Spirituality is....Eschewing Obfuscation

Detective Spooner: So, Dr. Calvin, what exactly do you do around here?
Dr. Calvin: I specialize in hardware-to-wetware interfaces in an effort to advance U.S.R.'s robotic ahthropomorphization program.
Detective Spooner: So, what exactly do you do around here?
Dr. Calvin: I make the robots seem more human.
Detective Spooner: Now wasn't that easier to say?
Dr. Calvin: Not really. No.
                                  Dialogue from the film "I-Robot"

One of my favorite T-shirts in a catalog for writers I receive says, "Eschew Obfuscation".  Its a funny way of illustrating that saying something simply is better than puffing it up with big words that don't matter, or hiding the truth behind a bunch of complex nonsense.  Or as my Mamaw would say, "Don't take the long way 'round the barn."

We got a very good look at obfuscation this week when Congressman Jon Kyl said 90% of what Planned Parenthood does are abortions. Confronted with the fact that was completely incorrect (its more like 3%) his office released the following statement, "His remark was not intended to be a factual statement,...".  What?  I don't know where he grew up - but where I grew up, "Not intending to give a factual statement" means - you're telling a lie and you know it.

Why do people "obfuscate"?  Lots of reasons.  It limits confrontation because people are too confused to know how to argue, it is supposed to make the speaker appear more intelligent or the idea more complicated than it really is, or it just (supposedly) makes things seem more valuable. Whatever the reason, the basic cause is the same:  need.   People who make things harder than they have to be or hide behind complex language and murky ideas have some need - the need to be admired, the need for validation, the need for authority, the need to pass the blame.

Spirituality is the opposite of this practice.  Spirituality is not need based - it is abundance based. Spirituality is the part of us that recognizes that God meets our needs, and our relationships with others are to be based on security and love, not fear and manipulation.  Spiritual people don't require larger words than necessary, or decide to place truth outside of the realm common people can understand. Jesus addresses this understanding in his famous teaching about prayer.

"When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
This is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one."
Matthew 6:6-13

When you look at verse 6 in the King James Version it reads, "Go into your closet and pray." The first time I encountered that my immediate thought was, "Jesus has obviously never seen my closet!"
My closet is full of unplayed games, dirty gym socks that managed to evade the laundry basket, boxed Christmas decorations, photo albums and clothes so old I couldn’t fit into them with a crowbar. I don’t have time to clean my closet, let alone pray in it.

Maybe I should pray to be neater...

What Jesus is saying, of course, is that prayers aren't for public approval or affirming self-righteousness - they are a time of communion between you and your creator and deserve respect, focus and honesty.  The sample prayer Jesus uses as a teaching tool has been studied and recited for centuries. However - in learning about it - some good old obfuscation has appeared.

When trying to give us better understanding of it most preachers and teachers use the acronym ACTS.

Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication

The problem with the ACTS model is the words. They are big fifty-cent words. Stained glass words. Words from an air-conditioned, padded-pew, everyone-in-a-dress church setting. But what about the everyday? What about the day you are standing by the side of the road waiting for a tow truck to haul your car back to the garage that was supposed to have fixed it correctly the first time? Is "Adoration" really the word you are thinking as the sun beats down on you? Probably not. While you are silently asking God to help the tow truck arrive before a psycho-killer notices your predicament, would you call that your supplication? It’s doubtful.
Maybe there are some better words:

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,"

KNOW - Know that the creator of the universe is holy, and loves you.

"your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

REMEMBER - Remember that God is in charge and has desires for what happens on earth that it should become more heavenly.

"Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."

ACCEPT - Accept and Acknowledge what God gives to you.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

ASK - Ask for God’s help, guidance and assurance.

Know, Remember, Accept, Ask: Everyday words for an all-day-long God. This model probably won’t become very popular because it doesn’t spell anything catchy. That’s okay, because when you are standing on the freeway choking down the dust as the tow truck pulls up and you feel the cool breeze of blessed relief, those are the words you’ll be thinking about.

The first hallmark of spirituality is its honesty.  No matter where or how you spend time in communion with God - be clear, sincere and open.  Spirituality doesn't have to "sound good" - it simply has to seek what is good.

Spirituality is....Getting It

“I’ve defined myself, all my life, by what I was against. I fought against everything, but more and more I worry that I was never for anything. Oh, I can criticize and complain and judge everything, but where does that get me? Rebelling isn’t rebuilding. Ridicule isn’t replacing. My generation! All we did was make fun of the way the world was. We didn’t make it any better. We spent so much time judging what other people created we didn’t create anything of our own. We took the world apart, but had no idea what to do with the pieces.”

                             Ida Mancini in Choke, by Chuck Palahnuik

 Today at church during a lively children's sermon the speaker was talking about Jesus telling the woman at the well she could have "living water."  He carefully, and cheerfully, walked the thin, razor-sharp highwire made by the stringing of metaphors between small children still in their literal age.  In trying to explain that the woman didn't understand what Jesus was saying, he sought to show that people in our time, having the advantage of knowing the whole gospel story, understood it better.  What he said was, "She didn't understand what Jesus meant. But we have the benefit of "getting it."

I have thought about that sentence ever since he said it. (Proof once more that I am much better suited to learning from the children's sermon than the adult one. Not a surprise, really...). "We have the benefit of "getting it."   All day the question has nagged me.  Maybe -  when you look at a world in so much need and a church (universal) still struggling with science, acceptance, and how to reach outside the circle of the secluded saved, -  the same question nags you too:

Are we?
Are we "getting it?"

Another text in the Bible shows an exasperated Jesus encountering legalism and posing the same question. 

Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. The second one married the widow but he died also, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all the woman died too. At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her.

Jesus replied, "Are you in error because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry or be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising - have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, "I am the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are badly mistaken."
                               Mark 12:18-27 (NIV)

 Jesus asks them -- Are you in error (are you not "getting it") because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God? In other words: Are you people ignorant or unbelieving? 

A professor once taught me that if you want to truly get the feel of a scripture - write it out by hand and see how you interact with the words.  I tried that with this scripture, grabbing my trusty fountain pen and writing it into my journal.  I noticed two things right off:

1.  What a long question!
2.  What a stupid question.

Jesus seems to notice both the length and stupidity of the query in his grumpy response, concluding - "You are badly mistaken".  Personally, of all the things I want to hear Jesus say to me, "You are badly mistaken" is NOT on the list.  What are their mistakes? Why aren't they "getting it?"

They, like Ida Mancini, are too busy ridiculing to gain any real knowledge.  They don't believe in resurrection, and they probably don't spend a lot of time caring about who is married to anyone. The ludicrous scenario is intended to make fun of the idea that we live on after we die.  They were not willing to learn. They were, in fact, ignorant.

They also were practicing what we know as "confirmation bias" - the psychological phenomenon that says we only give authority or acceptance to ideas that confirm what we already think instead of accepting something that might change or broaden our reality. They didn't want to believe in the power of God to carry our souls through death to life. They were, in fact, unbelieving.

 

Spirituality - "getting it" - is that act of leaving both of those qualities behind. It's easy to think of pithy questions and outrageous scenarios to question faith, hope or God. Like the always popular, "If God is all powerful, can God make an object so heavy that God cannot lift it?"   (My answer:  "Stop it."). Ridicule isn't replacing and logic traps don't make anyone brighter, better, or more hopeful.  Being a spiritual being is having the capacity to learn, and interact honestly with people, scripture and God.

Spirituality is also the willingness to confront our confirmation bias (we all have it - its connected to our ego - and what do we remember about ego?  E.G.O. -- Everybody's Got One).  When you realize you are drawn only to things that support what you think or what you think you think - stop and give other thoughts a chance. It doesn't mean you have to believe something just because its different.Rebelling isn't rebuilding. But it does mean a conscious effort to really consider ideas will give you more tools and more chances to be "getting it."

Finally, be energized and excited by the fact that while spiritual people are "getting it" - no one on this earth - has "got it."  Spirituality is a journey of learning, changing, praying and hope.  It is about rebuilding, and it is about replacing. It is about revelation, and re-creation.  No one gets to sit on the platform of "I got it all figured out" (and you should be highly suspicious of anyone who tries).  So do not worry about how near or far you think you are from "getting it" - just keep listening, learning, and loving.

Spirituality is...A Do-Over

"With God, every moment is the moment of beginning again."
Catherine Doherty

     One of the most awesome and powerful elements of childhood is the "Do-Over".  You remember the "Do-Over" don't you?  It usually happened when someone new was playing a game and violated a rule without knowing it, or there was so much confusion or contesting about a play in a game that the simplest, best method for solving the crisis was simply to pretend the event never happened and start again.  Do-Over's are metaphysical miracles. They are part time-travel (going back as if something never happened), part opportunity (a baseball strike before a do-over could become a hit the second time around), and all grace.

     As we grow up, we seem to use Do-Overs less and less, and we seem to need them more and more. A chance to go back, a chance to re-do, and a chance to change the outcome of our actions or in-actions would change the game of our lives and the world entire. 

     In the bible, there is a story of a woman accused of adultery.  The bible describes the scene this way:

“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.  Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”   John 8:3-11

We may be tempted to think of that scenario as her "Do-Over".  But we would be wrong.  It isn't a Do-Over for her --- no one who gets that close to death can pretend it didn't happen.  It's a Do-Over for the crowd - for us.  They have judged, accused and sentenced her - they have treated her badly, and looked upon her with neither mercy, nor wisdom. Jesus stops this event before it gets any worse, and by pointing out their own sin gives them a chance to walk away, think about it, and hopefully do better the next time around.

Spirituality - the ability to look internally and give mercy externally is a constant invitation to Do-Over. It is the comfort that reminds us it is never too late to begin again.

Imagine Jesus, compassionate and protective, standing with the woman caught in the act of adultery, challenging the crowd to examine their souls. It is a moment of tense silence as the stones in their hands grow heavy with the weight of their own sins. What if, suddenly, one person unable to see his sin (or unwilling to admit it) throws a rock at the woman? It strikes her, and bounces to the ground. What would happen? You know. So do I. She would die under a barrage of stones as the flood gates of self righteousness open.

But what then? How could there possibly be a Do-Over then?  The answer lies with the stones.

What would happen to the stones? Would they lay on the ground jagged and stained? Would someone collect them and show them in a museum? Would someone in her family retrieve them, sharpen them and throw them back at members of the crowd? And perhaps the most intriguing question of all - what would Jesus, the Savior, do with those stones?

I believe Jesus would pick up the stones one by one and with his tears and his own garment clean the blood from their surface and use them to build a bridge or a well or a church. I believe Jesus would reclaim those stones in the name of the Holy God who made them and use them for hope's purpose. I believe Jesus would make a lesson and a life change of those stones.  I believe he would make those stones a monument to the power of beginning again.

We live in a world where sinners throw stones every day. We hurl insults, divide with prejudice, and judge one another without hardly any thought to the stones we are throwing or the sin we deny. Jesus is pretty clear. If you have sin in your life, then you must seek forgiveness, reconcile with God and change your ways. And until you do that wonder of wonders -- leave the stones on the ground.  Only a person without sin may throw a stone (and, really, why would that person want to?).

Jesus is still in front of us - writing in the sand, reminding us to search our hearts, to build some bridges, and to never forget the power of the Do-Over.

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!

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.

What is up with That?

Lectionary Reading: Luke 24:13-35

"'Do you want to honor Christ?'
'Then do not glorify him here in the church with silken garments
while neglecting him outside where he is cold and naked'
Archbishop of Constantinople - John Chrysostom (347-407 CE).

The story of Jesus and the walk with the men to Emmaus is a frequent passage for preachers to pull and discuss during Eastertide. We tend to focus on how they didn’t know it was him until he broke the bread (emulating communion, or just a meal), and how they seemed to have lost hope, only to rediscover it once they encountered Christ is his new form. But at some point its time to be truthful and ask the honest question we have been dying to ask since Easter Sunday. The question is:

What is up with that?

Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and she thinks he’s the gardener. She followed and loved him for years, yet she doesn’t recognize him until he says her name.

What’s up with that?

Jesus appears to the men on the road to Emmaus, but they do not recognize them because the Bible says, “they were kept from recognizing him” (v16).

What’s up with that?

Jesus appears the next morning while they are fishing. He calls to them, but they do not know it is him until a large haul of fish comes in the net.

What’s up with that?

Why is it, exactly, that the people who were closest to him, who loved him, and who followed him had no ability to recognize him when he returned to earth? He is capable of revealing himself – in time his voice, his habits (breaking bread), his scars all reveal his true self to his community. Why is he so mysterious to begin with?

To reveal the nature of the truth

There is a famous scene in the novel “Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain where Tom and Huck, fresh from their adventures, sneak back into town just in time to attend their own funeral. Crouching out of visual range, Tom is shocked to see the tears of weeping and wailing that occur on his behalf. Even Aunt Polly has kind words to say about him. Tom is stunned to learn what the people really think.

I think the time after the resurrection allows Jesus to do that same thing. With his beloved community believing he is dead, Jesus can hear what they really think. Jesus always had a little trouble getting people to tell him the truth. “Who do they say that I am?” he asked the disciples once, just to learn what was going on behind his back.

Thinking he is the gardener, Mary of Magdala cries “They have taken my Lord away,” and Jesus learns he is still the Lord of Mary and she still walks his way and wears his yoke. Walking with the men from Emmaus, Jesus gets to hear what they truly think of who he was. He hears how they thought he was a prophet, and would be the one who redeemed Israel, but he was killed and they are disappointed. I doubt they are the only ones.

Imagine how disappointed Jesus must be to hear these travelers and realize that after three years of teaching, they are still getting it all wrong! He’s not a prophet, he’s a savior! He’s not a military leader who cares about government, he’s the son of God who takes away the sin of the world! I sometimes wonder how he feels listening to us when we neglect, reject, and misuse his mission and words. Does he think – 2000 years of teaching, and they are still getting it all wrong!

To experience the joy of revelation

Any teacher will tell you that wading through tons of paperwork, administrative issues, unsupportive parents, uncaring students, and lunch duty are not what they love about teaching. What they love about teaching is the moment – that amazing moment – when the light goes on, and the lesson makes sense, and the student learns. The moment a human learns (hence changes) is so beautiful its worth all the work to get to it. That's when the angels rejoice.

I always sense a certain joy in Jesus when he reveals himself. He sees Mary’s tears change from sorrow to relief to joy. He sees the disciples turn from fear to purpose. He bursts on the scene usually saying “Peace Be With You” – just loving the reaction he gets. There is a little mischief in the post-resurrection Jesus. He disappears on a moment’s notice, and appears without warning through locked doors. In short, he’s loving it. And, after the pain of separation and death, what’s not to love about new life?

Someone asked me once how I knew people would be better and more understanding in heaven. My answer was, “Because the experience of physical death is a life change that won’t leave you the same. If surviving a car accident or fighting cancer can change you – imagine what death does.” Jesus is alive, and his joy in not diminished by the work he has left to do.

Jesus reveals himself to us daily – in the wisdom of a morning devotional reading, in the kind word of a mentor, or a note of encouragement from a friend. Jesus reveals his truth to us when we are lost in the lies of the world, and Jesus reveals the light of God when a dark day threatens to overcome us. Jesus heals us, talks to us, sings with us, laughs with us, breaks bread in our groups, brings us lots of love and calls us by our name. Like his followers in those strange days after Calvary – we get a chance to have the joy of seeing Jesus again and again. Don’t take those for granted. Enjoy them, and praise God for them.

To help us see Jesus in the world

Mary sees a gardener. But he’s really Jesus. The men walking to Emmaus see a traveler whom they ask to stay for dinner so he won’t have to walk at night. But he’s really Jesus. The disciples see some know-it-all man on the shore shouting out fishing tips. But he’s really Jesus.

It could have gone differently. Mary could have thought the gardener was beneath her – a common laborer and ignored him or brushed him off without thought. The men walking to Emmaus could have though the traveler wasn’t informed enough to talk to or a “stranger” who probably didn’t speak their language, best avoided and passed him without out word. The disciples could have dismissed the fishing advice of the ravings of a fool. After all, if he were really a fisherman wouldn’t he have a boat?

But Jesus is training them, and us to see him in the people of the world. Remember this:
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' (Matthew 25).

Jesus is out there in our homes, in our city, and in our world. Jesus wants us to seem him in the hungry lined up at food shelters, and the homeless sleeping in our gardens. Jesus wants us to see him in the “strangers” who speak a different language and need hope, help and compassion. Jesus wants us to see him in the elderly who need a listener, the disabled who need medicine, transportation, and companionship, the victims who need healing and protection, the survivors who need to speak and to help others, the lonely who need love, and the overwhelmed who need peace. Jesus is out there on our roads to Emmaus, work, play, Walmart and the drive we make to church.

So, that’s what’s up. Jesus is waiting to see how we really feel, to reveal himself to us again, and let us see him and serve him in this world.

"'Do you want to honor Christ?'
'Then do not glorify him here in the church with silken garments
while neglecting him outside where he is cold and naked’.”

The School of Faith

Read: John 6:22-32

What are the three greatest inventions on the world? That might take a long time for most people to list – considering the scientific advancement from the pulley-lever system, to the wheel, to the internet. But my three are easily available in my head. In my thinking the three best inventions in the world are:

1. The Ziplock Bag – you can do anything with a ziplock bag!
2. Eyeglasses – they are like clothes for your face!
3. The Class Syllabus

Almost anyone who has been through a college course will tell you one of the greatest innovations in higher education is a class syllabus. This beautiful list given at the beginning of the semester detailing what will be discussed each day, when assignments will be due and exactly what is expected of the student is a blessing. It’s comforting to have all of your duties and challenges laid out in a nice organized way.

The crowds who followed Jesus - like college students they were seekers and learners - wanted an organized approach to what Jesus had to offer. He feed them until they were full (also like college students, they went to his lecture with no lunch money in their pockets and had to be fed with free loaves and fish) and they wanted to follow him and his program to the letter. This crowd shows us some things we should know.

When You Notice Jesus is Missing – Look for Him!

The ever observant crowd notices one of those weird things about Jesus – he seems to get around pretty quick for someone who doesn’t have many modes of transportation. The bible says they noticed he didn’t get in the one ship that had left, but he showed up on the other side of the lake! (They did not witness the water walking, and probably could not imagine that explanation – even if Occomb’s Razor reminds us the simplest solution is usually the correct one). So what do they do?

A. Retrace his last steps to see if they can predict his future behavior?
B. Decide that just because they can’t see him doesn’t mean he has left, and act like he is still there?
C. Just sit down and wait for him to come back?

NO! They get in their boats and start looking for him! They know he is missing, and they know they need to be in his presence. So they seek him earnestly and immediately. Sometimes we look around our jobs, life, relationships or family and discover Jesus is missing. When our work feels empty and we aren’t sure why we are doing it, it’s usually because we have forgotten to involve Christ in our calling (through our passion, through our commitment, through our faith that God in us is making a difference even when we aren’t seeing immediate results). Sometimes our marriages or deep friendships start to feel routine or rote. It’s usually because we forgot to include Christ’s love, listening, spontaneity and passion for unexpected loving gestures in our lives. If you notice Jesus is missing. Don’t hang around and shake your head. Go look for him!

Ask Questions

When they find Jesus (and the eggheads in the group start trying to compute how he got there without a boat) the first thing they do is ask how long he’d been there. Later they will ask him about the work of God and what it is they can do to do it. They aren’t shy, or pretending to be so holy that they know all the answers. They ask the questions –easy and hard – and so should we.

We have a tendency to silence our questions of God. We don’t talk about them openly, and we certainly don’t ask the wise people God has placed around us. Many times we don’t even ask Jesus himself. But asking the questions we have – technical and spiritual ones – helps us grow and develops our faith. As a youth minister, I was involved in a van rollover with 2 sponsors and 12 kids in the car. We were headed to a conference in Denver when a back tire of a van I was driving blew, rolling us into the intersection. No one was killed, but there were broken legs, a girl with a broken collar bone, cuts and bruises on all the kids, glass in my head and a soft tissue injury for the other adult sponsor. We ended up in a trauma center in Pueblo – some less hurt kids being flown home immediately, others being taken back after their hospital stay. I was one of the last to get released and back. When we were finally all together again we had a “decompression” meeting where we talked about the wreck. We started with a prayer and then I said, “Who has something to say?” Immediately a boy spoke up and said what they had all been thinking since the moment the van flipped and the screaming started. “We prayed for a safe trip. Why did we wreck? Did God even hear us?” Before I could give them my answer a number of kids said “I’m so glad you asked that! I thought I was the only one who felt like that!” His courage opened doors of healing for many young people that day.

Ask the question. It doesn’t mean you’re dumb, faithless or lost. It means you care enough to want to understand.

Believe in the One who was sent

When the crowd asked Jesus what works God was expecting of them, they were asking for a syllabus. But the Christian life is not so easily organized and the course outline only contains one sentence. "Believe in the One he has sent," Jesus said. Oddly enough, something that simple will take a lifetime of fulfillment.

Our rabbi’s answer illustrates the word "belief" is an action verb. The crowd asked for a work - a job - and the word Jesus gives them is "believe". On the surface it may seem like an easy task. It’s not hard to believe in Jesus. Evidence of his life, death, and resurrection are everywhere. But the part you have to work for is the evidence in your heart of his relationship with you.
When your adolescent daughter lets her math grades plummet just to show you she isn’t happy with her curfew, you have to believe the fact Jesus is alive makes a difference. You have to remember what Jesus taught about grace as you deal with your disappointment and frustration. You have to put aside your desire to hurt back and live his instructions to treat one another with love. It will be an effort. When someone treats you badly, at work or home, you have to believe the facts Jesus died for you and rose again and you are an heir to the kingdom of Heaven makes a difference. You have to act as a member of the chosen, of the priesthood of believers. You can’t just wallow in hurt feelings or frustrated anxiety. Do what Jesus says. Forgive and empower. Believe in him.

It isn’t enough to believe Jesus exists. Your belief must change your life, your church and your world. If we as a body worked on our belief in the One God has sent our world would change. When you are out in the world, can people tell you are a Christian by your acceptance and faith? How does Jesus change the way you live? Frequently ask yourself these questions: How does a person who does not believe in Jesus respond to this situation? How do I respond to this situation? Are the responses different? If not, work to see the changes of Christ more fully in your life.

The seekers from the feeding of the 5,000 come a long way in these short verses. They find the Messiah by seeking him. They ask the questions that will lead them to greater faith and they get the syllabus for the Christian life. That’s the same class we are taking. What’s this semester or season in your life going to require? Believe in the One God has sent.

God's Not Angry - We Are

Reading: Psalm 13

In 1741 Calvinist minister Jonathan Edwards gave one of the most famous sermons in history. It is so renown the sermon is used in English and Religion classes as an example of the writings of the time. The title of the sermon is “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. The image of this sermon is of God holding all people in God’s hands over the pit of hell – and in anger allowing some of them to fall to their eternal torment. To say it is a fiery sermon is an understatement. To say it accurately reflects God would, in my opinion, be a misstatement. Yet, we all sometimes get caught up in the “Angry God” theology. Some pastors preach the most important thing is to recognize ourselves as sinful beings who are separated from God and anger God. Others refer to the Old Testament as “the side of the Bible with the angry God”.

While it is important to recognize the sin in our lives, it is more important to understand first that we are beloved by God. We are God’s created, desired children (not just a bunch of bad seeds who disappoint God every day). Jesus didn’t come just because we have sinned. He came because we are loved. The God of the Old Testament is only angry if you just read the first half of each story. Every time God exiles Israel because of their worship of false gods, God brings them back to the Promised Land. Every time God punishes, God also heals. God tosses Adam and Eve out of Eden, and then gives them children. Their son kills the other son. God gives them another son. The God of the Old Testament isn’t always angry – that God is patient and more forgiving than we will ever know. So where does all this anger come from? I think it comes from us.

We are an angry species sometimes. We are not just angry when our country is attacked or injustice causes harm, but when we are driving (road rage, anyone?), when we feel cheated, lost, grief stricken or embarrassed. We hold anger. We remember it. We use it. We sell it. We buy it. We vote with it. We sleep with it. The 13th Psalm is full of it.

1How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

The psalm of lament says everything we say to God in our anger – Where are you, God? How long are you going to ignore my needs/wants/hurts? Don’t you care? Are you there?
There are three things to know about our anger with God.

Don’t be afraid to be angry

Many people are raised in religions that stress you should never be angry with God, question God or express doubt. The tragedy to that is it robs people of their right to ask important questions and to have an honest relationship. What happens is people start to carry anger at God inside them, and because they never express it honestly it eats them up from the inside out.

Imagine if you could never ask your parents, “why”? Think of all the things you would not learn. Would it be good if a parent told you not to touch a hot stove, but never told you why? Would you enjoy getting a C on your report card without knowing how the grade was assigned? Would it be okay if you came home from high school and were told you were being grounded for three weeks and to go to your room – without ever learning why? Questions and doubt are important to our growth and development as God’s children. When we fail to ask, we rob God of a chance to answer.

Our walk with God is a relationship, and every relationship endures anger. I used to tell couples planning to get married that they could tell the strength of their relationship not just by how much they laugh with each other, but by how well they forgive each other – because disappointments and anger happen even in the best of love. How we get through it is what matters most. Think of your deepest relationships – with your mom or dad, your brother or your sister, your best friend or your lover – as much as you love those people – haven’t there been times when you could just shake them, scream at them, or pull the car over and say ‘GET OUT’? Still you love them. Being angry with God over disappointments, unfairness, loneliness, heartache or illness is a normal part of a real relationship. Learn how to express your anger and let the healing between you and your loving Creator begin.

Don’t be addicted to being angry

Then there are other folks who want to carry their wounds and hurts around with no real thought to a solution or the relationship being repeatedly damaged. Anger is an energy source. It can empower, motivate and even propel people into action. It is powerful, and it is addictive. However, one of the major sermons God gave when Jesus was nailed to the cross was that reconciliation and forgiveness is the dream of God for us all. In other words: it is okay for us to get angry. It is not okay for us to stay angry.

Sometimes people use anger as a reason to hide from God. They say stuff like “I believe in God, but not organized religion” (because disorganized religion is soooo much better?). My experience with that phrase is the person employing it has been hurt before – by a church, a pastor or a person and is holding that anger against God. By avoiding the places and people of God, they never have to face their anger or resolve their feelings. It hurts them, and it hurts God. Be honest and open with God. Soon, you won’t be so afraid of religion, because you’ll be past that and into a real relationship.

Listen to the Emissary

Every once in a while a person can become so consumed with anger they can no longer adequately express or deal with it. The anger festers in them and they no longer have the ability or words to resolve it. That’s especially hard when your anger is at God. Sometimes even when God is trying to give comfort, you are too mad to hear the words.

"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" revolves around a space station that encountered a unique problem. It was run by Starfleet – the military establishment, but inhabited by Bajorans – a race of people highly involved in their religion. They listened to the prophets. The two sides would conflict frequently in the battle of might versus spirit. In order for this group to work together the prophets picked an “Emissary” – someone who would speak for them. They picked a Starfleet Captain. That way – both sides could hear the voice of the prophets through the experience of a military person. Both sides would listen.

In one episode, a war is coming to the station. The Starfleet crew begins amassing weapons and preparing for battle, but the prophets say to pray and wait. The two sides fight openly about their differing points of view. Worf is a Klingon, a member of a warrior race, and it is expected he will take the side of the soldiers. However, he takes the other side. Someone hisses at him saying, “Since when did YOU believe in the prophets?” Worf answers wisely, “What I believe in is faith. Without faith there is no victory”. He turns to the Emissary (Captain Sisko) who settles the dispute and averts bloodshed.

Every time I watch that show, I think, “That’s what we need in our conflicts and issues with God. We need an Emissary.” And every time God is quick to remind me that we have one: Jesus the Christ. The voice of God in the form of us. Through Jesus, both sides can listen. When we are angry with God, we can look at the life Jesus led on earth and see how he resolved the situation.

On the cross, Jesus accuses God of forsaking him – Ever notice how much like us he sounds? “My God, why have you forsaken me?” sounds a lot like:
“I’ve been praying about this job for MONTHS, why won’t you answer?”
“You know I am lonely. Why won’t you send someone to love me?”
“Why did you let my father die?”
“Why won’t you take this pain from me?”
“Why do I have cancer?”
“Why why why why why why why????”

So what does our Emissary do with his angry question? He asks it! Then look at what is next – he says “into your hands, I commend my Spirit.” He asks. He yells. And then he trusts God. As Worf would say, “Without faith there is no victory”.

When you are angry with God, find the Emissary – Jesus - and learn from his life, death and resurrection. Tell God, listen to God, and then trust God to heal, guide and comfort you. Psalm 13 starts out as an angry accusation about the absence of God. But look how it ends.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

Amen.