Exodus 24:12-18 p61/92 childrens’ bible
12The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14To the elders Moses had said, “Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.” 15Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. 17Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. This is the word of the Lord….thanks be to God
Today is Transfiguration Sunday. It is a weird sort of Sunday. We rarely—if ever—use the word “transfiguration” in regular conversation, and this day appears at the tail end of Epiphany and just before Lent. On this day we hear the story about Jesus up on the mountain, and the cloud of glory, and the people who show up there. A strange story, that, frankly, we don’t really know what to do with.
But that’s the way it seems when God shows up. We don’t have words, we don’t have ideas, we babble foolishly like Peter. We say things like “I don’t know how to tell you this, but I heard Gods voice, plain as day, when I was driving home the other night” or “I’ve never told anyone this, but when I was out on the water, I had something like a dream” or we say “The Lord has put this on my heart, and I don’t know why….”, or we say things like “I don’t know why, I just keeping thinking about this” but what we really mean is we are beginning to see what the Lord God is calling us to do…….
Listen, now, for the transfiguring word of the Lord……
Matthew 17:1-9 p. 798/1132
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
This story appears every year in our cycle of readings, and in the Gospel of Matthew, it is decidedly strange—or at least, otherworldly. For the Gospel according to Matthew is concerned, a lot, about behavior. How are we to behave, as the people of God? What does a life of gratitude and obedience look like? And yet, in this passage, we don’t really see any behavioral guidelines. We see Peter proposing to go camping, apparently, with Jesus and Elijah and Moses, of all people, and then we see the disciples falling down in fear, and then Jesus, walking down the mountain with the disciples, telling them not to say anything to anyone—as if they could! As if they could find words to explain what had happened there, on top of Old Smoky—“Tell no one about the vision until after—after—the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” So now they have not only the burden of not telling what happened, but also in wondering and worrying about what that could possibly mean—AFTER the Son of Man is raised from the dead.
In a little while, we will receive the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper—communion. We will be joined to Christ, who is the one who calls us to this table. We will be here, in our pews, eating bread and drinking grape juice that was made by people we know and love. Many of us, perhaps, envy Peter and the disciples: At least, I do. I think: Oh, if only I could have been on that mountaintop that day! Oh, if only God would speak so clearly to me! And nearly all of us have heard someone’s testimony, that they saw the face of God, or that they had a miraculous experience of the divine—while hiking, or on the water, or at camp. And those of us who don’t have that, who are not sure we have ever had that, feel left out and little lonely. John Calvin wrote, however, that in the Lord’s Supper, by the power and the grace of the Holy Spirit, we are lifted up—to the very presence of Jesus, that we are joined to Christ--that in this feast we experience a foretaste of the banquet in the Kingdom of God. Here. In our ordinary lives, in our ordinary pews.
Remember, earlier in Matthew, Jesus has told the crowds “the kingdom of heaven has come near…” On that mountaintop, the kingdom of heaven had come near—in fire and cloud, in glory and voice.….and it nearly knocked over Peter and John and James with fright. It was Jesus who reassured them, Jesus who put his hand on them, Jesus who said to them “Be raised up and do not fear”. When all is over -- when Moses and Elijah are gone, the voice is quiet, Jesus' face and clothing have returned to normal, and the disciples are left in holy awe -- all that is left is Jesus. Whatever all these signs and symbols may have meant, the disciples are once again with their Lord, their teacher, their friend. Jesus, the one whose clothes and face shone like the sun, the one equal to Moses and Elijah, the one whom the very heavens proclaim as God's own beloved Son, will not leave them. He is the one who accompanies them down the mountain, into the valleys and storms and potholes and daily life.
In the Exodus story, Moses is commanded “to go up”. In the Transfiguration story, we are told, Jesus “led them up”, that is, Peter and James and John. But what is striking is that in each story, the word used is related to offering up a sacrifice. In the communion prayer, we say “we offer our very selves to you, to be a living and holy sacrifice….” We are offering up who we are, and all that we are—and are not. Perhaps this is what transfiguring means. Perhaps this is what listening to the voice of God means: that we see ourselves, our lives, in a new way- a way of offering to God our very own ordinary selves.
The Apostle Paul says, "All of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:18).
God comes to us here, in ordinary things- in water, and in prayer that is breath. In community, together. In bread, and grape juice, at a table set by human hands, but a table at which God in Christ comes, and lifts us up, and feeds us. We are being transformed. So we offer ourselves up, and are lifted up.
Amen.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Don't Worry, Be Thankful!
Isaiah 49:8-16a
8 Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I have answered you,
on a day of salvation I have helped you;
I have kept you and given you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages;
9 saying to the prisoners, “Come out,”
to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.”
They shall feed along the ways,
on all the bare heights shall be their pasture;
10 they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.
11 And I will turn all my mountains into a road,
and my highways shall be raised up.
12 Lo, these shall come from far away,
and lo, these from the north and from the west,
and these from the land of Syene.
13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the LORD has comforted his people,
and will have compassion on his suffering ones.
14 But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me,
my Lord has forgotten me.”
15 Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or show no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;
Matthew 6:24-34
24“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you — you of little faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34”So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
*********
I guess I’m a failure.
I worry. I worry about our older son who graduates in May. I worry about our younger son who’s trying to find a teaching job. I worry about the sermon each week. I worry about our church in the winter months when so many are away or unable to get out of the house.
Frankly, there are plenty of things to worry about. We worry about the economy. We worry whether our job is secure. Or we worry if we’re ever going to find a job. We worry about paying the bills. We worry as we watch prices go up, including the price of gas. We worry about our child struggling in school or hoping to get into college. We worry about a loved one who was diagnosed with cancer. We worry we will never be able to retire.
And the world feeds our worry. Our flight to and from New Jersey for study leave was a constant reminder of reasons to worry between regular announcements and passing through security checkpoints. The daily news bombards us with images of troubles from around the world, and here at home. Commercials invite us to worry about one more thing (usually about ourselves). They, of course, have the solution to our worries.
Nancy & I have a friend who works part-time at a retail clothing store. Recently all of the store’s employees were pulled into a meeting and told to convince customers they need to buy more, especially more expensive items. Yes, spending money is how to stimulate the economy. But he found that pep talk hard to swallow when he saw people with signs asking for food and money on the way home from work.
Yes, there are lots to worry about. And much of it is legitimate. We care about our families, our friends, our health, our future. So to hear Jesus say, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or … what you will wear,” well…
I’m annoyed. Jesus’ words just seem so unrealistic. I’d like to think life in the first century wasn’t so complicated, that they had less to worry about. But the truth is they had plenty to worry about. Just different things like disease, poverty, wars. I wonder how many of Jesus’ disciples rolled their eyes when they heard him say “Do not worry…?”
I’m also a little ashamed. We’ve all met people who have shared their stories of how God provided when they were down to their last dollar. And I suspect most of us can recall our own experiences of receiving God’s timely blessing. Nancy & I took a big risk leaving our jobs, following a call into ministry, and God has led us happily to this place. Why then is it so hard to worry less and trust God more day after day?
Perhaps, the reason is we hear conflicting messages. There’s Jesus’ message of trusting God to provide and there’s the world’s message of trusting what you can accumulate for yourself. Which message will we follow? That’s basically Jesus’ opening statement. “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Despite what you may have heard in the past, Jesus isn’t saying money is evil or bad. It’s a question of where we put our trust, our allegiance, and money turns out to be a poor Lord and master. Once we believe that money can satisfy our deepest needs, we discover that we never have enough. Money, after all, is finite. And so once we decide money grants security, then we find ourselves in a world of counting, and tracking, and hoarding. It’s a world based on scarcity. No wonder we worry – because in that world, there is simply never enough.
The alternative Jesus invites us to consider is putting out trust, our allegiance in God. The God who is infinite, whose love for us and all creation is infinite as well. Love operates from a different "economy" than money. Love – God's love – cannot be counted, tracked or stockpiled. And when you live in this kind of relationship of love and trust, you've entered into a world of abundance, a world of possibility, a world of contentment. In this world, which Jesus calls the "kingdom of God," not worrying becomes a real choice. We can choose to act in ways that witness to this world. Instead of images of scarcity, worry, and fear, we can choose to reflect abundance, trust, and courage. (1)
Many of you look out for our elderly neighbors, and bring them Thursdays to our Office for the Aging luncheon. Think also about being a mentor to one of our youth. Bring items for our food pantry next week when we celebrate communion. That was one of the early practices in the church. Instead of one person supplying bread and juice, everyone brought a portion of what they had, some of their harvest, some of their food, to the table. A portion was used for communion. The rest was given after the service to the poor in the community. These are ways we can be salt and light to the world, helping others to relax, to breathe, to count their blessings, and to trust in God's providence.
This is the world Jesus invites us into: a world of abundance, generosity, and new life. But it is also a world of fragility, trust, and vulnerability. The birds of the air and the lilies of the field can't defend themselves. They must trust God's providence and love.
Worry is a part of life. Even Jesus says, “Today’s trouble is enough for today.” What isn't a part of life is to believe it's all up to me or us, that I or we are in control. Do we want to live in a world in which God is in control or we are? Frankly, the latter scares me, exhausts me, and drains the life out of me. Jesus invites us to let it go, redirect your energies in ways that are life-giving, life-affirming.
Nancy used to attend a Thanksgiving eve service when we lived in Florida, and every year the text was this one: “take no thought to what ye shall eat, or what ye shall wear…” and I thought, “Who are they kidding! Every person in this church is sitting here thinking about tomorrow’s meal. Do I have enough mashed potatoes for everyone? What if Johnny brings his girlfriend? What if the cousins actually do show up? Is there a way to portion out the turkey so that everybody will get some?” Our heads were spinning with worry. But now I see that this text is indeed perfect for Thanksgiving eve- because it is about thanksgiving—because it reminds us that God is in charge, and not we, and that is something to be thankful for. Instead of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” perhaps our live should witness to and sing out “Don’t worry, be thankful.”
*********
(1) David Lose from “Picture This” on workingpreacher.org
8 Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I have answered you,
on a day of salvation I have helped you;
I have kept you and given you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages;
9 saying to the prisoners, “Come out,”
to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.”
They shall feed along the ways,
on all the bare heights shall be their pasture;
10 they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.
11 And I will turn all my mountains into a road,
and my highways shall be raised up.
12 Lo, these shall come from far away,
and lo, these from the north and from the west,
and these from the land of Syene.
13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the LORD has comforted his people,
and will have compassion on his suffering ones.
14 But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me,
my Lord has forgotten me.”
15 Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or show no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;
Matthew 6:24-34
24“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you — you of little faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34”So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
*********
I guess I’m a failure.
I worry. I worry about our older son who graduates in May. I worry about our younger son who’s trying to find a teaching job. I worry about the sermon each week. I worry about our church in the winter months when so many are away or unable to get out of the house.
Frankly, there are plenty of things to worry about. We worry about the economy. We worry whether our job is secure. Or we worry if we’re ever going to find a job. We worry about paying the bills. We worry as we watch prices go up, including the price of gas. We worry about our child struggling in school or hoping to get into college. We worry about a loved one who was diagnosed with cancer. We worry we will never be able to retire.
And the world feeds our worry. Our flight to and from New Jersey for study leave was a constant reminder of reasons to worry between regular announcements and passing through security checkpoints. The daily news bombards us with images of troubles from around the world, and here at home. Commercials invite us to worry about one more thing (usually about ourselves). They, of course, have the solution to our worries.
Nancy & I have a friend who works part-time at a retail clothing store. Recently all of the store’s employees were pulled into a meeting and told to convince customers they need to buy more, especially more expensive items. Yes, spending money is how to stimulate the economy. But he found that pep talk hard to swallow when he saw people with signs asking for food and money on the way home from work.
Yes, there are lots to worry about. And much of it is legitimate. We care about our families, our friends, our health, our future. So to hear Jesus say, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or … what you will wear,” well…
I’m annoyed. Jesus’ words just seem so unrealistic. I’d like to think life in the first century wasn’t so complicated, that they had less to worry about. But the truth is they had plenty to worry about. Just different things like disease, poverty, wars. I wonder how many of Jesus’ disciples rolled their eyes when they heard him say “Do not worry…?”
I’m also a little ashamed. We’ve all met people who have shared their stories of how God provided when they were down to their last dollar. And I suspect most of us can recall our own experiences of receiving God’s timely blessing. Nancy & I took a big risk leaving our jobs, following a call into ministry, and God has led us happily to this place. Why then is it so hard to worry less and trust God more day after day?
Perhaps, the reason is we hear conflicting messages. There’s Jesus’ message of trusting God to provide and there’s the world’s message of trusting what you can accumulate for yourself. Which message will we follow? That’s basically Jesus’ opening statement. “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Despite what you may have heard in the past, Jesus isn’t saying money is evil or bad. It’s a question of where we put our trust, our allegiance, and money turns out to be a poor Lord and master. Once we believe that money can satisfy our deepest needs, we discover that we never have enough. Money, after all, is finite. And so once we decide money grants security, then we find ourselves in a world of counting, and tracking, and hoarding. It’s a world based on scarcity. No wonder we worry – because in that world, there is simply never enough.
The alternative Jesus invites us to consider is putting out trust, our allegiance in God. The God who is infinite, whose love for us and all creation is infinite as well. Love operates from a different "economy" than money. Love – God's love – cannot be counted, tracked or stockpiled. And when you live in this kind of relationship of love and trust, you've entered into a world of abundance, a world of possibility, a world of contentment. In this world, which Jesus calls the "kingdom of God," not worrying becomes a real choice. We can choose to act in ways that witness to this world. Instead of images of scarcity, worry, and fear, we can choose to reflect abundance, trust, and courage. (1)
Many of you look out for our elderly neighbors, and bring them Thursdays to our Office for the Aging luncheon. Think also about being a mentor to one of our youth. Bring items for our food pantry next week when we celebrate communion. That was one of the early practices in the church. Instead of one person supplying bread and juice, everyone brought a portion of what they had, some of their harvest, some of their food, to the table. A portion was used for communion. The rest was given after the service to the poor in the community. These are ways we can be salt and light to the world, helping others to relax, to breathe, to count their blessings, and to trust in God's providence.
This is the world Jesus invites us into: a world of abundance, generosity, and new life. But it is also a world of fragility, trust, and vulnerability. The birds of the air and the lilies of the field can't defend themselves. They must trust God's providence and love.
Worry is a part of life. Even Jesus says, “Today’s trouble is enough for today.” What isn't a part of life is to believe it's all up to me or us, that I or we are in control. Do we want to live in a world in which God is in control or we are? Frankly, the latter scares me, exhausts me, and drains the life out of me. Jesus invites us to let it go, redirect your energies in ways that are life-giving, life-affirming.
Nancy used to attend a Thanksgiving eve service when we lived in Florida, and every year the text was this one: “take no thought to what ye shall eat, or what ye shall wear…” and I thought, “Who are they kidding! Every person in this church is sitting here thinking about tomorrow’s meal. Do I have enough mashed potatoes for everyone? What if Johnny brings his girlfriend? What if the cousins actually do show up? Is there a way to portion out the turkey so that everybody will get some?” Our heads were spinning with worry. But now I see that this text is indeed perfect for Thanksgiving eve- because it is about thanksgiving—because it reminds us that God is in charge, and not we, and that is something to be thankful for. Instead of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” perhaps our live should witness to and sing out “Don’t worry, be thankful.”
*********
(1) David Lose from “Picture This” on workingpreacher.org
Hope in God
Psalm 42
1As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and behold the face of God?
3My tears have been my food day and night,
while people say to me continually, “Where is your God?”
4These things I remember, as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng,
and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
a multitude keeping festival.
5Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help 6and my God.
My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows have gone over me.
8By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9I say to God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?”
10As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually, “Where is your God?”
11Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God
A powerful earthquake strikes Haiti. The grim reports and pictures come in daily as the casualties mount. Maybe as many as 200,000 people killed devastating an already poor nation. And we respond, “Why, God?” “Why Haiti?”
Hurricane Katrina hits the Gulf Coast. Images of people stranded, hungry, waiting for help. 1,800 dead and thousands left homeless. Especially hard hit are the poorest citizens. Five years later, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Habitat for Humanity are still rebuilding homes. And we respond with the same questions. “Why, God?” “Why New Orleans?”
The magnitude of those disasters makes them difficult to truly grasp. Then tragedy strikes here at home. Cancer ravages the body of one who should be enjoying the best years of her life. Or violence claims the life of a friend, a loved one. And we struggle to understand.
“Why, God?” “Why him?” “Why her?”
In part, they are questions and we want answers. We need to make some sense of the senseless. We expect there to be some logic, some reason, cause and effect. We need to know there is order to God’s world. And there are some ready to jump in with answers. God is always right. Since God let those terrible things happen it’s because those people sinned. God was punishing the people in New Orleans because of their lifestyle. God was punishing the people of Haiti because they made a pact with the devil. Answers that seem to be defending God, as if God needs to be defended. Or maybe they are a response to the critics who taunt us saying, “Where is your God?” And they have answers, answers that are insulting and hurtful, and, frankly, not God’s answers.
“Why, God?” “Why him?” “Why her?”
When we feel the pain of loss deeply, though, they are not so much questions as complaints. “Why, God!” “How could this happen!” “It’s not right, God!” Sometimes our complaint goes all the way to anger. And we’ve been told we can’t get angry at God.
“When shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, ‘Where is your God?’”
Psalm 42 is a complaint, a psalm of lament. Nicholas Wolterstorff at Yale, who lost his son in a mountain climbing accident and shared his struggles that first year in “Lament for a Son,” writes “lament is the language of suffering, the voicing of suffering.” And the book of psalms is full of laments, maybe one-third of them – complaints directed to God. I remember years ago after learning about all these psalms of lament asking my pastor why we didn’t hear them more often in church. Apparently, we’re afraid to admit in church and to God that sometimes life really stinks. Wolterstorff notes lament doesn’t sell well because it is a cry to God that doesn’t match the “victorious living” mentality in many of the churches in our country. Lament doesn’t fit a can-do attitude, our need to fix things, to solve problems. “To lament is to risk living with one’s deepest questions unanswered.”
Yet, the people of Israel kept the psalms of lament. And some of these psalms are brutally honest. They are a reminder “that the Hebrew worshipper was free to express complaints, anxiety, rage, and deep sorrow before God and other members of the community.” Yes, it is OK to be angry at God, to be honest with God. Because even when we express our anger, we are still speaking with God; we haven’t given up.
“I say to God, my rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?’ As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, ‘Where is your God?’
Psalms of lament were also kept by the church, because they were part of Jesus’ language of suffering. On the cross, he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” – Psalm 22. “Father, into your hand I commit my spirit” – Psalm 31. God can hear our cries of anger and pain and sorrow, because God in Christ knows our anger, our pain, and our sorrow. Even as we mourn the loss of loved ones, God mourns with us.
“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God”
At funeral services, we dare to say that death does not have the final word. Yes, Lord, we shall again praise you. It’s a defiant stand against the ultimate enemy. It’s our message of hope, our witness to the resurrection reflected in the ministry of the church. We feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, do justice, love mercy, care for one another because we know death is not the end. Our ministry is not futile; our work is kingdom of God work.
Yet, we do not feel like singing and praising God now. The psalmist’s promise is in the future. Yes, one day we shall again praise God. But right now, we’re not ready. The words are still stuck in our throats. The wounds are too raw, the pain too fresh.
Sometimes our greatest witness to the world, to those we love at these times is not to figure out the reasons why, not to find the answer, not to speak for God, not to try to patch things up quickly and move on. It is simply to gather as a community of faith and express honestly to God our sorrow and our anger even as we try to comfort those who suffer, trusting in God.
“Hope in God; for we shall again praise him, our help and our God”
1As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and behold the face of God?
3My tears have been my food day and night,
while people say to me continually, “Where is your God?”
4These things I remember, as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng,
and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
a multitude keeping festival.
5Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help 6and my God.
My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows have gone over me.
8By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9I say to God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?”
10As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually, “Where is your God?”
11Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God
A powerful earthquake strikes Haiti. The grim reports and pictures come in daily as the casualties mount. Maybe as many as 200,000 people killed devastating an already poor nation. And we respond, “Why, God?” “Why Haiti?”
Hurricane Katrina hits the Gulf Coast. Images of people stranded, hungry, waiting for help. 1,800 dead and thousands left homeless. Especially hard hit are the poorest citizens. Five years later, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Habitat for Humanity are still rebuilding homes. And we respond with the same questions. “Why, God?” “Why New Orleans?”
The magnitude of those disasters makes them difficult to truly grasp. Then tragedy strikes here at home. Cancer ravages the body of one who should be enjoying the best years of her life. Or violence claims the life of a friend, a loved one. And we struggle to understand.
“Why, God?” “Why him?” “Why her?”
In part, they are questions and we want answers. We need to make some sense of the senseless. We expect there to be some logic, some reason, cause and effect. We need to know there is order to God’s world. And there are some ready to jump in with answers. God is always right. Since God let those terrible things happen it’s because those people sinned. God was punishing the people in New Orleans because of their lifestyle. God was punishing the people of Haiti because they made a pact with the devil. Answers that seem to be defending God, as if God needs to be defended. Or maybe they are a response to the critics who taunt us saying, “Where is your God?” And they have answers, answers that are insulting and hurtful, and, frankly, not God’s answers.
“Why, God?” “Why him?” “Why her?”
When we feel the pain of loss deeply, though, they are not so much questions as complaints. “Why, God!” “How could this happen!” “It’s not right, God!” Sometimes our complaint goes all the way to anger. And we’ve been told we can’t get angry at God.
“When shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, ‘Where is your God?’”
Psalm 42 is a complaint, a psalm of lament. Nicholas Wolterstorff at Yale, who lost his son in a mountain climbing accident and shared his struggles that first year in “Lament for a Son,” writes “lament is the language of suffering, the voicing of suffering.” And the book of psalms is full of laments, maybe one-third of them – complaints directed to God. I remember years ago after learning about all these psalms of lament asking my pastor why we didn’t hear them more often in church. Apparently, we’re afraid to admit in church and to God that sometimes life really stinks. Wolterstorff notes lament doesn’t sell well because it is a cry to God that doesn’t match the “victorious living” mentality in many of the churches in our country. Lament doesn’t fit a can-do attitude, our need to fix things, to solve problems. “To lament is to risk living with one’s deepest questions unanswered.”
Yet, the people of Israel kept the psalms of lament. And some of these psalms are brutally honest. They are a reminder “that the Hebrew worshipper was free to express complaints, anxiety, rage, and deep sorrow before God and other members of the community.” Yes, it is OK to be angry at God, to be honest with God. Because even when we express our anger, we are still speaking with God; we haven’t given up.
“I say to God, my rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?’ As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, ‘Where is your God?’
Psalms of lament were also kept by the church, because they were part of Jesus’ language of suffering. On the cross, he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” – Psalm 22. “Father, into your hand I commit my spirit” – Psalm 31. God can hear our cries of anger and pain and sorrow, because God in Christ knows our anger, our pain, and our sorrow. Even as we mourn the loss of loved ones, God mourns with us.
“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God”
At funeral services, we dare to say that death does not have the final word. Yes, Lord, we shall again praise you. It’s a defiant stand against the ultimate enemy. It’s our message of hope, our witness to the resurrection reflected in the ministry of the church. We feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, do justice, love mercy, care for one another because we know death is not the end. Our ministry is not futile; our work is kingdom of God work.
Yet, we do not feel like singing and praising God now. The psalmist’s promise is in the future. Yes, one day we shall again praise God. But right now, we’re not ready. The words are still stuck in our throats. The wounds are too raw, the pain too fresh.
Sometimes our greatest witness to the world, to those we love at these times is not to figure out the reasons why, not to find the answer, not to speak for God, not to try to patch things up quickly and move on. It is simply to gather as a community of faith and express honestly to God our sorrow and our anger even as we try to comfort those who suffer, trusting in God.
“Hope in God; for we shall again praise him, our help and our God”
Law and Order - IGK
Law and Order – IGK. Dunk-dunk. Law and Order – in God's Kingdom. Coming to a congregation near you. Roll theme song. Two weeks ago we began the Sermon on the Mount. It's the first of five teaching sections in Matthew's gospel. Probably the most well-known section. And the most quoted. It's also very challenging.
For three chapters, Jesus provides instruction for his disciples; rules for how to live in God's kingdom. And let's face it - we have a love/hate relationship with rules. They seem good especially when applied to others to ensure life is fair. When executives make huge bonuses even though their companies lose money and lay people off, we cry, "There oughta be a law…" Yet, most of us expend a great deal of energy figuring out how to get around rules when applied to ourselves, especially when they seem to get in the way and make no sense. Rules are made to be broken, right?
Back when I was in junior high school, I got interested in golf. I received a starter set of clubs for Xmas and then bought a book explaining the rules of golf. I still remember the looks I got the first time I went golfing with some adults and pulled out the book which I had stashed in my bag. C'mon, I was only 12 at the time. We generally try to follow the rules, but we don't like to be reminded of them.
Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that the Sermon on the Mount begins not with rules, but the Beatitudes. Good news that we are already beloved and blessed by God, and a blessing to others. And immediately following is a statement of our identity as salt and light. Good news that we aren't defined by what we do. Rather, we live out what we already are. And we are already bringing flavor to life, making the world a little brighter.
Only after we've heard this good news do we hear what law and order looks like in this kingdom. Jesus summarizes all that follows with this statement: "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." The scribes and Pharisees were known for their attention to the details of the law. How is it possible to exceed their efforts?
Jesus gives six examples and in doing so makes sure that each of us hears something we can connect with even if we don't want to hear it. We will hear three of those examples this week, and the other three next week. So here goes: Matthew 5:21-32, found on page 786 in the pew bibles. Listen for the word of God.
Matthew 5:21-32
21“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
27“You have heard that it was said, ‘you shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.
31“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Thanks be to God, I think. What do we do with these laws? We all grew up learning the Ten Commandments though we might be hard-pressed to name them all let alone in order. And we can go to bed each night and check them off. Nope, didn't commit murder today. Nope, didn't commit adultery. And on and on down the list. But now Jesus is broadening the law. Even worse, it's not just what we do, but what we're thinking inside that matters.
Perhaps we've known someone who would do anything including put down their co-worker just to get ahead. Don't we call that stabbing someone in the back? Perhaps we've known someone who was so dedicated to their job, put in so many hours at work they had little time or energy for their family, their spouse. Don't we call them married to their work?
Now it's harder to go down the checklist of commandments. Unless we're not human beings, all of us have experienced anger in our lives. What do we say to Jesus' instruction about divorce when half of all marriages fail in this country? And who can forget the infamous Playboy interview with Jimmy Carter who admitted to committing adultery in his heart?
So what do we do with these laws? Is Jesus urging us to take the law more seriously than we could imagine? Frankly this has been one approach taken by some in the church: the law as restraint that turns the Christian life into one of following the rules. It begs the question: "Did Jesus really have to die so that we could have the Ten Commandments on steroids?"
Others have said Jesus is reminding us that God's expectations for us are so great, the bar so high. The new law then convicts us of our failings, our sin. This forces us to turn to God’s grace alone to save us. But this makes the law seem unnecessary since we have no chance of following it. It also makes God seem rather conniving, not loving.
I don't think Jesus' main concern is with the law, at least not the legal aspect of law. Following the law, doing the right thing, staying inside the lines isn’t the goal in life. The law is the means to something more important – healthy, loving relationships with one another and ultimately with God.
Now there is a legal dimension to the law – it’s what holds us accountable for our actions toward one other. But that’s a by-product of the law, not its essential character. God has given us the law as a guide for honoring, respecting, and caring for each other. Sure, we can get all legalistic, but before long we’ll all be accusing and suing and punishing one another. Where will that leave our relationships, our community, our world? As Mahatma Gandhi said, “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”(1)
Jesus wants more for us. He wants us to regard each other as God regards us and to treat each other accordingly. It’s less about following the letter of the law as understanding its goal for us: the life and health of our neighbor! That’s what law and order in God’s Kingdom is like. That’s what life is like, what real living is like, in God’s Kingdom.
This morning we heard Jesus offer three examples of this kingdom living. In the first, the problem is not so much our anger, but how we come to terms with it. Jesus’ answer is to seek reconciliation, even if you believe you have been wronged. This is not advice to become a doormat. Reconciliation is about mutual respect. But someone needs to take the first step.
In the other examples about adultery and divorce, the underlying issue is the treatment of women. In both cases, the woman is viewed as an object either to be desired or discarded. This doesn’t mean there won’t be instances when divorce is best because the marriage is destructive or abusive to one or both partners. But Jesus calls for relationships in marriage that build up, where the partners respect and love each other.
Jesus gives the disciples a new way of life, not rejecting the tradition, but building upon it. It is a way of life that demands more and promises more. Yes, it sounds idealistic, out of touch with the real world. But what kind of community would you like to live in? Perhaps we need to consider how we can create rules that truly work to honor our neighbor. Perhaps we should consider how the Kingdom of God can be more fully embodied in our homes, our congregation, our community. Of course, we may wonder how we can possibly accomplish all this ourselves.
At Lodi, they will be celebrating a baptism this morning. One of the questions we ask the parents is, “Will you be Christ’s faithful disciple, obeying his Word and showing his love?” Their answer is, “I will, with God’s help.” And that is Christ’s answer to us as well. “You, who are salt and light, you will with God’s help.”
(1) David Lose from workingpreacher.org, “Radical”
For three chapters, Jesus provides instruction for his disciples; rules for how to live in God's kingdom. And let's face it - we have a love/hate relationship with rules. They seem good especially when applied to others to ensure life is fair. When executives make huge bonuses even though their companies lose money and lay people off, we cry, "There oughta be a law…" Yet, most of us expend a great deal of energy figuring out how to get around rules when applied to ourselves, especially when they seem to get in the way and make no sense. Rules are made to be broken, right?
Back when I was in junior high school, I got interested in golf. I received a starter set of clubs for Xmas and then bought a book explaining the rules of golf. I still remember the looks I got the first time I went golfing with some adults and pulled out the book which I had stashed in my bag. C'mon, I was only 12 at the time. We generally try to follow the rules, but we don't like to be reminded of them.
Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that the Sermon on the Mount begins not with rules, but the Beatitudes. Good news that we are already beloved and blessed by God, and a blessing to others. And immediately following is a statement of our identity as salt and light. Good news that we aren't defined by what we do. Rather, we live out what we already are. And we are already bringing flavor to life, making the world a little brighter.
Only after we've heard this good news do we hear what law and order looks like in this kingdom. Jesus summarizes all that follows with this statement: "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." The scribes and Pharisees were known for their attention to the details of the law. How is it possible to exceed their efforts?
Jesus gives six examples and in doing so makes sure that each of us hears something we can connect with even if we don't want to hear it. We will hear three of those examples this week, and the other three next week. So here goes: Matthew 5:21-32, found on page 786 in the pew bibles. Listen for the word of God.
Matthew 5:21-32
21“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
27“You have heard that it was said, ‘you shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.
31“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Thanks be to God, I think. What do we do with these laws? We all grew up learning the Ten Commandments though we might be hard-pressed to name them all let alone in order. And we can go to bed each night and check them off. Nope, didn't commit murder today. Nope, didn't commit adultery. And on and on down the list. But now Jesus is broadening the law. Even worse, it's not just what we do, but what we're thinking inside that matters.
Perhaps we've known someone who would do anything including put down their co-worker just to get ahead. Don't we call that stabbing someone in the back? Perhaps we've known someone who was so dedicated to their job, put in so many hours at work they had little time or energy for their family, their spouse. Don't we call them married to their work?
Now it's harder to go down the checklist of commandments. Unless we're not human beings, all of us have experienced anger in our lives. What do we say to Jesus' instruction about divorce when half of all marriages fail in this country? And who can forget the infamous Playboy interview with Jimmy Carter who admitted to committing adultery in his heart?
So what do we do with these laws? Is Jesus urging us to take the law more seriously than we could imagine? Frankly this has been one approach taken by some in the church: the law as restraint that turns the Christian life into one of following the rules. It begs the question: "Did Jesus really have to die so that we could have the Ten Commandments on steroids?"
Others have said Jesus is reminding us that God's expectations for us are so great, the bar so high. The new law then convicts us of our failings, our sin. This forces us to turn to God’s grace alone to save us. But this makes the law seem unnecessary since we have no chance of following it. It also makes God seem rather conniving, not loving.
I don't think Jesus' main concern is with the law, at least not the legal aspect of law. Following the law, doing the right thing, staying inside the lines isn’t the goal in life. The law is the means to something more important – healthy, loving relationships with one another and ultimately with God.
Now there is a legal dimension to the law – it’s what holds us accountable for our actions toward one other. But that’s a by-product of the law, not its essential character. God has given us the law as a guide for honoring, respecting, and caring for each other. Sure, we can get all legalistic, but before long we’ll all be accusing and suing and punishing one another. Where will that leave our relationships, our community, our world? As Mahatma Gandhi said, “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”(1)
Jesus wants more for us. He wants us to regard each other as God regards us and to treat each other accordingly. It’s less about following the letter of the law as understanding its goal for us: the life and health of our neighbor! That’s what law and order in God’s Kingdom is like. That’s what life is like, what real living is like, in God’s Kingdom.
This morning we heard Jesus offer three examples of this kingdom living. In the first, the problem is not so much our anger, but how we come to terms with it. Jesus’ answer is to seek reconciliation, even if you believe you have been wronged. This is not advice to become a doormat. Reconciliation is about mutual respect. But someone needs to take the first step.
In the other examples about adultery and divorce, the underlying issue is the treatment of women. In both cases, the woman is viewed as an object either to be desired or discarded. This doesn’t mean there won’t be instances when divorce is best because the marriage is destructive or abusive to one or both partners. But Jesus calls for relationships in marriage that build up, where the partners respect and love each other.
Jesus gives the disciples a new way of life, not rejecting the tradition, but building upon it. It is a way of life that demands more and promises more. Yes, it sounds idealistic, out of touch with the real world. But what kind of community would you like to live in? Perhaps we need to consider how we can create rules that truly work to honor our neighbor. Perhaps we should consider how the Kingdom of God can be more fully embodied in our homes, our congregation, our community. Of course, we may wonder how we can possibly accomplish all this ourselves.
At Lodi, they will be celebrating a baptism this morning. One of the questions we ask the parents is, “Will you be Christ’s faithful disciple, obeying his Word and showing his love?” Their answer is, “I will, with God’s help.” And that is Christ’s answer to us as well. “You, who are salt and light, you will with God’s help.”
(1) David Lose from workingpreacher.org, “Radical”
The Gospel According to Alton Brown
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
1 Shout out, do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments,
they delight to draw near to God.
3 “Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day,
and oppress all your workers.
4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
6 Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
Matthew 5:13-20
13“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
14“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
*********
They’ve become Emeril Lagasse’s signature phrases. “Let’s kick it up a notch!” And the audience goes wild. Then “Bam!” as he throws some Cajun spices into the pan. For our food and our coffee, the word of the day is “Bold!” Bold flavors. Watch any cooking show from Worst Cooks in America to Iron Chef to Bobby Flay to Alton Brown. One of the keys to great food is proper seasoning. And the key seasoning is salt.
Now I know we hear regularly in the media how Americans have too much sodium in their diet, and that it’s a major contributor to high blood pressure. And I’m one of those who have to worry. But the reality of life is that we need salt in our diet to survive (we just don’t need quite as much as we consume).
Salt has been an important spice for millennia not only for its ability to preserve food, but to season it as well. Of course, today there’s no longer just simple table salt; now we have sea salt, and kosher salt, and even Himalayan salt blocks. But in the end it’s all about salt’s ability to enhance other flavors. Take out the salt and, frankly, food is just bland and unappetizing.
You are the salt of the earth! Yes, you. Just like we heard with the Beatitudes last week, this is a description, not instruction, not command. You already are the salt of the earth, salt that seasons life. So what does it mean to be salt, to give flavor to life? In his book, “I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church,” author Paul Nixon writes that vital churches are ones that choose bold over mild. Would you call our worship bold? Do we give bold flavor to the community here in Hector/Lodi? How does one even know?
You are the light of the world. Well, maybe that’s a little easier to relate to than salt. Light in the darkness is a symbol of hope. With so much uncertainty and suffering and struggle and death in the news every day what is needed most is hope. As followers of Christ we are called to be light for a world in need of good news. How do we embody light for the world, or even salt for the earth? According to Jesus, it’s through the mercy we show, the love we share, the justice we do.
The interesting thing about salt and light is you don’t need much. Just a pinch of salt brings out the flavor in foods. Even one candle does much to dispel the darkness. We don’t need to act heroically in the presence of a crazed shooter, or to protest against the government for human rights. It’s the little things God works through each of us to help another person. Even if we feel our efforts are minor or our congregation is too small to do much, we are capable of more than we can imagine through God’s Spirit.
Last Thursday we had a little excitement at the Office for the Aging luncheon here in fellowship hall. One woman wasn’t feeling well at the end of the meal. Others in the room went over to help, saw her symptoms and called 911. Folks stayed with the woman even though they had places to go, things to do. Within a few minutes the volunteer ambulance crew came. They assessed the situation and then expertly convinced the woman to let them take her to the hospital. As it turns out there was nothing seriously wrong, but the hospital was concerned enough to keep her overnight. Several of you freely gave of your time to help someone in need. I know you think that’s just what we do here and have been doing for a long time. Sometimes, though, we need to be reminded: this is how we are a light in the world.
This also points to another truth about salt and light – their benefit is not for themselves but for what is around them. Salt gives flavor to foods. We use it not so much for the taste of salt, but for the way it brings out the flavor of whatever you put it on. Put a little on something sweet and it doesn’t turn it salty; it actually makes the food even sweeter tasting. We light a candle not for the candle itself, but for the way the light drives back the dark and illumines everything in the room.
Our works are not for ourselves, or to make us look good. They are to help others and point people to God. Archbishop William Temple said, "The church is the only organization on earth that exists for those who are not its members." Before we read from Matthew, we heard God speaking through the prophet Isaiah. What is the best expression of faith? It’s not to go through the motions, which at that time was to fast. No, it’s to share bread with the hungry, provide shelter for the homeless, clothe the naked.
We have a couple in our church who have suggested renting a trailer and setting up a thrift store in our parking lot selling used clothing. It’s ambitious, involves some logistical challenges, and will take some volunteer time to sort through the donations, but we know there is need in our community. We see it every month at our food pantry, and twice a year when the mobile food truck comes.
When Jesus talks about salt and light, he offers a warning, possibly even a threat. If salt loses its saltiness, then it’s only fit to be tossed out and trampled underfoot. Of course, with the snow and ice we’ve had that salt would still doing something useful. But I suppose you could interpret Jesus to mean we are to take seriously our call to mission. But I struggle with how salt can lose its saltiness. Salt is a pretty stable compound, and about the only way to change that is to electro-chemically split the sodium from the chloride. Perhaps what is being described is an absurdity. Like lighting a candle and putting it under a bushel. Not only will it not serve any purpose, but it’s liable to go out or set the bushel on fire!
Salt can’t be anything but salty. A light illumines. We who follow Christ can’t lose our character as salt and light for the world, because that’s who God has created us, gifted us, and called us to be. "You are the salt of the earth! You are the light of the world. That's the way it is and that's the way it will stay. Period."(1) We can’t not be salt and light.
So now I have an assignment for you for the week. I want you to record examples of where God has worked through you to help someone else. Write it down on paper, type it into your computer. Then I would like to encourage you to send it to Pastor Nancy or myself so we can start a Salt & Light Log. Start talking about it during the coffee hour. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to God.”
*********
(1) David Lose from workingpreacher.org, “Salt & Light” as is the idea of a Salt & Light log.
1 Shout out, do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments,
they delight to draw near to God.
3 “Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day,
and oppress all your workers.
4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
6 Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
Matthew 5:13-20
13“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
14“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
*********
They’ve become Emeril Lagasse’s signature phrases. “Let’s kick it up a notch!” And the audience goes wild. Then “Bam!” as he throws some Cajun spices into the pan. For our food and our coffee, the word of the day is “Bold!” Bold flavors. Watch any cooking show from Worst Cooks in America to Iron Chef to Bobby Flay to Alton Brown. One of the keys to great food is proper seasoning. And the key seasoning is salt.
Now I know we hear regularly in the media how Americans have too much sodium in their diet, and that it’s a major contributor to high blood pressure. And I’m one of those who have to worry. But the reality of life is that we need salt in our diet to survive (we just don’t need quite as much as we consume).
Salt has been an important spice for millennia not only for its ability to preserve food, but to season it as well. Of course, today there’s no longer just simple table salt; now we have sea salt, and kosher salt, and even Himalayan salt blocks. But in the end it’s all about salt’s ability to enhance other flavors. Take out the salt and, frankly, food is just bland and unappetizing.
You are the salt of the earth! Yes, you. Just like we heard with the Beatitudes last week, this is a description, not instruction, not command. You already are the salt of the earth, salt that seasons life. So what does it mean to be salt, to give flavor to life? In his book, “I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church,” author Paul Nixon writes that vital churches are ones that choose bold over mild. Would you call our worship bold? Do we give bold flavor to the community here in Hector/Lodi? How does one even know?
You are the light of the world. Well, maybe that’s a little easier to relate to than salt. Light in the darkness is a symbol of hope. With so much uncertainty and suffering and struggle and death in the news every day what is needed most is hope. As followers of Christ we are called to be light for a world in need of good news. How do we embody light for the world, or even salt for the earth? According to Jesus, it’s through the mercy we show, the love we share, the justice we do.
The interesting thing about salt and light is you don’t need much. Just a pinch of salt brings out the flavor in foods. Even one candle does much to dispel the darkness. We don’t need to act heroically in the presence of a crazed shooter, or to protest against the government for human rights. It’s the little things God works through each of us to help another person. Even if we feel our efforts are minor or our congregation is too small to do much, we are capable of more than we can imagine through God’s Spirit.
Last Thursday we had a little excitement at the Office for the Aging luncheon here in fellowship hall. One woman wasn’t feeling well at the end of the meal. Others in the room went over to help, saw her symptoms and called 911. Folks stayed with the woman even though they had places to go, things to do. Within a few minutes the volunteer ambulance crew came. They assessed the situation and then expertly convinced the woman to let them take her to the hospital. As it turns out there was nothing seriously wrong, but the hospital was concerned enough to keep her overnight. Several of you freely gave of your time to help someone in need. I know you think that’s just what we do here and have been doing for a long time. Sometimes, though, we need to be reminded: this is how we are a light in the world.
This also points to another truth about salt and light – their benefit is not for themselves but for what is around them. Salt gives flavor to foods. We use it not so much for the taste of salt, but for the way it brings out the flavor of whatever you put it on. Put a little on something sweet and it doesn’t turn it salty; it actually makes the food even sweeter tasting. We light a candle not for the candle itself, but for the way the light drives back the dark and illumines everything in the room.
Our works are not for ourselves, or to make us look good. They are to help others and point people to God. Archbishop William Temple said, "The church is the only organization on earth that exists for those who are not its members." Before we read from Matthew, we heard God speaking through the prophet Isaiah. What is the best expression of faith? It’s not to go through the motions, which at that time was to fast. No, it’s to share bread with the hungry, provide shelter for the homeless, clothe the naked.
We have a couple in our church who have suggested renting a trailer and setting up a thrift store in our parking lot selling used clothing. It’s ambitious, involves some logistical challenges, and will take some volunteer time to sort through the donations, but we know there is need in our community. We see it every month at our food pantry, and twice a year when the mobile food truck comes.
When Jesus talks about salt and light, he offers a warning, possibly even a threat. If salt loses its saltiness, then it’s only fit to be tossed out and trampled underfoot. Of course, with the snow and ice we’ve had that salt would still doing something useful. But I suppose you could interpret Jesus to mean we are to take seriously our call to mission. But I struggle with how salt can lose its saltiness. Salt is a pretty stable compound, and about the only way to change that is to electro-chemically split the sodium from the chloride. Perhaps what is being described is an absurdity. Like lighting a candle and putting it under a bushel. Not only will it not serve any purpose, but it’s liable to go out or set the bushel on fire!
Salt can’t be anything but salty. A light illumines. We who follow Christ can’t lose our character as salt and light for the world, because that’s who God has created us, gifted us, and called us to be. "You are the salt of the earth! You are the light of the world. That's the way it is and that's the way it will stay. Period."(1) We can’t not be salt and light.
So now I have an assignment for you for the week. I want you to record examples of where God has worked through you to help someone else. Write it down on paper, type it into your computer. Then I would like to encourage you to send it to Pastor Nancy or myself so we can start a Salt & Light Log. Start talking about it during the coffee hour. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to God.”
*********
(1) David Lose from workingpreacher.org, “Salt & Light” as is the idea of a Salt & Light log.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Sermon Jan 30
Micah 6:1-8 p 757
6Hear what the LORD says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. 2Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel. 3“O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! 4For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the LORD.”
6“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” 8He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? This is the word…..
Matthew 5:1-12 p 785
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. This is the word….
In 1985, Robert Schuller authored a book based on today’s text. Dr Schuller titled it “The Be-Happy Attitudes”. And that is a reasonable translation—and a catchy title. For the word we read as “blessed” can also mean happy, or fortunate. And Schuller was indeed fortunate. He grew a church in Garden Grove, California, into the first of its kind- a mega-church- which we know as the Crystal Cathedral. He influenced and comforted thousands of people with his church, his preaching and his television ministry.
When Jesus went up on the mountain, it was after a time of teaching and preaching and healing. Although I don’t believe his preaching was on tv.
A few weeks ago, we heard Jesus say: “Come and See”. Apparently, the people liked what they saw—and told their families—and their friends—and their friends—to the point that crowds from all over- from Israel and Samaria and Syria--are following Jesus.
Jesus is up on the mountain top. Like Moses. But this time, no thunder, no lightning, no clouds.
No, Jesus is sitting down on the mountain top, talking with the disciples and the crowds- but what he says is easily as earth shattering as any storm of thunder and lightning.
Because what Jesus is doing is setting the whole world upside down.
Jesus sees the crowds, and goes up to the mountain top to teach. And he begins teaching them in a way that is familiar to them. Traditional Middle Eastern instruction uses proverbs to teach an idea. In the Middle East, and in our own Bible, the Wisdom tradition is represented in proverbs—we have in our bible the book of Proverbs.
And this tradition teaches that if you behave in a certain way, then you will receive certain things. We teach our own children this way. It makes sense to us. Modern proverbs might be “blessed is the one who checks the air in his tires, for his journey will be a pleasant one,” or, “Blessed is the one who does not text while driving, for his insurance shall remain low.”
Wisdom tradition, as shown in those traditional proverbs, has it that you can deduce a lot about a person by his or her condition in the world. If you are rich, have a lot of healthy children, have a spouse who loves you, then God must be smiling on you—and God is smiling on you because you have lived a righteous life. And if you are poor, or ill, or alone, then God is not smiling on you, and it is because you have done wrong. You have sinned. You have not been righteous, and things will not get better until you repent, stop your sinning, and change your ways. And the way that we can tell that you are a sinner is because we can see your condition.
Jesus turns all this upside down. Jesus says to the people who are following him, and to us: You are blessed. You already are blessed, God already loves you. Even when your life doesn’t show it, even when it doesn’t feel like it. Jesus takes apart that cause and effect logic that we like so well. We like that logic because it makes sense—run with scissors, somebody’s going to get hurt. Jump on the couch, you’re gonna fall down. That’s the way the world is.
In our world, Jesus’ wisdom words don’t make sense. The meek don’t inherit much of anything- they just get stepped on. Those who long for justice & righteousness keep on being hungry and thirsty. In this world, the merciful most often get kicked in the teeth. How can you be glad when people revile you, and testify falsely against you? That’s a libel lawsuit, not something to be happy about.
But as Christians, we are used to having the world turned upside down—or at least I hope we are. Because we are a people who stand at a funeral and sing “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” We are a people who hold a little baby in church, and 2,000 years after the event, we say “Christ has died for you, little one, yes, you who have no knowledge of it yet”. We don’t believe six impossible things before breakfast, as the Queen says in Alice in Wonderland. But we do believe that an impoverished, unemployed preacher, a crucified savior, an absolute failure in the eyes of the world, is the One who lives and rules and makes all things new.
And what Jesus tells the crowd, is that even when you do walk in God’s ways, your life will not be a walk in the park. His blessing, Jesus’ be-happy attitude, is not always happy. This sermon serves as both blessing and warning. When Jesus said “Come and see”, when he said “Come and follow me and I will make you fish for people”—well, this is the fine print at the end of the contract. This is the disclaimer: warning: life in the kingdom of heaven will not always be happy. This is not the Kingdom of Disney. It is the kingdom of God.
The people who are coming to see Jesus that day are have traveled a long way to hear him and are suffering for it. The disciples have left their nets, and their families, and are here on a hillside. The people in the gospel writer Matthew’s community are being punished for their following of Jesus. They are getting thrown out of their synagogues, their families. People are saying things about them, refusing to do business with them. They are suffering—being persecuted, being rejected. All for following Christ.
This is something we have a hard time understanding. We live in America. We do not have to hide, it is not against the law, we do not have to register at the courthouse. Christians in Iraq are persecuted. It is illegal to be a Christian in Egypt. In India, the growing edge of Christianity is among the dalits- the untouchables—they were persecuted and oppressed, so a religion based on a suffering Savior makes sense to them.
Jesus words on the mount that day are a warning: you will mourn, you will be reviled and rejected. But they also are a promise: you are blessed, right now—and you will be fed, you will be filled, you will be comforted, you will inherit.
When I worked as a chaplain in a hospital in Atlanta, I served not only the patients and their families, but also the staff as well. If I was on-call on Sunday, I led a worship service for whatever staff could come. Most often, it was the techs, the nurse’s aides, the cleaning ladies. They would give up their lunch time to be able to come to chapel. And when I would see them in the hall, I would ask them “How are you doing?” and I would hear this: “I’m too blessed to be a mess.” And there were times I would be shocked- because in chapel that morning, I had heard their stories- a son in jail, a car being repossessed, loss of custody of a child, a bad diagnosis. And yet these people, on the lowest end of the hospital totem pole, would be the ones testifying, witnessing to the blessings they were receiving. Because they knew the truth- the truth of the Beatitudes—which is that you are not solely what your life looks like, one cannot determine how righteous you are, how right with God you are, just by looking at your bank account, or your life situation. That is good news.
The Beatitudes are an assurance and a promise. And they are also something else. They are about behavior, but this is not a list of nine things to be or do in order to fit into God’s world. Instead Jesus is showing us how life is different in God’s world. Remember, Jesus has said “the kingdom of heaven has come near.” And in this near kingdom, how we live matters. Because we matter --to God. And this is good news.
Just like we heard in Micah- do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with our God—this is what life in the kingdom looks like, behaves like. The coming of the kingdom of heaven and the doing of the heavenly will are inseparable. As ones who are blessed, not for what we do, but for who we are, beloved children, we are to act out of that blessedness.
Because what is here, the Beatitudes, is not all that Jesus has to say, up on that mountain. The Sermon goes on. In the coming weeks, we will hear them. There are some hard sayings: love your enemy. Turn the other cheek. Those are hard words. But they are to give the people gathered on that mountain—and us—comfort and assurance and hope. The blessing enables us to go forward to live as we are called to live.
6Hear what the LORD says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. 2Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel. 3“O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! 4For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the LORD.”
6“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” 8He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? This is the word…..
Matthew 5:1-12 p 785
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. This is the word….
In 1985, Robert Schuller authored a book based on today’s text. Dr Schuller titled it “The Be-Happy Attitudes”. And that is a reasonable translation—and a catchy title. For the word we read as “blessed” can also mean happy, or fortunate. And Schuller was indeed fortunate. He grew a church in Garden Grove, California, into the first of its kind- a mega-church- which we know as the Crystal Cathedral. He influenced and comforted thousands of people with his church, his preaching and his television ministry.
When Jesus went up on the mountain, it was after a time of teaching and preaching and healing. Although I don’t believe his preaching was on tv.
A few weeks ago, we heard Jesus say: “Come and See”. Apparently, the people liked what they saw—and told their families—and their friends—and their friends—to the point that crowds from all over- from Israel and Samaria and Syria--are following Jesus.
Jesus is up on the mountain top. Like Moses. But this time, no thunder, no lightning, no clouds.
No, Jesus is sitting down on the mountain top, talking with the disciples and the crowds- but what he says is easily as earth shattering as any storm of thunder and lightning.
Because what Jesus is doing is setting the whole world upside down.
Jesus sees the crowds, and goes up to the mountain top to teach. And he begins teaching them in a way that is familiar to them. Traditional Middle Eastern instruction uses proverbs to teach an idea. In the Middle East, and in our own Bible, the Wisdom tradition is represented in proverbs—we have in our bible the book of Proverbs.
And this tradition teaches that if you behave in a certain way, then you will receive certain things. We teach our own children this way. It makes sense to us. Modern proverbs might be “blessed is the one who checks the air in his tires, for his journey will be a pleasant one,” or, “Blessed is the one who does not text while driving, for his insurance shall remain low.”
Wisdom tradition, as shown in those traditional proverbs, has it that you can deduce a lot about a person by his or her condition in the world. If you are rich, have a lot of healthy children, have a spouse who loves you, then God must be smiling on you—and God is smiling on you because you have lived a righteous life. And if you are poor, or ill, or alone, then God is not smiling on you, and it is because you have done wrong. You have sinned. You have not been righteous, and things will not get better until you repent, stop your sinning, and change your ways. And the way that we can tell that you are a sinner is because we can see your condition.
Jesus turns all this upside down. Jesus says to the people who are following him, and to us: You are blessed. You already are blessed, God already loves you. Even when your life doesn’t show it, even when it doesn’t feel like it. Jesus takes apart that cause and effect logic that we like so well. We like that logic because it makes sense—run with scissors, somebody’s going to get hurt. Jump on the couch, you’re gonna fall down. That’s the way the world is.
In our world, Jesus’ wisdom words don’t make sense. The meek don’t inherit much of anything- they just get stepped on. Those who long for justice & righteousness keep on being hungry and thirsty. In this world, the merciful most often get kicked in the teeth. How can you be glad when people revile you, and testify falsely against you? That’s a libel lawsuit, not something to be happy about.
But as Christians, we are used to having the world turned upside down—or at least I hope we are. Because we are a people who stand at a funeral and sing “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” We are a people who hold a little baby in church, and 2,000 years after the event, we say “Christ has died for you, little one, yes, you who have no knowledge of it yet”. We don’t believe six impossible things before breakfast, as the Queen says in Alice in Wonderland. But we do believe that an impoverished, unemployed preacher, a crucified savior, an absolute failure in the eyes of the world, is the One who lives and rules and makes all things new.
And what Jesus tells the crowd, is that even when you do walk in God’s ways, your life will not be a walk in the park. His blessing, Jesus’ be-happy attitude, is not always happy. This sermon serves as both blessing and warning. When Jesus said “Come and see”, when he said “Come and follow me and I will make you fish for people”—well, this is the fine print at the end of the contract. This is the disclaimer: warning: life in the kingdom of heaven will not always be happy. This is not the Kingdom of Disney. It is the kingdom of God.
The people who are coming to see Jesus that day are have traveled a long way to hear him and are suffering for it. The disciples have left their nets, and their families, and are here on a hillside. The people in the gospel writer Matthew’s community are being punished for their following of Jesus. They are getting thrown out of their synagogues, their families. People are saying things about them, refusing to do business with them. They are suffering—being persecuted, being rejected. All for following Christ.
This is something we have a hard time understanding. We live in America. We do not have to hide, it is not against the law, we do not have to register at the courthouse. Christians in Iraq are persecuted. It is illegal to be a Christian in Egypt. In India, the growing edge of Christianity is among the dalits- the untouchables—they were persecuted and oppressed, so a religion based on a suffering Savior makes sense to them.
Jesus words on the mount that day are a warning: you will mourn, you will be reviled and rejected. But they also are a promise: you are blessed, right now—and you will be fed, you will be filled, you will be comforted, you will inherit.
When I worked as a chaplain in a hospital in Atlanta, I served not only the patients and their families, but also the staff as well. If I was on-call on Sunday, I led a worship service for whatever staff could come. Most often, it was the techs, the nurse’s aides, the cleaning ladies. They would give up their lunch time to be able to come to chapel. And when I would see them in the hall, I would ask them “How are you doing?” and I would hear this: “I’m too blessed to be a mess.” And there were times I would be shocked- because in chapel that morning, I had heard their stories- a son in jail, a car being repossessed, loss of custody of a child, a bad diagnosis. And yet these people, on the lowest end of the hospital totem pole, would be the ones testifying, witnessing to the blessings they were receiving. Because they knew the truth- the truth of the Beatitudes—which is that you are not solely what your life looks like, one cannot determine how righteous you are, how right with God you are, just by looking at your bank account, or your life situation. That is good news.
The Beatitudes are an assurance and a promise. And they are also something else. They are about behavior, but this is not a list of nine things to be or do in order to fit into God’s world. Instead Jesus is showing us how life is different in God’s world. Remember, Jesus has said “the kingdom of heaven has come near.” And in this near kingdom, how we live matters. Because we matter --to God. And this is good news.
Just like we heard in Micah- do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with our God—this is what life in the kingdom looks like, behaves like. The coming of the kingdom of heaven and the doing of the heavenly will are inseparable. As ones who are blessed, not for what we do, but for who we are, beloved children, we are to act out of that blessedness.
Because what is here, the Beatitudes, is not all that Jesus has to say, up on that mountain. The Sermon goes on. In the coming weeks, we will hear them. There are some hard sayings: love your enemy. Turn the other cheek. Those are hard words. But they are to give the people gathered on that mountain—and us—comfort and assurance and hope. The blessing enables us to go forward to live as we are called to live.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Show and Tell
Psalm 40:1-11 p446
1I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.
4Happy are those who make the LORD their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods.
5You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted.
6Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.
7Then I said, “Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
9I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD.
10I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.
11Do not, O LORD, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever. This is the Word of the Lord…..
John 1:29-42 p. 862
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” 35The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”
37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o”clock in the afternoon. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
In the aftermath of the unspeakable tragedy that occurred last week in Tucson, we are at first, stunned. Silent. We have no words to express our grief and outrage at yet another tragedy, yet another horrific shooting, at so many lives lost. But soon, and in this time of instant media, practically immediately, the finger pointing began. Fingers pointing at the gun lobby, or the store that sold a 31 bullet clip of ammunition just hours before the shooting, or at the laws that allowed that. Fingers pointing at Jared Loughner’s parents, at hateful political rhetoric, at a society that doesn’t deal well—or at all, really, with mental illness, at policy that says police can’t intervene until after someone gets hurt…..fingers pointing everywhere.
This morning’s text seems far away from that tragedy. There is finger pointing in here as well. But it is a different kind of finger pointing. John the Baptist sees Jesus walking by, and points. But John doesn’t only point. He proclaims: “Here is the Lamb of God”. John does two things-- pointing- and telling-“I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God”
We need to do both. Pointing to Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Pointing to him with our lives. Pointing to him in the way we spend our money, the way we treat each other and our world, the way we make peace on this earth. Pointing our fingers not in blame, or anger, but in showing: “Look!”
And we need to tell about him. John testifies—that is witnesses—to what he sees and knows. John tells what he saw: the Spirit, descending and remaining with Jesus. And John tells also what he did not know: John freely confesses his journey: “I myself did not know him…but now I do”. John says that Jesus is the Lamb of God. And look at what the text says that Jesus does: he says “Come and See”. That’s all. No big fuss. No “where will you spend eternity?” No “Four Spiritual Truths”. No “you’re not one of us,” no vitriolic name-calling or mud slinging. Just—Come and See.
The writer of Psalm 40 has experienced trouble and despair. And yet, her song is one of testimony. “God drew me up out of the desolate pit….God put a new song in my mouth.” And then this: “I have told the glad news of deliverance….I have not restrained my lips...I have spoken of your faithfulness”
The response of gratitude is always testifying, always witnessing to the goodness of God.
In the movie, Witness, a little boy, Samuel, witnesses a murder in a bathroom in Grand Central Station in New York City. The police detective, played by Harrison Ford, interviews Samuel, who is Amish. While at the police station, the boy looks at a cabinet full of awards and photos and baseball trophies. He sees a newspaper clipping with a picture of the killer—and points his finger. Ford, noticing the boy, and fearing for his life, since the man boy is pointing to, the killer, is another police detective, runs over, and folds the little boy’s finger back into his hand. It is a chilling moment. The two look at each other, knowing what this means, knowing what they see. They see the truth at that moment. Like John the Baptist standing near the water, they know now what they did not know before.
Come and see. While this is never expressed out loud in the movie, this is just what Harrison Ford’s character does. He goes to the Amish country, where the boy and his family live. Ford sees their life, and their witness of peace and non-violence and community. The little boy is fascinated, fascinated, with the guns he has seen. He wants to use one. His grandfather speaks to him about it. “I would only kill a bad man” the boy says. “And you know these bad men by sight?” the grandfather asks him. “You are able to look into their hearts?”
Jesus says to the disciples “What are you looking for?” and tells them “Come and See.”
And they do—and they call their brothers, and later, others, to come and see. And they stay with Jesus. Our translation misses it—the word “remain”, which appears a number of times in this text, is “abide, stay, dwell”, and is related to the word for tabernacle—the word for when God traveled with the people of Israel through the wilderness, camping with them in the desert. A kind of “sticking with,” a traveling together.
This mutual abiding, this mutual staying with, dwelling, is the work of the Holy Spirit. And it is the life we are called to. It is the life we call others to—Come and See, we tell them. Come and abide in this peace. The writer Madeleine L’Engle says it this way: “We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.”
When John points his finger, he says “Look, the Lamb of God”. This was a reference to the Passover lamb, whose blood was spread across the door posts, to save the people of Israel. It is also a reference to the sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem, in which a lamb was ritually slaughtered every morning and every afternoon. Not a charming or attractive description of Jesus, the Anointed One.
But we who have studied Revelation this past year know the end of the story—or at least, a little more of the story. For in Revelation, it is the Lamb who was slain, who triumphs over sin and death. It is the Lamb, slaughtered but standing, that gives us life. It is the Lamb of God who has suffered violence, who is the Prince of Peace.
This week has been filled with death, it seems—multiple deaths in Tucson, tragedy in the life of a young man, a beloved friend who is gone too soon, finally at rest after a battle with cancer. But we know the One who is the Lamb of God. And we abide with him, and He in us. He is the One we call others to Come and See. Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Amen.
1I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.
4Happy are those who make the LORD their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods.
5You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted.
6Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.
7Then I said, “Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
9I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD.
10I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.
11Do not, O LORD, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever. This is the Word of the Lord…..
John 1:29-42 p. 862
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” 35The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”
37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o”clock in the afternoon. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
In the aftermath of the unspeakable tragedy that occurred last week in Tucson, we are at first, stunned. Silent. We have no words to express our grief and outrage at yet another tragedy, yet another horrific shooting, at so many lives lost. But soon, and in this time of instant media, practically immediately, the finger pointing began. Fingers pointing at the gun lobby, or the store that sold a 31 bullet clip of ammunition just hours before the shooting, or at the laws that allowed that. Fingers pointing at Jared Loughner’s parents, at hateful political rhetoric, at a society that doesn’t deal well—or at all, really, with mental illness, at policy that says police can’t intervene until after someone gets hurt…..fingers pointing everywhere.
This morning’s text seems far away from that tragedy. There is finger pointing in here as well. But it is a different kind of finger pointing. John the Baptist sees Jesus walking by, and points. But John doesn’t only point. He proclaims: “Here is the Lamb of God”. John does two things-- pointing- and telling-“I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God”
We need to do both. Pointing to Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Pointing to him with our lives. Pointing to him in the way we spend our money, the way we treat each other and our world, the way we make peace on this earth. Pointing our fingers not in blame, or anger, but in showing: “Look!”
And we need to tell about him. John testifies—that is witnesses—to what he sees and knows. John tells what he saw: the Spirit, descending and remaining with Jesus. And John tells also what he did not know: John freely confesses his journey: “I myself did not know him…but now I do”. John says that Jesus is the Lamb of God. And look at what the text says that Jesus does: he says “Come and See”. That’s all. No big fuss. No “where will you spend eternity?” No “Four Spiritual Truths”. No “you’re not one of us,” no vitriolic name-calling or mud slinging. Just—Come and See.
The writer of Psalm 40 has experienced trouble and despair. And yet, her song is one of testimony. “God drew me up out of the desolate pit….God put a new song in my mouth.” And then this: “I have told the glad news of deliverance….I have not restrained my lips...I have spoken of your faithfulness”
The response of gratitude is always testifying, always witnessing to the goodness of God.
In the movie, Witness, a little boy, Samuel, witnesses a murder in a bathroom in Grand Central Station in New York City. The police detective, played by Harrison Ford, interviews Samuel, who is Amish. While at the police station, the boy looks at a cabinet full of awards and photos and baseball trophies. He sees a newspaper clipping with a picture of the killer—and points his finger. Ford, noticing the boy, and fearing for his life, since the man boy is pointing to, the killer, is another police detective, runs over, and folds the little boy’s finger back into his hand. It is a chilling moment. The two look at each other, knowing what this means, knowing what they see. They see the truth at that moment. Like John the Baptist standing near the water, they know now what they did not know before.
Come and see. While this is never expressed out loud in the movie, this is just what Harrison Ford’s character does. He goes to the Amish country, where the boy and his family live. Ford sees their life, and their witness of peace and non-violence and community. The little boy is fascinated, fascinated, with the guns he has seen. He wants to use one. His grandfather speaks to him about it. “I would only kill a bad man” the boy says. “And you know these bad men by sight?” the grandfather asks him. “You are able to look into their hearts?”
Jesus says to the disciples “What are you looking for?” and tells them “Come and See.”
And they do—and they call their brothers, and later, others, to come and see. And they stay with Jesus. Our translation misses it—the word “remain”, which appears a number of times in this text, is “abide, stay, dwell”, and is related to the word for tabernacle—the word for when God traveled with the people of Israel through the wilderness, camping with them in the desert. A kind of “sticking with,” a traveling together.
This mutual abiding, this mutual staying with, dwelling, is the work of the Holy Spirit. And it is the life we are called to. It is the life we call others to—Come and See, we tell them. Come and abide in this peace. The writer Madeleine L’Engle says it this way: “We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.”
When John points his finger, he says “Look, the Lamb of God”. This was a reference to the Passover lamb, whose blood was spread across the door posts, to save the people of Israel. It is also a reference to the sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem, in which a lamb was ritually slaughtered every morning and every afternoon. Not a charming or attractive description of Jesus, the Anointed One.
But we who have studied Revelation this past year know the end of the story—or at least, a little more of the story. For in Revelation, it is the Lamb who was slain, who triumphs over sin and death. It is the Lamb, slaughtered but standing, that gives us life. It is the Lamb of God who has suffered violence, who is the Prince of Peace.
This week has been filled with death, it seems—multiple deaths in Tucson, tragedy in the life of a young man, a beloved friend who is gone too soon, finally at rest after a battle with cancer. But we know the One who is the Lamb of God. And we abide with him, and He in us. He is the One we call others to Come and See. Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Amen.
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