The Day of Hope

The Day of Hope

Scripture: Isaiah 43:1-5

Starting in March 2003 during the initial deployment to Iraq the church I was pastoring saw 9 members deployed there in the first year and many more since then, including two friends who has served 2 tours. I had a litany of blessing for the soldier before he or she would leave for deployment which involved prayer, the laying on of hands, and a scripture. For each one I would read this scripture:

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze…
Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
        Isaiah 43:1-5a

I chose that scripture for one specific purpose – to give hope. Our soldiers are carried on the wings of many angels – courage, duty, faith, dedication, ability, training, honor and hope. May they be blessed and know how very much they give to us – including hope.

Hope is not just for those who fight in foreign lands or face impending danger. Hope is a necessity for all of us. We may be:

• Passing through the waters of concern – for ourselves or a loved one
• Passing through the river of change- a new job, a new person in our lives, a new loss
• Walking through the fire of grief, or the energy of purpose
• Touched by the harsh flames of fear, or the burning ember of loneliness

And still we have this hope. Our creator God walks with us (and will swim if necessary!), crosses the current with arms outstretched to catch us, shields us and carries us.

Hope is the light into the darkest times. Isaiah lived through dark times. Jesus came into a dark time. Yet hope is the gift that tells us there was darkness before and there will be darkness again – but light will still shine and God will prevail. So will we.

We can also see hope when we are living in the sunny light of good times. I see it in the middle school kids at my church who are so smart, faithful and funny. They are so full of hope – they bring me hope as well. We can see it in revitalization of nature every spring, and the hugs and greetings of the advent season in the cold winter.

The opposite of hope is not despair. Hope’s opposite is often the feeling of helplessness. It is when we feel trapped by a situation that we begin to lose hope. This Advent we are reminded that there is no circumstance where God is not present and inviting us to invest our energy, prayer, and passion. There is never a reason to be without hope.

Who We Are

One of my favorite songs by sung by "Sweet Honey in the Rock" is entitled, “Who We Are”. The opening lyric is:

“For each child who’s born a morning star rises and sings to the universe who we are.”

How wonderful to think of that song going out to the entire world – if only we could hear it! It would certainly make those years of adolescence a little easier if we already knew who we are. However, we would certainly miss a lot of the fun of learning.

Christians, as individuals and as a community, also struggle for identity. Several opinion columns and news articles this week pointed out concerns about conservative pastors actually praying for the President of the US to be harmed. Not only were Christian people not getting up and walking away from such a suggestion, they were actually praying along with it. Is that who we are? Have we gone from prayer warriors to prayer terrorists? No – that can’t be the same faith founded on a Christ who says ‘BLESS those who curse you” and “the greatest commandment is to love God and LOVE your neighbor as yourself.”

In fact, David Kinnamon’s research oriented book “UnChristian” found that negative views of Christianity and Christian people were pervasive. He described this most common comment about faith communities to be this:

"Christianity doesn't look like Jesus anymore, its "UnChristian". The vast majority said adjectives that described Christians were ones like: judgmental, hypocritical, too political, scientifically ignorant, homophobic, and sheltered.”

Certainly as children of God that is not who we are! But who are we? The Bible has a good answer for us.

9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

A Chosen People

We are not a people so good, so spiritual, so holy or so powerful that we have a relationship with God because of our own awesomeness. We are chosen! That means we are part of the Christian faith not because we chose God, but because God chose us! We rely on God’s outstretched loving arms embracing us to in the relationship called Christianity. That should change our witness of Christ in this world 100 percent! Instead of carrying on about how good we are – we have every reason to talk about how good God is to choose us to love.

This acknowledgement should help reduce the “superiority factor” significantly. When we realize we are only able to have this life giving relationship because of God it helps us look at other people through eyes of equality, faith and hope.

I saw a “Christian” bumper sticker on a car not long ago – it said, “Get right, or Get Left!” – I remember wondering at the time just who would want to hear the message of a Christ who had that as a motto. Being a chosen person helps us realize that we are all just like 6th graders on the sideline hoping someone will pick us – then experiencing the joy of acceptance when for some unknown reason God calls our name. We are no one to threaten or cajole others into faith – we’re really just blessed to be here ourselves.

A People Belonging to God

At the time this epistle was written – belonging to someone wasn’t just a sweet metaphor about love and commitment. It existed in the real world of slave ownership – where people actually belonged to other people. When this letter was read aloud in their faith circles, the knowledge of everything it means to belong to another person was very fresh and real. Belonging to someone meant you did what they said, when they said, without question or hesitation. You lived for their wishes – they did not live for yours. However, it also meant the owner was the responsible party. If you belonged to someone they had to feed you, house you, and ensure your safety, life and direction.

We belong to God. It is not our job to run the world; it is our job to carry out God’s wishes for the world as best as we can understand them. God will care for us – but we need to be about God’s business. How much of our time and resources does Christianity waste being about our business – doing what we want, when we want with little or no input from the God who loves and know us? How much of our faith to we spend talking about beliefs instead of living our instructions?

We are not our own, and we would do well to remember it.

A People Who Have Received Mercy

Finally, we are a people whose debt has been forgiven. We have been on the receiving end of mercy and that should make us merciful. Instead of pointing out the sin and failure of others, how much more beautiful would it be if we offered mercy to others. Instead of putting up a stumbling block for others, how many people could know Christ if we opened the door to others? Imagine a faith that had the following identity:

Humble not Haughty
Merciful not Judgmental
Loving what we don’t understand not shutting it out
Grateful not Entitled
Inviting not Threatening
Hopeful not scornful

Wow – those words in that first column sound a lot like Jesus, huh? As Christians – that is who we are - “Christ-ian” - little Christs – Jesus’ disciples – who act like him, not just talk about him.

Christianity is failing to change our world, our nation and sometimes our very hearts. But Christ is not failing – we are. We fail when we get so caught up in our labels (missional, evangelical, Baptist, Presbyterian, Conservative, Liberal,…) that we forget to live the message. We fail when we struggle to keep people out of faith than work to let people in. We fail when we forget who we are.

For each child who’s born a morning star rises and sings to the universe who we are.

On Message

Lectionary Scripture: Mark 13:1-8

Christians spend a lot of time pouring over everything Jesus is recorded to have said. We would be better off if we paid attention to the things he didn’t say. Things like:

“Oh, Peter, I just said that to make her feel better. I don’t REALLY think she has a great faith.”

Or

“Blood is thicker than water, help yourself first.”

Or

“The Kingdom of God thrives on competition. Only the best get in.”

Most importantly, a phrase I notice Jesus never said was:

“Everybody Panic!”

In fact, he frequently said the opposite – “Do not be afraid”. However, in our modern age, fear and panic are quite popular. The news is full of H1N1 statistics, unemployment numbers, and nuclear missile tests. Popular television shows deal with biological warfare, government conspiracies, and alien oppression. At the movies this week, we get to see the Mayan prophecy that the world will end in 2012 (End of the world complete with storms, earthquakes, fire and ice). In short whether we turn to news, entertainment or fantasy – the message is the same:

“Everybody Panic!”

Of course, before we all started focusing on 2012, there was a great deal of speculation (due largely to a miscalculation of the word “thousand”) that the world would end in 2000 but it didn't. (Even Y2K computer prophecies fizzled out by half past midnight). During the cold war, Russia was supposed to trigger the end of the world. Prior to that, World War II was seen by many to be the “wars and rumors of wars” and on and on throughout history. Some folks don’t even bother naming a date. The popular “Left Behind” series of books about the rapture and events of Revelation try to tell us what will happen (in the writer’s minds), but don’t bother to tell us WHEN it might happen. The message is still clear: Everybody Panic!

Our lectionary passage from Mark today shows Jesus trying to undo the fear and beef up the faith and it points us to a more powerful message.

Keep Perspective

Walking around Jerusalem the people with Jesus are very impressed by the large stone buildings. In some ways it would be like a person from the country walking through the National Mall in Washington DC – big impressive stone buildings everywhere you turn. But Jesus is not impressed. He knows that inside some of the stone buildings of Jerusalem are greed, corruption, judgment, self-serving leaders and things that won’t stand the test of time. (again, maybe like some certain buildings in Washington DC…).

Jesus points out to them that a day will come when not one stone will be left. Jesus is reminding them, and us, to keep perspective. Buildings don’t have glory; God does. Pageantry doesn’t last forever, love does. The work of God isn’t to be set into stone, but carried from person to person to person. Let’s never get so caught up in the big and impressive that we forget the real mission and focus of Christ is to meet each person on the road where they are, let them know he loves them, and save them. The message Jesus is giving the disciples is:

“Focus, people, FOCUS!”

Discern Reality

I remember being about 13 years old and seeing a commercial on a local station about a show called “The World Tomorrow” in which the pastor was going to talk about the world ending and when that would happen. Although our family didn’t go to church, my mother confidently told me that the world would end in 2000. I sat for a minute counting up my future years and said with some measure of fear, “But I’ll only be 35 when the world ends.” Noticing my obvious distress she replied, “If you don’t finish your homework and clean your room – your world is going to end a lot sooner than that!” My mom had a grip on what was real.

Not only do we need to keep a good grip on what is important and what isn’t, we also need to keep a good eye on what is real and what isn’t. Jesus warns his disciples privately that in the time to come many will come claiming to be Christ (or at least claiming to speak for him) and they will be false prophets. How do we know the real Jesus from the “claims” that aren’t right?

The best way to discern if someone is truly following Christ is to know Christ well. Invest in your day-to-day relationship of prayer, bible reading, and reflection. When someone claims to be acting on the authority of Jesus – look for the things you know are attributes of him – is that person wise, devoted, in touch with God, in touch with humans, forgiving, sacrificing, and loving? Before we can know who is NOT Jesus – we must learn who Jesus is.

We should also avoid fear. Fear is not based in reality but frequently is a prediction, perception, or expectation with no basis in fact. Fear tells us what “might” happen, but makes it seem to us that it IS happening. Fear is what keeps us awake half the night when the bump we heard was just the cat. Fear is what makes us clutch our abundance and avoid sharing our gifts because of the scary tapes of rejection playing only in our head.

Jesus warns the disciples that scary things are going to happen. There will be wars and rumors of wars. That is a usual state of being with our human species. “These things happen,” Jesus tells the disciples. Do not be alarmed. He wants us to keep a grip on what’s real (wars are real, and they happen) and not get lost in the forest of fears, sign reading, and panic driven faith.

An End is Really a Beginning

Finally, to teach and prepare his disciples for whatever the future may hold he puts forward a simple, beautiful truth: “There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.”

We are not being told to prepare for the end. We are being told to prepare for a beginning. Jesus didn’t say “This is the death rattle.” He said “These are the birth pains.” He is already paving the way for our understanding: Change is not a form of death, but birth. Death is not the end but the beginning. Pain is not the result, but the path through which new things, new life, new hope comes to us.

So in a world where even Christians are prone to say, “Everybody Panic” we need not heed that call. That’s not the message. The message is “Look and see, watch and work, but do not be alarmed, new life is coming.” Now that’s a message I can live with!

Much More Than We Know

I have a sign in my office at work that offers me a potent reminder each and every day. Small, hand painted and hanging above my file cabinet (a solid metal block full of facts) it says simply, “Don’t Believe What You Think.” It illustrates the truth that our thoughts are influenced by many things – false tales, famous artistic images, preferences and prejudices, history and alliances. Nowhere is that more evident than our views of biblical people and stories.

We’ve taken our mental image of Jesus largely from art depicting him with long (but very meticulously groomed) hair, an angular face and whiter-than-likely skin. Many in faith believe Mary the Magdalene was a prostitute, which the Bible neither says nor implies, simply because of an ancient tale. We assume the woman at the well who had 5 husbands to also be filled with shame and guilt, although there is no indication as to why she had so many – maybe they died, or maybe she was barren. Yet we cheerfully pack her into the bad girl box and go on with the story.

Today’s scripture from Mark is another place we let images and old sermons influence us, and in doing so we lose a part of the great lesson of dignity and faithfulness. The Widow’s Mite is a story as full of myth as it is meaning. Let’s start with the word “mite”. There were no “mites” in the time of Christ. The word describes a small copper coin that was used during the time of King James (when the word “mite” entered the translation). The Greek word used was “Lepton” – a coin that was actually a fraction of the lowest denomination of currency. I guess if the bible were translated in the time of King Edward, I guess we would call the “ha’pennies”. But – there are tons of handy dandy websites that will sell you “Widow’s mites” – even though that’s not a correct name.

Not only are we susceptible to shady marketing, but lost meaning as well. Years upon years of sermons have taught us about how poor this widow is – as if that’s the point – that the poor give everything and the rich give only a token. By the time she’s described to us – we can see her clearly – in our collective consciousness we see her as old, in worn (if not tattered) clothes, shuffling into the court of the treasury through the dark shadows, her head bent in awareness of her poverty around the rich Pharisees. By the time preachers are finished with her she looks in our mind’s eye like the Disney Crone from Snow White or a desolate sunken-in, sullen obedient figure . We figure she must have definitely felt the shame of having such a small amount to give in front of the puffed up rich people.

But what if she wasn’t? What if she were a young mother, or young bride whose husband died from infection or a threshing accident? What if she were wearing clean everyday robes – simple but functional? What if she walked to the trumpeted bowl and put her two leptons in with her head up, with her walk steady, and with her confidence intact. What if she gave her offering with the same surety and joy that you give yours? Wouldn’t that be something? What if she looked more like this:

("The Widow's Mite" by Gustave Dore)

What if when Jesus says “this widow hath cast more in” – that he means more than money? What else could she have casted?

A giant shadow

The first part of this lesson begins before the widow comes along. Jesus talks about the tendencies of the rich and privileged to abuse and take advantage of the people and the temple. Jesus said all this while sitting “opposite” the treasury. This position not only gave him a vantage point to see the giving that was taking place, but also the imagery of being opposed to the treasury and the way the treasury demanded money from the very poor while giving status and the best seats to the very rich.

Mark 12:40 says:

40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”

Really? They ate houses??? Well, not literally (this is the Bible, not Hansel and Gretel). What this refers to is the practice of temple staff, “teachers of the law” to eat at the homes of people. Because temple staff were not paid for their work (beyond all the perks) they often would go to someone’s home and demand to be fed or housed or spend Sabbath with the family. Frequently they would go to the houses of widows who were more vulnerable and while there eat all that the widow had to sustain herself. This practice of taking from the poor was something Jesus clearly had an issue about.

Now – lets go back to our widow – not the old crone one, the one who looks at home putting her money in the collection bowl. Imagine the pastor from your church showing up at your door, demanding to be fed and housed and while there eating everything you own without apology and even demanding you get up and make some special dessert – pawn some furniture if you need the fixins’. Then, imagine the next day is Sunday. Are you going to take your offering envelope and give the church whatever you have left? Probably not! When the choir announces its time to stand and take offering – you’ll be thinking “I already gave more than I wanted. Forget it!”

We have all heard of or experienced churches where offering was a touchy issue. It is not unthinkable that a person would say, “I’m not happy with this program, pastor, church building project…and I’m not donating until there is a change!”. There are churches where subgroups put the money in a bank account until a pastor leaves and others where members struggle with the concept of “over and above giving”. There are people with some mixed up ideas about donation and devotion. But not this widow.

She walks into the temple (even though she might have been the victim of one of these teachers of the law and their luxurious dinners) and she puts her offering in the bowl. She recognizes that offering is not about money and it’s not about the temple. It’s about doing what God wants you to do with your treasure. She doesn’t offer excuses, justifications, rationalizations, or an itemized list of deductions. She takes her offering and deposits it faithfully. What a huge contrast to those sitting in the treasury who have lost sight of what is really important. They should shrink from the light of her dignity and her grace.

A generous heart

Not only did our widow give to a place that she had every reason to be resentful about, but she gave far more than she was required. Temple tax was commonly a minimum of one coin fitting your status in society. Historians record a basic temple tax was desired to be paid in silver coins. But the impoverished were allowed to give lesser coins. Still, they only had to give a representative offering which could be required as anything up to half their assets at any given time. So, she could have gotten by with tossing ONE of her leptons into the bowl.

But not only does she see offering as a part of her relationship of obedience to God, she goes one further. She gives both the coins she has left. She balances the scale perfectly – one coin for duty; one coin for generosity. In other words, she illustrates an idea all people of faith should remember – don’t do anything half-way. The widow seems keenly aware that no matter what the temple may “require” God enjoys our all – all our attention, all our devotion, all our gifts – poured out not to be seen or earn favors – but to create a culture of generosity befitting the people of a God who gives abundantly.

A living lesson

What happened to those teachers of the law who were standing around sneering and staring? Can you name them? Can you remember anything they did that inspired you? Can you go onto ebay and buy “teacher of the law coins”? Do you hear about them every Stewardship Sunday as an example to follow? Nope. They may have gotten the best seats in the temple, and had some awesome meals, but all they are to history is a list of “attitudes not to have and things not to do”.

The widow, on the other hand, is still talked about, raised up, learned from and sought for inspiration. Through her act of obedience and generosity she does something amazing. She never preached a sermon, wrote a best-seller, built a gymnasium, sponsored a charity event, or even had her name etched into one of the stones in the temple. Yet we remember her to this day. She didn’t need all the symbols of acclamation and success. All she needed to do was to live her faith and follow her heart.

So when we hear about this widow – lets wipe away the tattered old crone withering under the gaze of temple officials and remember her for the strength, vision and generosity she truly embodied in Christ’s time and in our time.

When we have an understanding that our offering to God is NOT about our relationship to the church, but about our relationship with the Lord; when we give what God desires instead of just what is required; when we live our faith instead of talk about it – we will hear our Savoir lean back and say we have “cast much more in than anyone can imagine.” Let it be so with us.

Elect Jesus?

Lectionary Scripture: Psalm 146

There are a lot of things to love about fall in Central Virginia. Driving around our rural area today I saw all the signs of the season – trees adorned with leaves of red and gold, squirrels gathering nuts for winter, and political signs. Lots and lots of political signs. Mostly square blocky blue and red signs with the names of preferred politicians. Then, going down one country lane I began to see a number of signs with the same lettering, shape and positioning as the political signs in people’s yards. Only instead of a democratic or republican candidate for Governor the name on the sign was JESUS CHRIST. Underneath it said in block lettering , “IS MY LEADER” and across the top were the words, “ALWAYS” and “FOREVER”. It was kinda shocking at first. Especially when I passed a yard that had a blue McDonnell for Governor sign, A red Bolling for Lt. Governor sign, and then the Jesus Christ sign. If I didn’t know who Jesus was, I would think he was running for Attorney General.


It started me thinking as I drove along. Could Jesus get elected Governor of Virginia? I decided to start there because he would certainly want to have more political experience before trying out for the White House. I don’t think many folks would have an easy time voting for Jesus. On one hand, he seems to have very socialistic and economically liberal policies (“do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you”. Matthew 5:42; “I was hungry and you fed me”. Matthew 25:35.). On the other, he seems very traditional and law driven (“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17). He associated with radical preachers (one of whom happened to be his cousin), and his taste in friends left a lot to be desired from the establishment’s point of view.

No, I don’t think Jesus could get elected Governor of Virginia. Which is just as well – because he really didn’t come to earth to be a politician. He came to be a savior. The lectionary Psalm for this Sunday, Psalm 146 shows us a good grasp of the difference and where our consciousness of having a “leader” and a “Messiah” ought to be.

Psalm 146:3-6

3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.
4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— the Lord, who remains faithful forever.

What Leaders Can’t Do

The Psalmist of this particular hymn is pretty clear. There is no mortal, even one with slick media presence and high opinion polls, who can create enough power to truly save anyone. Not even himself or herself. It’s not wrong to be involved politically, that’s part of being a citizen of any country. But it is wrong when we look to politicians, and political office, to make the kind of changes that will make it “on earth as it is in Heaven”. Those changes have to come from an eternal being – the Creator, Christ or Holy Spirit. “People die”, the Psalmist tells us. “And even their best plans die with them.”

In America we seem to be trapped in a circle of disappointment when it comes to our politicians. No matter who we voted for, we have either been disappointed they didn’t win, or disappointed with them once they won and didn’t do what they said, when they said, how they said. I talk to more people who tell me who they didn’t vote for, than who they did and I’ve seen more people leave a church because of political disappointment than join a church because of political inspiration. That’s why we are warned not to tie our faith relationship to any politician or political struggle. It chains our belief to the here and now of what is humanly possible, instead of freeing our spirit to soar with what is Godly and utterly possible.

What God Can Do

The Psalmist gives us great comfort because while we lament what humans cannot do, we can take comfort in what God can do. “God is faithful” we are told in verse 6. In other words:

There is never a moment when God is not God.

What good news! So what can God do for us?

7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, 8 the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

God can make the wrong things right, and the right things happen. God looks out for those we routinely do not see, or even oppress through our own human short-sightedness. God heals where healing seems impossible, and God lifts those who have been thrown down because of their status, or difference.

God has so much more intention than just a “leader”. God doesn’t do any of these things for votes, favors or even a lasting legacy – (since all creation is God’s legacy already). God does these things for one simple reason: love. God the creator continues to lovingly prune, weed, nurture and grow creation.

What Should We Do?

Lets face it – if Jesus was President, it wouldn’t be very long until someone started:

1. Questioning his policies (free healing???),
2. Complaining about his staff (fishermen and cronies!),
3. Commenting on the White House guest list (sinners and Samaritans????),
4. Complaining about his lack of action to end wars immediately (what did he say about Roman occupation? Nothing!),
5. Formulating some false scandal or way to get him out of power and put a person in office who followed a more accepted agenda.

So since political office is not the way God chooses to lead, then we – God’s hands and feet and children-- must do that too. I’m not suggesting it’s our Christian duty to run for office. Heavens no! But it is our duty to be leaders where we find ourselves – at home, in school, at work, at church. In our own daily lives as the image of God we should be making sure we do not oppress those who are hurting, outcast or different. Instead of claiming “grace” for ourselves then demanding “justice” for others – we should lead by example as a people who act justly, and give graciously.

Jesus wants us to show his sovereignty by the evidence in our life, not the signs in our yard.