Lectionary Reading: Hebrews 2:10-18
I’m no stranger to New Year’s resolutions. Problem is – they usually end up being the same old thing. Many a year I have resolved to lose weight and tone up (you can put me down for that again this year), to balance my finances and give more of my gifts to God’s service. Last year I decided to do something unusual and resolved to be more open to people and self-revealing – to not be so private and mysterious but actually talk about my thoughts, feelings and experiences. Boy, am I glad the year is over! Goodbye to being friendly; Hello to fortress of solitude!
A Revolutionary Resolution
This year, however, I find scripture calling us to do some things that are really new. Not just new as in ‘It’s a used car but its new to me” kind of new – but the amazing “The old has gone the new has come! (2 Cor 5:17)” kind of new. The lectionary reading from the book of Hebrews makes sense to be chosen as a scripture for a new year – because the mindset and ideas God teaches us through it are absolutely revolutionary.
No one knows who wrote the letter the Hebrews – but it was clearly a document made to help converts from Judaism to Christianity understand who Jesus is and what he wants from us (and in the process managed to teach generations of Christians about such things as faith, love, and hope). In reading it – I found three resolutions I think all Christians should resolve to make their faith and this year truly “new”.
Be A Family
11Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.”
Hebrews tells us that we are brother and sister with Christ, and with each other. We are the same family. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we acted like it? Our species divides itself any number of ways – by race, by culture, by nationality, by experience, by age and most initially by family. We see that so much on religious holy days (like Christmas) when we gather with that unit we grow up with, and love. From our family we get our identity, our name, and our history. We give special allowances to our family, such as “yea, I know its an ugly sweater – but my Dad bought it for me” and we protect our family, “Nobody talks bad about my sister!”. At our core – our family is “us” and everyone else is “them”.
That’s not what God wants. Don’t get upset – I’m sure God loves the family unit and the strength that comes from a healthy family – but God also wants us to have more in common than blood. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ – we are all in God’s family. It’s clear over and over in the Bible that God doesn’t want Christians to live in the “us and them” world. God wants us to live in the “all of us” world. Imagine if we guarded and respected others as we try to do our parents. Imagine if we gave others the grace and “extra mile” we give to our brothers and sisters.
Jesus does something really odd on the cross – with all of Jerusalem watching. In the 19th Chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus is nearing physical death and he points to his mother and John and says “Woman, here is your son” and he says to John “Here is your mother” and the Bible tells us John took the mother of Jesus into his home. When you see that touching scripture you should ask one important question: Where the heck is James????
In the Catholic church, this scripture makes a lot of sense because they have dogma that says Mary never had sex, and had no other children. But Protestants, historians and bible scholars all agree that James, who ran the church in Jerusalem after the Ascension was Jesus’ brother and there were other siblings as well. So, riddle me this: Why would Jesus trust his brother James with the founding of the church in Jerusalem but not trust him with his own mother???? I believe it is a parting message of Christ – “you don’t have to be the same bloodline to be family – take care of each other.”
This year – try reaching out with the same forgiveness, openness, and willingness that you do your family of origin to all the people around you. (yes, it sounds impossible – I told you it was revolutionary - but give it a try). See at the end of the year how much more God has increased your ability to love when your family includes people who are different than you – but children of the same God.
Be close to Jesus
14 "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."
While we are enlarging our family – let’s make sure to remember Jesus is our brother too. We have a tendency in Christianity to carry on with great ritual about the Jesus who is the King – with Glory and Honor and Praise. Hark the herald angels sing – glory to the newborn king! And that is rightful – he is the King of Kings. However in all of our golden glorious high praise, we become more and more removed from our brother Jesus. (in fact, those of you who grew up in really “high church” probably think that last sentence is blasphemous – brother Jesus – indeed!). Don’t blame me – look at verse 11 again. Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers (and sisters).
That is the great wonder of the Christ. He is the high King of Heaven, but Hebrews makes it clear that he was also one of us. Our brother. Flesh like our flesh, blood like our blood, temptation like our midnight cravings. The reading is reminding us not just to keep Jesus high-up and far away – but close to us – as one who understands us like only a brother can. You know how you and your brothers and sisters have always worked together to understand, endure or communicate with your parents? Well – when you find God a little far removed, or you have those “why are you allowing this???” kind of questions with God – consider working with Jesus to understand and communicate with the Creator – after all – you and Jesus have the same true parent.
This year – be less concerned about religion (and how religious you are) and more concerned about the relationship you and your brother Jesus are experiencing. Pray together, invite Jesus to know your thoughts, your daily activities and your regrets, and keep reading, learning and loving him. Laugh and share time with him. If you make time for your earthly brother or sister - do it for Jesus too.
Be Free
14Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Now there’s a resolution we can sink our teeth into. Its hard to think of treating other people like family – all those little brothers and big sisters we may have to adopt, and its exciting and scary to think of Jesus as our brother – but being free, that we can handle! Or can we?
Historically, the mistakes of Christianity have been when Christians reacted, instead of acted. Nowhere is that more evident in American Christianity than our over-indulgence in guilt and thoughts of sin. It’s not bad to feel sad when we do wrong, and it’s not bad to understand and admit our sin. The problem is, too often, we forget the rest of the good news in the process. God doesn’t want us to go running around all the time talking about what big sinners we all are! God wants us to proclaim the GOOD NEWS that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” and set us FREE.
Pastors and parishioners make this mistake easily – as a reaction to the world around us. The world seems so self-indulgent and sinful that we try to show our Christianity by talking about sin, and how it is a part of our being. We mistakenly believe that if we can just convince people that all people sin that they will accept and relate to Jesus. The declining numbers in churches (and the growing weariness about a Christian church full of judgment and lacking in relevance) are reflections that convincing people they sin is not enough. What we need to be showing them isn’t how we all sin – but how people are free from death, free from guilt and free to be the children of God. We’ve been filling people with the bad news, without showing them the good truth. Trust me – people know when they sin. What they don’t know is what to do about it. Let’s give some answers, instead of accusations. Drop the slavery mentality - Lift up the Grace of God.
This year – resolve to show your freedom in Christ and share the good news with the people who see your joy and life.
So there’s our scriptural challenge – if you keep your diet resolution, you will lose weight and be healthy. If you keep your financial resolutions, you’ll save money and have less stress. But if you will keep these resolutions – you will change your life, and God through you will change the world. Now, wouldn’t that be really “new”?
Happy New Year – family of mine
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
The Day fo Love: Go
Read: Matthew 1:18-25
Reflect: No matter how much time we spend stretching, showering, dressing and preparing – there comes a time every morning we have to grab our keys and go. That’s what the love of Christmas is about – the “love” that is an action verb. God who goes to earth, wrapped in vulnerable flesh, and we who are to go into the world wrapped in the abundant love of God.
It’s easy to get confused about love in its action form. Theologians and seminarians talk about the 4 Greek words for love and what scriptures each one is used in, while people die from hunger every day around the world. Pastors and teachers compel love from their pulpits, while our prison population triples as people are punished, but not healed. Christians sing about love every Sunday while unseen lonely people believe the church has no place for them. Love in its action form is hard for us to understand sometimes.
And yet at Christmas we celebrate Love on the Go – Immanuel – God (Love) With Us. Today’s lectionary passage helps us see what a moving love looks like.
Poet Ann Weems points out frequently how many mistakes we make with our nativity scenes:
* Mary looks fresh as a daisy, after just giving birth,
* Shepherds and 1 or two sheep are present (now, if a shepherd was going to bring his flock, would he only bring one or two of them?),
* The Magi (wise men, kings, etc) are there – even though most biblical scholars remind us every year THAT story is from Epiphany (liturgically) and happened as far as 2 years after the birth historically.
But the biggest mistake she points out is our tendency to put Joseph in the back of the stable. We don’t hear much about Joseph really. He’s always somewhere in the back of the room, looking at Jesus from afar. Poor Joseph, the silent stepfather to the infant king. But the Bible shows through this humble man what love truly looks like.
Love respects
Joseph and Mary are betrothed. In Hebrew tradition, once a girl has passed through temple rites, met the criteria and is certified by a Levite priest to be able to be married her family may sign a wedding contract in her name. The contracted couple enters a period of “Betrothal” during which time preparations are made for the couple to be married. If the groom is not a first born son (living and inheriting the father’s house) he will have to build a house (usually on family property). The bride must work to gather what things she may need – cooking pots, pans, and candlesticks for ritual. Again, if she’s not the oldest daughter, she has to earn these things through working for her family somehow. There is even a “betrothal ceremony” called the “Kiddushin” in which the bride and groom drink wine and exchange rings. In the eyes of Jewish law, the bride is already the property of the groom. When they are ready, the marriage ceremony is performed (“Nissuin”), the glass is broken and the marriage is consummated.
Joseph and Mary have had their Kiddushin. He owns her. And she’s pregnant. We always carry on about what that must of done to poor Mary’s reputation – but we rarely think about Joseph. If you knew an engaged couple building a house together and she ended up pregnant – who would be your first choice as the paternal candidate? Joseph knows it wasn’t him, and in an act of great compassion, decides to wait before breaking the marriage contract and taking his ring back. He wants to do it quietly and save her from disgrace (even if he thinks she deserves it). Why? Because he loves her, and in his love – treats her with respect. Love doesn’t say, “well she got what was coming to her!”
Respect is a measurable quantity of love. The more you love God, the more you treat God’s creation (including animals, earth and other people) with respect. Love in the active form never humiliates, seeks revenge, or belittles. Love takes the other person into consideration and acts with grace. Notice the scripture doesn’t say he plans to stay with her, or he forgives her – but he does respect her. Sometimes we, in our humanness, decide to wait until we forgive someone before we can respect them – but love respects first and always.
Love believes
So while he is trying to be more than fair with her, an angel appears in a dream and gives him the most implausible explanation on the planet. She’s having a baby, but she’s still a virgin (and she needs to stay that way) and the baby is the child of prophecy who can save people from sin. Its not written in stone, its not done before the 2 male witnesses required by Jewish law, and there aren’t even Angel footprints in the dust on his floor – because it was all a dream. And yet, he believes. Love believes.
Love in its active form believes that God is still God, that the impossible is probable and that mystery has a place in the world of our faith. Rev. Donna Schaper describes a holy person in this way:
“A godly person is someone who faces despair with hope, and meets challenges with love.”
At the moment Joseph feels the despair of a broken relationship, betrayal from his betrothed, and public scrutiny, he faces those ideas by believing in a dream, and having the hope that it’s true. He takes her as his wife, completing the Nissuin but not consummating the marriage (which breaks Jewish law), because he believes in more than religious law. He believes in God and God’s mysterious righteous will.
We need to believe. We need to believe that peace can come to this world, because it is God’s dream. We need to believe God’s love includes and heals and exists for everyone, because our brother/sisterhood is God’s idea. We need to believe that the hungry should be fed, the prisoner should be healed and the widow should be provided for because it is God’s vision. If we as Christians are to walk in the world with love, we need to believe.
Love Stays
The name the angel tells Joseph is Immanuel – God With Us. Notice the parallel –Joseph is going to stay with Mary; God is going to stay with us. In a rational world, Mary doesn’t deserve Joseph but in a faithful world, Joseph stays with her anyway. In our rational world we don’t deserve God, but in God’s faithfulness, God is going to stay anyway.
Love in an active form is staying. It’s the act of being with one another and not abandoning the promises we make. Love means doing what it takes: believing the impossible, forgiving the painful, reaching for the unthinkable, and following the undesirable. If we are going to love the poor, we must “stay with them” (in prayer, in hope, in building projects, in giving, in creating justice and in memory). If we are going to love the prisoners we must stay with them (in writing, in praying, in healing). If we are going to love God’s children we must stay with them (in peace, in hope, in tolerance, in prayer, in action).
That is what this day of Advent is all about. Love – in “go” mode – active and unfettered. I read a note this past week talking about favorite Christmas songs. I didn’t answer it because I have so many – but in preparing this writing I began to ponder what the best song for this day of love is, and I have come up with a favorite. It’s traditionally an Easter hymn, not a Christmas song. But I can’t escape it when I see the baby in the manger and realize all that he set aside to be with me and save me. I hum it when I think of brave, loving Joseph. I hear it in my heart when I think of my beloved Jesus. I sing it when I want to honor God. It is my response and my reflection this day.
Respond:
What Wondrous Love Is This?
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!
When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down I did not in silence drown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free I’ll sing His love for me,
And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
And through eternity I’ll sing on.
Amen.
Advent is nearly over. The Christ child stands at the threshold waiting to be born. Are you awake? Are you ready? Are you willing? Then….
Go
Reflect: No matter how much time we spend stretching, showering, dressing and preparing – there comes a time every morning we have to grab our keys and go. That’s what the love of Christmas is about – the “love” that is an action verb. God who goes to earth, wrapped in vulnerable flesh, and we who are to go into the world wrapped in the abundant love of God.
It’s easy to get confused about love in its action form. Theologians and seminarians talk about the 4 Greek words for love and what scriptures each one is used in, while people die from hunger every day around the world. Pastors and teachers compel love from their pulpits, while our prison population triples as people are punished, but not healed. Christians sing about love every Sunday while unseen lonely people believe the church has no place for them. Love in its action form is hard for us to understand sometimes.
And yet at Christmas we celebrate Love on the Go – Immanuel – God (Love) With Us. Today’s lectionary passage helps us see what a moving love looks like.
Poet Ann Weems points out frequently how many mistakes we make with our nativity scenes:
* Mary looks fresh as a daisy, after just giving birth,
* Shepherds and 1 or two sheep are present (now, if a shepherd was going to bring his flock, would he only bring one or two of them?),
* The Magi (wise men, kings, etc) are there – even though most biblical scholars remind us every year THAT story is from Epiphany (liturgically) and happened as far as 2 years after the birth historically.
But the biggest mistake she points out is our tendency to put Joseph in the back of the stable. We don’t hear much about Joseph really. He’s always somewhere in the back of the room, looking at Jesus from afar. Poor Joseph, the silent stepfather to the infant king. But the Bible shows through this humble man what love truly looks like.
Love respects
Joseph and Mary are betrothed. In Hebrew tradition, once a girl has passed through temple rites, met the criteria and is certified by a Levite priest to be able to be married her family may sign a wedding contract in her name. The contracted couple enters a period of “Betrothal” during which time preparations are made for the couple to be married. If the groom is not a first born son (living and inheriting the father’s house) he will have to build a house (usually on family property). The bride must work to gather what things she may need – cooking pots, pans, and candlesticks for ritual. Again, if she’s not the oldest daughter, she has to earn these things through working for her family somehow. There is even a “betrothal ceremony” called the “Kiddushin” in which the bride and groom drink wine and exchange rings. In the eyes of Jewish law, the bride is already the property of the groom. When they are ready, the marriage ceremony is performed (“Nissuin”), the glass is broken and the marriage is consummated.
Joseph and Mary have had their Kiddushin. He owns her. And she’s pregnant. We always carry on about what that must of done to poor Mary’s reputation – but we rarely think about Joseph. If you knew an engaged couple building a house together and she ended up pregnant – who would be your first choice as the paternal candidate? Joseph knows it wasn’t him, and in an act of great compassion, decides to wait before breaking the marriage contract and taking his ring back. He wants to do it quietly and save her from disgrace (even if he thinks she deserves it). Why? Because he loves her, and in his love – treats her with respect. Love doesn’t say, “well she got what was coming to her!”
Respect is a measurable quantity of love. The more you love God, the more you treat God’s creation (including animals, earth and other people) with respect. Love in the active form never humiliates, seeks revenge, or belittles. Love takes the other person into consideration and acts with grace. Notice the scripture doesn’t say he plans to stay with her, or he forgives her – but he does respect her. Sometimes we, in our humanness, decide to wait until we forgive someone before we can respect them – but love respects first and always.
Love believes
So while he is trying to be more than fair with her, an angel appears in a dream and gives him the most implausible explanation on the planet. She’s having a baby, but she’s still a virgin (and she needs to stay that way) and the baby is the child of prophecy who can save people from sin. Its not written in stone, its not done before the 2 male witnesses required by Jewish law, and there aren’t even Angel footprints in the dust on his floor – because it was all a dream. And yet, he believes. Love believes.
Love in its active form believes that God is still God, that the impossible is probable and that mystery has a place in the world of our faith. Rev. Donna Schaper describes a holy person in this way:
“A godly person is someone who faces despair with hope, and meets challenges with love.”
At the moment Joseph feels the despair of a broken relationship, betrayal from his betrothed, and public scrutiny, he faces those ideas by believing in a dream, and having the hope that it’s true. He takes her as his wife, completing the Nissuin but not consummating the marriage (which breaks Jewish law), because he believes in more than religious law. He believes in God and God’s mysterious righteous will.
We need to believe. We need to believe that peace can come to this world, because it is God’s dream. We need to believe God’s love includes and heals and exists for everyone, because our brother/sisterhood is God’s idea. We need to believe that the hungry should be fed, the prisoner should be healed and the widow should be provided for because it is God’s vision. If we as Christians are to walk in the world with love, we need to believe.
Love Stays
The name the angel tells Joseph is Immanuel – God With Us. Notice the parallel –Joseph is going to stay with Mary; God is going to stay with us. In a rational world, Mary doesn’t deserve Joseph but in a faithful world, Joseph stays with her anyway. In our rational world we don’t deserve God, but in God’s faithfulness, God is going to stay anyway.
Love in an active form is staying. It’s the act of being with one another and not abandoning the promises we make. Love means doing what it takes: believing the impossible, forgiving the painful, reaching for the unthinkable, and following the undesirable. If we are going to love the poor, we must “stay with them” (in prayer, in hope, in building projects, in giving, in creating justice and in memory). If we are going to love the prisoners we must stay with them (in writing, in praying, in healing). If we are going to love God’s children we must stay with them (in peace, in hope, in tolerance, in prayer, in action).
That is what this day of Advent is all about. Love – in “go” mode – active and unfettered. I read a note this past week talking about favorite Christmas songs. I didn’t answer it because I have so many – but in preparing this writing I began to ponder what the best song for this day of love is, and I have come up with a favorite. It’s traditionally an Easter hymn, not a Christmas song. But I can’t escape it when I see the baby in the manger and realize all that he set aside to be with me and save me. I hum it when I think of brave, loving Joseph. I hear it in my heart when I think of my beloved Jesus. I sing it when I want to honor God. It is my response and my reflection this day.
Respond:
What Wondrous Love Is This?
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!
When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down I did not in silence drown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free I’ll sing His love for me,
And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
And through eternity I’ll sing on.
Amen.
Advent is nearly over. The Christ child stands at the threshold waiting to be born. Are you awake? Are you ready? Are you willing? Then….
Go
Saturday, December 15, 2007
The Week of Joy: Shower!
Read: Matthew 11:2-11Reflect: So far this Advent we’ve woken up and stretched, now its time to prepare to go out into the world. Waking up is about orienting yourself to the day at hand. Stretching lets your mind and body become involved in your day. But the thing that will really get you ready for work or play is getting in the shower. The shower is the place we wash off the traces of our yesterday and the dust of sleep. Cold or warm, the vibrant water hitting your skin will enliven you and get you ready to head out the door.
The Pink Candle
On the day of Joy (otherwise known as the “pink candle day”) we are encourage to do just that – shower in God’s goodness and blessings, wash ourselves with the forgiveness and love of Jesus and come alive under the flood of spirit. Only in this way can we prepare to go into the world with the good news.
We should be joyous this week – for it is the week of the pink candle. Why pink? The Advent Wreath is a Germanic Catholic tradition that has found a home in many protestant churches in the last 25 years or so. Three candles are purple – the color of repentance – to signify Advent as a time to repent and prepare for Christ. In ancient times Advent was a time of fasting and going without (really contrasts with our currently holiday of cookies and excess, huh?) but on the third Sunday – the day of Joy – the candle is pink to remind us to celebrate because the time of fasting is almost done and the time for the Christ child is close at hand. The pink candle is the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s the amazing feel good shower after hard work. If anyone needs a shower – Christians do.
“Christian Thugs”
On December 13, 2007 in a packed subway in New York City a group of 14 men and women attacked a Jewish man and nearly beat him to death. The reason? They said to him “Merry Christmas” and he responded “Happy Hanukkah”. They ganged up on him and physically assaulted him, telling him Jews killed Jesus. What’s more bizarre than beating someone up so they’ll celebrate Christmas? A man of Muslim faith jumping to the victim’s rescue and fighting off his attackers. The victim, Walter Adler said, “A random Muslim guy jumped in and helped a Jewish guy on Hanukkah - that's a miracle." Right before the first man hit the victim the attacker rolled up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo of Jesus Christ. I know how heavy my heart felt when I saw this headline in an article by Christopher Leavitt:
“Muslim Defends Jew Against Christian Subway Thugs”
My first thought is probably the same as yours – those people are on the fringe – they don’t represent Christianity any more than Fred Phelps and his “God Hates Fags” group represents it. I want to believe Christians are still the primary force of good and peace in the world. However, the evidence to the contrary is popping up all over. In just the last 3 months:
1. David Kinnamon from the Barna Organization releases the book “Unchristian” revealing a three year study that showed a majority of unchurched and churched young people (ages 16 to 29) describe Christianity as “ignorant, judgmental, hypocritical, homophobic, and political”.
2. Sherry Shepherd, a self-proclaimed evangelical Christian on “The View” tried to defend Christianity by saying the Bible’s view of creation is correct. When she was asked if the earth was flat or round – she didn’t know that answer. Three weeks later she proclaimed such startling ideas as “Christians began about 200 years before Jesus”, and “Christians were the first people in the world and came long before the Greeks”. Thousands of people begin to blog about the ignorance of the average Christian. (Tens of thousands of Christians begin to declare they are not that dumb). I love Sherry as a performer, but I’m starting to think the best thing she could do for Christianity is to be quiet.
3. Top Christian leaders from eight mega-churches are being investigated by congress for vast financial misdealing. Only 2 leaders cooperated with the investigation.
4. The many news stories about the subway incident all focus on the amazing thing that cultural enemies of the Holy Land (Muslims and Jews) were able to help each other and find friendship in the midst of Christian oppression. No one seems surprised to see the phrase “Christian Thug” enter the national vocabulary.
Okay okay – you’re thinking – “Helloooooooo Rev. Kellie --- it’s the day of JOY, remember?” Yes – Yes I do. That’s what we have this week – the joy that Jesus Christ is among us to showers us with the gospel of healing, power, hope, truth and love. If anything thing can change the distortion of Christianity people are seeing in our country, it is the joy of Jesus.
Okay okay – you’re thinking – “Helloooooooo Rev. Kellie --- it’s the day of JOY, remember?” Yes – Yes I do. That’s what we have this week – the joy that Jesus Christ is among us to showers us with the gospel of healing, power, hope, truth and love. If anything thing can change the distortion of Christianity people are seeing in our country, it is the joy of Jesus.
The Unexpected Joy
In the lectionary reading – John the Baptist is as worried about Jerusalem as I am about Christianity in the USA. He’s sitting in prison for calling Herod to repentance and he has left his movement to his cousin Jesus to run. But John is hearing strange tales behind the prison walls.
John’s movement was based on repentance – people being sorry for their sins and starting anew. He was, by many accounts, a part of the Essenic movement – believing in self-denial (hence the camel hair coat and locust eating) as a way to purification. He thought the Messiah would come and wipe away the materialism, judgment and corruption from the church and the world. He knows Jesus was sent by God, and he expects to hear stories of mass repenting – people sobbing over their sins and the stock in sack-cloth and ashes rising. He expects evidence of people living simply, selling their goods and giving up status comforts. That’s not what he hears.
John hears about crowds of people being fed luxuriously – as much bread and fish as they can eat. He hears about Jesus lecturing in temple court yards and open fields. He hears about Jesus talking to women, talking about Samaritans, and touching lepers. He hears tales of how much joy people are getting in Jesus’ presence and how he promises them abundant life. John is in prison and Jesus is getting popular! So he sends a messenger to Jesus asking “Are you the one?” – In other words – John is not so sure his cousin was the right man for the job after all.
Jesus answers him by telling him all the joy Christ is bringing. He says, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." Jesus tells John that he is the right one to bring God’s message alive on earth. That Holy Will involves healing people, raising people, and preaching the good news of God’s love.
Jesus then says, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." What does that mean? It means Jesus knows he isn’t doing what John expected. “I know I’m not what you had in mind,” Jesus is saying. “But don’t fall away, because Christianity is full of the unexpected – forgiveness instead of revenge; acceptance instead of hatred; peace instead of war; life instead of death.”
That’s what we need to proclaim this week of Joy – the unexpected amazing joy of Jesus Christ in the world. Don’t just brush away terms like “Christian thugs” as “a few local nuts who don’t go to our church anyway.” – Take that image and destroy it with your joy. Show people how God has healed you and is teaching you to bring healing to others. Reflect your gratefulness to God, and smile – laugh- sing – forgive. Stop acting like some old dowager stuck in a pew who hasn’t cracked a smile in 40 years and shower in the luxurious love and grace of God. Walk into your church, your kitchen, your work place and your prayer place refreshed by God’s love and ready to live it.
The gospel of John tells us what Jesus told John the Baptist to explain why Jesus isn’t turning the culture into self-denying mourning penitents, but freeing them from sin to live full and joyous lives. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17.
Respond: In what ways can you reflect the joy of Christ into a world that needs to see God’s love?
For me:
1. Speak out against oppression – not just the groups or people that oppress women and children and the economically disadvantaged – but when people claiming Christ oppress others as well. I need to stop pretending “Christian violence” (spiritual and physical) doesn’t exist, and start working as a witness to an embracing peace-loving God.
2. Reflect the joy of Christ in my life and my day. I am trying to learn to speak in a way that brings hope, not just awareness and spirit not just knowledge.
3. Take prayer and personal meditation time not just to pray for what ails me and the people I love, but to celebrate God and the gift of salvation in my life. I think I take that salvation for granted sometimes, and I need frequent celebrations of what an unexpected, beautiful gift it is.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
The Day of Peace: Stretch!
For each of our four advent Sundays the blog will have 3 components:
Read: the scripture of the week from the lectionary
Reflect: a short meditation about the topic
Respond: A chance to connect with the idea and share your wisdom or experience with someone else. You can email me, leave a comment or just talk with someone (or many) about your answers, but make sure to share the light with others this season. I will answer each question on the blog as my way of sharing with you.
Be blessed this Advent season, and be a blessing.
Read: the scripture of the week from the lectionary
Reflect: a short meditation about the topic
Respond: A chance to connect with the idea and share your wisdom or experience with someone else. You can email me, leave a comment or just talk with someone (or many) about your answers, but make sure to share the light with others this season. I will answer each question on the blog as my way of sharing with you.
Be blessed this Advent season, and be a blessing.
Read: Isaiah 11:1-10
Reflect: A country farmer went into a local church and was greeted by the stern secretary in the church office.
“Can I help you,” she sniffed. He smelled of dirt and land to her.
“I’d like to speak to the head hog of this trough,” he muttered through a thick accent.
“What?” The secretary was taken aback by his crudeness.
“I”d like to speak to the head hog of this trough,” he said again, pointing as the pastor’s picture on the wall.
“SIR!” the secretary chided. “That is REVEREND JONES and he is one of the most respected leaders in our community. We do NOT talk about the Reverend that way and we do not deal with anyone who would. Please leave.”
“Alrighty,” the man said as he turned to leave. “Ya see, I just got me an inheritance of 2 million dollars from my uncle and I wanted to talk about giving a tithe.”
“Just a minute, Sir,” the secretary called as she looked out the window. “I see the Big Pig pulling into his parking space right now!”
Stretching – we all do it. Sometimes for good reasons; sometimes not. Physically and spiritually, stretching is an important part of life. Remember how the Day of Hope told us to wake up? Well, what do you do when you wake up? Stretch. Reaching out with feet or arms, sometimes even turning or twisting to wake the back and shoulders up – most people will stretch before they get out of bed. The message of the day of Peace is to follow that pattern in our walk with God as well. The day of Peace is God’s way of asking us to stretch.
When I read Isaiah’s prophecy – of the child who will lead us to peace instead of war, to justice instead of oppression and to collaboration instead of survival of the fittest – my first thought is, “Well, where is it???”. The child came a long time ago and we still have war, we still have poor, and we still have wolves that eat lambs. Where is this peace we were promised?
It seems as if we are missing an ingredient in this prophecy. Is this like National Treasure or Tomb Raider? Is there a secret knock or code we are missing? Can Laura Croft lead us to a vault that contains the answers to the world’s need for peace? We have the branch from the stump of Jesse in Jesus. He had all the things it says he needed – wisdom, knowledge, power, fear of the Lord, righteousness and faith. So, what do we need to do for him to bring peace? I think we need to stretch.
“Stretch: (Verb) To extend; To reach out.” – Mirriam-Webster Dictionary.
We have not been successful in allowing Jesus to bring peace to our lives, our church or our world because we haven’t been willing to stretch – to reach out.
Reach out past Judgement
Notice we are told he will not judge with his eyes or ears, but with righteousness. We will see peace at a personal and planetary level when we do the same. Our good friends at Mirriam-Webster who gave us the definition of stretch – have an interesting definition of righteous. “Acting in accord with divine law.” Unlike all those “church ladies” (and men) who view righteousness as a reason to be separate from non-Christians or anyone they disagree with – the definers of the word understand that righteousness is not a reputation, an attitude or a description – righteous is an ACTION. It is what you do. It’s a stretch in God’s direction instead of following the “eyes and ears judgment” we are prone toward. In practical example – reaching past judgment to righteousness means instead of looking at someone in the community as an “undesirable”, treat them as someone God desires.
“Can I help you,” she sniffed. He smelled of dirt and land to her.
“I’d like to speak to the head hog of this trough,” he muttered through a thick accent.
“What?” The secretary was taken aback by his crudeness.
“I”d like to speak to the head hog of this trough,” he said again, pointing as the pastor’s picture on the wall.
“SIR!” the secretary chided. “That is REVEREND JONES and he is one of the most respected leaders in our community. We do NOT talk about the Reverend that way and we do not deal with anyone who would. Please leave.”
“Alrighty,” the man said as he turned to leave. “Ya see, I just got me an inheritance of 2 million dollars from my uncle and I wanted to talk about giving a tithe.”
“Just a minute, Sir,” the secretary called as she looked out the window. “I see the Big Pig pulling into his parking space right now!”
Stretching – we all do it. Sometimes for good reasons; sometimes not. Physically and spiritually, stretching is an important part of life. Remember how the Day of Hope told us to wake up? Well, what do you do when you wake up? Stretch. Reaching out with feet or arms, sometimes even turning or twisting to wake the back and shoulders up – most people will stretch before they get out of bed. The message of the day of Peace is to follow that pattern in our walk with God as well. The day of Peace is God’s way of asking us to stretch.
When I read Isaiah’s prophecy – of the child who will lead us to peace instead of war, to justice instead of oppression and to collaboration instead of survival of the fittest – my first thought is, “Well, where is it???”. The child came a long time ago and we still have war, we still have poor, and we still have wolves that eat lambs. Where is this peace we were promised?
It seems as if we are missing an ingredient in this prophecy. Is this like National Treasure or Tomb Raider? Is there a secret knock or code we are missing? Can Laura Croft lead us to a vault that contains the answers to the world’s need for peace? We have the branch from the stump of Jesse in Jesus. He had all the things it says he needed – wisdom, knowledge, power, fear of the Lord, righteousness and faith. So, what do we need to do for him to bring peace? I think we need to stretch.
“Stretch: (Verb) To extend; To reach out.” – Mirriam-Webster Dictionary.
We have not been successful in allowing Jesus to bring peace to our lives, our church or our world because we haven’t been willing to stretch – to reach out.
Reach out past Judgement
Notice we are told he will not judge with his eyes or ears, but with righteousness. We will see peace at a personal and planetary level when we do the same. Our good friends at Mirriam-Webster who gave us the definition of stretch – have an interesting definition of righteous. “Acting in accord with divine law.” Unlike all those “church ladies” (and men) who view righteousness as a reason to be separate from non-Christians or anyone they disagree with – the definers of the word understand that righteousness is not a reputation, an attitude or a description – righteous is an ACTION. It is what you do. It’s a stretch in God’s direction instead of following the “eyes and ears judgment” we are prone toward. In practical example – reaching past judgment to righteousness means instead of looking at someone in the community as an “undesirable”, treat them as someone God desires.
Reach out past Privilege
In the “dog eat dog” (or wolf eat lamb) world we live in, we have all grown to be people of privilege. However, Isaiah prophecies that with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. The Hebrew word translated “give decisions” in the NIV is a word used for court cases. It’s really more like “pass a verdict” – when there is a trial and Jesus will decide for the poor to make things equitable. I often hear folks say, “I didn’t “get” what I have – I worked for it.” Yet, many of these same people went to college on scholarships, or loans or parents. They got a job because they had a friend who worked in the company or they became part of a family business. They rode on the shoulders of previous ideas and advanced a thought someone already had. They used the body God gave them, the brain God gave them and the blessings God gave them. It is time to stretch beyond ourselves and give to others just as we were given to.
Reach out past Fear
Woody Allen said, “The Lion may lay with the lamb, but the lamb won’t get much sleep!” In order for peace to be part of our picture – we must learn to reach out of our fear. Fear divides us. It makes us hoard food, resources, and ideas. Our fear of being rejected keeps us from communication or reaching out to others. Our fear of being different keeps us stuck in a rut with no new input. Our fear of being judged keeps us from opening ourselves honestly and forces us to hide shame and guilt. One of the phrases of Alcoholics Anonymous is “You are only as sick as the secrets you carry.” But to have personal peace, you must reach out past fear and into faith. God will provide. God will accept you. God will forgive you. God knows your secrets and God is ready to heal your fears.
My favorite image in the prophecy is “and a little child shall lead them.” – I get this image of a whole army of people – young and old, rich and poor, all races, all ages, all orientations, all life-walks following a toddler down the road. It’s a funny picture when you think about it. And yet – anyone who has small children knows – the one thing babies, toddlers and children do more than anything else – is stretch.
Respond: In what ways is God calling you to stretch for peace?
God is calling me to stretch for peace in many ways:
Learn to live without judgement – I need to stop closing my mind and start opening my heart. I want to continue to learn how to help people where they are, not just make a mental commentary about their situation and move forward.
Stop hiding my fears – This new year one of my personal development projects that God and I will work on is for me to stop hiding when I’m afraid, hurt, sad or troubled. I tend to be a “after the fact” sharer, as in “I was really scared” or “that really hurt”. This past year I knew I had a tumor in my throat for 2.5 months before I told anyone about it. Not good! I need to be open to my beloved Jesus, and my lovely partner – as well as myself.
Prayer for my world – I read the news every day (I’m an info junkie) – and as much as I want peace in Iraq, food and medicine in Africa, safe shelter in Mexico – I rarely pray for these things. This year I hope not to simply “know”, but to involve myself in prayer and guidance for the world and my part in it.
In the “dog eat dog” (or wolf eat lamb) world we live in, we have all grown to be people of privilege. However, Isaiah prophecies that with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. The Hebrew word translated “give decisions” in the NIV is a word used for court cases. It’s really more like “pass a verdict” – when there is a trial and Jesus will decide for the poor to make things equitable. I often hear folks say, “I didn’t “get” what I have – I worked for it.” Yet, many of these same people went to college on scholarships, or loans or parents. They got a job because they had a friend who worked in the company or they became part of a family business. They rode on the shoulders of previous ideas and advanced a thought someone already had. They used the body God gave them, the brain God gave them and the blessings God gave them. It is time to stretch beyond ourselves and give to others just as we were given to.
Reach out past Fear
Woody Allen said, “The Lion may lay with the lamb, but the lamb won’t get much sleep!” In order for peace to be part of our picture – we must learn to reach out of our fear. Fear divides us. It makes us hoard food, resources, and ideas. Our fear of being rejected keeps us from communication or reaching out to others. Our fear of being different keeps us stuck in a rut with no new input. Our fear of being judged keeps us from opening ourselves honestly and forces us to hide shame and guilt. One of the phrases of Alcoholics Anonymous is “You are only as sick as the secrets you carry.” But to have personal peace, you must reach out past fear and into faith. God will provide. God will accept you. God will forgive you. God knows your secrets and God is ready to heal your fears.
My favorite image in the prophecy is “and a little child shall lead them.” – I get this image of a whole army of people – young and old, rich and poor, all races, all ages, all orientations, all life-walks following a toddler down the road. It’s a funny picture when you think about it. And yet – anyone who has small children knows – the one thing babies, toddlers and children do more than anything else – is stretch.
Respond: In what ways is God calling you to stretch for peace?
God is calling me to stretch for peace in many ways:
Learn to live without judgement – I need to stop closing my mind and start opening my heart. I want to continue to learn how to help people where they are, not just make a mental commentary about their situation and move forward.
Stop hiding my fears – This new year one of my personal development projects that God and I will work on is for me to stop hiding when I’m afraid, hurt, sad or troubled. I tend to be a “after the fact” sharer, as in “I was really scared” or “that really hurt”. This past year I knew I had a tumor in my throat for 2.5 months before I told anyone about it. Not good! I need to be open to my beloved Jesus, and my lovely partner – as well as myself.
Prayer for my world – I read the news every day (I’m an info junkie) – and as much as I want peace in Iraq, food and medicine in Africa, safe shelter in Mexico – I rarely pray for these things. This year I hope not to simply “know”, but to involve myself in prayer and guidance for the world and my part in it.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
The Week of Hope: Wake Up!
For each of our four advent Sundays the blog will have 3 components:
Read: the scripture of the week from the lectionary
Reflect: a short meditation about the topic
Respond: A chance to connect with the idea and share your wisdom or experience with someone else. You can email me, leave a comment or just talk with someone (or many) about your answers, but make sure to share the light with others this season. I will answer each question on the blog as my way of sharing with you.
Be blessed this Advent season, and be a blessing.
Week 1: The Week of Hope
Read: Romans 13: 8-14
Reflect:
A mother knocks on the door of her daughter’s bedroom.
“Sweetie, it’s time to get up and go to school,” she says.
“No,” is the sleepy reply.
“Why don’t you want to go to school? Give me three reasons,” the mother responds.
“First, it’s sooo boring; second, the kids keep giving me a hard time and third, I want to stay in bed, I hate school.”
“I see, well let me give you three good reasons to get up and go to school. First, you can’t just stay in bed all day; second, you are thirty years old, and third, you are the teacher!”
Sleep. Isn’t it wonderful? When asked what the most important invention in the last 50 years is – I skip quickly over things like the artificial heart, the internet and the remote control and think of the thing that most deserves the title: the snooze button. I love the snooze button. 7 more minutes of beautiful sleep. 7 more minutes of warm blankets and soft pillows. 7 more minutes of bliss.
And every 7 minutes the alarm goes off again: telling me its time to get moving. Telling me I can’t stay in bed all day. Telling me a new day is here that is full of God’s mercy and hope and promise. Every 7 minutes the alarm tells me to wake up.
Advent is God’s alarm. We spend all year hitting the spiritual snooze button. We might wake up in Lent just enough to see the path of Jesus’ life and for some Christians the reality of the cross and the joy of the Resurrection is bright enough to get them out of bed long enough to get a glass of living water, but inevitably by the time Pentecost Sunday ends, they will have gone back under the covers. Things in our life can wake us up momentarily but unless one of those things is happening right now – Advent will find you sleeping, comfortable in your relationships and not really wanting to be moving about too much. So God uses these weeks to say:
“Wake Up! The Christ Child is coming.”
“Again?” is our sleepy spiritual reply
“Again and Again and Again,” God responds through the week of Hope
“Didn’t we do this last year?” We whine – pulling our covers over our heads
“The Infant King wants to change your world,” God responds through the week of Peace
“I don’t wanna get up. I’m warm and comfy,” we moan as we fluff our pillow
“There is abundant life in the Manger Throne” God responds through the week of Joy
“What do I get if I wake up?” we bargain, reaching for the snooze.
“You get to be with me fully and forever” God responds through the week of Love
and then, to prove it – Christ is born. Anew. Again. Alleluia.
Don’t take my word for it. One of the great spiritual masters, Anthony De Mello, wrote the following in his ground-breaking book, “Awakening”.
The day of hope is the alarm sounding Advent day we say – our Christ is coming and our nightmare is over.
Paul writes advice to the Roman church – who after facing persecution and trial were more than ready to climb back into bed – and he reminds them the day is come and they can’t keep pretending its night anymore.
“And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”
Paul reminds the Romans that love is the commandment God gives us, and that the time for love is now. “Don’t keep waiting to love others or share the good news of God’s love. Don’t sleep on it. Do it NOW” Paul seems to be telling them. Paul is also helping them keep hope. The time for Jesus to arrive is nearer than we think (no matter what we think) and we need to keep working with that as a true and blessed hope.
I always thought it was strange to prepare for the second coming in the season where we are celebrating the first. But each coming of Jesus into the world requires the same preparation. We must awaken from our slumber and remember what’s important. We must make our plans to greet Christ and bring as many people as we can with us. We must prepare for the world to change, and prepare ourselves to change with it.
This season: whether you are in your working world halls or shopping malls, look around you with eyes preparing to open wide and see the Christ child arriving to take away your nightmares so that you can sleep in peace, and rise in love.
Respond:
“Sweetie, it’s time to get up and go to school,” she says.
“No,” is the sleepy reply.
“Why don’t you want to go to school? Give me three reasons,” the mother responds.
“First, it’s sooo boring; second, the kids keep giving me a hard time and third, I want to stay in bed, I hate school.”
“I see, well let me give you three good reasons to get up and go to school. First, you can’t just stay in bed all day; second, you are thirty years old, and third, you are the teacher!”
Sleep. Isn’t it wonderful? When asked what the most important invention in the last 50 years is – I skip quickly over things like the artificial heart, the internet and the remote control and think of the thing that most deserves the title: the snooze button. I love the snooze button. 7 more minutes of beautiful sleep. 7 more minutes of warm blankets and soft pillows. 7 more minutes of bliss.
And every 7 minutes the alarm goes off again: telling me its time to get moving. Telling me I can’t stay in bed all day. Telling me a new day is here that is full of God’s mercy and hope and promise. Every 7 minutes the alarm tells me to wake up.
Advent is God’s alarm. We spend all year hitting the spiritual snooze button. We might wake up in Lent just enough to see the path of Jesus’ life and for some Christians the reality of the cross and the joy of the Resurrection is bright enough to get them out of bed long enough to get a glass of living water, but inevitably by the time Pentecost Sunday ends, they will have gone back under the covers. Things in our life can wake us up momentarily but unless one of those things is happening right now – Advent will find you sleeping, comfortable in your relationships and not really wanting to be moving about too much. So God uses these weeks to say:
“Wake Up! The Christ Child is coming.”
“Again?” is our sleepy spiritual reply
“Again and Again and Again,” God responds through the week of Hope
“Didn’t we do this last year?” We whine – pulling our covers over our heads
“The Infant King wants to change your world,” God responds through the week of Peace
“I don’t wanna get up. I’m warm and comfy,” we moan as we fluff our pillow
“There is abundant life in the Manger Throne” God responds through the week of Joy
“What do I get if I wake up?” we bargain, reaching for the snooze.
“You get to be with me fully and forever” God responds through the week of Love
and then, to prove it – Christ is born. Anew. Again. Alleluia.
Don’t take my word for it. One of the great spiritual masters, Anthony De Mello, wrote the following in his ground-breaking book, “Awakening”.
Spirituality means waking up. Most people, even though they don't know it, are asleep. They're born asleep, they live asleep, they marry in their sleep, they breed children in their sleep, and they die in their sleep without ever waking up. They never understand the loveliness and the beauty of this thing that we call human existence. You know, all mystics -Catholic,Christian, non-Christian, no matter what their theology, no matter whattheir religion -- are unanimous on one thing: that all is well, all is well. Though everything is a mess, all is well. Strange paradox, to besure. But, tragically, most people never get to see that all is well because they are asleep. And in their sleep they are having a nightmare.
The day of hope is the alarm sounding Advent day we say – our Christ is coming and our nightmare is over.
Paul writes advice to the Roman church – who after facing persecution and trial were more than ready to climb back into bed – and he reminds them the day is come and they can’t keep pretending its night anymore.
“And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”
Paul reminds the Romans that love is the commandment God gives us, and that the time for love is now. “Don’t keep waiting to love others or share the good news of God’s love. Don’t sleep on it. Do it NOW” Paul seems to be telling them. Paul is also helping them keep hope. The time for Jesus to arrive is nearer than we think (no matter what we think) and we need to keep working with that as a true and blessed hope.
I always thought it was strange to prepare for the second coming in the season where we are celebrating the first. But each coming of Jesus into the world requires the same preparation. We must awaken from our slumber and remember what’s important. We must make our plans to greet Christ and bring as many people as we can with us. We must prepare for the world to change, and prepare ourselves to change with it.
This season: whether you are in your working world halls or shopping malls, look around you with eyes preparing to open wide and see the Christ child arriving to take away your nightmares so that you can sleep in peace, and rise in love.
Respond:
What events of the past year woke you up? Maybe they were events that shocked you into seeking spiritual truth. Maybe they were events you didn’t realize were shaking you awake until much later. Maybe they involved so much joy you woke up laughing. Share these events with someone this week, and reflect and pray for continued sense of hope as you wake up for the child to come.
Events that woke me up this year:
Cathy’s cancer, surgery, and chemotherapy – from that nightmare God has brought us much healing and hope.
Moving to an entirely new place – there is nothing like being lost all the time to make you depend on God.
The Virginia Tech shooting – This happened only a few months after we moved here, and the mourning and sadness I felt was the first real communal emotion I shared with the people of VA. It reminded me of why Christ’s work must continue to be manifest in our world.
Fall – Our first Virginia fall was so beautiful (even though the Virginians complained it wasn’t as pretty as normal) I started seeing God everywhere around me and feeling at home in this new place. I have a hard time meeting people and making friends, but fall has made me bolder, and God has given me hope that I have found a home.
Events that woke me up this year:
Cathy’s cancer, surgery, and chemotherapy – from that nightmare God has brought us much healing and hope.
Moving to an entirely new place – there is nothing like being lost all the time to make you depend on God.
The Virginia Tech shooting – This happened only a few months after we moved here, and the mourning and sadness I felt was the first real communal emotion I shared with the people of VA. It reminded me of why Christ’s work must continue to be manifest in our world.
Fall – Our first Virginia fall was so beautiful (even though the Virginians complained it wasn’t as pretty as normal) I started seeing God everywhere around me and feeling at home in this new place. I have a hard time meeting people and making friends, but fall has made me bolder, and God has given me hope that I have found a home.
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