catching people, as well. Paul in this portion of the letter wants to push past all the noise and divisions, wants to get down to the solid foundation that binds them all together, the reason they are a church at all. He reminds them of “The good news that I proclaimed to you, in which you also stand, through which also you are being saved…if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you…that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.”
Did you hear that? Jesus appeared to Cephas- Cephas is the Greek name for Peter- Jesus appeared to Simon Peter, Peter who told Jesus to go away, Peter who would get things so wrong, who only in flashes, sees who Jesus really is, Peter who would later deny Jesus—Jesus in his resurrection glory appears to Peter.
Paul goes on to say that last of all, Jesus appeared also to him. “For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” There it is- there is Paul’s confession- And yet Jesus also appeared to him—
In the boat, Jesus does not wait for Peter to be better, to be holier, to be worthy. And Jesus did not wait for Paul to change his ways, to stop persecuting the church, to come to his senses- God in Jesus called them each, where they were. Paul goes on to say “but by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace towards me has not been in vain.” God’s grace has not been in vain- Jesus said of Peter “upon this rock I will build my church” and Peter became a preacher and leader of the early church, Paul went on to start new churches in many areas, instead of persecuting believers, he built and supported churches in the Gentile areas.
I know that some of us are uncomfortable with talk of sin, and if we have grown up in a church culture that stressed sin, we are tired of it. But we have a prayer of confession every week in worship,because we need to see what Peter saw. We need to say out loud what Isaiah said. Confession and remorse do not earn us worthiness—but they are a way of radically telling the truth- about who we are, and about who God is. I grew up in a faith tradition in which, the week before we shared communion, we prayed a prayer of self- examination—to make a thorough examination of ourselves, to see where our sin and guilt were, and to confess them before we came to the table. Because we were not worthy to come to the table.
And the truth is, we are not worthy. No one can earn his or her way to the Table. This is not a Table for people who are good- this a table for us who are struggling, for us who are trying to be faithful, for us who fall and fail. That prayer of self examination? It goes on to say this:
Therefore, our self-examination must not end in despair.
We are called to trust God’s work on our behalf
and to receive the gift of forgiveness offered us in Christ Jesus.
Our reconciliation to God is found in trusting this good news—
that before we chose God, God chose us.
We are what God has made us,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
Because in our seeing our sinfulness, we see the enormity of Gods grace to us. Like Peter, like Isaiah, like Paul, we begin to know how much God loves us and the whole of creation. God’s grace to us has not been in vain. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Communion Sunday/5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 p 935
15Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain. 3For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.
Luke 5:1-11 p 836
5Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
We grow up in a culture of self esteem- or at least a culture that struggles with self esteem.- we give out gold stars and certificates to our children so they will know that they are good achievers, that they are full of self esteem, that they are loved. But we, most of us, don’t believe it ourselves.
There used to be a running skit on Saturday Night Live. In it, a character named Stewart Smalley, would host a show called “Daily Affirmation”. He would encourage his guests who were riddled with self doubt to look into a mirror and say positive things about themselves, and confirm it by saying:- “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and, dog gone it, people like me.”
It was funny because many of the guests like basketball great Michael Jordan expressed doubts we all feel but assume successful people couldn’t possibly struggle with. This week’s readings feature three of the big names in Scripture, Isaiah, Simon, that is Peter (though this is before Jesus gives him that name) and Paul, and all are struggling with a sense of unworthiness, because all find themselves in the presence of God. .
In the Gospel text this morning, Jesus is out in the Galilean countryside. And the people so much want to hear him, to hear the good news that they crowd onto the lakeshore. When Jesus is by the lakeshore with Simon, he asks Simon for one of his boats. And Simon puts out into the water, a little ways. Jesus had already been at Simon’s home, and had cured his mother in law of her illness. So perhaps Simon felt a debt of gratitude to Jesus.
And Jesus, after teaching the crowd, told Simon to put out into the deep water and go fishing again. This is after they have fished all night, and have been pulled up on shore, cleaning their nets—because that’s what you do at the end of your shift, clean your equipment. But Simon does put out his nets, and the catch is so large, so amazing, that it threatens to tear the nets and sink not one but two boats- because Simon had to call to John and James to come out and help, there were so many fish.
Simon Peter, then, in an instant—in a flash, because Simon does everything quickly, falls to his knees and says “Go away from me LORD, for I am a sinful man.” Go away, for I am sinful.
Now, I don’t think this would be my first reaction. Mine might be “great-- food for all” Or even I’m stickin’ with this guy- whenever he’s around, things start looking up! But that’s not Simon Peter’s reaction- he falls to his knees- in fear and trembling- because he sees that this is God sitting in the boat with him- Simon calls him Kyrie- LORD- and Simon Peter also sees himself in startling truth- “for I am a sinful man.”
In the 6th chapter of the book of Isaiah, Isaiah has a similar experience- Isaiah is serving in the Temple, and he sees the Lord God in the Temple—and there is smoke, and thunder so loud the doors of the temple shake, and angels that look like fire. And Isaiah’s reaction is “Woe is me”- meaning, I am doomed—“Woe is me,” he says, “I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
But Isaiah is not doomed, and Simon Peter, in the boat, is not struck down. Jesus words to Simon Peter are: “Do not be afraid”
Do not fear. And then, in the boat, Jesus goes on to tell Simon Peter about his future, to give him his own mission statement: “Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching people.”
We have been studying, these past few weeks, Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. Paul has been writing to a church that is divided. And it is a church that Paul himself started- Paul was in the business of catching people, as well. Paul in this portion of the letter wants to push past all the noise and divisions, wants to get down to the solid foundation that binds them all together, the reason they are a church at all. He reminds them of “The good news that I proclaimed to you, in which you also stand, through which also you are being saved…if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you…that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.”
Did you hear that? Jesus appeared to Cephas- Cephas is the Greek name for Peter- Jesus appeared to Simon Peter, Peter who told Jesus to go away, Peter who would get things so wrong, who only in flashes, sees who Jesus really is, Peter who would later deny Jesus—Jesus in his resurrection glory appears to Peter.
Paul goes on to say that last of all, Jesus appeared also to him. “For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” There it is- there is Paul’s confession- And yet Jesus also appeared to him—
In the boat, Jesus does not wait for Peter to be better, to be holier, to be worthy. And Jesus did not wait for Paul to change his ways, to stop persecuting the church, to come to his senses- God in Jesus called them each, where they were. Paul goes on to say “but by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace towards me has not been in vain.” God’s grace has not been in vain- Jesus said of Peter “upon this rock I will build my church” and Peter became a preacher and leader of the early church, Paul went on to start new churches in many areas, instead of persecuting believers, he built and supported churches in the Gentile areas.
I know that some of us are uncomfortable with talk of sin, and if we have grown up in a church culture that stressed sin, we are tired of it. But we have a prayer of confession every week in worship,because we need to see what Peter saw. We need to say out loud what Isaiah said. Confession and remorse do not earn us worthiness—but they are a way of radically telling the truth- about who we are, and about who God is. I grew up in a faith tradition in which, the week before we shared communion, we prayed a prayer of self- examination—to make a thorough examination of ourselves, to see where our sin and guilt were, and to confess them before we came to the table. Because we were not worthy to come to the table.
And the truth is, we are not worthy. No one can earn his or her way to the Table. This is not a Table for people who are good- this a table for us who are struggling, for us who are trying to be faithful, for us who fall and fail. That prayer of self examination? It goes on to say this:
Therefore, our self-examination must not end in despair.
We are called to trust God’s work on our behalf
and to receive the gift of forgiveness offered us in Christ Jesus.
Our reconciliation to God is found in trusting this good news—
that before we chose God, God chose us.
We are what God has made us,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
Because in our seeing our sinfulness, we see the enormity of Gods grace to us. Like Peter, like Isaiah, like Paul, we begin to know how much God loves us and the whole of creation. God’s grace to us has not been in vain. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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