tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331850522024-03-19T00:41:00.641-04:00Magdalene's MusingsA Sermon BlogMagdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.comBlogger702125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-12706243966365598132012-02-23T10:42:00.003-05:002012-02-23T11:34:42.463-05:00A New BlogHello friends.<br /><br />In a little while I'll be taking down Magdalene's Musings.<br /><br />I <a href="http://magdalenesmusings.blogspot.com/2006/08/just-call-me-accidental-blogger.html">started blogging</a> here in the summer of 2006, a transitional time for me professionally and personally. A few months earlier I had lost my mother. I was a divorced mom, an out-of-work pastor, and in a closeted relationship with the woman who, on another blog, I called "Beloved."<br /><br />Slowly, by reaching out to the already strong community of women pastors who were also blogging, I found a place and a voice for myself here. I learned that "virtual" community is, in fact, a very real community, and I found myself blessed to be a part of it.<br /><br />Over time I came to use this blog exclusively for posting my sermons; that has been its primary function for the past three years. Now I feel it is time to connect my sermons to my name and my ministry.<br /><br />So, I introduce to you my new blog: <a href="http://upcsermonsandmore.blogspot.com/">The Sermon Blog @ Union Presbyterian Church</a>. Look for me there, and know that, as I try to navigate blogging under my own name, I will be forever grateful for the love and grace you have shown me.Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-60074699148016947522012-01-15T08:05:00.000-05:002012-01-15T08:06:47.502-05:00Come and See: sermon on John 1:43-51<style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.MsoFooter, li.MsoFooter, div.MsoFooter {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-link:"Footer Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; tab-stops:center 3.0in right 6.0in; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.MsoEndnoteReference {mso-style-noshow:yes; vertical-align:super;} p.MsoEndnoteText, li.MsoEndnoteText, div.MsoEndnoteText {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.FooterChar {mso-style-name:"Footer Char"; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:Footer; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;} span.EndnoteTextChar {mso-style-name:"Endnote Text Char"; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text"; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">My preacher-friend in Portland says that when we look at today’s readings, we “find God all up in our business.” In one reading, God is waking a sleeping boy in the middle of the night to give him an important (if unpleasant) job to do. In our Psalm we hear of a God who, again, “just generally [knows] every darn thing there is to know about every single one of us.”<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> And in the passage I have just read from John’s gospel, Jesus appears to be looking right through Nathanael, who is never the same again.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">This week we are hearing about the opening days of Jesus’ ministry, and here we find Jesus gathering a group of disciples around him. We throw that word around a lot, “disciples,” and I thought maybe I’d better look it up in the dictionary just to be sure I understood what it meant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>(A small warning here: I went to a preaching conference this week, and nothing brings out the bible-scholar-word-nerd that I am like going to a preaching conference. By which I mean to say, we’re going to get into the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">words</i> today.) The word disciple: I thought it meant, basically, “follower,” and that’s’ true, as far as it goes. But what interests me even more than definitions are etymologies—I love knowing, in effect, who are the parents of a word. “Disciple” comes from a Latin word that means “pupil,” but that word comes from two different words that mean, “to take apart.” So, a disciple is a follower, but one who has taken apart the teachings of the teacher, and found them to be sound, and is following on that basis. A disciple is someone who has done her homework.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Jesus is inviting people to follow him, to become disciples. His exchange with Philip is simple: “Follow me.” And Philip follows. Like any good follower, Philip tries to find other people to follow too—maybe he is shy about enlisting in the Jesus movement all by himself. Or, maybe, he sees in Jesus the answer to a question he knows Nathanael is asking already, a question something like, “Where is the Messiah?” Whatever his reasoning, he drafts Nathanael to come along. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Nathanael is skeptical. His skepticism has to do with what he already knows about Jesus. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” he asks. I have heard similar responses when I invite people to come to Binghamton for First Fridays. Can anything good be happening in downtown Binghamton? There’s really only one good answer to a question like that. “Come and see,” says Philip.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We might wonder why on earth Nathanael should be so skeptical about Nazareth. Well, let’s just say, it’s pretty much Nowheresville, Palestine. It’s small. It’s unimportant. It is not mentioned in the bible (Philip and Nathanael’s bible, that’s the Old Testament to you and me). It’s not mentioned as center of worship, or a place from where the Messiah will come, for instance. It’s not mentioned at all, until the Christian (that is, the New) Testament. Saying someone is “from Nazareth” is not a ringing endorsement.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">But Nathanael goes along with Philip, little knowing the kind of person he is about to encounter. Jesus’ opening salvo to Nathanael is playful. It’s challenging. The first thing Jesus says to Nathanael is “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Jesus is playing with words here. The word “Israel” is another name for “Jacob,” whose name means “leg-puller,” as in, “Are you pulling my leg?”<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="#_edn2" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[ii]</span></span></a> Jesus is telling Nathanael, “Hey, I know where you come from, and I’m not judging you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He is implying, of course, that he knows full well how skeptical Nathanael is, and that it’s fine, it’s cool. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Nathanael is taken aback. “Um, have we met?” he asks. “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus tells him, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Now, this is the first we have heard of a fig tree in John’s gospel. And it is possible Jesus saw Nathanael under a literal fig tree at some point. But one thing we should take into consideration any time we read the gospel of John is that he speaks quite often in symbols and metaphors. In Jewish lore, it is believed that the tree of knowledge of good and evil from Genesis—the tree that got the first man and woman and serpent in so very much trouble—it is believed that it was a fig tree. And, for that reason, Jewish scholars engaged in studying scripture were said to be “gathering figs.”<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="#_edn3" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[iii]</span></span></a> Jesus is saying to Nathanael, “I know you’re a fig gatherer. I know you’ve been doing your homework. I know you won’t just go along to get along, or follow along to be a pal. I know who you are, and what matters to you. And so I say to you what Philip said: Come and see.” And Nathanael does. Oh, he does.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">God’s all up in Nathanael’s business, as evidenced by Jesus knowing, uncannily, unsettlingly, exactly who he is and what he is and what will help him to know where and how he is called. My question is this: what helps us to know who we are and what we are and where and how we are called to participate in God’s work? If we take the words of the psalm seriously, we believe that God has searched us and known us, every last darn thing there is to know about us. But how does that translate to us knowing where and what and how God wants us to be in this world?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">In 1963 the Southern Christian Leadership Conference developed and enacted a campaign to show the world the unjust, inhumane treatment African American people were subjected to in the city of Birmingham, AL. But for Martin Luther King Jr., one of the chief strategists and organizers of the campaign, it was critical that those engaged in this action know who they were and what they were and where and how, specifically, God was calling them to do this work. So he developed a commitment card, to be signed by everyone who would participate. Over time, the requirements have come to be thought of as a kind of “Ten Commandments” of Christian social justice activism. Here are those ten commitments:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">1. Meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">2. Remember always that the nonviolent movement in Birmingham seeks justice and reconciliation not victory.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">3. Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">4. Pray daily to be used by God in order that all might be free.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">5. Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all might be free.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">6. Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">7. Seek to perform regular service for others and for the world.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">8. Refrain from violence of fist, tongue, or heart.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">9. Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">10. Follow the directions of the movement and the captains of a demonstration.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The genius of the ten commitments is this: not only would all those involved in the Birmingham campaign have clear and specific guidelines for their own actions; they would also know who they were and what they were and where and exactly how they were called to do this work of bringing justice and reconciliation. They would be steeped in the knowledge and love of Jesus, whom King believed to be the first and most excellent culture-changer. God searches us and knows us and calls us. The Birmingham campaign workers would spend their days seeking to know God, and to live out that knowledge in their work. It’s so simple, really. Disciples need disciplines, actions to help them, daily, to take apart and put back together the heart and soul of what they are about.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">“Come and see,” says Philip. God searches us, and invites us to come and see for ourselves what immersion in God’s way would mean for us. “Come and see,” says Jesus. God knows us, and longs for us to know God, more intimately, more deeply, with more real consequences for our lives and actions. “Come and see,” I say. Jesus is all up in our business, gathering disciples still, plucking us from under our fig trees and behind our desks and sinks and snow-blowers to travel along with him a while. Let’s do it. Let’s go together. Come and see. Thanks be to God. Amen.</p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"><br /><br /> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="#_ednref" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt">Martha Spong, pastor of North Yarmouth Congregational Church, Portland, ME, in her introduction to the “11<sup>th</sup> Hour Preacher Party” at RevGalBlogPals, January 15, 2012. http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.com/2012/01/11th-hour-preacher-party-fearfully-and.html.</span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="#_ednref" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[ii]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt">Adele Reinhartz, “The Gospel According to John,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The Jewish Annotated New Testament</i>, Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds. (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2011), 160.</span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="#_ednref" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[iii]</span></span></a> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Ibid.</span></i></p> </div> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-38350092531647843932012-01-15T08:01:00.003-05:002012-01-15T08:04:21.327-05:00The Beginning of the Story: Sermon on Mark 1:1-11<style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.MsoEndnoteReference {mso-style-noshow:yes; vertical-align:super;} p.MsoEndnoteText, li.MsoEndnoteText, div.MsoEndnoteText {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EndnoteTextChar {mso-style-name:"Endnote Text Char"; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text"; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">This sermon was preached on January 8.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-family:Cambria;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">For about eight years my children and I have been huge fans of the TV series, “Friends.” Which some of you will recognize means that we caught onto it just as the series was ending, and so we have watched the whole thing in reruns, or on DVD’s. And one of the things you will notice about “Friends,” if you’re watching the DVD’s, is this: the titles of the episodes are kind of odd. (Either that or brilliantly funny.) Every title begins with the words “The One with...,” or “The One where…,” as in, “The One with the Monkey,” or, “The One where the Monkey Gets Away.” I confess, when I started watching the show, I was puzzled by the titles. Was the title guy at NBC out sick that day? Or, was he out sick all those ten years the show was on the air? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">I felt the same way, once upon a time, when I came upon the beginning of the gospel of Mark. Just to remind you, the first sentence of the gospel is “The beginning of the good news (gospel) of Jesus Christ.” Wow. Compare this with the beginning of the gospel of Matthew, in which we launch immediately into a provocative and action packed genealogy that makes bold claims about Jesus’ identity and heritage: “An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1)! Or, the beginning of Luke, in which we are treated to a philosophical sort of sales pitch as to why thisis going to be a most excellent gospel: “Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed” (Luke 1:1-4).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">But for my money, no other gospel can hold a candle to the opening of John’s gospel—though, come to think of it, we all held candles to it on Christmas Eve. It’s shrouded in darkness, mystery, the eternal workings of the cosmos: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">But action-packed genealogies are not what Mark is up to. Nor is he pitching his gospel, as if to get advertisers. Nor is he claiming to delve into the mind of God. Nope. Mark simply says, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.” And for Mark, the beginning is not the story of Jesus’ ancestors or the story of Jesus’ birth. It is not even the story of the pre-existence of Christ, the eternal Word, with God from before the beginning. The beginning of the story is Jesus’ baptism.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">And what a baptism it is! For those of us whose baptisms tend to involve marble fonts and modest amounts of water poured on babies’ sweet-smelling heads, the baptism of Jesus is a real jolt to the system. It involves a baptizer dressed in camel-skin, fresh from a dinner of wild honey and bugs, dunking Jesus bodily in the muddy Jordan River. But even that is not what catches our attention. It’s the moment after Jesus comes out of the water, sputtering and drenched; the moment when the heavens are torn apart and the very voice of God rings out or booms or whispers (I hear it’s sometimes a whisper) to speak directly to Jesus: “You are my son, the Beloved. With you I am well-pleased.” And that’s the beginning, the kickoff, the great launch of Jesus’ work in the world. ‘The One where God Comes to Earth.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">Baptism is the beginning for us, too. Baptism is the beginning of our life in the community of faith we call “church.” Whether we were nestled safe in someone’s arms and baptized at this very font or were dunked in a pool or stream after we were “of age,” each one of us entered the stream of God’s story, Jesus’ story, the Spirit’s story, by virtue of our baptism. “The One where G. and A. Get to Meet Jesus.” And for several members of UPC, that stream has led them to this day, the day when they will be ordained and/ or installed deacons and ruling elders. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">And lest we think being a part of God’s story is something ethereal or otherworldly, Mark disabuses us of that notion by including, in the space of a few short verses, the harsh wilderness and that muddy river water and those crunchy locusts and that sweet and wild honey and that aromatic and scratchy camel pelt; not to mention that tear (rip) in the heavens and the ringing/booming/whispering voice of God. God’s story is profoundly earthy, and those of us who step (or jump) into that stream are part of a story that takes place in real time with real people throughout God’s very real world.<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=3835009253164784393&from=pencil#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">And now several of our fellow church members get to participate in “The One Where L., K., J., J., S. and P. Get to Show Jesus to a Hurting World.” Of course, we all get to participate in that. That’s the other title of our baptism story, our common calling as Jesus-followers. But on this day, in this moment, we come together as a community to confirm that God’s voice is still ringing/ booming/ whispering in the ears of those we have elected to be our deacons and elders. We pray and lay hands upon them to give our witness that the beginning of Jesus’ story continues in the beginning of our story. And then we gather around the table in our celebration meal, “The One Where God Promises to Stay With Us Through it All.” Thanks be to God. Amen.</span></p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"><br /> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=3835009253164784393&from=pencil#_ednref" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;mso-bidi-line-height:115%font-size:12.0pt;" ><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-line-height:115%font-size:12.0pt;" > Elton W. Brown, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Daily Feast: Meditations from</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Feasting on the Word Year B</i> (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 79, 80.</span></p> </div> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-22309181425796984742012-01-15T07:56:00.004-05:002012-01-15T08:01:11.627-05:00Dawning: A Sermon for Christmas 1/ EpiphanyI'm trying to do a little catch up here, posting sermons I had neglected to share. This sermon is on Isaiah 60:1-6.<br /><br /> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:77; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} h6 {mso-style-link:"Heading 6 Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; mso-outline-level:6; font-size:7.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Times; mso-hansi-font-family:Times;} span.MsoEndnoteReference {mso-style-noshow:yes; vertical-align:super;} p.MsoEndnoteText, li.MsoEndnoteText, div.MsoEndnoteText {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.Heading6Char {mso-style-name:"Heading 6 Char"; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"Heading 6"; mso-ansi-font-size:7.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times; mso-ascii-font-family:Times; mso-hansi-font-family:Times; font-weight:bold; mso-bidi-font-weight:normal;} span.sc {mso-style-name:sc;} span.EndnoteTextChar {mso-style-name:"Endnote Text Char"; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text";} span.messagebody {mso-style-name:messagebody;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the <span class="sc">Lord</span> has risen upon you.</i><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>~ Isaiah 60:1</p><i style=""></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:4.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The celebration of Christmas always involves lights. Every year I am just a little thrilled on Thanksgiving weekend, when the lights begin to appear in my neighborhood. Though I almost never deck out my own house in lights, I am endlessly grateful to those who do. It feels as if they have given me, personally, a gift. For several weeks in the darkest season of the year, my West Side of Binghamton neighborhood is transformed into a fairyland, enchanted, as the lights outline houses, trees, bushes, and everything is suddenly made magical.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">When I was in seminary I became aware that ordinarily cynical and hard-bitten New Yorkers became as squishy about the Christmas lights as I do on the day the tree in Rockefeller Center was lit. You’d see it on their faces—from a little embarrassed smile all the way to full-blown glee. Lights in the darkness: without them, we’d hardly know it was Christmas.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the <span class="sc">Lord</span> has risen upon you.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is hard for us, here on the very first day of 2012, to appreciate what light and darkness meant to ancient people. Imagine a time when you not only couldn’t string LED lights on a tree, you couldn’t illumine anything without benefit of fire. Ordinary people—meaning, most people in the world—couldn’t afford candles until around the year 1800. That means that, when night fell, the darkness was absolute. And the fear of the darkness seems to be hard-wired into us. Darkness feels dangerous, frightening: “We easily get lost in the dark… we stumble around and can’t find our way… we do not know what might be going on: danger may lurk, spirits may roam, evil may be afoot…” Darkness and grief seem to go together as well… we speak of a dark night of the soul. Fear of night evokes that other primal fear, fear of death.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=2230918142579698474&from=pencil#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="">[i]</span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=2230918142579698474&from=pencil#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><br /></span></span></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It’s no wonder that light and fire came to be understood as something that came from the gods. From moment when Prometheus shared the secret of fire with humans, we have known it: there is something holy about light. From the time when the Romans celebrated the Feast of the Unvanquished Sun on December 25, we have celebrated it. And from the first verses of Genesis—in which God sings, “Let there be light”—to the last verses of Revelation—in which Jesus is described as “the bright morning star”—scripture has confirmed it. As one write expresses it, “No wonder glory—which means radiance, luminosity—is seen as a central quality of the sacred.”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=2230918142579698474&from=pencil#_edn2" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="">[ii]</span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=2230918142579698474&from=pencil#_edn2" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><br /></span></span></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the <span class="sc">Lord</span> has risen upon you.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In our reading from Isaiah this morning we hear all sorts of echoes that say to us, Christmas, Christmas! The glory of the Lord rising and being revealed—we read that and think, “Jesus!” The coming of kings to witness the brightness—we recognize the Magi, following the star to Jesus!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Even the talk of camels and gold and frankincense—the gifts of the Magi to Jesus, plus their mode of conveyance! But this passage, in its original context, meant something very different, something that may deepen our own appreciation for the ways in which those Christmas echoes are very real.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This part of Isaiah is speaking to Jews who have returned home following the Babylonian exile. For nearly fifty years Jews had been kept from their homeland, following a terrible and bloody rout in which the Temple was destroyed. When Persia conquered Babylon, and the Persian king gave Jews permission to go home, there was incredible joy and anticipation. They imagined what it would be like to go home, to see the places that were only dimly remembered, but which had been built up in their hearts to epic proportions.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And so they returned, and guess what? What they found broke their hearts. The original, splendid Temple of Solomon was gone, and in its place something that felt more like a roadside shrine. Their sacred places were gone, their homes were gone, Jerusalem was still mostly a pile of rubble. The monarchy—the throne of David, once so regal and proud—was reduced to a tiny community still under the thumb of a powerful empire. And what was left of that community was divided, unable to choose a single way forward. Aspects of the past were, they learned, unrecoverable, irreplaceable. And their hearts were broken.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">These are the people Isaiah is speaking to. And I think this heartbreak, this sense that the world has changed and we are somehow lost in the debris is something that characterized 2011 for many people. The economy continued to show only the most marginal improvement. Unemployment is at its lowest level in three years, but 25 million Americans are still out of work. At the national level our elected leaders seemed consistently to place personal and political gain above the common good. We ended two wars that were a source of controversy for nearly ten years, and which cost Iraq and Afghanistan hundreds of thousands of lives, and the US thousands. Those same wars added to our economic fragility. And, on a local level, we suffered another historic flood. 2011, even in broad strokes, was not an easy year, or a buoyant one. Many of us are left with a sense of displacement, a kind of exile-in-place.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And still, the words of Isaiah speak to us, just as they spoke to the ancient community of exiled and relocated Jews.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the <span class="sc">Lord</span> has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the <span class="sc">Lord</span> will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>~Isaiah 60:1-2</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">For post-exile Jews, this passage was a reiteration of the same promise God had been making since he’d plucked Abraham and Sarah out of their retirement community and put them on the road:<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> I will bless you</i>. Which translates, roughly, to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">I will be with you</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Which, of course, is the story behind Christmas to begin with: God pledging, “I will be with you.” A colleague from Maine tells this story: It is a long, long time ago in human terms—perhaps two thousand years ago—and God is sitting around, being God...and feeling that queasy, end-of the millennium feeling—you know the one, where, the morning after, you wonder if the whole last millennium was wasted, where you wonder to yourself, “what do I have to show for all that time? Was it worth it? Am I proud of it? Would I do it again?”</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">God looks around for something to write on—some sort of cosmic papyrus and a good, sharp stylus—and sighs. It's tiresome, these endless cycles of night and day, this running the universe all alone...and just look at the state of Creation, there, with all those people killing each other, as if THEY're little godlets, pretending they have the right to snuff out the divine spark of another's created life. It pushes the edges of belief. It doesn't make any sense. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br />Hmmm. Maybe that's the trouble. It doesn't make SENSE. You can shape a person out of cosmic dust, breathe the spirit of life into them, watch them move and act and learn, even hear their thoughts, but there's something about the human experience that their Creator has never known: embodiment, the scraped knees and bruised hearts, the ticklish toes and loving caresses, the anxious sweat, the throat-cooling rush of a good drink, the satisfying ache of honest exhaustion that comes after hard physical work... God cannot inhabit the limited bodies, the physical senses of these remarkable, loveable, wondrous and maddening creatures.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br />God unfurls a scroll, takes hold of the stylus, and begins to write:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br />“My...New...Year's...Resolutions:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />1.) Spend... more... time... with... my... family...”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=2230918142579698474&from=pencil#_edn3" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="">[iii]</span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><a style="mso-endnote-id: edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=2230918142579698474&from=pencil#_edn3" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><br /></span></span></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What dawns on us, at this time of year, more than any other, is just that: We rise up, we shine, our houses and our sanctuaries and our faces and our hearts, because God has kept that New Year’s resolution. The light of God has dawned in Jesus, God’s promise of presence with God’s people from the beginning.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">We all have gotten here this morning by following this light. We are all people of the exile; we are all Magi, we are all Simeon and Anna. We follow the light and we find Jesus there. Each time we act with compassion and forgiveness we are following the light. Every time we let kindness and caring inform our behavior we are following the light. Whenever we stand up for justice and fairness… when we pour into Tahrir Square by the thousands, or the State Capitol by the hundreds, certain that there is a better way to live together, we are following the light. When gratitude becomes our way of living, we are following the light.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not, will not overcome it. God’s presence, God’s light is here to stay. The home of God is here, with us. As we begin a new calendar year, your resolutions (should you choose to make any) are entirely up to you. But I will offer this prayer, courtesy of a 5<sup>th</sup> century Irish monk. Perhaps it will resonate with you as you drive through your own neighborhood, looking at those houses that are still bedecked with reminders of this beautiful season:<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;text-align:justify;mso-outline-level:6"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-size:100%;" >“Be thou a bright flame before me; Be thou a guiding star above me; Be thou a smooth path below me; Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me; Today, tonight and forever.”<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=2230918142579698474&from=pencil#_edn4" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[iv]</span></span></a> Thanks be to God. Amen.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"><br /><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=2230918142579698474&from=pencil#_ednref" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’ Birth</i> (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2007), 173-174.</span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=2230918142579698474&from=pencil#_ednref" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[ii]</span></span></a> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >Ibid.</span></i></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=2230918142579698474&from=pencil#_ednref" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[iii]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >Story by the Rev. Holly Morrison. She is a pastor in Portland, ME.</span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=2230918142579698474&from=pencil#_ednref" name="_edn4" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[iv]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >Saint Columba.</span></p> </div> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-109254362413268432011-12-27T00:48:00.001-05:002015-01-19T00:19:13.558-05:00The Shepherd's Story: Sermon on Luke 2:8-20<style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.MsoFooter, li.MsoFooter, div.MsoFooter {mso-style-link:"Footer Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; tab-stops:center 3.25in right 6.5in; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.FooterChar {mso-style-name:"Footer Char"; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:Footer; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style> <br />
--> <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Listen—I don’t have long—I simply must tell you what I must tell you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">You know me. You know my brothers and me, and how we watch our father’s flocks of sheep and goats. We are shepherds. You know what that means. We are not people who are given to flights of fancy. We are not dreamers and we are not romantics. Our lives and our responsibilities are very real: We rise in the morning before the flock becomes restless. WE take a quick count—assuming the person on the night watch didn’t fall asleep—to ensure that no wolves or coyotes decimated their ranks in the night. Then we move them, with the help of our dogs, across the mountain terrain, to the stream that runs south-southwest of here. We let them drink. Then we move them, again, across the rugged land to a place where they can pasture. While they eat we keep a watch for predators—as you know, that is the most important work we do. We protect the flocks. There is no one better with a staff than my brother Ezekiel. He killed a stalking leopard with one stroke last summer. He left a would-be poacher maimed the year before. Still, no one, not even Ezekiel, enjoys the attack. But this is our life. It is very real.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">And you know that, our ancestor David notwithstanding, shepherds are not held in the highest esteem. We are needed. Everyone wants our lambs and kids to adorn their table. Everyone wants the sweet milk of our goats to drink and to make savory cheeses. But no one much wants a shepherd around. We do a job everyone acknowledges must be done. But everyone would just as soon we stay out of sight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">What I am trying to say is... I don’t know why this happened to us. I don’t know why this happened to me. I only know that it happened. It happened to us. And we will never be the same.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">There we were last night, keeping watch over our sheep on the cold mountainside. They had settled down. Two of my brothers had curled up in front of a small fire, the end of a long day taking its toll on even the youngest and strongest bodies. Ezekiel and I were keeping watch. We were settling into the silence of a starry night, and the ground was beginning to cover over with a light frost.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Suddenly there was someone right in front of us—no warning. He had not walked to us. He had not run to us. We had not seen him coming—he was right there!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">But that is not what I meant to say. The thing was this: we couldn’t look at him. We couldn’t bear to look at him. He was so bright—it was as if the brightest lightning shone a hundred times in the same spot, for many minutes. It was what it is like if you stare and stare into the brightest firelight for a long, long, time, and then turn your head and try to see something in the dark. All you see is the light.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">There he stood, burning, radiant. Though I could not properly see him, I had the sense that he flowed and moved about even as he stood completely still. Were they robes that swirled in front of me? Were they... wings? Ezekiel and I fell to our knees. We knew what we had before us. You know what we had before us. A messenger from <span style="font-style: italic;">Ha Shem</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Adonai</span>, the Lord. A messenger from God can mean only—death. We knew our time had come, and so we fell to our knees. It was an instinct: the instinct to beg for our lives.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Then he spoke, and his voice was like the sound of rushing water. He spoke in our language, but he made it sound so beautiful... not the way my brothers and I speak at all. He sounded a little like a rabbi, only more beautiful, and more—filled with authority.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Do not be afraid,” he said, “for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to you</i> is born this day in the city of David a Savoir, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">The sound of his voice had awakened my sleeping brothers... I could see them out of the corner of my eye, huddled together like children, trembling. All I could hear at that moment was the sound of my own heart, beating, thump, thump. The messenger regarded us silently. Then there was a burst of sound as we all began to talk at once, our voices tumbling over each other.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Good news...” “The city of David... that’s Bethlehem... that’s just a few miles from here...” “A Savior... but that’s what the Gentiles call their Emperor!” “How can a nursling babe be anyone’s Savior?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Ezekiel had been silent until now. Then he spoke. “The Messiah? The one who is come to save our people? David’s son? The son of the shepherd?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">We were all silent again. The messenger swirled and swooped and somehow stood still. The voice like water burst forth again. “This will be a sign for you: you will find the child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” He waited a moment to see that we had taken in these words. Then the sky exploded, as if a hundred clouds had collided and issued a hundred thunderclaps, and we were all on the ground, covering our heads in fear. The flock, quiet until that moment, burst into bleating and stirred and stamped. I looked through my shaking arms and saw an army of a hundred—no, a thousand messengers, each as brilliant as the one who had spoken to us, so that the sky was no longer dark, but bright as a sunny noontime.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">The messengers were calling to one another, and it was like rushing water all around our heads. It was like music. It was like the crackling of fire. They were yelling. They were singing! “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace, good will among people!” The noise was both exquisitely beautiful and painful to hear. It was as if there was too much beauty for this shepherd’s heart to take in at once. Finally we rolled onto our backs, looking and listening and gasping for breath, and laughing at the amazement of it all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">I don’t know how long we were there. But eventually the last messenger ascended into the starry heavens, and we were left alone with our bleating flock. We lay there for a few minutes, struck dumb by what we had witnessed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Then my brother rose. “Up!” said Ezekiel. “Up! You heard him! You heard them! We have to go! We have to tell! We have to see!” Then he stopped, and a broad smile came over his dark face. “Did you hear what he said? He said, ‘To <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i>.’ To <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> is born a Savior! To <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">us</i>!” We all stood breathless, as the truth of the words dawned. This Savior... this was not someone for the rich and powerful only, like the Roman Emperor. This was someone who was coming <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to us</i>,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> for us</i>. Shepherds! The lowest of the low! We knew what it meant. If we were included, everyone was included.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">And now I have paused as long as I dare. My brothers have gone on ahead of me, and I will have to run to catch up. But I wanted you to know. I had to tell. And now I have to see, this child of God, this son of David, this baby shepherd who will save us, who will save us all. I have to go. I have to go! Thanks be to God! Amen.</span></div>
Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-75919106017997215982011-12-18T18:47:00.002-05:002011-12-18T18:53:45.888-05:00Home for Christmas: Sermon on 2 Samuel 7:1-16 and Luke 1:26-38<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FmUKHG8bpKJlhiaNGPptLFZqgzdBKfe6QpSdTAy4cDKADlrxvpREbdRe8Y6D0EkjSZGiQKfroJoXg1czHm1JXcHgo1mSM5Y6XZnJHEVViKKxj0gYcFyIu6CCe4RfpD8eF_8n9Q/s1600/army_soldier--300x300.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FmUKHG8bpKJlhiaNGPptLFZqgzdBKfe6QpSdTAy4cDKADlrxvpREbdRe8Y6D0EkjSZGiQKfroJoXg1czHm1JXcHgo1mSM5Y6XZnJHEVViKKxj0gYcFyIu6CCe4RfpD8eF_8n9Q/s320/army_soldier--300x300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687620814421756322" border="0" /></a><br /> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.MsoEndnoteReference {mso-style-noshow:yes; vertical-align:super;} p.MsoEndnoteText, li.MsoEndnoteText, div.MsoEndnoteText {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EndnoteTextChar {mso-style-name:"Endnote Text Char"; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text"; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">I’ll be home for Christmas</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">You can plan on me</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Please have snow</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">And mistletoe</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">And presents on the tree</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Christmas Eve will find me</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Where the love-light gleams</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Ill be home for Christmas</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">If only in my dreams.<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Context is everything. For years I knew that song as an oldie, a Christmas standard, particularly beloved by my parents’ generation. I only learned very late in the game that the song was written in the midst of World War II, from the point of view of the soldier. Which, of course, drastically alters the way I now hear that last melancholy line: “I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.”<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Is there any time of year that so powerfully evokes for most of us this notion of “home”? We all know what it’s supposed to look like, being home for Christmas: Snow, yes, and the large family house with the sounds of children and caroling, the fragrances of cookies baking, poultry roasting, and pine needles settling on the tree. Lights in the windows, perhaps festooned on the house itself. A fire in the fireplace. Laughter. Singing.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And the people: Mom and Dad, and Grandma and Grandpa, and children and grandchildren and friends and neighbors.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Home for Christmas. We all have a picture of what it’s supposed to look like, and it’s beautiful and evocative and perilous.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Perilous, because context is everything. Fewer than half of all American families look like that family we still idealize. We no longer grow up, most of us, next door to our grandparents. Families are far-flung, and if they gather for Christmas they do so from distances of hundreds or thousands of miles. Families are divorced, and living in new configurations. Maybe your household has dad and papa. Or mom. Or grandpa. Maybe you live alone and happily. Maybe your spouse travels for work much of the year. Being ‘home for Christmas’ may not be possible, and even if it is, it may not look anything like the image we still see in movies and on TV and on greeting cards.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Context is everything. In our reading from 2 Samuel, David has pretty much just stepped off the battlefield—just completed the hard and bloody work of consolidating his power and defeating the remnants of those who opposed his ascending the throne, God’s anointed or not. And David has some key things going for him: he’s a tactical and strategic genius, militarily speaking. He’s charismatic and attractive—the narrative mentions his ruddy beauty more than once. He’s a natural leader. He now has his palace—though a house of cedar conjures up a ski lodge for me, more than it does Camelot. David needs just one more thing. He needs to build a house, a home, for the God who has had his back—the God who helped the prophet Samuel to pick him out of a line-up of older and stronger and more accomplished brothers. The God who urged Samuel to anoint David, and transferred the divine allegiance to him, and gave him victory in battle after battle. The God who,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>throughout the reign of David, was more present, more apparent to the people, than at almost any time during Israel’s history.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Building a home for the local god was a kingly thing to do. Make no mistake: David’s conscience may well have pricked him, that here he was in his cozy cedar lodge and God was camping out. But to have built God a house, to have been able to say, “I have given the God of Israel a home,” was yet another strategic move to consolidate David’s kingly power. Context is everything.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">So, David makes the following announcement to the current prophet-in-residence, Nathan. David doesn’t dare to speak to God directly here. Perhaps he is looking to Nathan for guidance, for blessing, which Nathan gives. But then God speaks to Nathan, too, the royal go-between, God responds, and I love God’s response. “I’m not too good to camp out,” God says. “I’ve been camping out for a good long time, going back to the days when I was leading my people out of slavery in Egypt and they were wandering around in the desert for forty years. I like this mobile lifestyle. You think you’re going to do me a big favor by building me a temple, a house, a home. Well, I have other notions of what a house or home might mean.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“Remember,” God reminds David, “when you were literally running around after sheep a pasture, a dirty nobody of a kid? Remember how I was with you there, and I took you from that pasture to give you another job? Remember,” God says, “this battle and that battle, when I was your front line for offense and your rear guard for defense? Have you notice that, wherever you go, I shall go?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“I’m not saying a temple wouldn’t be nice at some point,” says God, “maybe built for me by some other king. But for you, David, I am going to show you a new understanding of ‘house’ and ‘home.’” And by this God means, David’s imprint upon God’s people is here to stay. The lineage of David, its impact on God’s people, will never diminish. In fact, it will grow even stronger, in new and startling ways</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Fast-forward roughly one thousand years. Another nobody, this time a young girl in a Palestinian backwater called Nazareth, has something happen to her in the sixth month of somebody else’s story (those somebodies would be Elizabeth and Zechariah). Mary has a brush with God’s intentions for her, in the form of an announcement by a frightening angel (they’re all frightening, evidently). “Don’t be afraid,” says the angel (because they all have to say that). “God thinks you are pretty wonderful,” the angel continues. “God would like to… move in with you. Set up housekeeping, so to speak.” And this is where God’s promise to David takes a most unexpected turn.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The astonishing, the unbelievable, the world-overturning announcement the angel makes to Mary is this: The God who has been content to live in a tent has now decided that Mary will be that tent. The God who refused to let the beloved King David build the divine dwelling will now make Mary the divine dwelling. God has finally decided—or, more likely, God has known all along—exactly<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>what “home” God wants to dwell in. That home is us. See, the home of God is among mortals [Rev. 21:3]. People. Humanity.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This is it, right here. The reason for the season, as the saying goes. A lot of ink is spilled (or, perhaps, a lot of pixels are rendered) over this question, “What does Christmas mean?” and people’s answer to that depends on where they are coming from. Context is everything. For those who have been looking for work for 18 months Christmas might mean some temporary seasonal employment, to keep foreclosure at bay a little longer. Or this year Christmas might mean a family’s first time in a shelter. In the lexicon of the Christmas carol, Christmas might mean the season to tell your loved ones how you feel about them. According to the commercials, Christmas means having just the right gift, right food, right clothes, right decorations so that we can celebrate in style. But I am going to tell you, right now, once and for all, this is what Christmas means: the home of God is with us. Immanuel. God-with-us.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Callow young shepherd boys and girls from nowheresville. Investment bankers and hog farmers and shoe repair men. Nursing home aides and McDonald’s employees and neurologists. Frame shop owners and college students and little boys who have just celebrated their sixth birthday. Elderly women and men in wheelchairs, with and without dementia. People standing in the unemployment line and the line in from of the Salvation Army. People living in mansions and people living in FEMA trailers. People with twenty children and people with one or none. Altos and cellists and accordion players. Cooks and cookie bakers and bartenders.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">See, God’s home is among us. I’ll be home for Christmas, God sings to us, in that melancholy basso profundo of his. Only, this is no dream. God will be home for Christmas, whatever your home and mine look like, whether we have carols playing or hip hop, whether we are watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” or anime. God will be home for Christmas, because God’s home is with us, and in us. I’ll be home for Christmas, sings God. Thanks be to God. Amen.</p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >Copyright 1943, Kim Gannon and Walter Kent.</span></p> </div> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-58431929505326663422011-12-17T12:38:00.002-05:002011-12-17T12:41:21.793-05:00Our Unsettling Cousin: Sermon on Mark 1:1-8I only just realized that I never posted my Advent 2 sermon. (Advent 3 saw a delightful Christmas Pageant at our church, so no preaching for me.)<br /><br /> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.MsoFooter, li.MsoFooter, div.MsoFooter {mso-style-link:"Footer Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; tab-stops:center 3.0in right 6.0in; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.FooterChar {mso-style-name:"Footer Char"; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:Footer; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Last week we read the first part of Luke’s gospel, telling the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth and the angel’s visit to announce that they would have a son in their old age. This older couple finally has the baby boy they had dreamed of and prayed for. Imagine their joy. Imagine their delirious, unforeseen, through the moon joy!<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Then imagine dinner, oh, 16 years down the road.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">In walks John, a surly teenager in a rather unusual outfit, even for the year 16 AD. His mother speaks.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“No. No. Not that thing again. If I’ve told you once I’ve told you a hundred times. I will not have that stinky camel-skin thing at my dinner table.”</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“Mother, I’m a prophet. Like Elijah. Haven’t you ever heard of Elijah?”</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“And look—Zechariah look. He has fleas. Fleas! They’re getting all over the table cloth.”</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Zechariah tries to intercede: “Son, really, I think your mother…”</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“Dad, I’m sick and tired of you two not getting it. Don’t you see? This is the way he’s described in scripture!” [2 Kings 1:8].</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“I don’t care, young man! I want that nasty camel-pelt out of my dining room!” John leaves and returns a few minutes later in a traditional man’s robe, and slumps down at the table. His mother puts a plate of lamb and pita bread and cucumbers in front of him, but he just pushes it around on the plate.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“What’s wrong now?” sighs Elizabeth.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“Do you have any locusts?” John asks.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It takes a moment for Elizabeth to find the words. “Locusts? You mean—as in, those horrible, buzzing, flying things that are the stuff of biblical plagues? No John. No, I don’t have any locusts.”</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">John looks hopefully around the kitchen. “How about some wild honey?”</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Well, Zechariah and Elizabeth can’t claim they weren’t warned. The angel told them pretty specifically what they could expect in their son—that he would be great, that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit, and that he would prepare the way of the Lord. They were also told that John would pretty much be channeling the prophet Elijah, thus the unusual garb and eating habits.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">John is trying to help the people to prepare, to get ready for an encounter with God, which, as it happens, is much the same thing we are trying to do in this Advent season. We are using this time to prepare for an encounter with God. How do we do that, precisely?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It’s easy to think John had some kind of advantage. Which makes sense, his being Jesus’ cousin and all—according to Luke’s gospel, that is. I mean, they probably had play dates, right? Mary and Elizabeth and the two boys, hitting the parks in the hill country of Judea? Doesn’t it make sense that they grew up knowing one another, at least a little bit?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Even so, I don’t think that knowing which card games Jesus liked, or how do slip an inside curveball past him, necessarily helped John in the work God was commissioning him to do. Being related to Jesus did not, for John, equal “having a relationship with Jesus.”<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">John had it right, out in the Jordan River, surrounded by all those people looking to be baptized. We prepare for an encounter with God through repentance.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Now, it bears saying, Advent is not Lent. We are in the midst of a season whose focus is preparation, readiness, and it has a joyful flavor to it. There has been some serious hanging of the greens around here lately, and this sanctuary is not a place that is being made ready for things that are somber or painful.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And, as I’ve pointed out before, we all tend to come to the word “repentance” with our own history, and images, and associations. I shared with you once about a street preacher I saw in Times Square. He didn’t make me want to repent so much as run the other way.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">But repentance is still a part of Advent, and to understand that, we have to understand the root meaning of the word, which for bible nerds like me, means, the original-language-meaning. Repentance is from the Greek word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">metanoia</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">metanoia</i> means, literally, turning around. Turn around, John says, or you will not see Jesus when he gets here. Turn around, I have something very cool to show you. Turn around, or you will miss the good stuff.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is to my distinct advantage, I think, that one of my strongest associations with John the Baptist is the play “Godspell,” to which I was introduced at about the age of 13 when my cousin took me to see it at the Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. (And yes, that’s where Lincoln was assassinated, during a production of “Our American Cousin.”) For those of you who have never seen the play or the movie, let me try to describe John’s first scene. He pulls out a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">shofar</i>, an instrument made from a ram’s horn, and blasts a loud note on it, several times. Then he sings, “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord,” which starts as a solo, but quickly develops into an up-tempo ensemble piece. In the movie, we see people leaving their jobs behind—a waitress and a garment industry worker and an actress and a cab driver, for example—and following the sound and rhythm of the music to a fountain, where they all jump in, get washed up and change their lives completely, all in the space of a two minute song.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Thanks to “Godspell” and its particular vision of John the Baptist, I grew up associating him and his message with joy and exuberance and fun. “Prepare the way of the Lord” was something you did singing, and it described a moment of possibility, of leaving behind something that was burdensome to you, and turning around to see what new thing Jesus was going to show you, like all those people on stage and in the movie, who were clearly having the time of their lives.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Jesus’ unsettling cousin John had a message for the people of ancient Judea and he has the same message for us today, in our Advent season of 2011. That message is “turn around.” So, we need to do some pondering. What, exactly, do we need to turn away from in order to be able to turn toward Jesus? When you turn around, you turn your back is to one thing even as you turn to face another. As we prepare the way of the Lord in our hearts, in our lives, what are we turning from as we turn toward Jesus? It’s a question filled with joy, and possibility, and leaving something burdensome behind. It’s a question I invite you to place at the heart of your prayer and reflection this week. Thanks be to God. Amen.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-60599273416346144832011-11-28T10:27:00.002-05:002011-11-28T10:45:44.782-05:00A Family History: A Year D Sermon for Advent 1So.... have any of you heard of the Year D project? It's an initiative of Timothy Slemmons, a Presbyterian minister and assistant professor of homiletics and worship at Dubuque Seminary. His point, to be brief, is that the Revised Common Lectionary leaves out a lot of stuff, and many passages of scripture urge us to read it in its entirety. He offers Year D as a corrective. His blog is <a href="http://theyeardproject.blogspot.com/p/start-here.html">here</a>. He includes, not only four lections for each Sunday in the proposed Year D, but also worship helps.<br /><br />I find Year B, the year of Mark, the toughest Advent year for preaching. And yet-- full disclosure-- I have yet to grapple with all the gospel lections offered by the RCL.<br /><br />At any rate, the prospect of delving into the character of Elizabeth and her story, and how it might speak to the Advent project, was just too tempting. So I did it.<br /><br />+++<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> <o:pixelsperinch>72</o:PixelsPerInch> <o:targetscreensize>1024x768</o:TargetScreenSize> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:donotshowcomments/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:donotoptimizeforbrowser/> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">What can we say about Elizabeth?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We can say that she was a woman with a pedigree, a member of a particular kind of religious aristocracy—a descendant of Aaron, the very first of all the priests of Israel. And the priests were those who were literally closest to God—they served in the Temple, for ancient Jews, God’s home on earth. Priests were the only ones who could venture into that holiest of holy places. Of course, only men could be priests. And so Elizabeth was not only descended from priests; she was also married to one, Zechariah. Elizabeth was a priestly woman.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We can also say that both Elizabeth and her husband lived up to the expectations of that pedigree. Luke says, “Both of them were righteous before God…,” blameless. Elizabeth was a righteous woman.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">And we can say that Elizabeth was “middle-aged”—at least, that’s how we would describe her today. In her day, an era when life expectancy at birth was not even thirty years, she was probably close to fifty. In her day, Elizabeth was an old woman.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">And we can say this: Elizabeth did not expect to have a child. Luke calls her “barren,” a dreadful word conjuring up desert wastelands which was applied to women who had failed to fulfill what was, in that era, considered a woman’s primary duty: to have a child. Specifically, to have a male child, so that her husband’s lineage might continue. Of course, the word betrays an understanding of reproduction that is intent on placing blame, always on the woman. Something so problematic it would take ten sermons to begin to unpack. For now, we will just have to say, Elizabeth was a “barren” woman. We will use quotation marks to stand in for all we cannot say about this label in this sermon. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">A priestly woman, but an old woman. A righteous woman, but a barren woman. These are the things Luke tells us about Elizabeth. He would have weighed these attributes, finding in them counterbalances to one another, in an effort to answer the questions: Should we care about Elizabeth? Is she worth our notice? And, in particular, why read her story on this first Sunday in Advent? </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">My answers to these questions are: Yes, we should care about this woman who teeters in the balance of these weighty adjectives. Yes, she is a woman who is worth our notice. And we read about her because she is a part of an important family history, the history of Jesus of Nazareth. As we prepare this Advent to celebrate his birth and to anticipate his return, I think it’s a worthwhile project to acquaint ourselves with this particular one of his forbears. Just as my family history doesn’t begin with me, and your family history doesn’t begin with you, Jesus’ family history begins long before his birth, or even his conception. In truth, it begins long before this priestly/ old/ righteous/ barren woman comes along. But since the gospel begins with her, we’ll start there.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We no sooner meet Elizabeth, and receive Luke’s fourfold assessment of her, than everything in her world is turned upside down by the announcement of an angel. Gabriel appears, not to Elizabeth, but to her husband, while he is at work, no less. Gabriel, an archangel whose name means “God is my strength,” appears in the sacred writings of Christians, and Jews, and Muslims. We Christians know him as the great announcer—he appears, in Luke’s gospel, first to Zechariah, and then to Mary, in both cases forecasting very unexpected arrivals.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Gabriel tells Zechariah that his wife—his priestly and old and righteous and barren wife—will have a child, a son, and he goes on to describe that son’s remarkable life at some length. The son, whose name will be John, will be great in the eyes of God, and a very particular vessel for the work of the Holy Spirit. Our Monday 5 PM Bible Study has just finished reading Luke’s other book, the Acts of the Apostles, and everyone in that group can tell you this: the Holy Spirit is arguably the main character in Luke’s writing. Everything important that happens does so by the power and activity of the Spirit. To say that John will be such a vessel is an amazing statement, one that ought to give Zechariah pause, make him fall to his undoubtedly arthritic knees in gratitude and humility and awe and joy.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">That’s not really how this scene unfolds, though. Evidently this announcement is so dubious that the priest, rather than being overwhelmed by the way in which God is smiling on his family, says the equivalent of “No way.” Or, perhaps, “Prove it.” Everything except, “Yeah, and I have a bridge in Berea I want to sell you.” </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Gabriel is not amused, and rather than put up with such a disbelieving retort, he tells Zechariah he can just stay in his room and think about what he’s said, and no dinner for him tonight. Or, rather, the biblical version of this: no talking for you, Zechariah, until that baby is born. Which is no sooner than nine months from now. The words out of your mouth doubted the Holy Spirit. Fine. Therefore, your voice is silenced. For now.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">After those days, Luke tells us, Elizabeth did in fact conceive—Elizabeth, whose name in Hebrew is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Elisheva</i>, which means “My God has sworn.” Indeed. Elizabeth’s God, the God, evidently, of the priestly and the old and the righteous and the barren, has sworn. And so it comes to pass. By which I mean, God does it. God makes it happen. And then, as soon as we have met Elizabeth, she disappears from the narrative for a time—there is another announcement, and another pregnancy for Gabriel and the Holy Spirit to orchestrate. It’s time for Elizabeth to be alone for a while.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">I’m interested in sharing Elizabeth’s story with you for a couple of reasons. For one thing, it’s a story the lectionary doesn’t really give us a chance to experience and enjoy. For another, it ties in with one of the great overarching themes of Advent, the theme of hope.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We are given only the tiniest window into Elizabeth’s heart, and her few words speak volumes. At the end of our passage, five months pregnant, she says, “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.” Disgrace is a powerful word, and a word that seems to signal an absence of all hope. To be a disgrace is to be in a state opposite to a state of grace, that free and unlimited gift of love. For Elizabeth, at the beginning of her story here, there is no free gift of love. But at the end of the story, she can say that God has taken away that disgrace, and, instead, looked upon her with favor. The road from disgrace to favor is a road whose traveler knows intimately what it is like to be without hope, and to then have that hope restored.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The loss of hope can creep up on us, silent as a little cat, so stealthy we do not even know it has curled up under our feet. We simply awaken one day and realize that we no longer look at life as having possibility, the promise of joy. The absence of hope leaves room only for despair. If hope is the “thing with feathers,” despair is the sure and certain knowledge that we are grounded, and will never rise again. Despair is the understanding that there is no grace for us, not now, and not ever. Despair is what Elizabeth experienced prior to the events of this story. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">When we leave her, Elizabeth is five months pregnant, secluded, and, for those of us looking for the hope to be found in Advent, she is a model we might consider. In order to be open to the real experience of hope, we have to remember what it is to have none. When have you found that little cat that is despair curled up in your heart? Maybe, like Elizabeth, it had to do with the expectations you couldn’t quite fulfill, whether they were your own, or your family’s, or society’s. Maybe your experience of losing hope had to do with what felt like an unending and terrifying job search, or perhaps having a job you dreaded day after day, when walking into your workplace felt like sinking in quicksand. Maybe your experience of losing hope has to do, not with your personal situation, but with something you see around you… the interminable and hateful deadlock we witness day by day in our government, the way people on both sides of any given debate shout past one another, never really hearing one another. Elizabeth is a model to consider because she has truly lived in the pain of her despair, and now she is living in the pregnant expectation of hope’s restoration.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">In Advent we are asked to become willing to gestate hope in ourselves. One writer says,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">In Advent we are a people, pregnant. Pregnant and waiting. We long for the<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>God/Man to be born, and waiting is hard… [But] waiting, because it will always be with us, can be made a work of art, and the season of Advent invites us to underscore and understand that… state of being, waiting. Our… world wants to blast away waiting from our lives. Instant gratification has become our constitutional right, and delay an aberration. We equate waiting with wasting… waiting is unpractical time, good for nothing, but mysteriously necessary to all that is becoming. As in a pregnancy, nothing of value comes into being without a period of quiet incubation. Not a healthy baby, not a loving relationship, not a reconciliation, a new understanding, a work of art, never a transformation… Waiting could use a new look. The discipline of delayed gratification—not celebrating Christmas until the twenty-fourth of December—and the hope-filled rituals of our Advent preparations will give value to the waiting periods in our lives.<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" href="#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[i]</span></b></span></span></span></a></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We find Elizabeth a disgrace, as she describes herself. And we leave her filled with grace, and hope, and waiting for what God will unfold next in her life, and her house is very, very quiet. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">What if we were to expect God to break into our lives over these next four weeks just as radically as God broke into Elizabeth’s life? For most of us, the next four weeks will be busy.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They will be filled with preparations for the celebrations of Christmas at home and school and work and church. But for every one of us, these weeks are an opportunity we are offered each year, an opportunity to find a tiny oasis of quiet even in the midst of the busyness, to lean into our own experience of hopelessness and listen for that tiny thing with feathers. We are all Elizabeth; our God has sworn that we will not be left in our despair. We are all Elizabeth; still waiting, but knowing that we can cling to God’s promise even as the days grow darker. We are all Elizabeth; capable of gestating a hope that God will make it happen, in ways we can’t even yet imagine. Thanks be to God. Amen.</p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"><br /> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn1"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" href="#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[i]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt">Gertrud Mueller Nelson, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">To Dance With God: Family Ritual and Community Celebration</i> (New York/ Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1986), 61-62.</span></p> </div> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-81004637263332757362011-11-28T10:20:00.003-05:002011-11-28T10:26:29.461-05:00The Christ We Know: A Sermon for Reign of Christ<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpsPQr0g3mL0Hisr-B8TppjLrScEayp5b8XYA2OE67-9j8wW-08BmxHserpOMJsmWcLhFROxEyfkqVQMJymfIAqac5Rla7jARejhs0Mj5JZV8eGidEldH9tQFgbP3DGKEMP-UCg/s1600/TheRisenLord.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpsPQr0g3mL0Hisr-B8TppjLrScEayp5b8XYA2OE67-9j8wW-08BmxHserpOMJsmWcLhFROxEyfkqVQMJymfIAqac5Rla7jARejhs0Mj5JZV8eGidEldH9tQFgbP3DGKEMP-UCg/s320/TheRisenLord.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680067742334216322" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> <o:pixelsperinch>72</o:PixelsPerInch> <o:targetscreensize>1024x768</o:TargetScreenSize> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:donotshowcomments/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:donotoptimizeforbrowser/> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">It’s not unusual, historically speaking, for the church to be at odds with the surrounding culture. Today is a perfect example. Ask most people the significance of today, Sunday November 20, and you will most likely get an abundance of answers.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For those of us in the United States, it is the Sunday before Thanksgiving. And that also means, just a few more days to shop and prepare for the Thanksgiving dinners many of us will share with our loved ones. And for those whose families are far-flung, for whatever reason, it might mean that there are just a few more days until we see those loved ones, in the flesh.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">But I would also have to say: just five days from now the Christmas shopping season goes into high gear with “Black Friday,” a day my mother was convinced was named because in her South Philadelphia neighborhood, the nuns would emerge to shop in little clusters of black habits. (I was an adult before I learned that most people believe it’s the start of the season that will help businesses to end the year “in the black,” as opposed to “in the red.”)</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">Here’s something you may not know: Last night there was a candlelight vigil outside the Unitarian Church in Our Town, because today is the 13<sup>th</sup> Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to remember those who have been killed because of their gender expression.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">Here’s something else you may not know: on this day in 1877, the great inventor Thomas Edison constructed the first working phonograph in his lab in Menlo Park, New Jersey. The first record ever made was the sound of Edison shouting, “Mary had a little lamb.” In this week in which it was announced that the major label record companies will stop manufacturing compact discs in 2012, it’s good to take a moment to nod in appreciation to the grandmother of these items which will soon become extinct. It’s good to remember.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%">It’s good to remember, and it’s notable that Edison’s phonograph was the inauguration of technology that has made it less necessary for us to remember, to develop our memories. Memory is strengthened by repetition, and by association, and it is the sad truth that, as technology has blossomed, our memories have suffered, because we have not needed them so much. Most people’s memories, in 2011, are far inferior to the memories of the people who lived thousands of years ago, when knowledge was retained through the power of our brains<span style="font-size:85%;">.<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";" >[i]</span></span></span></span></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">Which brings me back to my original point: the church is often at odds with culture. For the church, today is the Sunday on which we honor Christ as King, and ponder the Reign of Christ. Today also marks the end of the church year, which begins again next Sunday with Advent. To help us to mark the Reign of Christ, and to remember what that might mean, I think it might be good for us to look back over this past year, by which I mean the particular way in which Jesus Christ was revealed to us in the gospel of Matthew, our main gospel text these last twelve months<span style="font-size:85%;">.<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";" >[ii]</span></span></span></span></a></span> Who is this Jesus Christ, whose reign we proclaim today? How do we know him? What does the gospel of Matthew, in particular, reveal to us about him?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">First, Jesus was born. Remember that? And immediately we were confronted with Matthew’s reminding us of “the dark side of Christmas.” Remember that terrible story, the story of Herod being tipped off by the Magi that a royal baby had been born? Remember what he did? He sent out armies to find and kill that baby. Their instructions were to kill all the children under the age of 2 in and around Bethlehem. The coming of Jesus, which we celebrate with all joy and fanfare, was greeted as a threat by those in power, those whom today we might call “the 1 %.”</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">Fast–forward thirty years—the lectionary always does this, because the gospels do this—and Jesus is being baptized by John in the Jordan River, an event marked by both the reluctance of the Baptist and the opening of the heavens, the dove, the sign of God’s Spirit descending, and the voice of God speaking out: “This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Next thing we know, John has been arrested, and Jesus is on the move, preaching, teaching, healing, and proclaiming the gospel. This dangerous baby has grown into a man who is ready to do God’s work, whatever the risks.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">And then, just in case we haven’t caught the associations already—a baby threatened by a ruler at birth, who grows up in a dangerous environment where his people are being oppressed—Matthew further makes his case for Jesus as a new Moses by having him climb a mountain—just like Moses—to deliver to the people a new understanding of God’s law. Jesus delivers the Sermon on the Mount. It begins with the beatitudes, as startling a reversal of conventional wisdom as has ever been set forth. The poor? They are the ones who are blessed by God. Those who are mourning? God will comfort them. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness? They will be filled. And on and on—Jesus naming those who are the most oppressed, the most aggrieved, the most set-upon, and saying: look for God here, in these lives. You want to know what and who God is concerned about? Look no further.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">The sermon is filled with some of the most well-known sayings of Jesus. “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” It also contains some which, even if well-known, are not so well-loved, and even less well-observed. “Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.” “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” “Whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.” “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.” And much of what we now know as “The Lord’s Prayer,” Jesus’ prayer, comes to us from the Sermon on the Mount And one of my favorites, “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">After he finishes preaching, Jesus continues to draw a community of followers to him, and they hit the road, together and separately. One of the most striking things about Jesus, one of the things I think we in the church still fail to appreciate and emulate, is how very much on the move Jesus was at all times. He did not build a building and go inside and wait for the people to come to him to hear his wisdom. He went out and met the people where they were, listened to them, healed them, and then taught them and preached to them. On this day on which we mark the Reign of Christ, we remember the model Jesus was for us, what he did do and didn’t do.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">Of course, Jesus argued. Or rather, Jesus responded to arguments. He never actually picked a fight with anyone, but Matthew certainly shows us a Jesus who, increasingly, is at odds with those in charge, that 1 % if you will, and they come out in full force to challenge him, to try to trip him up, to get him to make a false move that will cause the people to turn their backs on him, give them reason to arrest him.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">Now, we come to the last words Jesus spoke publicly. For the last several chapters of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus has been in the Temple teaching, and responding to these reproaches and challenges, and talking about a day to come when God’s judgment will be made known to all people. Jesus shares what might be called an apocalyptic vision—a vision of the Son of Man in glory, surrounded by angels, seated on a throne, and proclaiming his words of judgment. Only, it sounds less like a courtroom and more like a homely seminar on animal husbandry. There are sheep, and there are goats, and they are divided, some on the right (which in bible language is always good) and some on the left (which in bible language is always bad—sorry lefties. We don’t believe that any more, of course.) The sheep are separated from the goats and the basis of that separation has nothing to do with who is a Christian and who is not. The sheep are separated from the goats, and it has nothing to do with politics, or anyone’s position on school prayer, or marriage equality, or anything except this: how did they treat one another?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Or, more specifically, how did they treat those who were hurting—the most oppressed, the most aggrieved, the most set-upon? The hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the naked, the sick, those in prison? Did they take care of one another? If so—welcome to the sheepfold, come on in. If not—they are goats, and, by all appearances, they are not welcome.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">One of the most interesting things about this story has to do with the unknowability of it all. Would it interest you to know that, in ancient Palestine, you really did have to be an expert in animal husbandry to tell sheep from goats? Wild sheep and wild goats looked essentially the same, were not at all easy to tell apart. And that is reflected in the story Jesus tells—for heaven’s sake, even the sheep do not know they are sheep, and the goats do not know they are goats! “When did we do that?” they ask. “Us? We did that?” Or, more sadly, “When did we not do that?”</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">Uncertainty would appear to be the nature of the reign of Christ, in this respect. It is not easily discernible who is “in” and who is “out.” In fact, the story throws the whole “in” and “out” dichotomy into disarray, by this one simple fact: all the people we are told we should be caring for are the most “out” of all. They are so out they are in. If that makes any sense. This reminds me of a line from a sermon I read years ago, in which the preacher said, “I start to suspect the Good Shepherd and the Good Goatherd are one and the same.” The day anyone asks you the question, “Are you saved?” you have my permission to smile pleasantly and think of this story, in which no one knows the answer to that question. And Jesus word to them is, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">Who is this Jesus Christ, whose reign we proclaim today?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">The Christ we know is a threat to those in power.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">The Christ we know is a new Moses, leading his people out of slavery and into a new life of freedom.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">The Christ we know teaches through storytelling, and never stays in one place very long.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">The Christ we know upsets conventional wisdom and shows us a way to live that is counterintuitive.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">The Christ we know is to be found among the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the naked, the sick, the prisoners—those he calls “the least.” The littlest. The lost.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;">The Christ we know asks us to show that we follow him, that we have a “personal relationship” with him, not by what we say or what we pray, but by what we do.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">This is the Christ we know. This is the Christ whose reign is here and yet not here—who is coming in glory even has he has already come to inhabit our world and our hearts. This is the Christ who invites us to be with those who are hurting and know: we will find him there. Thanks be to God. Amen.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"> </p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"> <hr align="left" width="33%" style="font-size:78%;"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn1"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";" >[i]</span></span></span></span></a></span> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >Edward Hays, “Birthday of the Phonograph, 1877,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The Old Hermit’s Almanac: Daily Meditations for the Journey of Life</i> (Leavenworth, KS: Forest of Peace Publishing, 1997), 330.</span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn2"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";" >[ii]</span></span></span></span></a></span> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >Karoline Lewis, Brainwave #205: Lectionary Texts for November 20, 2011, Working Preacher Podcast, <a href="http://workingpreacher.org/brainwave">http://workingpreacher.org/brainwave</a>. </span></p> </div> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-20830977640313841632011-10-23T07:14:00.003-04:002011-10-23T07:20:54.314-04:00Trick Questions, Real Answers: Stewardship Sermon on Matthew 22:15-22<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2pf3uqpgY-AZba8JoZaTFDSyLPxKlnQk2b95Itr1SQjVNP3BrSbiFRinUlRk8MVcxD_wOw-6GATtIFS-WEdSyEvTlEDmufFCTVucwF7VuiZhys-PmfOiybD1tG1TRIhyphenhyphenVQyyXQ/s1600/MKRI_003_Tiberius_Denarius.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2pf3uqpgY-AZba8JoZaTFDSyLPxKlnQk2b95Itr1SQjVNP3BrSbiFRinUlRk8MVcxD_wOw-6GATtIFS-WEdSyEvTlEDmufFCTVucwF7VuiZhys-PmfOiybD1tG1TRIhyphenhyphenVQyyXQ/s320/MKRI_003_Tiberius_Denarius.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666645649289688306" border="0" /></a><br /> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.MsoEndnoteReference {mso-style-noshow:yes; vertical-align:super;} p.MsoEndnoteText, li.MsoEndnoteText, div.MsoEndnoteText {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} span.EndnoteTextChar {mso-style-name:"Endnote Text Char"; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text"; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We all know what trick questions are, right? A trick question is one to which there is no good answer—or, to which the apparent answer leads you down a rabbit hole of misunderstanding and wordplay. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Here are a few examples of trick questions:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Q: How many months have 28 days in them?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">A: They all do. (One month has exactly 28 days.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Q: How many of each species did Moses bring on the ark?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">A: None. Moses wasn’t on the ark; it was Noah.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Q: Why are 2007 pennies worth more than 2006 pennies?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">A: Because 2007 pennies are worth $20.07, and 2006 pennies are worth $20.06.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Q: I have two coins, totaling thirty cents. One of them is not a nickel. What are they?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">A: A quarter and a nickel; the quarter is not a nickel.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">OK, this is all silliness. But sometimes, trick questions are not silly in the least. Sometimes they are posed with intention to do real harm. Jesus is asked a trick question about taxes, but the purpose is not to challenge his math or logic skills. The purpose is to trap him in giving an answer that will get him into real trouble.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Just to be clear, there is no easy parallel between the tax Jesus is being asked about and any tax we pay as citizens of the U. S. in the 21<sup>st</sup> century. This is not an income tax, nor is it a sales tax, nor is it a capital gains tax. The tax to Caesar is an annual head tax on every subject of Rome. It is a tax on all men from age fourteen and women from age twelve to age sixty-five and, the rate is one denarius per year. That’s one day’s wages for a laborer.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="">[i]</span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><a style="mso-endnote-id: edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><br /></span></span></a> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Jesus is in the Temple, and not one, but two different groups, groups that do not normally get along or even associate with one another in any way, conspire together to trap him. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” seems to be the attitude of the Pharisees and the Herodians, at least for now. The Pharisees were members of a religious movement within Judaism that stressed strict observance of the law, especially around the matter of table fellowship. The Pharisees’ most pressing concern was usually, with whom should one keep company? How does one stay ritually pure? The Herodians, on the other hand, were also Jews, but those who seemed to be very comfortable collaborating with the Roman Empire. That, by definition, means that they normally flouted the kinds of laws the Pharisees held dear, and they aided the Romans in oppressing the Jewish people. The only thing these groups had in common, it would seem, was their mistrust of Jesus.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">So they ask him a question. But first, they butter him up like an ear of late sweet corn. “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality” [Matt. 22:16]. Oh, brother. Neither the Pharisees nor the Herodians see Jesus as quite the heroic ethicist this build-up would suggest. To the Pharisees, he’s a guy who consistently gets that table fellowship wrong by eating with anyone and everyone. To the Herodians he is a troublemaker, who is eager to point out the evils of Empire for the common woman and man.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Then they spring the question: “Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” [Matt. 22:17].<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Now, the Pharisees and the Herodians have asked Jesus an excellent trick question, one in the vein of “Have you stopped beating your wife?”. If Jesus says a simple “Yes,” then the Pharisees can accuse him of consorting with Rome, the great enemy, and fracture the relationship between Jesus and the people. If Jesus says “No,” then the Herodians can accuse Jesus of being an insurrectionist, a crime punishable by crucifixion. In either case, Jesus loses.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">But Jesus, instead of being backed into a corner by the question, asks for a denarius, the coin used to pay the tax. He asks whose head is on the coin—a poor translation for the actual word Jesus used, “image.” Whose image is on the coin, Jesus asks? His questioners respond, “Caesar.” That is true. Perhaps even more interesting than whose image is on the coin are the words found there. As an example, the coin minted during the reign of Tiberius read, “Tiberius Caesar, august son of the divine Augustus, high priest.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For Jews, the words were blasphemous. They amount to calling Caesar “son of god.”</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Jesus knows this, and it may, perhaps, be one of his most brilliant moves that he asks for—and receives—one of these coins from a Pharisee. For a Pharisee to have been carrying the coin is, itself, a concession to blasphemy. The whole scene reeks of hypocrisy: the ones who are trying to trap Jesus have, themselves, been very nicely trapped.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">So what are we to make of Jesus’ words? “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s” [Matt. 22:21b]. Has Jesus managed to divide life up neatly into discrete piles, in which all things over here in this pile belong to God, and all things over there in that pile belong to the state? I am not sure. What do you think?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">How do we figure out which things belong to God? On the subject of our giving, in support of the mission of the church, for example, what is the formula we should follow? I am not sure. I wonder what you think.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In order to begin to answer this question, it’s important for us to understand that question of Jesus’, “Whose image is on the coin?” It’s important for us to understand that word, “image,” and its significance, the role it played, and still plays, in Jewish and Christian theology. It is a word that appears in the very first chapter of the very first book in the Bible, when God, in the midst of creating, says, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness;” and then a few moments later, the narrator assures us that that is precisely what happened: “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them…” [Genesis 1:26-27].</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What do we give to Caesar? Those things stamped with Caesar’s image. What do we give to God? Those things stamped with God’s image. How do we figure out how to give ourselves to God? I’m not sure. I wonder what you think?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">There is an old tale, which probably amounts to the early medieval version of an urban legend, but it is still instructive. It is about the Gauls, an ancient and warlike tribe of people who inhabited what we now know as France and Belgium. By the time of the Christian era, this Druidic people had come under the influence of the Roman Empire—the 4<sup>th</sup> and 5<sup>th</sup> centuries, probably. Christian missionaries spread throughout Europe and Asia, and the Gauls began to be converted in large numbers to Christianity.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">However, when the Gauls were being baptized, so this story goes, the missionaries soon noticed they had one odd behavior. When they were being immersed in the river or stream, they would hold one arm up, out of the water, keeping it dry. The missionaries soon learned the reason for this strange custom. When the next battle broke out, the Gallic soldier could proclaim, “This arm is not baptized!” and grab his club or axe or sword and ride off to destroy his enemy.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn2" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="">[ii]</span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn2" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><br /></span></span></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As I said, this is most likely a myth. But it speaks to a very real tendency we have as humans to want to compartmentalize ourselves, to want to live as if our life is something we can place in discrete piles, in which all things over here in this pile belong to God, and all things over there in that pile belong to the other things to which I give allegiance. Is Jesus saying, in effect, we belong to God entirely? Is it true that everything that we have—money, talent, ambition, employment, family, you name it—everything is a gift from God, and something we should be giving back? I am not sure. I wonder what you think?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Earlier I gave our young people packages of beans and encouraged them to play a game with them, in which they tried to account for the hours in the day, and how many hours they gave to all different activities. Guess what? There are beans for you, too. Except, I am going to suggest a different game. You don’t have to play it now. But later on, when you have some time, I am going t<span style="font-family: times new roman;">o suggest that you do indeed make piles with your beans. Each bean represents $100. You choose the timeframe—whether you will be working with a week, say, or a month, or a year. Place the beans in piles, </span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:";" >representing how much you pledge and give away (whether to the church or to other charitable organizations), how much you have in savings, how much you owe to credit cards, how much you spend on monthly rent or mortgage payments, how much you spend on food, clothing and transportation, and how much you spend on entertainment and socializing. How does your balance look? Does it represent the balance of someone who is making their best effort to give to God the things that are God’s? I don’t know. I wonder what you think?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:";" ><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This is not a trick question; this is a question that deserves a real answer. There is no one right answer for everyone, though from ancient times the tithe, 10%, has been suggested as a great equalizer, a way to ensure that everyone is giving the same amount, no matter their income or their wealth. Is that right for you? Is that something you can aspire to? I am not sure. I wonder: what do you think?<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Only you know how much you are giving back of yourself, that precious and unique gift of God, made in the divine image. Only you can navigate the complexities of what it means to be a one-of-a-kind mirror into the divine, and how you express that in all your activities of living. Only you can discern how to give to God what is God’s. Thanks be to God. Amen.</p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >Brian Stoffregen, “Matthew 22:15-22, Proper 24A Year A,” Exegetical Notes at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">CrossMarks</i>, <a href="http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/matt22x15.htm">http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/matt22x15.htm</a>. </span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[ii]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >Mark Allan Powell, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Giving to God: The Bible’s Good News About Living a Generous Life</i> (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdman’s Publishing Co., 2006), xi-xii.</span></p> </div> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-84194794186867833002011-10-10T10:36:00.003-04:002011-10-10T10:41:44.250-04:00The One Who Strengthens Us: Philippians 4:1-13<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUbHnhB_vnZYgZu1NCKzCA-K7wu5fLMSEh4PFpzTrMfHRKCrNCYguhwADz5w_7UhClN1YdhHzaDQxPAL7ZzUSm0XsO8JpMUawcFMQusd_zAAJZDKP0GvUmlIsU5aTUqcMleOPMw/s1600/Mitford+view.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUbHnhB_vnZYgZu1NCKzCA-K7wu5fLMSEh4PFpzTrMfHRKCrNCYguhwADz5w_7UhClN1YdhHzaDQxPAL7ZzUSm0XsO8JpMUawcFMQusd_zAAJZDKP0GvUmlIsU5aTUqcMleOPMw/s320/Mitford+view.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661873374009056306" border="0" /></a><br /> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.MsoEndnoteReference {vertical-align:super;} p.MsoEndnoteText, li.MsoEndnoteText, div.MsoEndnoteText {mso-style-link:"Endnote Text Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} span.EndnoteTextChar {mso-style-name:"Endnote Text Char"; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text"; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">There’s a big dog, named Barnabas, after Paul’s traveling companion on his missionary journeys. There’s shopping at the Local. There’s an adopted son named Dooley, who gets to go to a fancy boarding school thanks to 90-year old benefactor Miss Sadie Baxter. There’s lunch at the Grill, where the hot topic is the budding romance between the editor of the town newspaper and its first female police officer. And, of course, there’s Esther Bolick’s famous orange marmalade cake. If any of this sounds familiar to you, then I imagine that you, like me, have read one or more of the books by Jan Karon, the Mitford Series. These books chronicle the life of a pastor, Fr. Tim Kavanagh, and Mitford, the small southern town he lives in and serves.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Some days, some weeks, a town like Mitford seems like just the right place to escape to. On those days when life gets a little too real, when the responsibilities we have don’t energize us, but weigh us down; in those hours when dwelling on the enormity of the task ahead causes paralysis rather than resolve: it’s times like these when I’d like to take a drive down to Mitford, which the protagonist has named the land of “counterpane,” because the countryside is laid out with all the loveliness and sweet design of a hand-pieced quilt.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I couldn’t get Mitford out of my mind this week for one simple reason. When life gets tough—and, actually, life does get tough in Mitford. Mitford’s pastor confronts lives ravaged by alcoholism and domestic violence, and deals with angry and frightened teenagers and entire neighborhoods taken up affected by drug problems, among other very contemporary issues. So, when life gets tough for the Kavanagh’s, Fr. Tim and his wife Cynthia, they have a habit of cheering one another on with this little catchphrase: “Philippians 4:13, darling!” That is, they send one another off to face the challenges of the moment with Paul’s reminder: “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” [Phil. 4:13].</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Paul knew his share of tough days, days one might like to escape. Paul wrote the letter to the church at Philippi while he was under house arrest. Very likely he knew that he was going to die soon. And yet, the letter has been called ‘the epistle of joy,’ as if the man who wrote it had not a care in the world, but only concern for the people to whom he was writing. Where does he find it? Where does Paul find, not only the strength, but also, that joy, the same kind of quiet contentment and peace that allows someone to face ‘all things’ with equanimity?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It all starts with that phrase, “Stand firm in the Lord.” This is one of those pieces of advice that sounds really wonderful, but is pretty slippery—how do we do that, exactly? Does standing firm mean, for example, never changing our minds about the things we believe? Is “standing firm” the same thing as “stubbornness”? Thankfully, Paul tells us what to do, and then he offers a patchwork of actions and attitudes that will tell us how to do it. First, we do the hard work of reconciliation. Then we engage in what have been called “habits of the heart and mind.” These are the things that open us to God’s presence, God’s peace, and God’s strength.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="">[i]</span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><br /></span></span></a> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Euodia and Syntyche have the unfortunate distinction of being remembered for the fact that they are engaged in conflict. This is rather remarkable, since they are named as being “yokefellows,” or “fellow laborers” with Paul in spreading the gospel. We’ve talked about the “yoke” before, that device that joins together two working animals, allowing them to pull a burden or a tool together. The yoke was a potent symbol of cooperation between people who were trying to follow Jesus in their own contexts. The early church had real tension between those who heeded Jesus’ call to literally sell all their possessions and follow him in a traveling missionary lifestyle, and city dwellers, often property and business owners, who stayed in one place and had families and connections there. The missionaries accused the city dwellers of not truly following Jesus. The city dwellers accused the missionaries of being freeloaders, because they depended on the kindness of strangers for their sustenance. Enter, the yoke.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">The yoke became a symbol of reduced tension and cooperation between the two groups. The two are yoked together when the urban dwellers support the missionaries who in turn travel to spread the gospel. Paul has entered into this kind of relationship with the Philippians and reminds them of it when he addresses them as "genuine yokefellow." He then folds Euodia and Syntyche into his own apostolic status; they are worthy of the same financial support he has received.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn2" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="">[ii]</span></span></a></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn2" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><br /></span></span></a></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Euodia and Syntyche are remembered because of a vague implication that they may have had a disagreement, rather than the fact that Paul calls them apostles, and encourages the Philippians to support them. The far greater issue was reconciliation between people who were serving God in distinct ways. We stand firm when we recognize that we are one in the body of Christ, and that each of us is called to service individually, by name.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">So, what are these habits of the heart and mind? First, the habit of joy. I have been wandering the streets of Mitford this week, and it strikes me that the main character, Tim Kavanagh, for all his angst and all the responsibilities he has to meet, cultivates this habit of joy. The particular book I’m reading takes place after Tim and Cynthia marry. Tim has been known as a confirmed bachelor, marrying for the first time in his 60’s, and no one is more surprised than he is. But his marriage has been a source of unexpected joy for him. Karon writes,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">“He never failed to wonder at how all this had come about. If he had known that being together was so consoling, he would have capitulated sooner. Why had he been so terrified of marriage, of intimacy, of loving?</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">“He had read again this morning about the wilderness trek of the Israelites and the way God miraculously provided their needs. Manna every day, and all they had to do was gather it.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">“‘Men ate the bread of angels,’ was now the psalmist described it.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">“That appeared, somehow, to illustrate his marriage. Every day, with what seemed to be no effort at all on his part, he received God’s extraordinary provision of contentment—there it was, waiting for him at every dawn; all he had to do was gather it in. </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">“‘…bread of angels…’”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn3" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="">[iii]</span></span></a></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn3" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><br /></span></span></a></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Each of us needs to gather joy like the Israelites gathered the manna in the wilderness: fresh every morning. Tim found it in marriage. We can find it in our relationships, in our work, in an unfathomably blue October day. It’s there; all we have to do is gather it in. The habit of joy.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Then there is the habit of gentleness. There has been a lot of criticism in recent years of what has been called the “feminization” of Christianity, which I think is just a little bit of backlash for the fact that we find more and more women climbing into pulpits these days. Christianity has gone soft, we are told. Where is the call to Christian soldiers, to be warriors for Christ? There are even churches and preachers who have arisen to meet this specific call—the Tennessee group, GodMen, for example, and the radio preacher Paul Coughlin, who says this “meek and mild Jesus is a bore.” Paul gives folks like this no consolation; Paul, who is man enough to stand toe to toe with the Roman authorities and face death with joy and courage, nevertheless calls for gentleness, which he clearly feels is a characteristic that transcends gender. “Let your gentleness be known to everyone,” Paul says. “The Lord is near.” The habit of gentleness gives us openness to God’s presence.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The last habit of the heart is the habit of answering worry with prayer. I would like to offer my own testimony that this can be a very hard thing to do. When we are gripped with worry, with fear, with anxiety, prayer is not necessarily the first thing that occurs to us. That is why we need to cultivate a habit of prayer before we are being pulled down in the vortex of our worry. I may have shared before the story of a good friend who has a very strong practice of daily prayer—first thing in the morning, last thing at night, a day that is bookended by a request for strength at dawn and words of thanks before bed. A few years back her cell phone started ringing insistently while she was in a meeting. She quieted it, but finally picked it up and learned that her husband, who was not even 40 years old, had had a stroke. She left the meeting and jumped into a car to go to find him, all the time praying a simple prayer, over and over. We know it as the Serenity prayer.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">the courage to change the things I can,</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">and the wisdom to know the difference.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">My friend had developed a habit of prayer. In a crisis, prayer was her first instinct, her first defense. The habit of prayer means that, in every circumstance, in every situation, we are moved toward relationship with God, and not away from it. The habit of prayer.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And then, there are the habits of the mind, habits of thought.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="">Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. [Phil. 4:8].</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Ours is a culture that, at the moment, seems locked in a perpetual rant. The right rants about the left, the left rants about the right, the 99% rant about the 1%, the 1% rants about the 99%.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The story is told of a Native American boy who was angry and upset, and went to his grandfather for advice. The grandfather told him, “I have two wolves inside my heart. One of them is kind and understanding. He lives in harmony and peace. The other wolf is vengeful and cruel. He rages, but his anger changes nothing. The two wolves fight inside me to see which is more powerful.” </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style=""><br />The boy asked his grandfather which wolf would win the fight in his heart. The grandfather responded, “The one I feed.”</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It’s pretty simple. Whichever thoughts we feed will gain strength. If we want to have that experience of connection with God, of standing firm, Paul encourages us, feed those thoughts of honor, and justice, and excellence.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In the book I am reading, Tim and Cynthia go on a camp-out with the church youth group and manage to get lost in a cave. Their flashlight goes out, and despite the fact that they have only been walking for a few minutes, they become seriously disoriented and lost. They attempt to retrace their steps, and Tim has a fall. They wander into an underground lake and their feet get soaked. Their water runs out and they get thirsty. Cynthia decides the best idea is to start screaming for help. They exhaust and terrify themselves by groping about for hours in the dark. Finally, they realize they need to simply stop, and stay in one place. They recognize that they are more likely to be found than to find their way out on their own. They stop. They sit. They lean together for warmth and comfort. They wait.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Standing firm in the Lord is something like this. We cultivate the habits of joy, of gentleness, and of prayer; we feed those habits of the mind that allow us to focus on what is good, and we learn that our best and perhaps most faithful response to all life has to offer begins in stillness. Philippians 4:13, darlings! We stand firm in God, and we learn that we do indeed have the strength to see us through. Thanks be to God. Amen.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >Susan Eastman, “Philippians 4:1-9: Commentary on Second Reading for October 9, 2011,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Working Preacher</i>, <a href="http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=10/9/2011&tab=3">http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=10/9/2011&tab=3</a>. </span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[ii]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >David E. Fredrickson, “Philippians 4:1-9: Commentary on Second Reading for October 12, 2008,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Working Preacher</i>, <a href="http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=10/12/2008&tab=3">http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=10/12/2008&tab=3</a>. </span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn3" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[iii]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >Jan Karon, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">These High Green Hills</i> (New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1996), 20.</span></p> </div> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-55678727799875659732011-10-03T09:18:00.004-04:002011-10-03T09:23:30.357-04:00God's Abundant Harvest: A World Communion Sunday Sermon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8x-pS49FewzKd5sTZ9TfVQbAKkss6KpuMSHHEFP472t3KOUnMeVEIeDS3s3Fv9l-aoPQXfgHDFJSi_QjfBltna8WjNDA5L9gYkPzYy_rrC_v9B7-k-dEYmnXO61ord9Op7okaQ/s1600/3612767434_3e8baec887.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8x-pS49FewzKd5sTZ9TfVQbAKkss6KpuMSHHEFP472t3KOUnMeVEIeDS3s3Fv9l-aoPQXfgHDFJSi_QjfBltna8WjNDA5L9gYkPzYy_rrC_v9B7-k-dEYmnXO61ord9Op7okaQ/s320/3612767434_3e8baec887.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659255544254909282" border="0" /></a><br /> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Tahoma; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.MsoFooter, li.MsoFooter, div.MsoFooter {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-link:"Footer Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; tab-stops:center 3.0in right 6.0in; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.MsoEndnoteReference {mso-style-noshow:yes; vertical-align:super;} p.MsoEndnoteText, li.MsoEndnoteText, div.MsoEndnoteText {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.FooterChar {mso-style-name:"Footer Char"; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:Footer; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;} span.EndnoteTextChar {mso-style-name:"Endnote Text Char"; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"Endnote Text"; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Texts: Isaiah 5:1-7; Matthew 21:33-46</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As many of you know by now, I am the daughter of small business owners. My parents started out with a neighborhood grocery store, my father having learned the butchering trade from his father. But before long they obtained a liquor license, started carrying wine and beer, and quickly realized that here was a much more lucrative business. Both children of the Great Depression, there was no question as to what they would do: the choice for financial stability always won the day. They went full time into the liquor trade.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And so I grew up in a big apartment over a liquor store. It would be fair to say that I grew up in close proximity to wine. My parents always had wine with dinner on Sunday nights, for many years their one day off each week. For some reason never explained, they had wine at home only when my mother cooked Italian food. And from a fairly young age I came to appreciate that a good glass of wine “put gladness in the heart,” as the Psalms tell us [Psalm 4:7].<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">But, growing up in a liquor store, I saw the other side of the love of wine as well. There came a time when I recognized a certain look on my mother or father’s face, a look that indicated they were troubled at the toll the love of wine was taking on a neighbor or a friend. My parents developed a good instinct for signs of alcohol abuse, and they fretted over the wellbeing of some of their best customers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As the Psalms also tell us, wine can be a “mocker,” a waster of lives, a wrecker of fortunes [Proverbs 20:1].</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">And there you have it: the wisdom scripture holds about wine. On the one hand, wine is seen in scripture as a sign of God’s gracious care and abundance. Wine gives a merry heart [Ecclesiastes 9:7] and gladdens life [Ecclesiastes 10:19]. A glorious feast with good wine is promised by God on the Holy Mountain [Isaiah 25:6], and wine and grain are a part of God’s covenant promise of land and abundance [Isaiah 36:17].<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">But for every mention of wine in the context of abundance and care, there are more mentions of the devastating effects of too much wine, or the wrong wine, or wine imbibed without care, for the wrong reason. Oppressors are said to be drunk with blood as with wine [Isaiah 49:26], and the people are warned away from wine at times of war and trouble [Jeremiah 35:14]. Wine is said to take away the understanding [Hosea 4:11], and the trials of life are compared to “wine that makes us reel” [Psalm 60:3].</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In other words, scripture confirms what we already know to be true about wine from our own experience. That it can be a good and delicious and delightful thing under the right circumstances, and a devastating thing under the wrong circumstances. It can make life beautiful or destroy it utterly. And so, it is up to us to discern, what is a good and right and appropriate use of this gift from God? And what is a misuse of it?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:166.5pt"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:166.5pt"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Our passages for today, for World Communion Sunday, also show us the good uses and tragic misuses of God’s gracious gifts, and the outcomes we can expect when we cannot learn how to share them. Both passages center on vineyards, those places whose purpose is the production of wine. These are hard passages for a day whose purpose is to encourage us to seek unity, to find pathways to peace. In our reading from Isaiah we get a sense of the prophet at his most dramatic. The passage is known as a “Song of the Vineyard,” and it is a play on a very well-known genre of the biblical era, a song for a wedding feast. Imagine the scene with me. All the guests would be assembled, reclining around tables groaning with the best food and wine. A bard would rise in the midst of the festivities and sing to the bride and the groom and all their guests, a song of love, comparing it to delicious and fine wine. Except, Isaiah fools his audience, he pulls a bait and switch. He sets them up for an unpleasant surprise, because… there is no fine wine here, only wild, bitter grapes, and there is no love here, only violence and discord.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:166.5pt"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:166.5pt"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Matthew’s parable is hardly any better. Here, too, the setting is a vineyard… a place whose purpose, ultimately, is the creation of wine, which can be a symbol of God’s abundant love and care for us. Only… there is discord between the owner of the vineyard and the workers. That is putting it mildly. There is murder and there is mayhem. Even the owner’s own son is a victim of the strife. The condemnation pronounced at the end is harsh: “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom” [Matthew 21:43].<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:166.5pt"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:166.5pt"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Matthew’s threats are so disturbing, and, honestly, out of character with the gospel as a whole. Just a few chapters later, and Matthew will show us a Jesus who pours out a goblet of wine to be shared with his friends, saying “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” [Matthew 26:27b-28]. And still later, a Jesus on the cross, who refuses the wine that might lessen his suffering [Matthew 27:34]. And finally, Matthew shows us a risen Jesus, one who emerges from the grave breathing forgiveness and a vision of God’s reign to which all are invited, a table at which all are welcome [Matthew 28:18-20].</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:166.5pt"><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:166.5pt"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Here’s what I take away from these readings for us today. The fatal error in both cases, in Isaiah’s potent love-song-gone-wrong as well as in Jesus’ violent and unsettling parable, is this: No one is sharing. Everyone is hoarding. Everyone is defending their so-called rights to exclusive ownership of God’s gifts with violence.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:166.5pt"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:166.5pt"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">A couple of Sundays ago, I came across a review of a new book called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Three Famines</i>: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Starvation and Politics</i>, by Thomas Keneally. He’s the author of “Schindler’s List.” He demonstrates, by examining the causes of the great Irish potato famine of 1845, the 1943 Bengali famine, and the Ethiopian famine of the 1980’s, that in no case was there ever a food production problem. There was always plenty of food. Rather, there was a food distribution problem. There was a food withholding problem, one created by governments who had no interest in helping hungry people. Famine is not created by nature. Famines are created by humans who refuse to distribute food equitably.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="">[i]</span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:166.5pt"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><br /></span></span></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:166.5pt"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This is not God’s way. This is a pathway neither to unity nor to peace. The gifts of God can be good and delicious and delightful when shared. And they can be, and usually are, the source of devastation when misused or taken for granted. They can make life beautiful or destroy it utterly. Justice is the key. The peace that comes with justice is the goal.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:166.5pt"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;tab-stops:166.5pt"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">An old bumper sticker says, “If you want peace, work for justice.” How simple, and at the same time, how hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s overwhelming. Who among us feels prepared? Who among us has the energy? How can we even begin?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is a beautiful thing that the Sunday we set aside to remind us of God’s plan for our unity and peace is also a day very near the annual celebration of a Christian saint who so fully embodied that path. Saint Francis of Assisi has captured the imaginations of Christians and non-Christians alike. We are moved by the simplicity of his message, which is this: we start with the assumption that we can be instruments of God’s peace and justice, one day, one relationship, one action at a time.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.</i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Where there is hatred, let me sow love.</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Where there is injury, pardon.</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Where there is doubt, faith.</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Where there is despair, hope.</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Where there is darkness, light.</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Where there is sadness, joy.</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">O Divine Master,</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">as to console; to be understood, as to understand;</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">to be loved, as to love.</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">For it is in giving that we receive.</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style="">and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"><br /></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;" >God longs to welcome us to the table. God desires abundance for us. God wants to give us that which is beautiful and delicious and gladdens the heart. We can be channels for God’s desires. We can live out God’s invitation by choosing to sow love, pardon, faith, hope and joy in each encounter. We can help to create a space for God’s communion table by giving consolation, and pardon, and understanding wherever they are needed. We can be a part of God’s abundant harvest. God promises there will be enough for all of us. Thanks be to God. Amen.</span></p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >Johann Hari, “Famine, the Unnecessary Evil: Review of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Three Famines: Starvation and Politics</i>,” New York Times Book Review, September 18, 2011, BR9.</span></p> </div> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-51136124832675264082011-09-26T13:27:00.002-04:002011-09-26T13:31:52.911-04:00A Questioning Faith: Matthew 21:23-32<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXhcQ2ssC5apiHzwQ1gpxLaK_j2MosLK3StvmDUr2-sdmptb9Q1gtl-6a0uu6ufof_a0C__ryDGXNHGdzmaS74Wb86RaBigQgpuoJZNpjfPcxEATTvhiIi2W4YAD8xteX2slI4A/s1600/work.5420194.1.flat%252C550x550%252C075%252Cf.earth-wind-and-water.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXhcQ2ssC5apiHzwQ1gpxLaK_j2MosLK3StvmDUr2-sdmptb9Q1gtl-6a0uu6ufof_a0C__ryDGXNHGdzmaS74Wb86RaBigQgpuoJZNpjfPcxEATTvhiIi2W4YAD8xteX2slI4A/s320/work.5420194.1.flat%252C550x550%252C075%252Cf.earth-wind-and-water.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656722253430492866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:donotshowcomments/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" >How is electricity made? What are black holes? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">What is infinity?</b> Why is the sky blue? Why do we have a leap year? How do birds fly? Why does cutting onions make you cry? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Where does the wind come from?</b> Why is the sea salty? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" >Children ask questions. Children, ask these questions. In fact, you have probably been asked some of them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>According to a recent poll, these are among the top twenty hardest questions children ask the grownups in their lives. These are the ones that leave us stumbling over our words, and fervently wishing we’d paid better attention in science class.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" >How big is the world?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">What happens to us when we die?</b> What is a prime number? What makes thunder? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Is God real?</b><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" >Not all the questions are the stuff of science textbooks, though. Children have a way of asking the big questions, too, questions pertaining to ultimate things, unseen realities, the world that PhD’s won’t necessarily help us to understand, and these questions can stump us just as easily. But questions are beautiful. Questions are good. Questions are one sign of a mind that is awakening to the world outside its own boundaries. Questions are the things that keep us growing mentally and spiritually. Questions are good.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" >Of course, there are questions, and then there are questions. By which I mean, some questions are pure and trusting and open to the truth. And some questions are wily. Some questions are tricksy, as Gollum would say. Some questions are not friendly.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" >Jesus is asked lots and lots of questions in the gospel of Matthew. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;" >Both the Baptizer and Pilate ask questions about Jesus' identity; John asks if he is in fact the one they have been waiting for (11:2-3), and Pilate asks if he is the king of the Jews (27:11). The Pharisees, Scribes, Sadducees, chief priests and elders asked questions to try to trap Jesus; why the disciples break "the traditions of the elders" (15:1-2), for signs or proofs (12:38; 16:1), about divorce (19:2), taxes (22:15-17), resurrection (22:23-28), and the role of the commandments (22:24-26), by whose authority do you do the things you do (21:23). The disciples asked him questions; who is the greatest among us (18:1), what good deed do we have to do to receive eternal life (19:16), for a sign concerning Jesus' coming at the end of the age (24:3). And for every other question someone else following Jesus asked, Peter would ask another; "How often must I forgive?" (18:21), "We left everything for you, what do we get?"(19:27).<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Verdana;" >[i]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" >One working preacher has said that, of all these questions, only those asked by John the Baptist and Pontius Pilate are asked without ulterior motives. Everyone else who asks Jesus a question has an axe to grind, a point to make, a position to secure. “</span><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%; mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;" >Those who ask Jesus questions want to trap him, or impress him, or get something from him.”<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Verdana;" >[ii]</span></span></span></span></a></span><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi- font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" >Take the chief priests and the elders. In this morning’s passage from Matthew’s gospel, they ask Jesus where he gets the authority to do the things he does. What things, exactly, you might wonder? And then we look back a bit in the chapter to see what Jesus has been up to lately, and when we do, it becomes immediately apparent exactly why he is being asked this question. Throughout the gospel, Jesus has been teaching, and healing, and freeing people from the demons that have been possessing them, and sitting down for meals with people from all walks of life—the kinds of people the chief priests and elders would positively run from. But here, in chapter 21 of Matthew’s gospel, we’re getting near the end of the line with Jesus, and what he has been doing lately has really shaken things up. First, he entered Jerusalem with nothing less than a splash—he received a pretty nearly royal welcome from the people. And then, he promptly went to the temple, where he drove out all the people who were buying and selling, and turned over the tables of the people who were changing money and who were selling doves for ritual sacrifices. He quoted words from a psalm as he did these things. He said, “</span><span style="mso-bidi- line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;color:#030000;" >It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;color:#030000;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;color:#030000;" >This was a shocking thing for Jesus to do. The Temple was considered to be the holiest place on earth by Jesus’ people—the Temple mount is still considered holy to this day by all the children of Abraham, Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. But Jesus was angry about what was going on there. It’s not really that it was commerce—Jesus wasn’t against buying and selling, per se. It was simple, really: the system of sacrifices left the poor out in the cold. If you need to have sacrifices made on your behalf in order to be forgiven for your sins, and if those sacrifices cost money, guess who’s never going to have a chance to get right with God? The people without money, of course. And there he goes again. Jesus, siding with the poor over the elites. That’s what Jesus has been up to—and not just lately, throughout the entire story of his ministry.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;color:#030000;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;color:#030000;" >So, the temple elites ask Jesus, where do you get the authority to do this? And instead of answering, Jesus plays Socrates, and responds, question for question. It seems that Jesus doesn’t really like the question he’s been asked—probably because it’s pretty transparent. The question was not asked the way children ask, “Why do you blink?” or<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>“Where do babies come from?” It was asked more the way someone asks, “Why shouldn’t I hurt you?” Or even, “Would you like to buy this bridge in Brooklyn?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;color:#030000;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;color:#030000;" >Jesus rejects the question. It doesn’t interest him. He says he will answer only if his questioner answers another question, a wily question of his own… “The baptism of John… did it come from heaven, or it was of human origin?” Jesus, of course, knows the answer to this question, but his questioners are paralyzed by it. Why? Because, they aren’t asking questions with hearts that are </span><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi- font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" >pure and trusting and open to the truth. They are using questions to trap Jesus, to harm him. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" >And then Jesus asks another question: “What do you think?” And then he tells the parable, about the two brothers. Their father tries to send them to the vineyard to work, and has a really frustrating time with them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One says, “Later old man. You go to the vineyard!” But later, he decides, well, maybe dad could use my help after all. And so he goes. The other says, “Sure pop,” and then goes down to the pool hall with his buddies. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" >And then Jesus asks another question. “Which of these two did the will of his father?” And it’s so evident. The mouthy one, the seemingly disobedient one, the one who doesn’t care much about things like image, or who appears to have the authority. He’s the one who does the will of God. While the one who smiles, and says “Sure Pop!” Well. It comes down to what you do, not what you say. It comes down to actually going into the vineyard (or, maybe, into the basement) and rolling up your sleeves. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#1E1E1E;" >How do planes fly? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">What is time?</b> Where does water come from? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">What happens to us when we die?</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Is God real?</b> Questions are beautiful. Questions are good. Questions are signs that our minds are awakening to the world outside our own boundaries. Questions keep us growing mentally and spiritually. In the life of faith, questions can help to prepare us to roll up our sleeves and go do the work God is calling us to do, whether that work is taking lunch to hungry flood relief workers, or feeding a church full of people, or even helping one another to answer those big questions. Don’t be afraid of a questioning faith. Let your questions be pure and trusting and open to the truth. Thanks be to God for the questions that lead us towards him. Amen.</span></p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"> <hr size="1" width="33%" align="left"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn1"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >[i]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >Karl Jacobson, “Lectionary for September 25, 2011: Commentary on Gospel [Matthew 21:23-32],” <a href="http://workingpreacher.org/">http://www.workingpreacher.org</a>.</span> </p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn2"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >[ii]</span></span></span></span></a> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" >Ibid.</span></i> </p> </div> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-8369281602526595802011-09-26T13:23:00.002-04:002011-09-26T13:26:55.070-04:00The Reason for the Rain: Sermon on Jonah 3:10-4:11<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:donotshowcomments/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;"><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(38, 38, 38);">I preached this sermon on September 18.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 115%;"><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(38, 38, 38);"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >It happened quickly. It happened on F@ceb00k. (Doesn’t everything these days?) It was just a day or two after the flood, and the internet was filled with images—photographs, videos—all depicting the devastation, the parking lots and intersections turned into lakes, the standing water chest high on the first floors of houses, the stunned looks on the faces of the people. And there it happened, in the comments under one particular photo, a shocking aerial view of downtown Binghamton. A woman wrote, “God sure is trying to send some people a message, don’t you think? I wonder if they got it?” She followed up her comment with a little heart.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >And that comment, honestly, felt like a little kick to the heart. I was stunned that someone could look upon the scenes of our lives these past two weeks and say something so callous, so hateful. But the woman was saying something I’ve heard several times recently, each time in response to a natural disaster—the earthquake, the hurricane, and now the flood. On each of those occasions, someone expressed the opinion that this was God’s doing, and God is angry.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(38, 38, 38);">Other people in the </span><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >F@ceb00k </span><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >community very quickly took the woman to task for her words. And, while I was glad that the prevailing attitude in that forum was one of compassion for the flood victims, the entire episode left me feeling uneasy. Why are some people quick to assume, when disaster strikes, that the victims are sinners in the hands of an angry God? Do we believe that God’s anger is the impetus behind all the bad things that happen to us? Is God’s anger the reason for the rain? I think today’s passage from the book of the prophet Jonah has something to add to this discussion.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >Most of us know at least a little about Jonah, whether we grew up attending a church or not. When they were very young my children were involved in a Christian education program designed to give them a hands-on experience of faith and church—acting out bible stories with little wooden figurines, “playing” with items like candles, communion plates, etc. I remember looking through the curriculum and sensing that its creators were really on to something… church for children is so often about what they can’t do, what they are prohibited from doing. How refreshing to find a program that invited and encouraged the very young to have ownership of their spiritual home. I remember leafing through the materials and laughing out loud at the description of Jonah. Jonah was the Backwards Prophet. When God says “Go right,” Jonah goes left. When God says go east, Jonah goes west (quite literally). </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >Truth be told, all the stuff for which Jonah is famous (or infamous) happens in chapters 1 and 2 of this tiny book from the Minor Prophets. His famous reluctance to do what God tells him to do. God’s desire to get Jonah’s attention, causing the storm that gets him thrown overboard like a case of rotten fruit. And of course, there is the matter of his languishing in the belly of the fish for three days. We come upon Jonah after his fishy sojourn, when he is more—shall we say receptive?—to God’s commands. As chapter three begins, God says, “Go to Nineveh,” and instead of lighting out for parts unknown, Jonah finally obeys. He has become, as my grandmother would have said, “biddable.” What follows is a tale full of exaggeration (I’m not sure it would take three days to walk across the 5 boroughs of New York City); a tale full of absurdity (can you say, livestock dressed in sackcloth?) and, ultimately, a tale that has the outcome God is seeking.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >Make no mistake. God wants the people of Nineveh to repent. “Their wickedness has come up before me,” God says, and one gets the image of the divine nose wrinkling with disgust at some foul stench. But God, here, is like nothing so much as a parent who dreads doling out punishment to her children, and who does everything she can do to avoid it. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >In the book of Jonah, God reminds me powerfully of one particular episode and one particular character from “Desperate Housewives.” For you uninitiated, Lynnette Scavo is the woman who, at the outset of the series, is drowning in the mayhem of life with four children under the age of six. When we meet her, Lynnette is longing to return to corporate America, a place where she was actually able to exercise some power and control over her life. That is most dramatically not her experience as a mother of young children. In one early episode Lynnette has to cope with the embarrassment of knowing that her three riotous boys have stolen from a neighbor, and they must be punished. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >In this scene, the boys are sitting at a table. Their mother stands across from them, looking down sternly. Laid out on the table are implements of torture—that is to say, a hairbrush, a spatula, a “hickory switch,” improbably cut from some tree in their Southern California suburb. She then enumerates in disturbing detail how much pain will be inflicted by each item when it is used for the inevitable spanking. The boys protest loudly. Lynnette is stern and immovable. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >"Too late. You STOLE. And then you LIED. Even worse, you made me look bad in front of Mrs. McCluskey, who you know is Mommy's sworn enemy." So, she says, “Pick your poison.” Gesturing to the aforementioned instruments of torture: "How about a belt? It's a classic." She runs through the rest of the choices, as the boys continue to wail that they don't want to be spanked. Lynnette reminds them that, "thieves get spanked, that's just the way it works." Unless! Unless they swear never to steal again and write Mrs. McCluskey a nice letter of apology.<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=836928160252659580&from=pencil#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi- mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >[i]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></i><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi- font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >Of course, the boys agree to the plea bargain. And of course, they are not spanked. Do you know why? Not because they don’t deserve punishment of some kind—they certainly do. They are not spanked because their mom doesn’t want to spank them. They are not spanked because she cannot bear to make them suffer. And so she devises her own form of psychological warfare to ensure that the boys will escape their dreaded fate. The mother protects her beloved children from her own wrath.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >Just like God in the book of Jonah. It is hard to see the Almighty in the story of Jonah as anything except an anguished deity who dreads punishing the evil deeds of the people of Nineveh. The Ninevite king asks, “Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.” But what he doesn’t understand is that God is already doing absolutely everything in God’s power in order to avoid having to carry out the sentence.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>God has appointed a prophet and given the wicked a chance to reform themselves. And on the strength of just one pronouncement, we have a turnaround so startling that, yes, even the cattle are quickly dressed in penitents’ clothes. God chuckles. And then God relents, because that’s who God is. Just as Jonah grumbles: “</span><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi- font-family:Verdana;font-size:16.0pt;color:#030000;" >I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">knew</i> that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love…” Jonah is so mad he just wants to die. The world makes more sense to Jonah if God punishes the wicked, period. He doesn’t want to envision any other possibility.</span><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%; mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" ></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >But Jonah, thanks be to God, is not God. What we need to understand is that God is far less like a furious dictator and far more like a wounded lover. God longs for the people to repent, and beneath that longing is God’s desire that the people would love God, and recognize and appreciate God’s love for them. That they would simply wake up to the fact that God is there, caring for them, loving them, cheering them on to new and better life. When we become convinced of the fact that we are “bathed in [God’s] encircling kindness”<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=836928160252659580&from=pencil#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >[ii]</span></span></span></span></a>, there is no question of condemnation. There is only grace. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >So Jonah is royally ticked that his preaching worked and the people are saved. And God pulls a splendid little practical joke on him, the bush growing up, the bush being eaten by the worm, and then God’s unassailable logic, “You cared more about that bush than about 120,000 people. AND animals. You silly, silly man.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >My answer to the woman on Facebook is much the same as the comments of the others who responded to her: God is not the reason for the rain, except insofar as God created a universe and a world that are governed by natural laws. God is not vengeance personified. God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. God <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">is</i> love. We truly are surrounded by God’s encircling kindness. Indeed, our only comfort, in life and in death, in storm and in flood, is that we belong, not to ourselves, but to God, who loves us.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >The final picture we have of Jonah is, in itself, an object lesson in how not to experience the love of God. I have an image of him, all curled in upon himself, head down, arms folded, eyes squinting shut. Exactly the opposite of how we are invited to come to God—open. Hearts open to God’s healing touch; arms open to God’s loving embrace; eyes open to God’s wonders, ever unfolding. By all means, have a look at the backwards prophet. And then, do just the opposite of everything he does. Open yourself to God. That’s all God really wants. That’s all we really need. Thanks be to God. Amen. </span></p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"><br /> <hr size="1" width="33%" align="left"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn1"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=836928160252659580&from=pencil#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >[i]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >Jessica Morgan, <i>Television Without Pity </i>(http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/articles/content/a648/index-3.html).</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;" ></span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn2"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=836928160252659580&from=pencil#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >[ii]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;font-size:13.0pt;color:#262626;" >Norman Fischer, Psalm 145, <i>Opening to You: Zen-Inspired Translations of the Psalms.</i></span></p> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"> </p> </div> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-18233582541934490632011-09-21T18:07:00.003-04:002011-09-21T18:14:15.873-04:00Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Sermon for 9/11 on Romans 14:12<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qqbJSIxpEAJfo5fzXGsxmxsGLUkOuqwqYrD2q-t-glEBVcX1w35mSBVwKEG7PeStkqC6nX7a6XmQNjOCJxqSQVwpKsh0hkFGBR8dzl0KEcoXhvnhW8k3ilKQdL0E7XNuv982EA/s1600/flood+1+costello.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qqbJSIxpEAJfo5fzXGsxmxsGLUkOuqwqYrD2q-t-glEBVcX1w35mSBVwKEG7PeStkqC6nX7a6XmQNjOCJxqSQVwpKsh0hkFGBR8dzl0KEcoXhvnhW8k3ilKQdL0E7XNuv982EA/s320/flood+1+costello.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654939322736470210" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:donotshowcomments/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:donotoptimizeforbrowser/> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" name="endnote reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" name="endnote text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Let me be honest with you: I stand in this pulpit today with some trepidation. In the book of Job, the main character loses everything he has through a series of disasters, and the very best thing his friends do is to stay silent for seven days. They simply sit with him, for a full week, while he mourns the loss of his children and all his possessions, a kind of silent ministry of accompaniment. It’s when they start to talk and interpret for Job, try to tell him why this has happened, that things get very bad, and they get it badly wrong. Sometimes silence is truly our best response in the face of disaster. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Still, you know me: I do tend to prefer to process things out loud. So I’m going to stand here this morning, and try very hard not to get it badly wrong.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">The other day I heard someone on the radio say, “Every year when the summer is coming to an end, and the days are getting a little cooler, I know it’s coming. The anniversary. And I don’t want summer to end, because I don’t want to remember that anniversary.” </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">What does it mean to remember? Years ago someone pointed out to me the fact that the word “remember” is made by putting together re- and –member, that to “re-member” is to “put things back together again.” When we remember, we are putting things together for ourselves. So, I will make this claim: at the heart of what we are doing when we remember, is the act of putting ourselves back together. Who are we? Who we are is intimately tied up with the things we remember. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">This week remembering has been unavoidable. Early in the week it began—last Sunday, in fact. The radio and internet and newspaper and television coverage of that anniversary, this year, the tenth anniversary of the day we call 9-11, which so conveniently also happens to be the number we dial on a phone when we have an emergency. We had a great national emergency ten years ago today, and none of us who are over a certain age can forget what that day was like. We remember. Where were we when we heard? What were we doing? Who did we call first? How did we spend the rest of that day and the day after, a day on which we learned that our nation was under attack?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">One radio program this week interviewed people to find out what they were doing on September 10. I tuned in towards the middle of that program, so I didn’t hear what the rationale was for hearing stories of September 10, but I’m going to guess it had to do with putting that frightening day in perspective… what ordinary things were we about that we might be inclined to forget? Our days tend to be made up of ordinary things, and it just might be that these are the things we value, so it might be good to remember them, especially at times of great crisis.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Now those of us in parts of New York and Pennsylvania have another horrible day, or collection of days, to remember. In 2006 our area suffered what was then called a 500-year flood, which I suspect will soon be renamed, as we have suffered an even worse one now, just five years later. One thing I have learned in my life is this: trauma brings up trauma. As we have been going through these last days, wondering whether our loved ones and homes and businesses and places of worship and places of commerce would be affected, and then learning the sometimes devastating answer to that question, most of us couldn’t help remembering that other flood. I stood near the Court Street Bridge in Binghamton the other day talking to a woman who had been rescued from her home five years ago, and even though the home she now lives in was bone dry, she was still shaking. Her body, her soul, her whole being remembered that other flood. While her rational mind was telling her she would be alright, the rest of her was putting it together that, well, last time she wasn’t alright. And who knows if it will be alright this time?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">What does it mean to remember? It means to put things together, the pieces of our lives, and the lives of those around us. Remembering helps us to forge our identities, who we are, what our lives mean. This is why conditions and diseases that affect the memory are so devastating to us. Who are we without our memories, even the terrible ones? “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is a film about intentional forgetting, and the title comes from a poem by Alexander Pope, in which a lover’s only comfort following a tragic love affair is the ability to forget.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In the film, a scientist has invented a process by which memories can be removed, and the people who tend to take advantage of that process are people with painful memories. Without giving away the ending, I think the movie makes the case that it might be better to remember nevertheless.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Our reading from Paul’s letter to the church at Rome concerns different ways people have of remembering who they are. Paul’s community is made up of people from disparate backgrounds, and so they remember who they are in different ways. Some remember who they are by worshiping God on a particular day, while others believe that all days are equal when it comes to worship. This probably refers to the tension between Jewish followers of Jesus, who were strongly inclined to worship on the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, as commanded by Torah, while those who came to follow Jesus from other religious backgrounds wanted to worship on the day of resurrection, the first day of the week. Another way people had of remembering was the eating of or abstaining from particular foods, and this debate also cut to the divide between Gentiles and Jews. Jews abstained from certain foods as outlined in Torah, as well as from meats that had been used in Gentile religious ceremonies. Gentiles did not have these restrictions, but considered themselves to eat what they wished.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">They have different ways of remembering, yet all these folks are followers of Jesus, committed not only to him, but also to their faith community. And they have a responsibility not to let their differences in remembering harm either of those commitments. And so Paul does the equivalent of saying, “Hey, remember this: what were you doing on September 10, 2001?” Paul reminds them of the essential truth of their identities, the one that both undergirds and overrides their differences in remembering. He <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">says, </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi- ;font-family:Verdana;color:#030000;" >Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God. We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. <span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>~Romans 14:6-8</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-;font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;color:#030000;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-;font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;color:#030000;" >It is not enough, sometimes, to remember who we are, Paul reminds the community. Sometimes we need to remember <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">whose</i> we are as well: If we live, we live in God. And if we die, we die in God. So, eating or abstaining, Saturday or Sunday, fire or flood, living or dying, we belong to God. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-;font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;color:#030000;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-;font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;color:#030000;" >We belong to God. So we gather to worship God together, even when the pumps are still running in the basement. We belong to God, so we spend all day and all night (running on cookies and caffeine), caring for the gifts God and our forebears have left in our charge. We belong to God, so before we go home to nap we help our elderly neighbors to get their furnace started again. We belong to God, so the minute we are on our feet again—no, even before we are on our feet again—we start trying to figure out how we can serve the devastated community all around us.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-;font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;color:#030000;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-;font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;color:#030000;" >After the September 11 attacks, David O’Brien, an historian from the University of Dayton, Ohio, became obsessed with reading the stories of those who had died. He was astonished at what he found. He wrote, </span><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >"There were so many stories of self-sacrifice, not just by the first responders, but by people fleeing the building. There was this revelation of goodness… Our people, my people, were tested and, for a shining moment ... they were found worthy."<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"> <a style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:Arial;" >[i]</span></span></span></a></span> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >The eyes of faith cause us to remember in certain ways, to put things together not only through events but also by their meaning. The historian David O'Brien looked at the events of 9/11 and saw an Easter story—good rising out of the ashes of evil.” Unlike certain politicians, I wouldn’t ascribe meaning to events such as hurricanes or floods beyond the information science can provide. But I will join O’Brien in saying that our responses to these events have great meaning. As I read in a poem this week,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;color:black;" >In those days,<br />we finally chose<br />to walk like giants<br />& hold the world<br />in arms grown strong with love<br />& there may be many things we forget<br />in the days to come,<br />but this will not be one of them.<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";color:black;" >[ii]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >If we look back at disaster, we can also look ahead at what our response tells us. And if our response is soaked in the fact that we belong to God, then we can look forward with confidence… we belong to God. In fire and flood, in national emergency and calm peacetime, in waking and sleeping, in working and resting. In the ordinary things that make up most of our days we belong to God. And so we gather together to worship, to sit at God’s table, to gain strength for the work ahead. Thanks be to God. Amen.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Image: Jonathan Costello, Press and Sun-Bulletin.</span></span><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"> <hr style="height: 3px;font-size:78%;" align="left" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn1"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";" >[i]</span></span></span></span></a> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:100%;" >John Blake, “Four Ways 9-11 Changed America’s Attitude Toward Religion,” CNN Religion Blogs, September 3, 2011, http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/03/four-ways-911-changed-americas-attitude-toward-religion/.</span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn2"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";" >[ii]</span></span></span></span></a> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">“Story People,” September 11, 2011 </span></p> </div> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-26301653901718905442011-09-03T13:10:00.002-04:002011-09-03T13:14:38.276-04:00Women of Valor: Or, Everything I Know I Learned from the Women of Exodus<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1DzqvP1OXP3rAjFXLHciLJXGaFIHG4aMwzWSMPay6VknhvFWll1HuMyPp13Wz3JaXMThE0BiuYxaJHYMzBY-f0nuVemO2fHlROggqEB3wat5QHZH-n7LwDcABpla1PFMy5rQyg/s1600/prince-of-egypt-basket-in-nile.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1DzqvP1OXP3rAjFXLHciLJXGaFIHG4aMwzWSMPay6VknhvFWll1HuMyPp13Wz3JaXMThE0BiuYxaJHYMzBY-f0nuVemO2fHlROggqEB3wat5QHZH-n7LwDcABpla1PFMy5rQyg/s320/prince-of-egypt-basket-in-nile.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648182766552262194" /></a>
<br /> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>1320</o:Words> <o:characters>7529</o:Characters> <o:company>Union Presbyterian Church</o:Company> <o:lines>62</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>15</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>9246</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;">Several years ago I was asked to teach a class on women of the Bible through a program at the local university. After coming up with my list the various figures whose stories I wanted to share, I came up with a title for the course: “Matriarchs, Harlots and Queens.” And, truly, many of the notable women in scripture fall into one or more of these categories. But there are others, many others, some of them nameless, who left their imprint on the biblical testimony about God’s relationship with humanity. Today we will look at just three. These particular women are not royalty, they are not notorious, and they are not known as mothers. Two of them are working women, helping new life into the world as midwives. One of them is a little girl. Between them they embody a radical ethic of justice and love that goes to the heart of what it means to be a faithful human being in this world, faithful even in dark and difficult times.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;">We are back in that same lush river valley where we were last week, the one that ran through a desert. Indeed, we’re back in that same splendid palace. Only, now a cold wind of hostility is blowing through the land, and Jacob’s descendants, the people of Israel, the Hebrews, are on the receiving end of it. Joseph is dead, and another Pharaoh, one who doesn’t know any “Joseph,” is in power. He goes to his people and gives them his thoughts. The English translation doesn’t quite catch the flavor of the words he uses, but he speaks of the people of Israel with words used to describe vermin, infestations, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">swarms</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;">One writer summarizes the Pharaoh’s talking points this way:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;">A tempting political strategy for new leaders, whether an Egyptian pharaoh or a Nazi Hitler, involves trying to solidify power by singling out a relatively weak minority or outsider group and calling them an enemy. Fear of others can be a powerful source of unity. In Exodus 1, Pharaoh singles out the rapidly expanding Hebrew minority as an emerging threat. What Genesis describes as God's faithfulness in blessing the Israelites through many descendants (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-6; 28:1-4; Exodus 1:7), Pharaoh describes as a terroristic threat that may endanger Egypt's security and way of life. There is no hint in the biblical narrative that the Israelites are anything but good, faithful citizens of the empire. Yet the delusional Pharaoh imagines that the growing but still small Israelite minority in Egypt is more numerous and more powerful than we. He warns the Egyptians that in the event of war the Israelites <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style:italic">might</span></b> join our enemies and fight against us.<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[i]<!--[endif]--></span></span></a></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;">The Pharaoh has a simple approach to his dilemma. First, he enslaves the people—places them into forced labor, building cities, perhaps even the pyramids. But the Israelites are a hardy bunch—they thrive, they grow stronger, and they grow even more numerous. The Pharaoh’s plan moves on to its next phase: ethnic cleansing, beginning with those who are literally the weakest and most vulnerable: newborn babies, specifically, baby boys. They’re the ones who <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">might</i> grow up to be fighters, after all. He summons those two women, the midwives, and we are given their names. This is somewhat astonishing. Women only have about a one in six chance of being mentioned specifically in the biblical narrative, and even when mentioned, they are frequently not named—think of Noah’s wife, the Samaritan woman at the well. But these two women, toiling in what is probably the real “oldest profession,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">are</i> named. They are Shiphrah and Puah, semitic names meaning “fair one” and “splendid one.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">I love the image conjured up by the Pharoah calling the midwives to give them their instructions. Again, the man with all the power, supposedly, in the lavish palace, is confronted by the humblest members of the society, those with no power, supposedly. Here are the Pharaoh’s exact instructions to the midwives: </span><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000;">“When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live” [Exodus 1:16]. These women whose lives revolve around bringing forth life are expected to be agents of death. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%; font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#030000;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%; font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#030000;" >They leave his presence and go about their business. But we are given crucial information about them: they fear God. And that, as scripture tells us again and again, is the beginning of real wisdom—not “fear” as in cowering in terror, something the Pharaoh would clearly like to inspire in his subjects. “Fear” as in awe-inspired respect and worship. And this tells us what the true balance of power is here. It’s early in Exodus. But the writer has tipped his hand to us, revealed what will be the theme of each and every one of its 40 chapters: the power of the God of Israel, again and again.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%; font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#030000;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%; font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#030000;" >The women do not kill the Hebrew boys. And when the Pharaoh calls them on the carpet to inquire why this is so, they blink and demur and cock their heads and say, “Why, sir Pharaoh, the Hebrew women are just so darned hardy and strong. By the time we get there the babies are born and the women are back in the fields and the quarries doing the work you have given them to do.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%; font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#030000;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%; font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000;">There is a term for these women, there is a category in literature and folk tale for the role that they have assumed. They are “tricksters.” Tricksters are known for upsetting power dynamics, for tweaking and thwarting the wills of the mighty, for being mischievous, for telling the </span><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;">truth. Emily Dickinson’s little gem of a poem captures something of the trickster’s way. She writes,</span><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%; font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Times;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%; font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Times;font-size:130%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:Times;font-size:130%;" >Tell all the Truth but tell it slant— <o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:Times;font-size:130%;" >Success in Circuit lies<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:Times;font-size:130%;" >Too bright for our infirm Delight<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:Times;font-size:130%;" >The Truth's superb surprise<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:Times;font-size:130%;" >As Lightning to the Children eased<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:Times;font-size:130%;" >With explanation kind<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:Times;font-size:130%;" >The Truth must dazzle gradually<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%;font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:Times;font-size:130%;" >Or every man be blind— <o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-line-height:115%; font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Times;font-size:130%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;">Shiphrah and Puah knows that “success in circuit lies…,” that their best chance of saving the Hebrew boys is not to confront Pharaoh directly, but to appear to cooperate while doing what they know is right, allowing the truth to dawn on the ruler in a roundabout way. This is the trickster way. And clearly, in Exodus, for these women, in this moment, it is God’s way.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;">Can you imagine circumstances in which you would adopt the strategy of the trickster? Is there more than one way to “speak truth to power”? What does it mean to persevere in the face of suffering and struggle? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;">The midwives’ act of resistance has enormous consequences. One of the children saved by their intervention is a boy named Moses. Like many families who were terrified of their children being slaughtered, Moses’ mother hid him for a time, and when hiding him became impossible, she did something it is hard for most of us to imagine: she procured a little basket for him, made it watertight, and placed it in the high reeds by the river. Was it purely by chance that she placed it in the path of the daughter of the Pharaoh? Or did she know, with a protective mother’s intuition, that there would be no safer place for her son than right under Pharaoh’s nose?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;">But it is not the mother of Moses I want to talk about, though her motivations and actions are fascinating. It is his sister. This quiet child, whose name we do not yet know, stood at a distance, “to see what would happen to him.” She is just a little girl, standing vigil near the brother whose life she knows is in danger. And when the daughter of the Pharaoh comes to bathe in the Nile, trailing her gold and silks, with her retinue in attendance, the little girl waits, and watches, and when she knows the woman’s heart has been moved to save this otherwise doomed baby boy, she makes her move. And a little of the trickster lives in this child, who manages to bring her brother back into the family home, complete with a stipend for her mother to act as nurse to her own son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And in doing this, she too steps into the stream of God’s radical, power-disrupting plan for the descendants of Jacob.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;">Exodus is about the power of God. But it is also about the unexpected power that can be found in those who appear to be powerless. The power of refusing to take part in evil plans. The power of standing with the oppressed rather than becoming an oppressor. The power, even, of quietly going about your own work, the work you have been given to do, with determination and perseverance. The unexpected power that is found in the quiet act of simply standing vigil. Standing by. Watching to see what might happen, waiting until we are needed. And we can do these things even when we are powerless, faced with overwhelming odds and obstacles. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Cambria;font-size:130%;">We don’t need to be Pharaohs to do these things. We don’t need to be presidents or city councilmen or clerks of session. We don’t need to be the one in charge. These simple actions, these small acts of courage and watchfulness yield enormous consequences, not despite the fact that we are not powerful. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Because</i> we are not powerful. Because we do them in faith, with reliance on God’s power. We do small things with great love,<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn2" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[ii]<!--[endif]--></span></span></a> and they open a path for God’s powerful justice. We do small things with great love, and they allow us to participate in God’s powerful saving love. Thanks be to God. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"><!--[if !supportEndnotes]--> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <!--[endif]--> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[i]<!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Dennis Olson, Exodus 1:8-2:10, “Commentary on Alternate First Reading,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Working Pre</i>acher, <a href="http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=8/24/2008&tab=2">http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=8/24/2008&tab=2</a>.</p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[ii]<!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Mother Teresa of Calcutta.</p> </div> </div> <!--EndFragment-->Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-8508536336081810192011-08-21T12:54:00.002-04:002011-08-21T12:58:41.430-04:00What God Intends: Sermon on Genesis 45:1-15<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHW2O-rUqxo7dCN25UpubYShtQthzxVKBHqA28OGR0NyWJ-3ABQQCQFb-nPbISQpdPYXadh5CC6H5XPzUAenHMmb7UDr84xMie3i5su4OHIVyzs4nKd4Gh9e-xP5pWtmjrm2vaGQ/s1600/Joseph9.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 287px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHW2O-rUqxo7dCN25UpubYShtQthzxVKBHqA28OGR0NyWJ-3ABQQCQFb-nPbISQpdPYXadh5CC6H5XPzUAenHMmb7UDr84xMie3i5su4OHIVyzs4nKd4Gh9e-xP5pWtmjrm2vaGQ/s320/Joseph9.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643354597981580514" /></a>
<br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b>
<br /></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">It’s as if this were a movie theater, and we’ve just walked in on the last reel. It’s one of those Biblical epics, with long sandy vistas and long dusty robes. We are in a glittering palace in a lush river valley that runs through a desert. On one side of the room we see a bronzed young man, impeccably dressed, clean-shaven, bedecked with gold, his eyes rimmed with kohl. He might be an Egyptian Pharaoh, and in terms of power, he practically <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">is</i> the Pharaoh. And on the other side of the room… eleven men, haggard, looking like they have been through a famine—which they have. Their clothes are humble, their beards are long, and they are bedecked with nothing but their desperation to keep their family together, and to spare their elderly father the grief he cannot bear. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">In some ways this is the classic story of a blended family. Jacob longed to marry Rachel, the woman he loved, but her wily father had tricked him into marrying Leah, Rachel’s older sister. According to the custom of the day, each woman had a handmaiden, or a slave, depending upon your perspective, and those women, too, added to the tribes. In the end, Jacob fathered twelve sons and untold numbers of daughters by four women. His beloved wife, Rachel, was the mother of the two youngest, Joseph and Benjamin. And so, in the messy way of families, there were rivalries and jealousies, all of which were brought to the boiling point because Joseph was a dreamer.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We’re first introduced to Joseph as a seventeen year-old, and he’s either incredibly arrogant or pathetically naïve. When you are the favorite son of your elderly father, so much so that he gives you a super-special, extravagantly beautiful coat, and all eleven of your brothers therefore hate your gu<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">ts, </span></span><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">it would be wise to tread lightly, to choose your words carefully. But Joseph apparently doesn’t pick up on these not-so-subtle social cues, because he </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">e</span></span>xcitedly tells his brothers about two dreams he has had, that would seem to describe him as being top dog in this family already seething with discontent. And so naturally, his brothers end up hating him even more.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The brothers discuss their options. One faction just wants to kill the annoying pipsqueak. But Rueben, the eldest, persuades them to simply rough him up and throw him into a pit; he secretly plans to get Joseph safely back to their father. But when a caravan goes by on its way to Egypt, another brother, Judah, suggests they profit from their little scheme, so they sell Joseph as a slave, and pocket the proceeds. To cover their tracks, they dip his beautiful, colorful dream-coat in goat’s blood, and break their father’s heart with a story about Joseph being torn apart by a wild animal.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Thus begins Joseph’s odyssey. Now, Joseph has some natural abilities, not to mention the backing and blessing of God, so he pretty quickly finds himself in a position of responsibility and authority. And he also has some natural charisma, perhaps even beauty, and Potiphar’s wife gets a starring role in our film as history’s first would-be cougar. She makes a play for the young man, and when he resists, she has him thrown into jail. This, ironically, is where Joseph’s gifts really begin to shine. He interprets dreams for two of his fellow inmates, and the accuracy of his words gives him a reputation. When the Pharaoh has troubling dreams, Joseph is brought to him to interpret them. Joseph tells the Pharaoh that his dreams are warning him of an impending seven-year famine, for which they will have seven prosperous years to prepare. Joseph advises the Pharaoh to find a wise man—a wise, insightful, dream-interpreting young man, perhaps—to put in charge of shoring away grain for the famine-time. Joseph is abruptly out of jail and into the best job he’s ever had. The only person with more power in all of Egypt is the Pharaoh himself.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The famine doesn’t just hit Egypt, though. Joseph’s family back in Canaan find themselves face-to-face with the prospect of starvation, and like many others from that region, they travel to Egypt, the land that was prepared. Ten of Joseph’s brothers make the trip. But their father Jacob keeps Benjamin, the youngest, back at home, for fear of losing the only other tie he has to his beloved Rachel, now long dead. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">And so the brothers present themselves to the great Overseer of Egypt, whom they have no idea whatsoever is the arrogant boy they tossed in a ditch and then sold into slavery, because they didn’t like the way he dreamed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">So, what does it take to forgive someone? For hating you. For hurting you. For throwing you into a literal or metaphorical ditch, into slavery, into prison, into heartache. For lying about you, and in doing that, hurting others whom you love. What does it take?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Forgiveness, to hear Jesus talk, is at the heart of what it means to be a follower of his, and that includes forgiveness from both angles—receiving it and giving it. Followers of Jesus are encouraged to receive the great gift of God’s forgiveness, and we are also advised of our responsibility to forgive one another. I’m not going to try here to answer the question of the deep mystery of God’s forgiveness. I’m more interested, right now, in talking about how we forgive, and why we forgive, and why we should forgive.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">What does it take to forgive someone?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">First of all, you have to see forgiveness as an option. You’d be amazed at how many people drop out right there. And let’s be clear: Joseph has all the cards at this moment in the story. All the power is in his hands. He could throw the whole lot of them in jail, all eleven brothers, and give them a taste to what he’s had to endure.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">But, of course, that’s not what he does. Joseph seems to want to forgive. Still, he requires some sense that his brothers have truly repented of what they did to him. That seems reasonable. It’s far easier to forgive someone when you can see that they are sorry. And Joseph is looking for real, tangible evidence of this. So here’s what he does: He tests them. Without letting them know his true identity, Joseph demands that they produce Benjamin, the youngest—the one who stayed home, the one who is his full brother. And then he lays a trap by having a servant plant a valuable cup in Benjamin’s luggage. When Benjamin is caught red-handed, Joseph watches very closely to see how his brothers will handle the situation. Will they once again punish a son of the favorite wife? Will they cut and run, leaving Benjamin to fend for himself? Will they concoct yet another story to account for a brother’s absence? Will they break their father’s heart all over again?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">No. They won’t. They don’t. They pass the test, more than pass it. They plead for their brother. They tell Joseph of their old father in the land of Canaan, whose heart they can’t bear to break. And Judah, the one who suggested they sell Joseph in the first place, offers himself as a ransom. He offers to go to jail in Benjamin’s place.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Joseph can see the brothers’ remorse for the pain they have brought on their family; He can see their willingness to protect the youngest, even at the cost of their own freedom. He can see that they embrace Benjamin as one of their own.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We’re not God. God is able to forgive freely. We usually require some sense that our forgiveness is not being squandered on those who don’t really deserve it. There’s nothing wrong with that—that’s so very human of us. But it kind of misses the point. Because, the truth about forgiveness, the counter-intuitive reality, is that we need to forgive for our own sakes even more than we need to forgive for the sake of the other person. Hurt and anger are dark, stuffy, claustrophobic prisons we are locked inside. When we are able to forgive, we step out into the fresh air and the warm sunshine. We feel the grass soft beneath our feet. Joseph sets up his tests, and his trials, to see whether his brothers should be forgiven, but the truth is, Joseph needs to forgive his brothers for himself. He needs his family. He needs to be reconciled. He needs the warm sun and the fresh air and to step out of that prison.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">And that’s what is happening this final, climactic scene, also known as “the Big Reveal.” I am Joseph, the Egyptian-seeming young ruler states. Actually, sobs… the tears of Joseph are abundant in this beautiful scene in the lavish palace. His heart has been breaking to forgive, and no one is more relieved that he can forgive his brothers than he is. And his forgiveness comes with his fresh re-interpretation of the dream that has been his life: This is what God intended all along, he says. God sent me here—through your actions, even through your cruelty—God sent me here to save all our lives. I suspect God also sent Joseph there to teach all twelve brothers the essentials of repentance and forgiveness. And by teaching these twelve brothers, the patriarchs of the twelve tribes, God teaches all God’s people. God teaches you and God teaches me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Joseph is able to interpret the dream of his life as being all about God’s good intention. That is not to say that God intended the harm that came to Joseph. Rather, it is to say that God’s good intentions for us have the potential to be more powerful than the our bad intentions towards one another, that God can use our hurtful actions, even our cruel and angry behavior, to do good. God takes the broken fragments of our lives and crafts a gorgeous mosaic, beyond our wildest dreams. It is a view of wide open spaces.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">God intends for us to forgive. God creates us and places in families, where we are taught what it is to love, and be loved, and to be hurt and let down and all the rest. And God shows us, again and again, that forgiveness and reconciliation are the way out of the prisons we fashion of the pain we have endured. God shows us, again and again, that we don’t have to live there, that we can step out into the sun and the breeze, and let the air fill our lungs and give us life. Thanks be to God. Amen.</p> <!--EndFragment--> Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-29449450296958601722011-08-20T11:04:00.003-04:002011-08-20T11:07:53.697-04:00Beach Reading 3:"Good Harbor" by Anita Diamant<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SXSjWCYhfHp3ZUTwOJv6oafxs5PjXVD-IUcQNfifV9eFdbesbxEsdr38YEGz7hiiSsfnpWs-mWHjGa7NEGlnvkDCJlDdMWoVEpZy4J6F6G-a58Nc2pxwSXDtbnXLz6WVzl676A/s1600/rockport-beach.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SXSjWCYhfHp3ZUTwOJv6oafxs5PjXVD-IUcQNfifV9eFdbesbxEsdr38YEGz7hiiSsfnpWs-mWHjGa7NEGlnvkDCJlDdMWoVEpZy4J6F6G-a58Nc2pxwSXDtbnXLz6WVzl676A/s320/rockport-beach.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642954944921601842" /></a>
<br />Preached Sunday August 7.....<div>
<br /></div><div>Matthew 14:22-33</div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What a strange beginning to this morning’s passage from Matthew’s gospel. Jesus “immediately” sends his friends away, right after—what? We have to go back, turn a page, to see. It turns out, immediately after an enormous picnic of the kind that rivals the Spiedie Fest for attendance—5000 men, not including the women and children. So, 10,000? 15,000? Jesus and his friends have been the hosts at an enormous outdoor table, where all have been welcomed, and the sick and hurting have been healed, and all have been given bread for their journey.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And then Jesus immediately sends his friends away, to go it on their own for a while, so that he can rest, and go where he feels nearer to God. Jesus needs time to be alone to pray. So he sends his friends away. He makes them get on a boat—something they should be more or less comfortable doing, since most of them got their start as fisher-folk. And when the evening falls, Jesus is, at last, alone.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“But by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them” [Matthew 14:24].<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Let’s talk about what it feels like to be battered by the waves of life, to feel that the winds are against you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For some it might be the experience of drowning in their responsibilities—the mother of the very young child, the son of the very elderly parent. The owner of a small business struggling to stay afloat, the head of the department making the hard decisions about whom to set adrift in layoffs. For the people of Tuscaloosa, it is the memory of 190 mile per hour winds that destroyed large swaths of their city last April.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What does it feel like to be battered by the waves of life, to feel that the winds are against you? The novel </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Good Harbor</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, by Anita Diamant, answers that question through its portrayal of two women.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For Joyce, it is the rocky ground of her marriage, and the distance she feels from her increasingly irritable and independent adolescent daughter. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For Kathleen, it is the discovery that she has breast cancer, and the excruciating</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">memory of a very young son who died.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">These two women, both of them Jews but neither of them particularly religious, meet at synagogue one Friday evening, and strike up a conversation that feels like the beginning of something important. Ultimately they find in one another the good harbor that is true and deep friendship. That’s the heart of this novel: the story of a friendship, Good Harbor, also the name of a patch of beach in Gloucester, on the North Shore of Boston, MA. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I wonder: if we peel back the layers of the gospel story, might we find there the story of friendship, as well? The kind of friendship that reaches out a hand to grab us when we feel like we’re drowning? <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Kathleen sends Joyce away at one point. She stops answering the phone, she stops returning calls. She is undergoing a course of radiation treatments, which are giving her panic attacks. She is also haunted by terrible memories of twenty five years earlier, the accidental death of her three-year-old son. Much as she cares for Joyce, there comes a period when Kathleen believes she needs to be alone to deal with those battering waves. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And Jesus’ friends in the boat, being battered by the waves, how are they faring? Not well. The Sea of Galilee isn’t very big, but its storms are notoriously deadly. Jesus’ friends long for the reassurance of his presence, and finally, sometime between three and six in the morning, they experience it. Jesus comes toward them, walking on the wind-battered waves. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">If we can step back from the miraculous nature of that moment in the story, I wonder what we would find there? An image, perhaps, for the way in which friendship helps us to navigate the storms and shoals of life?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">At another point in </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Good Harbor</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, Kathleen takes Joyce to climb Salt Island, a modest though challenging hill that can only be reached after the appearance of a sandbar. The author writes,<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The deserted sandbar was flat, hard-packed and cool under their feet. “It’s like a magic highway,” Kathleen said, “It appears and disappears. Brigadoon.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Mont-Saint-Michel—minus the castle,” said Joyce. “And it’s pretty close to walking on water.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Or parting the seas.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“With a hint of danger, don’t you think? The outside chance of getting stranded, like Robinson Crusoe.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Well, within sight of a snack bar,” Kathleen said, pointing at the weather-beaten shack onshore.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Their laughter carried over the water.</span></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">[i]</span></span></span></a></span></i><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The climbing of Salt Island gives the friends a multi-faceted vista: the rocks and crags and scrub pines through which they’ve climbed, the beach with its walkers and wanderers below, a mansion that dominates the shoreline, and the view straight out to the sea, the cerulean and ever-changing ocean depths. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A good friendship gives us a multi-faceted view. It allows us to see things both up close, in detail, and also with the perspective that can come with the right amount of distance. It can be, a little, like walking on water. It’s not that the shoals and storms are not there, the billows and the waves that flow over us. But with a friend we feel that we can rise above them. There is that hand, reaching out to grab us as we sink. We lift one another, we raise each other up. There, we can take in the view.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When Jesus sends his friends away, they are faced with the problem of figuring out how to live without his daily, hourly reassuring presence. So are we. One of the ways we do so is by learning to recognize his presence in the good harbor offered by those around us. What if our friendships afforded us an opportunity to discover anew the power of Jesus’ promise to always be Immanuel, God-With-Us? I want to share again a poem I have shared with you before, by Teresa of Avila. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Christ has no body but yours, <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">No hands, no feet on earth but yours, <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Yours are the eyes with which he looks <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Compassion on this world, <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Yours are the eyes, you are his body. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Christ has no body now but yours, <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">No hands, no feet on earth but yours, <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Yours are the eyes with which he looks <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Compassion on this world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Christ has no body now on earth but yours.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Jesus has no body, no hands on earth except these hands, these bodies we have been given. Bodies that become weak and frail and get cancer, and hands that hold and soothe and heal. Bodies that climb hills and mountains, and hands that massage the tired muscles later. Bodies that cower under doorjambs when the tornado is coming, and hands that reach out with food and medicine and hammer and nails to do the work of repair. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Kathleen and Joyce are God-With-Us for one another, offering one another the good harbor of their friendship. Five people from this community will be God-With-Us for the people of Tuscaloosa. We all have opportunities to be God-With-Us for one another each and every day. But first, we will let Jesus and his friends host us at this small indoor table, where all are welcome, and the sick and hurting can find healing, and we will all be given bread for the journey. Thanks be to God. Amen.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;">Anita Diamant, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Good Harbor</i> (New York: Scribner, 2001), 139.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> </div> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-4172944787237898102011-08-20T11:01:00.002-04:002011-08-20T11:04:13.801-04:00Beach Reading 2: "Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(1, 0, 0); line-height: 22px; font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:medium;"></span></p><p style="width: 600px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Preached Sunday July 31....</span></p><p style="width: 600px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.</i></span></p><p style="width: 600px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” </i></span></p><p style="width: 600px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><i>~Galatians 5:1, 13-14</i></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">What would the story of your life sound like if it were written by one of your neighbors? Not friends, mind you. Rather, the people with whom you share the neighborhood, those who see you coming and going on the street where you live. How would they tell the story of your life? What things do you think they would pick out to mention—the color of your house, the make and model of your car? The number of children you have, the fact that you live alone? What would they know about you with certainty, and what could they only guess? </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The novel “Freedom” by Jonathan Franzen is bookended—it begins and ends—with a panoramic view of the main characters from the point of view of their neighbors. The Berglunds are the family in question, Walter and Patty and their children, Joey and Jessica. The first chapter gives us twenty years of their lives in twenty-four pages, as seen by those who simultaneously know them with a kind of distance and detachment, and who at the same time know them better than you’d think. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We learn how they came to a decaying neighborhood of St. Paul as young newlyweds, and set about renovating an old Victorian house they got for a song. We learn that Patty had been a basketball star in college until she blew out her knee. Here she is:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Tall, ponytailed, absurdly young, pushing a stroller past stripped cars and broken beer bottles… she might have been carrying all the hours of her day in the string bags that hung from her stroller. Behind her you could see the baby-encumbered preparations for a morning of baby-encumbered errands; ahead of her, an afternoon of Public Radio, the <u>Silver Palate Cookbook</u>, cloth diapers, drywall compound, and latex paint; and then, <u>Goodnight Moon</u>, then zinfandel. She was already fully the thing that was just starting to happen to the rest of the street</i>.<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=417294478723789810&from=pencil#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> Patty is a go-getter whose primary concern, whose vocation, is her family.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Walter, on the other hand, is a corporate lawyer who is really considered too nice to be a lawyer. Still, the twenty-year panorama hints at some kind of enormous and unpredictable change that has come upon him over the years. After the children had gone off to college, Walter and Patty decamped to Washington DC, where he made some kind of spectacular mess of his professional life; he is described in a national news story as arrogant, high-handed, and ethically compromised, adjectives that didn’t make sense to the neighbors who knew him as the kind and smiling man who adored his wife and children and cared about the environment so much that he rode his bicycle to work.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">What caused one of the children to have a falling out with his parents, and move across the street to live with the neighbors whose daughter he is dating? Why did the beautifully tended Victorian house become increasingly dilapidated as the garden and lawn went to seed? What was the nature of the unhappiness that clung to the Berglunds like a toxic cloud? What <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">happened</i> to Walter and Patty and their children? How did they get from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">here</i> to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">there</i>, and is it possible to get back again? Just a few of the plot points of this long and engrossing novel include, second chances, neighborhood class warfare, the rise of a rock star, the development of a bird sanctuary, extramarital affairs, a college job with a company that sounds suspiciously like Halliburton, and a fatal car accident. Yet, one could easily sum up the book by saying it’s the story of a marriage, and a family, and the uses and limits of personal freedom.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">What do we mean when we speak of “freedom”? The dictionary gives us about eleven intertwining definitions, including “personal liberty;” “autonomy;” “independence;” and “the ability to choose between alternative actions.” Freedom is a treasured notion for us Americans—it is one of the great concepts that drives everything from our conversations about the debt ceiling to our opinions on things like marriage equality. And—not surprisingly—we tend to disagree, as Americans, on which things make us either more free or less free. For Patty, certain things that happen to her—a trauma in high school, for example, and the way her parents respond—seriously challenge her freedom. This is true of all of us: Our ability to act with autonomy, or to choose well from various options, can depend on forces partially or even entirely outside our control. It can be as simple as an accident of birth that determines whether one is able to act or even feel “free.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">John Calvin, the grandfather of Presbyterianism, recognized this when he made the point that we are not as free as we tend to think we are. Calvin believed that, because of original sin, free will in human beings has been so damaged that we are unable to choose the good without God’s intervention on our behalf, intervention in the form of grace. And I think we all have seen the truth of that, whether in our own lives, or those of others we see around us, or even in the biblical narrative. Here I’m thinking of Jacob—a character so engaging and enthralling, at least in part, because he continually chooses to do things that get him into so much hot water.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Patty Berglund is a character like that. While the first and last chapters tell the story of the Berglunds from the perspective of their neighbors, there are also two long chapters that tell the story from Patty’s perspective. She writes an autobiography at the suggestion of her therapist, titled “Mistakes Were Made,” and it’s there, in her pages, that I found myself most absorbed and moved. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">A number of us here at UPC have spent the last year immersed in a book called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">SoulFeast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life.</i> Not only have we been reading it; we’ve been trying it out, trying it on, doing things like fasting and reading scripture and praying. One of the chapters of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">SoulFeast</i> is called “Of Conscience and Consciousness: Self-Examination, Confession and Awareness.” I thought of that chapter as I read Patty Berglund’s autobiography. Mistakes Were Made. The simple act of writing can give us a perspective on our lives and our actions that we miss when we simply think or talk about them. There is something about the act of committing our stories to paper that is surprisingly powerful. When we pick up a pen or sit down to a blank screen at the computer, we can be taken by surprise at the things that pour out of us. We can find in them those hints of grace that can lead us out of the mire of our abysmal choices and stuckness. At least, that seems to be what happens to Patty.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">
<br />“For freedom Christ has set us free,” Paul tells us. But Paul is crystal clear that freedom is not a synonym for lack of constraint. We are called to freedom, yes, but a very peculiar kind of freedom: the kind of freedom which enables us to choose to love one another as we love ourselves; the kind of freedom in which we are willing to give ourselves in service to and for one another. The kind of freedom that can sing, “Blest Be the Ties That Bind.” We are called to the kind of freedom in which, even when mistakes are made, we are able and willing to seek reconciliation, to ask forgiveness, even to learn and grow. And mistakes will be made, because we remain gloriously and maddeningly human. True freedom, it turns out, does not mean the state of being unfettered. It is one of God’s great paradoxes, that we are more free when we bind ourselves in love to others. We are always most free when we step into the stream of God’s grace. One of those eleven dictionary definitions of “freedom” is “ease and grace (of movement).” Freedom is ease and grace within the boundaries of God’s love. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The story our neighbors could tell about us might be dull or fascinating, filled with inaccuracies or dead on target. But the real story of our lives is the one we write with every choice. The true story of our lives is the one in which we are not the lone central character, but are always listening for the whispering voice of our first and most constant life partner, God. The truly exciting story of our lives emerges when we learn to use our freedom for others, for the tie that binds us, for love. Thanks be to God. Amen.</p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list">
<br /> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=33185052&postID=417294478723789810&from=pencil#_ednref" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;">Jonathan Franzen, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Freedom</i> (New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010), 4.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> </div> <!--EndFragment--> Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-28276335716677512452011-08-11T11:09:00.005-04:002011-08-20T11:00:34.973-04:00Of Horcruxes and House-Elves: A Sermon on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0u2d-8DPleRav9iRs5Axv8xNQm08QLYQV5qiSjIJU-kuvPic7Fx2ii0WcTTSFzMFwtoPQkB6kH-e512po0DP7YfAf3S-HKjS1eUWvy1qBtaA_5ImsSURk3lWk6iFe0ApPk5XOw/s1600/Dobby_at_Hogwarts.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0u2d-8DPleRav9iRs5Axv8xNQm08QLYQV5qiSjIJU-kuvPic7Fx2ii0WcTTSFzMFwtoPQkB6kH-e512po0DP7YfAf3S-HKjS1eUWvy1qBtaA_5ImsSURk3lWk6iFe0ApPk5XOw/s320/Dobby_at_Hogwarts.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642952903442931522" /></a>
<br /><div>My plan for late July and early August was a four-week sermon series called "Beach Reading," featuring sermons inspired by novels I've been reading (or, in this case, re-reading). The first one was supposed to be preached July 17, but that day I was in Atlantic City with my dad in the hospital. He is now doing rehab in a nursing home in the town where I live, which is a great blessing and relief.</div>
<br />
<br /><div>This was actually preached July 24. The rest to follow.... </div><div>
<br /></div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Sometime in the fall of 1999 I received a package in the mail. It was from my mother, a lover both of books and of her grandchildren. It contained the first three Harry Potter novels, two in paperback and the most recently released one in hardcover. There was a note, which read, “I have been reading all about these books. I thought the children might enjoy them.” And, oh, we did, all we children. We embarked on a five-year-long project of reading aloud, every Harry Potter book, complete with distinctive voices and sound effects, which lasted clear until book six came out. By that time, we were all so frantic to know <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">what happened</i>, we ended up stealing the books back and forth from one another until we’d gotten to the ending, teary-eyed and breathless. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The story begins as all good and wondrous tales do: with magic and mystery. A little child is left on a doorstep, a modern-day Moses in the bulrushes of county Surrey, England. The boy has a scar just above his eyes shaped like a bolt of lightning, and a mop of black hair. He isn’t old enough yet to know the hard truth of his life: he is an orphan. His parents have died offering their bodies as his protection against an evil wizard, and he will now live harsh childhood years as the unwelcome guest of spiteful and non-magical relatives, people wizards would call “muggles.” But we the readers know: this is Harry Potter, and we the readers suspect: he will grow up to be a good wizard. So the story begins.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">To enter the world of Harry Potter is to find your way into a place both familiar and entirely new. There are families, parents and children, and pets, and schools and schoolbooks and classrooms, and bullies and wonderful, lifelong friendships. But the families mostly carry wands and do magic, and the classes are named things like ‘Defense Against the Dark Arts’ and ‘Potions,’ and they take place in a grand magical castle, Hogwarts’ School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There are pets, yes, cats, but also owls, and toads, and magical creatures—centaurs and dragons and goblins, oh my.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">It would be impossible, foolhardy, to try to tell you the entire story of Harry Potter—it is a story that takes more than 4000 pages to unfold if you were to read the books, or nearly 20 hours if you were to watch the films. The chances of my being able to make sense of the whole thing in these few minutes are slim. So, instead, let me tell you about just two characters, characters on whom the plot turns, and whose actions reveal, to me, so much of the brokenness and beauty, the evil and goodness, that are reflected in the story.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">“He who must not be named”: that’s how we first hear of Lord Voldemort, and the pure fear behind that name tells us much we need to know. This powerful and evil wizard has a bottomless, unquenchable thirst for power and domination. He thinks nothing of cruelly torturing or murdering anyone who stands in his path. He initiates a campaign of separating out pureblood wizards from half-blood or muggle-born (in the Harry Potter books, muggles occasionally produce magically gifted children). He recruits like-minded witches and wizards to aid him in his planned conquest. And the person he pursues with single-minded fury is Harry Potter, because Harry was identified in a prophecy as being the one wizard who was a match for Voldemort’s power.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">And, though he is just about evil personified, Voldemort is still a fully fleshed out character. We learn about his painful childhood, growing up in an orphanage. Yes, he and Harry are both orphans. We learn of his schooldays, his isolation, and the way in which he turns to dark magic to feel more powerful. Still, his turn to evil is a choice: he rejects the goodness of those who try to help him. We witness his cruel brutality, his sadism. To put him into a modern, understandable category: his psychology is that of a serial killer. We learn that the thing that most disgusts him is human mortality—he regards death as a pathetic weakness. And so we learn that the evil wizard has intentionally created seven horcruxes. Horcruxes, in the world of Harry Potter, are magical objects that function as containers for the soul, and they can enable their creator to attain immortality. But in order to create a horcrux, one must commit an act of supreme evil that literally rips the soul apart: one must commit murder.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” [Luke 12:34]. Jesus tells us that it matters, those things to which we commit our souls. There is no human project more guaranteed to rob us of our humanity than the urge to dominate and subjugate others to our will. And there is no human project that has done more damage than the effort to identify and demonize and weed out those who are not like us. And it’s not only Voldemorts and Stalins and Hitlers who take on such projects. We read daily reports of the horrors inflicted by those who cannot tolerate difference. We all have it within us to become little dictators, whether of our children or our co-workers or our spouses or even our parents. We all put our souls at risk when we try to stamp out the “other.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">In his campaigns against the “other,” and against that ultimate “other” reality, death, Voldemort sacrifices his most precious treasure: his soul. He boxes it up in little trinkets, which he hides like a furtive schoolboy with secret stashes of candy. Voldemort is single-minded, but he is far from whole-hearted. He is just the opposite. His is a heart in shreds.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">“Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.” The Harry Potter books, “Deathly Hallows” in particular, issue an invitation to us to learn what it is to be whole-hearted, to be alert to the things that threaten to fragment our souls. They remind us to store up for ourselves the true treasures, those that will build up and bind together and mend God’s creation, rather than tearing it apart.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The second character I want to talk about is Dobby. The magical world of Harry Potter is not a perfect world. There are aspects to it that are disturbing, even aside from Lord Voldemort and his evil plans. In the second book the reader becomes aware that there is a servant class in this world, a class of beings who are responsible for the appearance of all the yummy foods on the enormous tables at Hogwarts, and for the upkeep of the students’ dormitories, and even for the maintenance of the homes of older, wealthier wizarding families. This servant class is comprised of house-elves, and their lot is not all that different from that of slaves. House-elves are tiny creatures, no more than two or three feet in height. Instead of clothing they wear discarded pillowcases and tea towels. In order for a house-elf to be freed, his master must present him with an article of clothing, which most wizards try to avoid doing at all costs. Despite their slave status, house-elves maintain a code of such strict loyalty, even to the most evil of masters, that they will physically punish themselves for any acts that smack of disloyalty. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Here’s the thing about house-elves, though: they have their own powerful magic, abilities that wizards and witches don’t seem to recognize or value. They have their own sense of right and wrong, which may be at odds with the families they serve. Dobby the house-elf makes his appearance at the beginning of book two to protect Harry from evil doings, an action that puts him in opposition with his master, a devoted Voldemort groupie. So every time Dobby does something to help Harry, he must punish himself for his disloyalty. At the end of the second book, Harry tricks Dobby’s cruel master into passing him an old, smelly sock, thereby freeing him. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Dobby’s kindness to Harry is repaid with deep devotion. In the end, the outcome of all the books turns on Dobby’s complete loyalty to Harry. Dobby places himself in danger in order to save the lives of, not just Harry, but five other people as well. For his pains Dobby receives a deadly wound. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave…” [Philippians 2:5-7a]. The mind of Christ, the one who had access to all the glory and power of God, was the mind of a servant, a slave. The mind of Christ is shown in the actions of Harry Potter’s parents, who face Voldemort unarmed and beg for mercy, not for themselves, but for their child. The mind of Christ is illustrated in the actions of Dobby, who binds himself to Harry in a bond of love and devotion, and who offers himself and his gifts, whatever the cost. And the mind of Christ is in Harry himself, who learns from Dobby the incalculable value of certain actions, and who, in mourning the loss of Dobby, comes to understand how, at last, to empty himself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">After Dobby’s death, Harry spends a great deal of time digging Dobby’s grave, and in that time, his mind is focuses. In the end, Harry, too, walks unarmed to face Voldemort, offering no resistance, because he has come to understand that a greater power than magic, a far, far, greater power, is that of self-giving, self-sacrificing, self-emptying love. </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">When the Harry Potter books first became popular a fury erupted. There were some who were gravely concerned that Christian children ought not to be reading about witches and wizards. In their focus on the specifics of the content, the details of the storytelling, these critics entirely missed the power of the message. In fact, the Harry Potter series belongs in the category of books that demonstrate what it is to walk the path that Christ walked. We follow along with one who is willing to die in order that others might live. We come to love one who spends himself in order that others might be free. We are witness to the whole-heartedness of one who understands and faithfully follows his calling. It is hard to imagine any Christian walking away from these books with a faith that is weakened. My experience was just the opposite.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">When we open a book and allow it to inhabit us, we are taken on a journey. The journey of Harry Potter is one that contains magic, yes, and fantasy, and a marvelous roller-coaster-ride of a story. But this journey also shows us love, and devotion, and courage, and trust. This journey leaves us eager to find that calling about which we can be whole-hearted. And then, this journey brings us home again, to the One whose whole-hearted goal was our life, and our wholeness, and our salvation. Thanks be to God. Amen.</p> <!--EndFragment--> <div></div>
<br />
<br /><div></div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-91816629174592954282011-07-03T13:03:00.002-04:002011-07-03T13:04:38.781-04:00The Human Dilemma: Sermon on Romans 7:15-25<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEf-ra5rkY515nSd6mihyphenhyphenwR9uC55XXkuHJnaqCR2Vb8oOQy0Cd557PUp-pvN9AhaxuFt7AX2Ow25OJL3KcMusRbJeXmX8DEPCQdIoK6w8vFJTirLacIKiiV3PyG5oreT03ZqOYMw/s1600/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEf-ra5rkY515nSd6mihyphenhyphenwR9uC55XXkuHJnaqCR2Vb8oOQy0Cd557PUp-pvN9AhaxuFt7AX2Ow25OJL3KcMusRbJeXmX8DEPCQdIoK6w8vFJTirLacIKiiV3PyG5oreT03ZqOYMw/s320/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625172945792466306" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">When I hear Pau<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">l say, “</span></span><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate,” it is very, very hard for me not to think of chocolate chip cookies. I have had an almost fifty-year long love affair with chocolate chip cookies. I may, in fact, have ingested more chocolate chip cookies than any other single food item. And I have wonderful memories associated with chocolate chip cookies. Here’s one: baking chocolate chip cookies with my children while we danced around the kitchen improvising three-part harmonies to Shawn Colvin songs. Still, on the whole, that love affair has not served me well. Chocolate chip cookies, or, more specifically, the way I used them as a kind of mood-altering drug, got in the way of my relationships with God and with people. And that’s what sin is: anything that harms our relationship with God, and prevents us from being in relationship with people.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Much as I hate to admit it, chocolate chip cookies are my way into a discussion on sin. Sin as the human dilemma. Sin as that thing we do, despite our best efforts, our vows to stop. Sin as the thing that, in many ways, defines what it is to be human—after all, our cousins in the animal world are really not capable of sinning, are they? In order to be able to sin, we need to be capable of knowing the difference between those things that are life-giving and those things that are death-dealing, spiritually speaking. The name of our species says it all: </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">homo sapiens</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, Latin for “wise man” or “knowing man.” We know the difference. That is what makes us capable of sin.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Presbyterians, following in the footsteps of Calvin, have always had a keen interest in sin. That is probably because Paul, who writes about sin more extensively than any other New Testament writer, is sort of our Presbyterian Godfather. It is Paul’s influence that brought people like Calvin to the conclusion that we are helpless to deal with sin without God’s intervention, without Jesus’ gracious actions, and without the work of the Holy Spirit. When I attended my ecumenical seminary, students and professors took turns leading the daily chapel services. And you could always tell when the Presbyterians were leading worship, because we unfailingly included a Prayer of Confession. We Presbyterians have a reputation for having a strong sense of the danger of sin, which, as you might expect, is a fairly counter-cultural thing to have. It makes us stand out.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Paul certainly had that same strong sense. Now, a lot of folks have been discussing, for a very long time, exactly what it is that Paul is referring to in our passage. And there are varying theories. Is this outright autobiography? One theory holds that Paul is telling what life was like before he found Christ, how very much he was a captive of sin prior to his conversion. “</span></span><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">There is one glaring flaw with this theory. It seems to rest on the presumption that Christians don’t sin. This is an idea which I don’t believe I have to spend any time at all debunking. I leave it to each one to ponder and to prove. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This conundrum was pretty well described in one of the questions on my theology ordination exam. The question went something like this: </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">You are a pastor in a church, and a man who recently joined the church comes to meet with you in your office. The man tells you that, for years he was a drug addict. He had spent thousands and thousands of dollars on his drug habit, and had lost the trust of family and countless friends. However, within the last year, he had been brought to the church by a friend, and had found the love of Jesus compelling and inviting. He had been welcomed into the church and baptized, fully confessing his new faith. There is just one problem: he is still not able to kick his drug habit. He is stunned. He says to you, “I thought when I found Jesus that I would be healed of this sin! Does this mean I’m not a real Christian? How can I stop doing this thing to myself and those I love?”</span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“</span></span><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Christians sin. Christians harm themselves and others with cocaine and cookies and guns and words. Christians do pretty much everything that non-Christians do, good and bad, with the possible exception of belonging to a church. Paul was not, in my opinion, describing life pre-Christ. He was describing himself, Apostle, tireless bringer of the Good News, planter of churches, and writer of some of the most treasured words to be found in Christian scripture. Paul was describing the truth of the kingdom of heaven. It is already here, and it is not yet here. Christians, because we know the effects of sin, because we recognize it, live in that place between the promise of God’s time of complete renewal and the still-present realities of life as we know it. “</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For now the believer is caught in-between.”</span></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">[i]</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Aside from referring him to a good 12-step program, inpatient treatment and therapy, this is what I would have said to the hypothetical man in the exam question: “As Christians, we know that God’s desire is to forgive and restore us. We know that we live in that promise of forgiveness. Knowing we are forgiven gives us the opportunity to focus more on the work of the Spirit as we witness it in our lives, and less on the Catch-22 that is sin, what Paul calls, ‘this body of death.’ As Christians we understand what sin is, we see how it separates us from God and one another, and we want that to change. That doesn’t mean we are immediately successful in making that change. But it does mean that we can be more diligent, and more vigilant, and we can, begin to move away from sin and towards more abundant life. One step at a time.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We know what sin is, and we know we are forgiven already—that is what causes Paul to end his anguished speech with words of praise: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Thanks be to God! You hear this all the time in 12-step meetings—people giving thanks that they are alcoholics, or drug addicts, or food addicts, or gambling addicts. Thanks be to God, because knowing the truth about myself is the first step towards a new life, by God’s grace. It isn’t the last step, it isn’t a magic wand, and it isn’t a pass a la, “the Devil made me do it.” It’s the first step towards a life lived in grace and responsibility, and with an ear and a heart open to God’s leading us to more and more life.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A few months ago I had the joy of hearing Susan Werner in concert. She sang this song, which I believe beautifully captures the blessing of knowing we are sinners. The song is called “Did Trouble Me.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When I closed my eyes so I would not see <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Lord did trouble me<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When I let things stand that should not be<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Lord did trouble me<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When I held my head too high too proud<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Lord did trouble me<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When I raised my voice too little too loud<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Lord did trouble me<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Did trouble me<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">With a word or a sign<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">With the ringing of the bell in the back of my mind<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Did trouble me<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Did stir my soul<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For to make me human, to make me whole<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span style="color:white;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When I slept too long, slept too deep<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Lord did trouble me<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Put a worrisome vision into my sleep<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Lord did trouble me<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">When I held myself away and apart<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Lord did trouble me<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And the tears of my brother did move my heart<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Lord did trouble me<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And of this I’m sure, of this I know<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Lord will trouble me<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Whatever I do and wherever I go<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Lord will trouble me<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In the whisper of the wind, in the rhythm of a song<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Lord will trouble me<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">To keep me on the path where I belong<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Lord will trouble me</span></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn2" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">[ii]</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><i><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Jesus acts to set things right in this life of contradictions where we want to serve God with all our heart and mind, but are pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. Jesus longs to “make us human, to make us whole.” And so, he “troubles us,” letting us know when we are straying. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Living in that “in-between-place” means that sin is still our human dilemma to reckon with, but also that our Lord will trouble us, and remind us, even as our Lord will lead us to a better place, a place where our renewal and the whole world’s will be made complete. And for that, we can say with Paul, Thanks be to God. Amen.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;">Walter F. Taylor, “2<sup>nd</sup> Reading, July 3, 2011, 3<sup>rd</sup> Sunday After Pentecost,” at Working Preacher (<a href="http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=7/3/2011&tab=3">http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=7/3/2011&tab=3</a>). <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[ii]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:13.0pt;">More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/susan_werner/#share</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> </div> <!--EndFragment-->Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-92119482323260065712011-06-26T16:08:00.004-04:002011-06-26T16:13:47.872-04:00Here We Go! Sermon on Matthew 10:5-15, 40-42<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSa4fx350Ikaqxh8BTvmmQkagqc70vWmZZSTDULK8EmmK7VMpNq1_VMON1IilULWMIKUZZ1EKkzkHWGlNAbpDztP88SmmoNzIAQh_iNVbhYT7OXjM_7JZS8gGvVmAT6q9M-K7AKw/s1600/blue-glasswater_1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSa4fx350Ikaqxh8BTvmmQkagqc70vWmZZSTDULK8EmmK7VMpNq1_VMON1IilULWMIKUZZ1EKkzkHWGlNAbpDztP88SmmoNzIAQh_iNVbhYT7OXjM_7JZS8gGvVmAT6q9M-K7AKw/s320/blue-glasswater_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622623785569943058" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;">I was only the second person in my family to go to college. It was a big adventure. And the process of packing was an ordeal. What to take? I have been a voracious reader since my mom caught me reading “The Bobbsey Twins” under the covers with a flashlight. Do I take all the books I love? Do I take “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “The Story of a Soul,” the autobiography of Saint Therese of Lisieux? (The answer to this question was, “No.” In college you acquire additional tons of books, so you don’t take all your favorite books, especially if you are a bookworm.) Do I take all my music? Which, for a college girl in 1978 meant vinyl AND cassettes AND 8-track tapes. (The answer to this question was a qualified “Yes;” the 8-track tapes got left behind—in more ways than one.) And clothes… you leave for college in the summer, and by the time you come home for Thanksgiving break it is practically winter! So do you take all those clothes? (For me, the answer was “Yes.” And it is this single fact that necessitated the upgrade from driving to Boston in my parent’s car to the rental of a small U-Haul truck.)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;">What do we really need, when we hit the road, when we say, “Here we go!” and where we’re going takes us on a brand new adventure? My friends and I played a game in college that involved naming the five essentials we would want to take to a desert island—usually, five essential books, or recordings, the assumption being, I survive, that we would be able to survive on our own, a la Tom Hanks in “Cast Away.” To which my older, wiser self replies, Yeah, right.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;">Which I imagine might be something akin to what the Twelve said at the prospect of going on their missionary journey. Usually when I speak of Jesus’ friends and followers, I use language as inclusive as possible. I say things like, “Jesus’ friends and followers,” because the gospels tell us that there were many more than “the Twelve” gathered around Jesus. At times, his followers were in the hundreds. But in this passage from the gospel of Matthew, Jesus sends the “Twelve,” meaning, the twelve apostles. That’s what “apostle” means, “one who is sent.” And here, the twelve are living into that definition. They are being sent with the message of the gospel, into the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;">Now, they are being sent, this first time, on a relatively modest expedition. Go nowhere near the Gentiles, Jesus says, and stay away from those scary Samaritans. Don’t go to any places where a hostile reception is more or less guaranteed. Instead, go to the lost sheep of Israel—in other words, go to be among “our own people.” People to whom the apostles are already related, their own tribes. Twelve tribes. Remember, way back in the late winter, early spring, when we were talking about Matthew’s gospel, and his eagerness to paint Jesus as the “new Moses?” Here he goes again: just as Jesus as the “new Moses,” the twelve apostles and their mission to the twelve tribes are making up the “new Israel.”<a style="mso-endnote-id: edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[i]</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;">But packing for this trip is an ordeal of a different kind. No U-Haul required. I remember when </span><span style="color:#262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">my parents opened a checking account for me, and taught me how to use it. But, Jesus says, </span></span><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts. Take no checkbooks or ATM cards. I’ve already mentioned the mammoth haul that required not only a truck but by brother’s willingness to lift and carry and relocate. But, Jesus says, Take no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff. Don’t take your prom gown, “just in case.” I recall the college meal card, and mastering the art of making it last for the full semester, but the twelve are, evidently, going to have to depend on the kindness of strangers, for laborers deserve their food, Jesus says. Implying, that it will be supplied—not brought along in Tupperware containers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Who, in their right mind, would agree to such working conditions? The apostles are being sent on a mission with what appears to be exactly nothing. Only themselves, and the clothes on their backs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#030000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And what they are supposed to do? Well, proclaim the Good News, Jesus says, Tell those lost sheep, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;">Oh fine. Just go about Galilee <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">being Jesus</i>? Is that what he’s asking? Is he serious? And it’s true. Jesus has been going all around Galilee and points beyond, and he has been sharing this news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near,’ which is polite and pious Jewish shorthand for ‘The kingdom of God has come near.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Which is Jesus’ way of saying, ‘Here I am.’ <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;">Jesus <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">is</i> the kingdom of God come near. Jesus <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">is</i> healing, and life-giving, and accepting the people who were otherwise considered unacceptable—like the demon-possessed and the lepers. Jesus embodies all these things, all without benefit of his dog-eared copy of “The Catcher in the Rye” or his lucky baseball glove or any extra baggage whatsoever. He is all these things in himself, and by sending them out with absolutely nothing, he tells the twelve, You are too. You are all these things.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;">And so he sends them out, to embody the dawning kingdom of God. That time and place—already here, and not quite here—when we will all be healed, and we will all be given new life, and we will all be accepted. He sends them out to accomplish all these things without the benefit of a mobile army surgical hospital or a tony spa in the Adirondacks. He sends them out without a whole lot of training, and even fewer provisions. He sends them out to simply be themselves, and to bring healing and new life and acceptance for all God’s children with them. Because that is how we go about proclaiming the Good News: we do it with our own lives. This is that wonderful advice attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.”<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn2" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[ii]</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;">But, you know, as reassuring as all that is—that we can embody the gospel, that we can bring new life like Jesus did, etc. etc.—as reassuring as all that is, the prospect of actually doing the thing still paralyzes us. Doesn’t it? Who here has their 2-minute long elevator speech ready to go? You know, the short pitch to invite people to your church? Or, even bolder, to tell them why you love Jesus? Anyone?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;">If we feel daunted—well, we can start small. One-cup-of-cold-water-small. Did you catch that part? If going out armed with only your sweet self and the clothes on you back and the joy, joy, joy, joy down in your heart is just too much to contemplate—well, just consider welcoming someone else who is doing that, by giving them a cup of cold water when they’re thirsty. No, not even that—giving a cup of cold water to a “little one” who knows someone who’s spreading the gospel. That’s it! That’s our way in. The kingdom of God/ kingdom of heaven is so vast, so unfathomably enormous. And we get to participate in it by starting small, by starting right where we are, right here, right now. With what we can do, now. We can give a cup of cold water.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;">So here we go! Because, you knew it, didn’t you—we are being sent, just like the twelve. And we don’t need special training or provisions. We don’t need a seminary education, or a million dollars, or the “right” program. All we need is to have been paying attention, to who Jesus is, and what Jesus does. All we need is the willingness to be who and what God made us to be, and to let our genuine selves bring forth God’s healing, and new life, and acceptance for all God’s people. All we need is the willingness to pour out a cup of cold water for someone who thirsts, and to know—this, right here, right now, is God’s kingdom, breaking through. Thanks be to God. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-Trebuchet MS";font-family:";color:#262626;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;">Stephen Butler Murray, “Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23): Theological Perspective,” in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, Volume 3, Pentecost and the Season After</i>, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, Editors (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 140.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[ii]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;">Fr. Pat McCloskey, OFM, “Great Saying But Tough to Trace: Did Saint Francis Really Say That?” in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Saint Anthony Messenger</i>, October 2001. Original quote: “Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds.” http://www.americancatholic.org/messenger/oct2001/Wiseman.asp<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> </div> <!--EndFragment-->Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-59199750539645382972011-06-21T07:28:00.001-04:002011-06-21T07:29:30.167-04:00Meditations for Trinity SundayWhich I preached without benefit of the text, as I forgot to email it to myself. Oops!<div><br /></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><sup><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana; color:#646464">11</span></sup></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000">Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><sup><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#646464">12</span></sup></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000">Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><sup><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#646464">13</span></sup></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000">The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.<span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>~2 Corinthians 13:11-13<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000">Meditation 1: The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000">How would you say “Good bye” to someone who was driving you crazy? Someone who, in your opinion, had their priorities all wrong—who spent their money on the wrong things, or wouldn’t spend it at all? Someone who couldn’t see past glitz and glamour to the empty sentiments on the other side of it all? Someone who rejected you because—you didn’t have that glitz and glamour? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000">Paul faces this situation at the end of his second letter to the church in Corinth. The Corinthians are driving him crazy. After speaking his mind, telling them what he thinks of their shortcomings, when it finally comes time to say good bye, Paul says, “Grace.” The first words of his farewell benediction are “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.” And grace is all about forgiveness. Grace is all about the sufficiency of God, even (or especially) when we have found ourselves to be sorely lacking. Grace is all about the work of Jesus on our behalf—the totality of his life, his ministry, his death and his resurrection. To the tough and recalcitrant Corinthians, Paul gives a blessing of grace, and says, “Take heart. All is not lost. Far from it. There’s still grace. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000">Meditation 2: The Love of God<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000">And then, Paul says, “Love.” The confluence of Father’s Day and Trinity Sunday give me an opportunity to speak of the first person of the Trinity, whom Paul here calls God, and who for much of church history has been referred to as “Father.” Jesus called God “Father,” but he also called God “Abba,” which is an endearment, like “Papa” or even “Daddy.” Today the father of the family may be the breadwinner or the stay at home caretaker. Today the father of the family may never enter the kitchen or may be the best and most creative cook. Today the father may be the strict disciplinarian or the soft touch. Today almost all the functions of father and mother can be taken on by either parent—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">almost</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000">But in Jesus’ day, the Father was always, in addition to the one who gave you life, the head of the household, the breadwinner, and the one on whom the family depended on for protection, for stature in the community, for identity. The good father was a tower of strength. And Paul commends the very difficult and frustrating Corinthians to the “love of God.” And so “the love of God” resonates with all these things—it speaks of our identity as God’s children, of protection, strength, security, and, yes, tenderness. To those whom Paul has criticized mightily, there is the still more mighty “love of God.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000">Meditation 3: The Communion of the Holy Spirit<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;color:#030000"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;color:#030000">And finally, Paul says, “Communion.” Communion is a word, that in it’s most basic meaning, is “union with.” Last Sunday I spoke at some length about the Holy Spirit. One of our Presbyterian creeds tells us that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Spirit… </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia">binds us together with all believers </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia">in the one body of Christ, the Church.”</span></i><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia"> The Spirit is the one who brings it—the one who brings <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">us</i>—all together. It is by the power of the Spirit that people who are different in every conceivable way—old and young, rich and poor, healthy and weak, hawks and doves, liberals and conservatives—it is by the power of the Spirit that such people can live together, and thrive together, and do God’s good work together. Name any obstacle, construct any dividing wall, delineate any barrier, and the Spirit is capable of overcoming it, breaking it down, moving powerfully and gently around it.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia">In the final words of Paul’s benediction, he invokes the Trinity—the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit—to remind the Corinthians of the abundant blessings of the God in whom they live and move and have their being. They are living in grace—in forgiveness. They are living in love—in powerful identity and protection. They are living in communion—in the ability to come together as one, despite the forces that might try to drag them apart. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit constitute the reality of the life of faith. Grace, love and communion—these are our heritage, too, something to fill our hearts with songs of praise. Thanks be to God. Amen.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-58196656299960224992011-06-12T14:27:00.001-04:002011-06-12T14:27:35.465-04:00The Problem With Pentecost: Sermon on Acts 2:1-21<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UurGj9dlSpPtOLd6J-__r0SaLHBjDgiYAWs2GWeM62LoMkfiDj85VtjKa0s1rgYdo3HefThvmvvE4BNVzXrCN50nRxcpqYsGif76f1m2hQj5-grQ3YPyYf6LjyQEEbwp5lAO-w/s1600/PE_DownedPowerLineSafety.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UurGj9dlSpPtOLd6J-__r0SaLHBjDgiYAWs2GWeM62LoMkfiDj85VtjKa0s1rgYdo3HefThvmvvE4BNVzXrCN50nRxcpqYsGif76f1m2hQj5-grQ3YPyYf6LjyQEEbwp5lAO-w/s320/PE_DownedPowerLineSafety.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617401411016174418" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">I just can’t resist this story. I can’t resist a good story, generally, but the story of Pentecost is really so wonderful.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The risen Jesus is gone from sight into heaven. Jesus’ friends and followers—hundreds of them—are all gathered together in one place. They are undoubtedly studying scripture together, because that is what Jews do on the feast of Pentecost (Shavuot is the Hebrew name for it), the commemoration of God’s giving of the Torah to the people. So here they are, all gathered together, waiting, watching, wondering what on earth could be next. And suddenly, all heaven breaks loose. A mighty wind blows through, filling the room. Tongues of fire appear on all their heads, young and old, male and female. They all begin to speak in new languages, languages they did not know before. The Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God and of Jesus, has come upon them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">They pour out into the streets, where their ability to speak new languages means that everyone can understand what they are saying, what they are preaching, the Good News. All the people who have come to Jerusalem for the festival, no matter where they come from, can hear the words being spoken in their own tongues. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">So many beautiful things are happening, it’s hard to convey them all at once. Those who were hidden away in fear are filled with courage, and come out into the open. Those who were silent are speaking out. Those who were divided, separated, are united, they have become one. So many beautiful things. The power of the Spirit unleashed. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">But—and you knew there was a “but,” didn’t you? Wait a minute. Hold on. A sour note is sounded. A sour note intoned by at least some of the bystanders. “But others sneered, and said, ‘They are full of new wine’” [Acts 2:13]. And there it is. Where some see a miracle, others see dissipation. Where some see God’s power at work, others see misbehavior, or worse. Where some see a marvelous example of people coming together, others see drunken revelers who ought to be off the streets, home in bed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">And there you have it, the problem of Pentecost. A mighty wind blows through, and suddenly you have a mess of downed tree limbs and power lines. Tongues of fire alight on everyone’s heads, and sooner or later someone complains that they’ve gotten burned. You start speaking new languages, and now old friends are acting strange. They shake their heads. They say you’ve changed. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">And we are left wondering, what on earth (or in heaven) has just happened? Hasn’t the Spirit come in power? Isn’t this a great victory? Yet, we’re left feeling more like the people in the cartoon I just saw this week, in which a voice from heaven declares, “I shall send down my Spirit, and it will be like a flame upon your head.” So one person says, “Does this mean I can’t wear a hat?” And another says, “We’d better have a fire drill.” And another says, “This is a health and safety nightmare!” And yet another says, “What if I set off the fire alarm?” And, of course, someone says, “But my church is a non-smoking [facility]!”<a style="mso-endnote-id: edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[i]</span></span></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The Spirit comes. And we are not sure what on earth to do about it. We’re not even sure if we’re happy about it. We’re not even sure what it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">means</i>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">So, perhaps, a refresher course is in order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Title this part of the sermon, “Holy Spirit: 101: A brief introduction.” Except for Pentecost, when the Spirit comes with so much bluster and fanfare, lots of us tend to think of the Spirit as the “shy” member of the Trinity. We are much more aware of God the Father or Creator, and of God the Son, in Jesus Christ. But God the Spirit? Slippery. Invisible. Dare I say, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">ghostly</i>. And yet, a look at our creeds reveals that the Spirit is where the action is, in terms of our lives and faith. The Brief Statement of Faith of the Presbyterian Church (USA) describes the work of the Spirit in this way:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">“We trust in God the Holy Spirit, </span>everywhere, the giver and renewer of life.”<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith, </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor, </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">and binds us together with all believers </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">in the one body of Christ, the Church.”</span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">“The same Spirit </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">who inspired the prophets and apostles </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture, </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">engages us through the Word proclaimed, </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">claims us in the waters of baptism, </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation, and calls women and men to all ministries of the church.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">“In a broken and fearful world </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">the Spirit gives us courage </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">to pray without ceasing, </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.”</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">Here’s how I like to think about it: anything we do that in any way enables us to more fully and authentically love God and to love our neighbor is the work of the Holy Spirit. That means that the Spirit is busy, busy, busy at work, in us, around us, through us. That means that everything we do that is good—whether it is praying, or reading scripture, or reaching out in kindness, or bearing witness to our faith, or hugging our children, or listening to our beloveds, or visiting someone who is lonely, or helping someone who is in any way in need—everything that we know is good and pleasing to God, we are empowered to do by the Holy Spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">And here’s where the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">problem</i> of Pentecost comes in. As one working preacher has put it: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">“The Holy Spirit does not come to solve our problems but to create them. </span></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Think about it: absent the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples could go back to their previous careers as fishermen. I can almost hearing James and John explaining, "Sure, it was a wild and crazy three-year-ride, and that Jesus sure was a heck of a guy, but maybe we needed to get that out of our system before we could settle down and take on Dad's business." Once the Spirit comes, however, that return to normalcy is no longer an option. They will now be propelled throughout the ancient world to herald the unlikely message that God has redeemed the world through an itinerant preacher from the backwaters of Palestine who was executed for treason and blasphemy. The Holy Spirit, take note, doesn't solve the disciples' problems, it creates them.</span></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn2" name="_ednref" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">[ii]</span></span></span></a></i><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">The mighty wind of the Spirit <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">does</i> fill us with inspiration, but it also takes down tree branches and power lines, blowing away old structures and requiring us to create new ones. The flames of the Spirit <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">do</i> set us on fire for God, at the same time they expose us to the risk that we will be burned by the passion of our love. The ability to speak a new language <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">will</i> mean that we find ourselves sharing the love of Jesus with new friends, but that can result in all kinds of complications with our old ones. Allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us is not a guarantee of a life free from complication, or pain, or difficulty. It is just the opposite. Case in point: Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">Jesus let the wind of the Spirit blow through him, and in everything he did, he was at one with the will of God. And that ended in a spectacular defeat, failure, ignominy. In Jesus’ day, it just didn’t get any worse than crucifixion, because it was not only death, it was a painful, humiliating death at the hands of an oppressive state. But God raised Jesus from the dead. God vindicated him. God created the most spectacular victory from the most horrifying defeat, because that is how God works. As a dear friend of mine likes to say, in God’s economy, nothing is wasted. The question is not whether we are successful. The question is whether we are faithful. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">The problem of Pentecost boils down to this question: are we willing to be faithful? Are we willing to be punch-drunk with love for God, so much so that people start looking at us a little funny? Are we willing to throw ourselves into new ventures on behalf of God’s hurting people, create new structures from the wreckage of the old—even if we risk failure in doing it? Are we willing to listen for the voice of God in the words of those it is all too easy to ignore or discount? Because that is where God has told us he will be speaking—in the completely powerless, and those who are too young, and those who are too old, the ones who will prophesy, and see visions, and dream dreams. Are we willing to listen to them?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Georgia;">Here we are, all gathered together in one place. The wind of the Spirit is already blowing through this place—stirring up new ideas in one, setting another one’s heart on fire with conviction, teaching another a new way of speaking. The Spirit comes, ready or not, to upset, complicate and, in the end, remake our lives in strange, unexpected and beautiful ways.</span> So many beautiful things are happening already! Those who were hidden away in fear are filled with courage, and come out into the open. Those who were silent are speaking. Those who were divided, separated, are united, they have become one. So many beautiful things, as the power of the Spirit is unleashed. Thanks be to God. Amen.</p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;"><a href="https://cakeordeathcartoon.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/pentecost-cartoon/">https://cakeordeathcartoon.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/pentecost-cartoon/</a>.</span> </p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[ii]</span></span></a> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;">David Lose, “Pentecost Paradoxes,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Working Preacher</i>, June 5, 2011, <a href="http://www.workingpreacher.org/dear_wp.aspx?article_id=481">http://www.workingpreacher.org/dear_wp.aspx?article_id=481</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> </div> <!--EndFragment-->Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33185052.post-53352964247738201912011-05-29T08:32:00.002-04:002011-05-29T08:36:37.144-04:00Hand-Made Shrines: Sermon on Acts 17:22-31<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDkrMyZKEFw_0chKi2Uu30lsi7MZIOW-pB5GBxTumwV4cNuxtKYL4D1czXuwA1NpNOPZuoDs7y9_uY-MY2Hck4-qpX-XNhb5LQFWRz2jxMnwOROcXq6vL6OghL2JH7slPnK9j6g/s1600/2010-12-09-12-26-55-7-the-vietnam-veterans-memorial-wall-in-washington-d.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDkrMyZKEFw_0chKi2Uu30lsi7MZIOW-pB5GBxTumwV4cNuxtKYL4D1czXuwA1NpNOPZuoDs7y9_uY-MY2Hck4-qpX-XNhb5LQFWRz2jxMnwOROcXq6vL6OghL2JH7slPnK9j6g/s320/2010-12-09-12-26-55-7-the-vietnam-veterans-memorial-wall-in-washington-d.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612115976786945746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In the spring of 1979, while the pain of the Vietnam War was still fresh in the minds and hearts of Americans, a penniless veteran named Jan Scruggs helped to form a non-profit corporation. Its purpose was to fund and build a memorial to the men and women who served their country in Vietnam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Within a few years, the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Fund had successfully petitioned Congress to designate a location for the memorial in Washington DC, in view of both the Washington and Lincoln Monuments, and raised $8.4 million in private donations. Then they then held a contest to determine the design. <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">A 21-year-old architectural student from Ohio named Maya Lin submitted the winning design. Her vision was simple and striking. The memorial is made of two stone walls, each 246 feet and 8 inches long. They are joined at a 125 degree angle and sunk into the earth, so that where the walls join they are about 10 feet tall, and at the outer ends, they are about 8 inches tall. On the wall, in chronological order from East to West, are inscribed the names of every service man or woman who died or went missing in action throughout the more than 20-year conflict. Visitors to the memorial see their own reflections in the dark and polished stone at the same time they see the etched names, bringing past and present together. When the design was first announced, it caused almost immediate outrage—perhaps the greatest controversy over a hand-made shrine in our lifetimes. Early on someone dmismissed it as a “black gash of shame,” and people at the highest levels of government got involved to insist on a statue of three servicemen being placed nearby.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">As soon as the wall was dedicated, though, and people began to visit, the power of the shrine became clear. To go there and look at the names, to pray, to cry, to make a rubbing of the name of your loved one—countless people have done so over the past 29 years, and described it as a deeply spiritual and even healing experience. This puzzling shrine that initially sparked so much anger ended up unifying its supporters and critics; it has even, to an extent, unified supporters and critics of the war itself. It has visualized in stark and beautiful terms the enormity of the sacrifice made by those who fought and those who died and those whose fate remains unknown. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">In today’s passage from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul is preaching the gospel by responding with eloquent and persuasive language to hand-made shrines he sees throughout the city of Athens. But in the passage just before our passage, when Paul first lays eyes on those shrines, he is not nearly so genteel. Paul is outraged.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’ll just come out and say it. Paul has been having a bad week. Paul comes slinking into Athens alone after having been kicked out unceremoniously from Thessalonica, and then from Berea, where he has been traveling with Silas and Timothy. When Paul first arrives, he is deeply distressed to see the many, many idols throughout the city. He is apoplectic. So, his first move is to argue. He finds some philosopher types, some Stoics and Epicureans, and he has at it. They are confused, to say the least. They wonder, “What is this babbler saying?” They think Paul has come to preach two foreign gods named “Jesus” and “Resurrection.” Finally, they take him to the Areopagus, which is Greek for Mars Hill. The Areopagus was both the name of a hill and the name of a council that met on the hill. There they question Paul, firmly but politely. And at this point in the story, the narrator decides to give us a crucial piece of information: “Now all the Athenians and the foreigners living there would spend their time in nothing but telling or hearing something new.” Athens is THE place for philosophers and thinkers. It’s the home of Socrates! And that should ring at least one little bell of caution, as Socrates was put to death for “corrupting Athens with strange new gods”—which is just what the Athenians think Paul is doing.<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[i]</span></span></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is where we come in on the story. Paul begins to speak. But instead of decrying the Athenians for their many, many shrines to many, many gods, Paul focuses on just one—an altar that bears an inscription, “to an unknown god.” We know that Paul is actually quite upset at the many varieties of religious expression he finds in Athens. But now Paul realizes what his priority is: his priority is to share the gospel in a way that allows people to open their hearts to it. He comes to understand that, in order to open hearts and minds to the good news of Jesus, he needs to control his impulse to criticize, fight and focus on differences. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">How do we respond to those whose faith is different from ours? At a certain point in my life I had lunch every day in a cafeteria with a young woman who told me that my church worshipped idols, and so it wasn’t the true church. I didn’t find her persuasive. I was never moved to visit her church or to find out anything about it at all. On the other hand, I was invited, once upon a time, to talk about my faith with an acquaintance who was a Presbyterian minister. She asked me a lot of questions about what I believed. As I answered her, I started to look at my own faith, and hers, with new eyes. A few years later I found myself standing in front of her congregation as I became a member. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Critics of the initial Vietnam Memorial design had to encounter the Memorial in order to have a change of heart about it. They had to visit it, to go there, and experience it. And when they did, their hearts were opened. They had a transformative experience. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I wonder if that is what has to happen to us in order to be able to connect to people of other faiths? Paul, in the end, was able to look at the shrine to an unknown god and say this: “The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things” [Acts 17:24-25]. Paul was able to conclude that, for whatever reason that shrine was built, he could, in good conscience, see it as a shrine to the God of Jesus Christ. In our conversations, my friend the minister was able to open up a space where I could see her faith and she could see mine, and we could recognize where they met. Part of that recognition had to do with understanding what is the human-made part of that faith expression, and what is the eternal part.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">About 11 years ago the Rev. Dirk Ficca, a Presbyterian minister, addressed the PC(USA) annual Peacemaking Conference with a speech about religious diversity and pluralism. In his speech he included an image that became the Presbyterians’ own big controversy of that decade. This is what he said:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Imagine a holy place ringed with windows, and light is shining from outside this holy place through stained-glass windows into the holy place. Do you have that image in your mind? Well in this analogy, the light is the truth, the windows are religions, and the holy place is the world. Light shines from outside through the windows into the holy place in the same way religions are a vehicle by which truth comes into the world. If you take anything of what I say today, take this next thing. The window is not the light. The window is not the light. And religions need to be distinguished from the truth that they let into the world.<a style="mso-endnote-id:edn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_edn2" name="_ednref2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[ii]</span></span></a></i><span style="font-style:normal"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Every church, every religion, every expression of the truth, whether it be molecular biology or the air-speed velocity of the unladen swallow, is connected in some way to God—the God of Jesus Christ. If God is truth, then all truth is derivative of God in some way. And at the same time, every church, religion and expression of the truth is mediated by people, fallible human beings, describing their own experiences. The truth of God is more enormous, more overpowering, more glorious than any human vessel can hold, be that a church or a lab experiment. Rev. Ficca did not deny that Jesus was the way or the truth or the life; he merely said, as Paul said, that God cannot be confined to shrines made by human hands, that we should not confuse the human-mediated expression of religion with the eternal truth it reveals. And, of course, Rev. Ficca and Pastor Paul came to their tasks with different objectives: Ficca’s goal was to promote peace between diverse cultures. Paul’s was to share with one culture, the culture of Athens, a gospel he knew they had not yet heard before.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the end, Paul was persuasive, and he lived to preach another day. By opening himself to the truth he recognized in a pagan shrine Paul was able to preach the gospel in all its particularity and power. And at the same time he was able to recognize that perhaps it was the God of Jesus Christ who had moved the Athenians to create that shrine in the first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Each one of us, every person who wants to follow Jesus, is a minister of the gospel. We are called to give witness to our faith, to point up at the particular stained glass window through which God has shown us the truth. And one way to share our faith is to recognize that, truly, in God, we all “live and move and have our being”—a line we all recognize as scripture, which came to us through Paul from an anonymous non-Christian poet. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">At the same time, every person who wants to follow Jesus is called to remember that he called peacemakers “blessed.” We are called to be people of healing and peace, within ourselves, and within our communities, and throughout God’s beautiful and broken world. Thanks be to God. Amen.</p> <div style="mso-element:endnote-list"> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn1"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[i]</span></span></a> C. Clifton Black, “Commentary on First Reading: Acts 17:22-31,” Working Preacher, April 27, 2008 [http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=4/27/2008&tab=1]. </p> </div> <div style="mso-element:endnote" id="edn2"> <p class="MsoEndnoteText"><a style="mso-endnote-id:edn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=33185052#_ednref2" name="_edn2" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[ii]</span></span></a> Rev. Dirk Ficca, “Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a Diverse World,” 2000 Peacemaking Conference, Orange, CA [http://www.witherspoonsociety.org/ficca_address.htm#diversity%20as%20conflict]. </p> </div> </div>Magdalene6127http://www.blogger.com/profile/11036211735489393308noreply@blogger.com1